Surfacing a Conversation Across Generations in the Age of AI

By Dave Toole

I’m Dave Toole, helping facilitate a great group of leaders to shape how we consider humanity as AI diffuses into the fabric of our lives. I’ve been in Silicon Valley since before the personal computer, the Internet, smartphones, and much more. It’s time to give back. I’m honored to be around a group we call H-Corps that cares about the impact of AI on Humanity and our ability to steer it, considering the fear, uncertainty, and doubt as well as the opportunities ahead. It is hard to understand the implications of AI, even for those who live with it every day, let alone those who are not interested or aware of its potential impact. We all know the disruption ahead is not predictable. We must consider a new mindset. This comes from recognizing that, as a society, we need a renewed voice that considers the uncertainty of our future together. It must come across generations as we are all going through this together. Listening for the signals, gaining a broader perspective of how we can steer this to bring greater health to our communities.

We want to share the conversation that we are missing that would help us find our path forward. We have an existing educational system that has generated the talent to populate the most competitive nation in history. We must not lose sight of the value of connecting with people who help you navigate the world more effectively together. We find this in faith, in family, and in our human connection. To better understand this, I have the pleasure of introducing Tara Mandrekar and John Seely Brown. We are all from different generations, but share the recognition that we can learn together in ways unique to this method of advancing who we are. I met Tara and JSB at UC Santa Barbara, where I met my wife, explored the first versions of the Internet (it didn’t turn out the way I had hoped), and recognized the unique value of connecting with people to learn together.

Tara was introduced to me, and we connected on how to surface the voice of Gen Z in the Age of AI. Tara has traveled with dozens of students and faculty to surface the voices, fears, and uncertainties of those experimenting with AI. They interviewed JSB as part of a series we are helping to surface voices across generations that have a lot to say about how we are already steering our collective voice in the Age of AI. Tough one. Lots of challenges, but if we don’t, who will?

I met JSB at UCSB, where we served on the advisory board of the Center for Information Technology and Society, and we have built a long-standing relationship over the last couple of decades. We came together hoping to raise awareness of the implications of Social Media, and now again calling attention to the implications of AI. JSB is one of the founders of Silicon Valley who has made an incredible impact with a socio-technical lens. Leading a team that developed the first personal computer, software, networking, and much more. He helps organizations open the aperture of imagination, as you will read in the paper on Organizational Jazz (Linked Here). Please share this and join us on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.