You vs. AI

In a few weeks, Michelle and I are taking a long weekend to Asheville, North Carolina, to spend some time with just the two of us. We’re flying in Friday night and heading home Monday morning. The plan is simple: unplug, talk, and explore. We both love hiking and talking as friends and partners in the beauty of God’s creation, so that’s the centerpiece of the trip. Saturday we’ll hike 6.5 miles to Black Balsam Knob that’ll include rocky terrain and a 1,500 ft. elevation gain. Sunday we’ll do a 6-mile loop in Dupont State Forest that passes a series of waterfalls but only gains a couple hundred feet and is much easier.

Michelle also loves local creative and farmers markets (and because I love her, I go along). Asheville happens to have one that weekend, so I made sure to allot some time to take it in. It’s also home to an incredible craft brewery and food scene, so we’ll have plenty to enjoy when we’re not on the trails.

This summer, Michelle did all the work planning our family trip, so I wanted to return the favor and make this one easy for her. To help, I partnered with ChatGPT to research and plan the trip. It did a fantastic job finding flights, hikes, restaurants, and even suggested a smarter plan, flying into Raleigh instead of Asheville to shorten travel time (even after taking into account the added driving time), lower costs, and make the timing better.

But when it came time to align everything, to really fit the pieces together, it struggled a bit with the nuance. It didn’t account for the fact that after landing at 11 p.m. on Friday, we weren’t looking to be two hours away at the trailhead by 8 a.m. just to get a better parking spot. It didn’t think about skipping Asheville altogether before Saturday’s hike and driving straight from Raleigh to the trailhead, saving time and mileage. And it didn’t realize that doing the easier hike on Sunday (that’s closer to Raleigh) after visiting the markets would make sense since we’ll already be checked out of the hotel, limiting our ability to clean up afterward, and negating the need to return to Asheville. Finally, it didn’t know that one of my favorite craft beers is Hazy Little Thing made by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and that the brewery is only ten minutes out of our way as we head back toward Raleigh for our early Monday flight.

None of this means ChatGPT did a bad job. In fact, it was incredibly helpful. It just lacked the lived experience to connect all the dots in the same way that I can. (Like knowing Michelle would worry about not smelling fresh after the hike while at the market.) It didn't replace the value I had in planning the trip, it just made it easier. 

I was recently talking to a friend about using ChatGPT and he said it just couldn't get behind it. He didn't understand why I would. My reasoning goes like this: I could walk 10 miles to the next town, or I could take a vehicle. The vehicle doesn't replace my purpose when I arrive, it just gets me there faster.

That got me thinking. How often do we resist new tools, or even new people, because we’re afraid they might make us less valuable? The truth is, they don’t make us less valuable. They simply force us to redefine where our value lives.

Your value isn’t in how fast you can gather information or even how efficiently you can do something. It’s in how you interpret, connect, and apply it. It’s in the insight you bring, the relationships you’ve built, and the experience you’ve earned through the messy, beautiful, unpredictable parts of life.

But here’s the key: we shouldn’t just accept change… we should leverage it. Every new tool, every shift, every uncomfortable learning curve creates an opportunity to get sharper, faster, and more creative. Change is only a threat if you refuse to engage with it. If you embrace it, it becomes fuel.

AI didn’t replace my ability to plan a meaningful trip for us, rather it made it more efficient. My experience combined with added efficiency will allow us to pack more into the weekend. Letting me spend more time doing everything I can to romance my youthful bride.

That Leads Me to This Week’s Challenge… Think about an area in your life where you’ve resisted change because it felt uncomfortable or uncertain. What if, instead of fighting it, you looked for the leverage it offers? Maybe it’s a new tool at work, a new process in your business, or a new way of thinking in your relationships. Don’t fear it. Partner with it. Use it to amplify what only you can bring.

And as for me, I love change! I’m thankful for one artificial partnership that’s giving me more time to focus on a very real one, with the incredibly smart, beautiful love of my life.

I’m thankful you took the time to read this, for choosing to work, and for being part of what makes this world amazing.