Griffin’s reversal does not resolve the debate. But that complicates a simple dismissal.
The broader conversation continues to oscillate between positions that do not match reality. Some people talk about AI as if civilization is on the brink of irreversibility. Some treat it like an investment story disguised as a technological revolution. Technology is advancing faster than most people expected. To be honest, the news coverage surrounding it hasn’t caught up. Both are true at the same time, making it difficult to see each other clearly.
Lost in the noise is the human cost of constant disruption. Most of us living in this moment did not design these systems. They were not consulted. They’re just being asked to readjust. To learn something new. To prove its worth in a landscape that continues to change beneath our feet. The burden is not spread evenly. Anyone paying attention knows that.
AI does certain things well. Process information quickly, spot patterns, draft, summarize, and accelerate tasks that used to take up all day long.
It’s hard to pinpoint what doesn’t reproduce, but most people notice a difference. Judgment based on actual experience. Knowing what the moment actually requires. Wisdom that comes from life, loss, and having to figure things out without a safety net, not something assembled from data. What comes from prayer. From my seat with God long enough to hear something that algorithms can’t generate and search engines can’t return.
Griffin said lifelong learning will become even more important in the future. It’s a humble thing to say amid all this noise, and perhaps the most honest thing to say. But learning has never been a problem for people who have always had to be resourceful. The question is whether the world building these tools is paying attention to who gets left behind when the next wave comes.
This question does not yet have a clear answer. But it’s worth asking out loud.
