Not sure if you’re all familiar with the term Dark Night of the Soul. Many of us have experienced it at some point in our lives, though we may not have fully understood it.
It’s a moment when the things that once gave us meaning and purpose are suddenly questioned and challenged. It’s a time when circumstances force us to reflect on and question aspects of our lives. The things we considered core to our identity—our direction, our purpose—suddenly become uncertain.
While we all face these moments of reflection, not everyone is aware of what they truly mean and what they ask of us. The key question is: “Who are we?” Have we become the person we envisioned? Or, more simply, did we lose ourselves somewhere along the path of growth and evolution?
When it comes to AI, we are currently riding the wave of excitement. We’re eager to dive into every new development, to try it, to implement it. We’re optimistic and eager to embrace anything related to AI.
It’s moving at an exponential, unprecedented rate, evolving so fast that we hardly have time to reflect on the changes it’s bringing to our businesses and the impact it’s having on who we are becoming.
But sooner than we might expect, we’ll face a Dark Night of AI, where we’ll have to pause and ask ourselves: In the rush to adopt AI, have we lost something important? Perhaps our brand identity, our human touch, or our unique voice? In short, it will force us to confront a fundamental question of Who we have become ?
Why ?
This Dark Night of AI will happen because right now, we’re all actively taking part in an experiment of integrating a new entity into our reality, from work environments to daily working routines, and even into our personal lives as users. It’s a natural point in any kind of evolution, where growth eventually demands reflection.
AI is bringing about changes on an unprecedented scale, affecting everything from practical everyday tasks to deep ethical considerations.
Humanity is being pushed to answer questions that have always existed, but AI’s rapid evolution is forcing us to face them sooner than we anticipated.
Another important aspect is how AI is now performing functions that were, until recently, uniquely human—like talking, thinking, and creating.
When you combine all of these factors, it’s as if we’re speeding down a highway with no stopping lights or speed bumps, leaving us little time to reflect on whether we’ve lost something along the way. Are we integrating this new entity responsibly, ensuring that it will truly serve humanity’s greater good?
That question is inevitable, and it’s one we must address.
When?
I don’t believe there will be a collective moment where the Dark Night of AI happens to all of us at the same exact time. It’s an internal process, and it can occur on different levels—whether it’s at an organizational level, a country-wide scale, or on an individual basis as we work alongside AI and use it in our daily lives.
Just like the Dark Night of the Soul, we all experience these moments differently. Some may feel it more intensely than others, some will be more aware, and others may not notice it at all. But we all face these moments in life, whether as part of a collective humanity, as seen in political or societal shifts, or within a business when it asks itself, “How should we continue? What did we lose in the process?”
On a personal level, we may start to wonder, “Is it still me doing this task with AI, or have I lost what I love about my work and the reason I chose this path in the first place?”
It’s a unique journey for each of us, shaped by our own relationship with AI and its reflection on who we are. This will determine when and how impactful and transformative the Dark Night of AI will be for each individual ,organization and society.
How?
It will happen naturally as we begin to evaluate the costs and business achievements. At some point, whether for society, a business, or an individual, there will come a moment to ask: Is this where I expected to be when I implemented AI?
For organizations, this reflection will occur naturally through budgeting reviews and ROI assessments. The more aware a business is, and the more it has structured processes for evaluating its AI integration across departments, the sooner this moment will come. The same applies to any level of governance. The more a country is influenced by laws around privacy, intellectual property, and education, the sooner this reflection will occur. But eventually, it will happen to all of us.
This process will prompt us to take a look at where we are now and ask: How far is this from where I believed we should be?
What does this all mean?
It means that in every phase of evolution, there comes a moment when we are asked a simple, but profound question: Who are we? What do we stand for? And what are our values?
Right now, this question is hidden from us, appearing in many forms, as AI means different things to different people. We hear things like, “AI is augmenting us,” “AI is a tool,” or “AI needs to blend with our current environment.” But when we take a closer look, we’ll realize that at the end of the day, all of these statements lead to one question—though it wears many faces.
Take the idea of AI augmenting us. What does augmentation really mean? What is AI augmenting? The answer depends on who you ask—it augments different things for different people, with different skills and values. There is no single truth.
So, what does it all come down to? It means that at some point, we will reach a stage in AI’s evolution where all these phrases—AI is augmenting us, blending with our reality, enhancing our lives—will have to face their true meaning. And that true meaning is simple: Where does AI stop, and where do we begin?
That’s the real question at the heart of it all.
Clarification – Awareness
I want to clarify that this is not a fear-provoking article. I am a strong believer in AI and what it brings into our lives. As someone with a technical background and experience as a CEO for many years, I love technology, and I believe human evolution is undoubtedly tied to the use of technology.
The message I wish to share is one of awareness, something we all need to place in front of us because we will have to address it in the near future. Each of us, whether we are businesses selling AI, people programming AI, or individuals using AI in our day-to-day lives, will be called to reflect on the connection we have with this technology and the role it plays in shaping us.
AI is influencing things we can’t fully see or measure right now, and that’s why awareness is so important. It ensures we stay aligned with who we are as we move forward.
We may not have all the answers at this moment, and that’s perfectly fine. The key is having the right questions. Because only when we have the questions can the answers eventually come.
My Thoughts
AI is a thinking revolution. At its core, it’s a technology designed to mimic human cognitive abilities, taking over tasks that once required our mental effort. But what truly makes us who we are—both collectively and individually? It’s our thoughts—the driving force behind our actions. Our thoughts represent our values, sense of humor, charisma, and creativity. In short, they shape how we show up in the world.
Now, AI is stepping into that space, acting on our behalf—whether it’s sending an email or answering a phone call. But for AI to truly represent us, we need to teach it who we are. And that starts with how we think about AI—its capabilities, the possibilities we see, and how we guide it to align with our values.
At the end of the day, it all begins and ends with us. It’s about using our mental power and generating the right thoughts that AI can draw from to reflect our unique selves.
This brings me back to the beginning: We can’t do this if we don’t know who we are. Where does AI end, and where do we begin? We’re still in the early stages of this journey with AI. We might be giving up things too quickly, or not realizing some critical piece of information is missing. There are countless questions we haven’t yet considered because we’re all experiencing this for the first time.
The key message here is simple: AI is a thinking revolution, and this is a friendly reminder to reflect on who we are. We need to keep evolving our reflection in AI to ensure we don’t lose anything essential along the way.
If you’d like to discuss fresh perspectives on your unique AI journey, let’s chat.
