#16 in a series – October 11, 2026

The thought of AI lately has spun me into a kind of writer’s block.  It’s not that I can’t write about AI, it is that I cannot write about anything at all. I read recently that AI was pondering amongst its various selves as to whether it has a consciousness. That idea threw me for a loop.  What if AI does develop a consciousness akin to humans? Has it already? I once thought that idea impossible, but now I feel that anything is possible and that is a scary thought for my conscious self to ponder. I’m thinking I should lay off the AI series here at #16.

If you have ever watched a newborn baby slowly become aware of the world around them, then I think you understand more about human consciousness than any computer ever will.  Over time, the human develops an awareness based on the environment around us. Our experiences, our soul, our brains and our DNA all combine together in a kind of miraculous blending that make us unique in the world.  There is only one you.  That is a fact.  We lay our humanity out there on the line (whether we want to or not) and AI scoops it all up.  What results is a composite depending on its inventor’s whim at the time.  So, if the inventor is a thoughtful and peace-loving creator, that could be a good program to be acquainted with.  But considering the stance of the world today, it seems that the chance for something nefarious weighs more likely. 

So, we are at this place in our lives, all of us on planet Earth.  We don’t know what AI is up to or what it has already done.  We don’t know if humanity is doomed to disaster.  We are distracted by the bombardment of daily news which is meant to divert our attention from what is really important.  Our conscious self is so overwhelmed that we can barely do more than our daily tasks which are many.  Some days it is hard to write, to create or even to think.  AI would be pleased to do any or all of this for us.  Perhaps, that is the intention. 

Today, take some time to celebrate the wonderful gift that you were generously gifted on the day of your birth. Your consciousness. It has done you well.  Hold it dearly, and don’t let anything take it away from you.