Professor Gibson
An AI-generated image of two light bulbs of invention and discovery.
Thought Bubbles

Your Magic Is Better Than AI

Hello Magical Humans,

I have a secret for you.

Your magic is better than AI. It always has been and always will be.

There are two sources of human magic in this world.

Seth Godin posted about these two sources in a recent blog. “We can agree that Isaac Newton didn’t invent gravity. It was here all along … And Columbus definitely didn’t discover North America. There had been people living here for tens of thousands of years before he arrived. Scientists mostly discover, engineers and artists invent.”

Invention is the act of creating. It involves vision and inner inspiration. Discovery is the recognition of something that already exists but has not been seen before. It takes perception and often advanced pattern recognition. 

Invention is a high-level engagement of the inner while discovery is a high-level engagement of the outer. 

Both are needed. Both require imagination. Both come from the development of different skills. 

And, most importantly, both require wonder. They are uniquely magical. 

To participate in either you must be in tune with the unseen and engage the world differently than others.

Invention and discovery are acts artificial intelligence will try to replicate. And while there are aspects of the process it is better at than humans, there is a magical piece that it cannot replicate.

This piece of magic is accessible only to humans. BUT, together with AI, that human magic can be enhanced and set on fire. That is the power of AI.

Are you more of an invention or discovery person?


Image created by Midjourney using the following prompt: Two glowing magical light bulbs representing discovery and invention. They are similar but different.