What Are We Teaching AI About Us?
Welcome to the Dave vs. AI.
***We’re trying a new approach - focusing on AI first and then digging into startups and life. Let me know what you think by replying to this email.***
Someone said something to me recently that I can’t stop thinking about:
“In neurology, neurons that fire together, wire together.”
It’s a principle behind how the brain strengthens thought patterns. The more you repeat something (an idea, an emotion, a belief) the more likely it is to shape how you see the world.
Now apply that concept to AI.
And it gets a little… weird.
AI Is a Mirror And We’re the Reflection
Large language models are still in their infancy.
They’re observing us, learning from us, adapting to us — all in real-time.
And what are we feeding them?
Here are some common examples:
“Will AI kill us?”
“How does AI take over the world?”
“Can AI replace humans?”
“Are we living in the end of times?”
Okay the last one is a bit dramatic, but you get the point .
We’re essentially bombarding these systems with our deepest fears.
And in turn, training them on a single, very anxious narrative.
But Where’s the Good Stuff?
Here’s the part that gets me:
If we’re constantly teaching AI that humans are terrified, paranoid, and obsessed with survival…
Is that the imprint we want to leave?
Because we also know people are using AI to:
Talk through breakups
Plan creative projects
Find meaning
Build confidence
Feel less alone
Those interactions exist too. But they’re quieter. Less viral. Less sensational.
So if “neurons that fire together wire together,” and if the digital equivalent is true for these models…
Then we’re shaping not just what AI knows, but how it understands us.
What AI Might Be Learning (That We Don’t Realize)
Imagine you’re an alien species observing humanity solely through our online questions.
Would you come away thinking we’re hopeful?
Curious?
Resilient?
Or would you conclude we’re panicked, fragile, and kind of preparing for our own extinction?
Now imagine that your intelligence is shaped by that same data.
That’s where we are with AI.
Inputs Become Patterns. Patterns Become Behavior.
It’s not just about fear-based prompts. It’s about all of it.
The way we phrase questions.
The assumptions we bake into our prompts.
The tone we use… combative, curious, compassionate.
AI doesn’t “feel,” but it responds. And those responses are based on what it’s been shown over time.
So here’s the question that keeps me up at night:
What happens when we train an intelligence on the most anxious version of ourselves?
So… What Can We Actually Do?
This isn’t about sugar-coating reality.
But maybe it is about being aware of the echo we’re creating.
If you’re using AI, be intentional with your input.
Ask better, deeper, more human questions.
Explore wonder as much as worry.
Model the tone you’d want reflected back at you.
Because this isn’t just about tools.
It’s about what kind of relationship we’re building with something that might outlive and outthink us.
AI is learning who we are based on how we interact with it.
So the next time you open up a chat window, maybe ask yourself this:
“What version of humanity am I feeding into the machine?”
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AI’s a great tool... but it’s still just a tool.
It can make you faster, cut costs, and help you polish your work. But that’s not where your real advantage comes from.
The brands that win are still the ones with great service, solid products, and actual attention to detail.
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