Lately, I’ve noticed an almost addictive obsession with AI tools. It’s not just about using ChatGPT or automation to save time, it’s a fixation on cutting costs, scaling faster, and proving how “smart” they are by showing off efficiency gains.

It feels like a race to the bottom, where the prize is being told, “good boy” for saving a few bucks. But in chasing efficiency at all costs, many are abandoning the one thing AI can’t replicate: the human craft of skill, judgment, and passion.

I had a client ask ChatGPT for a full business plan, then wanted me to turn it into a polished pitch deck. Normally, no problem. But I also develop businesses, and when I read the plan, I saw the flaws instantly.

This client earns €20,000+ per month because of years of industry experience, their judgment is the nectar competitors can’t buy. Copy pasting an AI output without tailoring it? That’s not innovation, that’s making yourself redundant.

Prompting is not a replacement for practicing your craft. If you forget what makes you human, you’re just another middleman between AI and the world.

A friend of mine recently fired 80% of their workforce, proudly replacing them with AI systems. On paper, incredible efficiency. In reality? Risk.

If your company is built entirely on third-party AI tools and automation, you’re easy to replicate. A bigger competitor can spin up the same tools, scale faster, and outprice you. What they can’t copy are unique humans, the kind of talent tech giants poach for astronomical salaries. People aren’t just “costs.” They’re barriers to entry. They’re culture. They’re the magic AI can’t reproduce.

Another friend told me I should “duplicate” myself through AI and staff to sell more of me. I’ve tried that. Honestly? I hated it.

I love my work. I love solving problems with clients, being on the front line, practicing my craft daily. To me, time doesn’t equal money. Time equals life. It’s finite. And the more I spend it doing what I love, the richer I feel, regardless of how others measure efficiency.

So when people call me “in-efficient” for not scaling harder, I see it differently. I see it as a privilege to choose the pace, the projects, and the clients I enjoy. That’s freedom AI can’t buy.

Let’s talk money. There’s a myth floating around that earning $40,000 per year puts you in the global top 1%. In reality, it’s closer to the top 3–4%, but the point still stands.

If you’re earning over $3,333/month, you’re already outperforming the vast majority of the planet. That income reflects the value you bring to society. Beyond that? It’s not about survival. It’s about legacy. Whether your legacy is good or bad depends on what you do with that extra value.

Another friend of mine has taken AI obsession to the next level. They’ve built an entire marketing machine around it, an avatar that looks and sounds like them, AI-generated content, and fully automated posting systems. On the surface, it’s impressive. Scalable. Efficient. But here’s the issue, it’s not real.

Their company is now marketed by a robot. And if everyone does this, then no one stands out. Your “unique” marketing strategy can be copied instantly, because it isn’t really yours. It’s just another template, another tool, another system anyone can replicate. Nothing about it carries the fingerprints of authenticity.

This leads to a bigger question: why should I care about what someone like that has to say? Why would I buy their product, course, trust their content, or invest in their brand if it’s all just AI anyway?

If your blog posts, videos, or social media captions are indistinguishable from AI-generated noise, then why wouldn’t I go straight to the source? I can ask the same tool you used and get the same answers in seconds.

That’s the danger: by automating everything to such extremes, you don’t just risk redundancy, you guarantee it. You’ve traded authenticity for efficiency, short-term gains for long-term invisibility. In chasing scale, you’ve erased the very thing that makes people want to listen to you in the first place.

The real question isn’t just “are you making yourself redundant?” It’s whether you’re using AI as a crutch or as a catalyst.

For many, AI provides a rare opportunity to rethink life itself. In the past, survival often meant taking the safe job you hated, sacrificing passion for stability. But now, digital tools can support a transition into what you truly love, freeing time, reducing stress, and opening doors that once felt impossible.

That’s the gift of AI: it’s a tool to support you, not outlive you. You are the vessel of life. You are the one with judgment, skill, and the capacity to create meaning. AI can extend your reach, but it can never replace your humanity.

So don’t let the tool use you. Use it to carve out the space to practice your craft, live your passion, and enjoy this finite moment you’ve been given. Because efficiency without fulfillment isn’t living, it’s just surviving.