AI, Ethics, and the Cost of Convenience: Why We’re Not Replacing Humans at MYH—Part 2 of the AI Series

Before you dive in... If you haven't yet read Part 1 of this bigger AI conversation, make sure to read it HERE so you can get the full backstory before continuing on…

But today, it's Olivia again! And we’re getting into the deeper ethical and generational implications of our obsession with (and reliance on) AI, plus how we do work with AI at MYH without compromising our values.

So, picking up where we left off in Part 1…

When you're becoming so reliant on a robot and you're getting these constant, unhealthy dopamine hits of being told exactly what you want to hear, not having to think for yourself, and not knowing how to have conversations and grow your communication skills... this is literally taking YEARS off of our lives, and even greatly decreasing the quality of the years we have left here.

Also, have we thought about what this is teaching our children!? Can you imagine the effects this will have on them as a flow-on effect?

We grew up with social media and cell phones, but no one had a relationship with a ROBOT until recently, and now we're old enough to understand how f*cked that really is. What happens when this is a "normal" thing as our kids are growing up?

Now, this doesn't mean "don't touch AI with a ten-foot pole."

Don't misread what I'm saying. Although, admittedly, I was one of those girlies in the beginning.

But it does mean that we owe it to ourselves, to our CHILDREN, and to our children's children, to use it wisely, intentionally, and ethically. To be mindful of the cost of convenience (have we thought about not only paying in with our humanity chips, but also, what are these major data centers doing to the environment!?).

Just like when you go out and grab fast food to save some time in a pinch, you sacrifice feeling good. Long-term, you sacrifice your health, longevity, and vitality. Using AI is the same.

Choosing convenience ALWAYS comes at a cost—and it's important to think about that (even though it's not sexy or fun or glamorous).

Monica was actually telling me a story recently about a conversation Hal had had with someone when they were in Austin for a recent book signing. This person had shared with him how there was a "great opportunity" that Monica should really jump on where essentially she'd train an AI bot her accredited certification and 8+ years of coaching history to teach it how to coach people "just like she would." I'm sorry, say what?! 

"It's like a membership and way more scalable," this person shared. Hal was SHOCKED, and when he told Monica about it, she nearly puked (and, of course, he knew she'd never ever go for it because it's completely misaligned with our brand values and the ethical guidelines in the way she facilitates her work and runs her company ‼️). Seriously. Like, WHAT!?

Coaching and mentorship via AI is extremely dangerous and could have maaaajor consequences—

in giving people terrible advice,
in guiding them deeper into their traumas without being able to get them out, 
in unconsciously validating them

...When what they actually need is someone to lovingly give them a kick in the ass and to break a vicious cycle. 

This approach and this behaviour is further perpetuating the epidemic of self-importance these days (forgetting that we live in a society with other people, and therefore having relationships and co-existing with other humans is a GIVEN in our day-to-day lives)—something that Simon Sinek also spoke to in the podcast episode I mentioned in Part 1 (listen, when I tell you this episode was exquisitely timed based on the conversations we've been having behind the scenes, I MEAN IT. Go listen and thank me later!! 👀).

The WHOLE point of "doing the work" isn't just to become better versions of ourselves. It's also to make us better IN relationships, in community, and therefore increase the vibration of our COLLECTIVE consciousness and make this a better f*cking planet to live on. 

The whole point of life IS relationships.
The quality of our relationships IS the quality of our lives. 

Monica's prediction is that AI is going to further perpetuate the self-obsessed, self-important, and selfish tendencies that a lot of people are being sold in today's society, especially in the coaching and talk therapy industry (listen to the "the DARK SIDE of personal development" podcast episode Monica did, and read THIS post for more on this topic).

And just like it took me forever and a day to get on board with even touching AI without being completely disgusted, I wasn't the only one who had an issue with it. Monica was the same way. It took us dang near a YEAR to get Monica to let us use ManyChat because she was so worried about the robotic nature of it.

Now, she loves it because she has realized that you guys LOVE having something immediately and you don't have to wait on any of us to just... get the thing you need.

And now, we all know a ManyChat automation when we see one, you know? You can sniff it from a mile away. But that's a KEY distinction—it's spelled out and clear as day that MC is a ROBOT, and therefore you're not building a relationship with our Monica robot in the DMs thinking it's her (lol), you know when it's an automation. 

You know when it's me, Amanda, Lea, or even Monica herself. It's a TOOL, not a replacement for a real human interaction with someone from our team. And we LOVE this.

Hear me when I say that this truly isn’t about AI being “bad." 
It's not as black & white as that. 

It’s about people using it in place of developing their own voice, leadership, and self-trust. AI should be a TOOL you use, but it absolutely shouldn't be a crutch. And, total cringe when I hear leaders in the industry talk about how they've used AI to replace X number of team members. I even recently saw someone celebrate that their ENTIRE team is AI.

What. In. The. Hell.

One of our absolute favorite parts of our MYH Team is that we're all HUMANS (who, again, use AI as a tool at times). But we have REAL relationships with one another, and with you, our beloved community!! We get to hug you and touch you and laugh with you and cry with you and do life WITH YOU. That's one of the most rewarding parts of our job.

That's something a robot can't touch.

If you feel like you're being pulled in 100 different directions right now (partly by the robots!), you're not alone. The mental load that women are carrying these days is not only causing us burnout—it's also causing us to feel uninspired, depressed, and disengaged from our heart and feminine power. Ultimately, the hustle and the world wanting to be more ‘efficient’ isn't giving us the validation and happiness we set out trying to achieve.

Inside HER YEAR, the vibe is true and authentic feminine leadership that magnetizes, not dominates. She doesn't chase, but attracts. She doesn't take, but receives. IN ALL OF HER TRUE HUMAN FORM. So HOT TIP, if real life human-to-human connection is calling, get on the waitlist, stat.

Okay, this one was BIG. And perhaps intense. Confronting. A bit convicting. 
I get it. Let it simmer, let it settle.

I’ll be back with part 3, and the final nuggets we wanted to share with you on this topic (for now) in the next blog post—and this one is IMPORTANT because it’s the empowerment piece and the reclamation. We don’t have to be afraid of any of this. We have power here!! Immense power. And a magic that can’t be trained or purchased (aka our humanity).

Excited to see where this all lands with you when it’s wrapped.

xx Olivia (+ the whole MYH Team, big hugs!)