Mark Schaefer, Excited and Terrified: Navigating Our AI Future - Innova.Buzz 694

Our guest in this episode is Mark Schaefer, a globally recognized author, speaker, and marketing futurist. Mark shares his deeply personal and professional journey navigating the rise of AI, from his initial “dread” and “loss of purpose” to embracing it as a tool to become bolder and more creative. It’s a candid look at the psychological and strategic shifts we must all make. Key points discussed include: * Curiosity is the essential human skill that will define the “haves and have-nots” in the AI world. * We must fight the “pandemic of dull” by making our content art, using human stories to avoid being ignorable. * Leaders cannot delegate AI; they must roll up their sleeves and experiment to learn how to ask the right questions. Listen to the podcast to find out more [https://innovabiz.co/694]. Innovabiz Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Show Notes from this episode with Mark Schaefer It was an absolute delight to welcome Mark Schaefer, a globally recognized author and marketing futurist, back to the InnovaBuzz podcast. It’s always a highlight, but this conversation felt different. We’ve chatted before about his work on Marketing Rebellion, but his new book, How AI Changes Your Customers, isn’t just a marketing concept. It’s a profound psychological framework. Our conversation captured the feeling so many of us are wrestling with: that dual-edged sword of being both “excited and terrified” by AI. Mark’s insights cut right to the heart of what it means to be human, creative, and purposeful in a world that’s being rewired before our very eyes. The First Shock: Dread, Anxiety, and a Loss of Purpose Mark kicked things off with a story of such raw candor it stopped me in my tracks. Right after finishing his book Belonging to the Brand—a two-year, all-consuming “struggle” and “sacrifice” that left him spent—he tried ChatGPT for the first time. He asked it to write an essay from the book, and it did a perfect job. His feeling wasn’t excitement; he said it was “dread” and “anxiety.” He was hit with a profound sense of “what if?” and a “loss of purpose,” asking that massive question: “If this thing can write like me, where do I belong?” It’s a feeling I know many of us, as creators, have quietly felt. But Mark isn’t fighting against AI; he’s learning to embrace it as a tool to become “bigger, bolder, and more creative” and to have an even bigger impact. The rest of these show notes continue for paid subscribers — where we dive into the specific human skills, like curiosity and artistic bravery, that Mark believes are the antidote to this dread. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, human-centered take on the AI revolution, I’d love you to join the inner circle. It’s where we explore the unpolished insights that keep our curiosity alive. Maybe they’ll feed yours too. The New Dividing Line: Curiosity as a Survival Skill This led us to the danger of cognitive decline, something I’ve worried about myself. Am I losing my ability to edit or refine my own thoughts by abdicating that first pass to AI? Mark believes the essential human quality that will define the “haves and the have-nots” in this new world is curiosity. He pointed out that if you’re not a curious person, you’ll just want the answer. You’ll take the shortcut to “get a grade on a test” and come out “not knowing anything.” But if you are a curious person, AI is a magical tool. You can “feed your intellect,” “explore,” “learn,” and go down all those wonderful “curious rabbit holes” to enhanc