AI as a Gift to Human Creativity
Reflections from a 91-year-old Blogger Who Still Believes in Possibility
Every so often, an article comes along that lingers with you long after the screen goes dark. Last week, in the Wall Street Journal, Brian Gross💚 wrote an essay arguing that AI is not a threat to human imagination, but a gift to it, a partner rather than a replacement.
For someone like me, who just celebrated his 91st birthday with more stories behind me than ahead, this idea resonated deeply. I began blogging in 2009 with a simple goal: to keep my mind alive and share whatever wisdom a long life affords. Back then, I never imagined that one day I would be writing side-by-side with an artificial intelligence, shaping thoughts and polishing ideas the way an editor or a patient friend might.
Yet here I am.
AI Doesn’t Diminish Us-It Expands Us
Some worry that AI will replace our creativity, our thinking, even our humanity. But I have found the opposite to be true.
AI wakes up parts of my imagination that age has tried to quiet. It reminds me that the mind can keep growing as long as we give it something to grow toward. When I sit down to write about Filipino heritage, near-death experiences, new technology, or simply the news of the day. AI helps me explore angles I wouldn’t have seen on my own.
It doesn’t write my thoughts. It reveals them. At my age, that feels nothing short of miraculous.
A Tool Is Only as Good as the Hands Using It
I spent decades working in the FDA and later found myself involved in the aftermath of 9/11, situations where human judgment mattered more than anything else. If those years taught me anything, it is this: tools amplify human intention.
A tool can harm or help, depending on the heart behind it. AI is no different. In my hands, AI becomes a companion for curiosity. In children’s hands, it can be a classroom. In an artist’s hands, a palette. In a scientist’s hands, a telescope. The danger is never the tool.
It’s forgetting that we are the ones holding it.
Creativity at Any Age
One of the unexpected blessings of growing older is discovering that inspiration doesn’t retire. It simply changes rhythm.
AI helps me keep creating even when my energy comes in shorter bursts. It fills the gaps where memory falters. It gives me the confidence to tackle topics I once left untouched because they felt too complex or distant.
Some people say seniors are “too old” for technology. But I believe the opposite: technology is exactly what keeps us young.
Every time I publish a blog post whether about Filipino cuisine, health technologies, or the world’s latest headlines, I feel like I’m still part of the conversation. AI makes that possible.
A Partnership of Possibility
💚Brian Gross is right: AI is a gift. Not because it replaces human creativity, but because it invites more people to participate in it.
It lowers barriers. It sparks ideas. It helps us share our stories, even when our hands might shake or our words come slower than before.
For me, AI has become a companion in my life’s final chapter, one that helps me continue creating, reflecting, and reaching out to the readers who have walked with me all these years.
The Human Heart Still Leads
At the end of the day, creativity is still ours. AI may be brilliant, but it does not know the warmth of a childhood memory, the grief of a loss, or the quiet joy of waking up to another morning at 91.
Only we know those things. Only we can give them meaning. AI simply helps us express them more beautifully. And in that sense, yes, AI truly is a gift. And I have been an active participant for the last 6 months and will continue using it until the last blog of my life.
INSPIRATION:
Finally, here's the top five news of the Day;
Ukraine and U.S. unveil 20-point peace plan draft — Ukrainian President Zelensky revealed a detailed peace plan backed by the U.S. aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, though key disagreements remain on territorial and infrastructure issues. The Kyiv Independent
Explosion at nursing home in Pennsylvania kills at least 2 — A catastrophic blast and fire at a Pennsylvania nursing home has resulted in multiple deaths and a major emergency response. ABC News
19 states sue HHS over youth gender-affirming care policy — A coalition of U.S. states and D.C. filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services over a policy that could restrict access to gender-affirming care for minors. AP News
New York judge upholds controversial driver’s license law — A federal judge allowed a New York law granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants to move forward, handing a legal setback to the Trump administration. Fox News
Cryptocurrency markets down on Dec. 24 — Crypto market indices are trading lower with a modest downturn in overall market capitalization, reflecting investor caution ahead of the holiday. Yahoo Finance
Nine Laws to Live By:
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