I remember the first time I felt the "hush."
As a startup founder here in Africa, my office has always been a place of noise. It’s the sound of big dreams hitting small budgets. It’s the sound of my graphic design team debating over the exact shade of orange that feels like a sunset in Lagos or a sunrise in Nairobi. That noise was my favorite music. It meant people were creating. It meant lives were being built.
But lately, that music has changed. And if I’m being honest with you human to human it’s been keeping me up at night.
A few weeks ago, I sat at my desk and opened an AI tool. We needed a dozen flyers for a new project. Usually, this would be a week of back-and-forth, sketches, and late-night edits with my team.
I typed a few words. I hit "Enter."
In ten seconds, the screen filled with beautiful, vibrant designs. They were perfect. And in that moment, I felt a strange, cold rush of both wonder and guilt. As a founder, I saw a way to save money and move faster. But as a person who knows the names of my staff’s children, I saw a shadow falling over their desks.
I realized then that the "magic" of AI isn't just a tool; it’s a disruption of the very way we value one another.
This isn't just happening in my office. We just heard the news about Block Inc. the massive company behind Square. They didn’t just trim their staff; they let go of 4,000 people. Nearly half their "family" was told their desks were no longer needed because AI could now handle the "intelligence" of the work.
The most painful part? Some of these people had just been hired. They had just moved their lives, signed leases, and celebrated new beginnings, only to be told a month later that a line of code could do their job for free. They were "blended" into a corporate transition that forgot they were human beings with rent to pay and dreams to chase.
So, what do we do? Do we just wait for the "hush" to take over every industry?
I’ve had to look my own team in the eyes and have these hard conversations. What I tell them and what I want to tell you is that while the robot can draw the heart, it cannot feel the beat.
In our work, especially in the Midwives Alliance, context is everything. An AI in a server room in California doesn't understand the nuances of our culture, the softness of a mother’s hand, or the intuition that comes from years of looking a person in the eye.
The New "Recruitable": Being Irreplaceable
To my fellow workers and my own team, I say this: Don't try to beat the AI at being fast. Beat it at being human.
Bring the Soul: If you are a designer, don't just "make a flyer." Tell a story that only someone who has walked these streets can tell.
Control the Machine: Don't let the AI be your replacement; make it your intern. Be the one who knows how to guide the tool to produce something with meaning, not just something that looks "pretty."
Advocate for Each Other: We have to talk about this. We can't let companies "blend" layoffs into the background. We need to demand a world where AI gives us more time to be human, not less.
I am a founder, yes. I have to care about the bottom line. But I am a human first. As we navigate this transition, let’s promise not to lose our "hum." Let’s make sure that as the technology gets smarter, our empathy gets deeper.
The machines are here, but the heartbeat? That still belongs to us.
0 comments