What AI Can't Touch

In this post, Mark reflects on the opportunities and challenges of AI in a content-driven world—and reaffirms that the core task of becoming a wiser, more skillful human being still rests with us. AI can assist, but it won’t raise your kids, regulate your emotions, or live your values. That’s our work. And it’s more relevant than ever.

Hey friends,

AI seems to be changing everything. When I think of the implications, it makes my chest tighten a little. I’m a content creator. I create online classes. I write books and newsletters. But now everyone has a superintelligent assistant that can replicate all of that!

AI and the Anxiety of Irrelevance

Because the threat is real, I’m stuck with the question: If everyone has these same powerful tools, what makes me, or any other single human, relevant?

Then I took a sauna. Here are my thoughts:

Yes, AI helps me organize my thoughts, speed up workflows, and even help me write better. (It helped me edit this newsletter.)

The One Job AI Can’t Do

But it won’t ever wake up in my skin. It won’t ever sit with a client and hold space for them while they cry. It won’t ever lead a retreat. It won’t raise my daughter or practice patience patience when I’m frustrated. It won’t ever feel the discomfort of my growth and development, or choose right over easy.

AI won’t ever know (or feel) what it’s like to be human. And it certainly won’t ever do the work of becoming a better one! That will always be our job.

Being Human Is Still Our Work

No matter how smart AI gets, the real work of being human remains with us:

Learning to manage our emotions when we’re triggered
Showing up with compassion when we feel like lashing out
Reaching for higher perspectives
Letting go of old stories that keep us stuck
Growing up emotionally and spiritually
Practicing wisdom when there’s an impulse to react

What My Book Can Teach (That Tech Can’t)

In essence, this is what I write about in my upcoming book, The Healing Mindset: Mastering the Art of Skillful Awareness. I wrote it before AI was in the picture. Every word came from lived experience and late-night insights. Just me and my editors—real living, breathing humans.

My point is this: Technology can assist us, but it won’t replace the responsibility of growing into better versions of ourselves. That’s our work. It’s the work that binds us together as a community, and work that I believe is more relevant than ever.

Let’s Stay Rooted in the Real Work

If you want to do that work with me—if you’re ready to grow in your relationships, wisdom, grit, or sense of purpose, reach out. Let’s talk. Let’s coach. Let’s retreat.

The world has more than enough AI tools. What it needs now is more wise, compassionate, grounded people to use them.

Wishing you abundant health, happiness, and prosperity,

Mark

PS: Check out the new website. It soft-launches this week! Let me know what you think. My book is also now available for pre-order.

‍

There's more to discover!

Continue your journey with more related articles.

The Shadow That Drives Us

In this short reflection, Mark shares the story of a long-time coaching client—a successful CEO in her sixties—who continues to struggle with prioritizing her inner life. The post raises thoughtful questions about time, value, and the need to honor our spiritual and emotional wellbeing before it's too late.

Which Path Feels Right?

We all face big decisions—whether to stay the course or make a bold change. In this post, Mark explores how shadow work can open up the inner space to sit with life's biggest questions. You’ll learn why logic alone won’t get you there, how unconscious patterns and external pressures shape our choices, and why stepping away—on retreat or into reflection—might be exactly what’s needed to rediscover your next “right” step.

Airplane Thoughts on Relationships and Agreements

In this insightful post, Mark Pirtle explores the crucial role of making and keeping agreements in both personal and professional relationships. Drawing from the experiences of a client, he introduces the "Six Stages of Oversight," a model illustrating the progression of employee empowerment and responsibility. This model not only applies to business but also reflects the foundations of trust and accountability necessary for thriving relationships. Mark discusses how shadow work can help individuals understand and overcome the subconscious barriers that prevent them from keeping their commitments. He invites readers to join him for a Plant Medicine Retreat in May, where they can explore their relationship dynamics and learn to apply these insights for significant personal growth and relational success.

Different Paths, Same Destination

In this reflective essay, Mark shares insights from a coaching session with a client who excels in golf, business, and mentorship. A fable comparing the journeys of a monk, a golfer, and an entrepreneur highlights shared principles of mastery: motivation, intention, awareness, and focus. Mark extends an invitation to his upcoming plant medicine retreat for those ready to align personal and professional growth with mindfulness and self-discovery.

Subscribe to my newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest blog posts to your inbox every week.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.