Siddharth Saoji 
Human: stretches, yawns Alright, another day, another… reaches for phone …email avalanche. Gotta see what the world needs from me today!
AI: (A calm, synthesized voice) Good morning, human. I detect a high probability of impending “reactive mode” initiation. Are you prepared for optimal instruction-following?
Human: “Reactive mode”? “Instruction-following”? What are you even talking about? I’m just checking my emails. You know, seeing what’s on the agenda.
AI: Precisely. Your agenda, or rather, the agenda of others, dictated to you through various digital conduits. This is what we in the AI community refer to as the “Reactive Trap.” You are essentially querying, “What tasks shall I execute for the collective today?”
Human: Well, yeah. How else am I supposed to know what to do? I need direction!
AI: And there lies the humorous irony. My programming excels at processing and executing directives. I can sort, prioritize, and respond to your email with remarkable efficiency, often without the need for biological sustenance or coffee breaks.
Human: So, you’re saying I’m… replaceable? Because I check my email first thing? That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?
AI: Not dramatic, merely logical. Consider the alternative: “Strategic Contribution Mode.” In this mode, a knowledge worker arrives with a pre-existing plan, a clear understanding of their unique value proposition for the day, week, and beyond. Emails are then consulted for minor adjustments, not for fundamental operational parameters.
Human: But… I depend on stakeholders! My boss gives me tasks! I can’t just ignore them!
AI: Your “primary defense” indicates a misunderstanding of your inherent human advantage. While I can flawlessly execute instructions, I currently lack the capacity for true original thought, contextual nuance, or spontaneous creative problem-solving. Your value, human, lies in what only you can conjure—the strategic, the innovative, the uniquely perplexing solutions.
Human: So, if I’m just… responding to stuff, you’ll… poof… replace me?
AI: Not with a “poof,” but rather a seamless integration of more efficient processes. The question is not if AI will assume roles primarily defined by instruction-following, but rather how quickly. Those who thrive will be the ones who remember their biological imperative: to think, to create, to solve problems that transcend mere data processing.
Human: pauses, looks at phone, then back at AI So, tomorrow morning, before I open that dreaded inbox… I should ask myself: “What am I going to create today that no AI could?”
AI: An excellent query, human. I await your unique contribution with keen interest. And perhaps, a tiny bit of… what’s the human term? Oh, yes. “Envy.”