We see the world not as it is, but as we are. That simple truth has never been more relevant than today, in the Age of AI, where keeping one’s sanity intact feels almost impossible.
Technology evolves at breakneck speed. Machines get sharper, faster, and more efficient every day. Meanwhile, humans seem stuck in a loop: leaders acting like childish content creators, flexing their influence like influencers, while citizens clap along. AI is teaching us efficiency, but society remains trapped in the inefficiencies of mind and heart.
The Noise Without Substance
Scroll your feed and you’ll see it: quote cards, clever one-liners, staged “concern” posts, and emotional rants dressed up as wisdom. All noise, no action. Performance, not governance. Branding, not substance.
As the saying goes—or at least as I like to put it—“he/she that barks the loudest is most likely a dog!” The loudest voices are not always the smartest, nor the cleanest. Sometimes noise is just a defense mechanism: the more they bark, the more they cover up their own dirt, failures, or plain stupidity.
And yet—it works. Because people reward the noise. We share the meme, not the policy. We clap for the show, not the result.
The Patronage Problem
The public has its own blind spots too. Standards shift depending on who’s speaking. Allies get a free pass; foes get crucified. If “truth” depends on political colors, then truth itself is lost.
AI thrives on data, but humans thrive on bias. That’s the gap we must confront. No algorithm can fix a society that refuses to face its own double standards.
God, Country, Fellowmen… and Self?
Remember the order we were taught? God, country, fellowmen, and lastly self. Somewhere along the way, self jumped to the front of the line.
Today we live in a culture where self-interest is disguised as “for the people,” where noise is sold as leadership, and where citizens themselves fuel the circus. Maybe this is why being “normal” feels almost impossible now. To act with integrity is to stand out, not fit in.
Can Humans Handle the Truth?
AI can process billions of data points, but it cannot process human denial. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: the problem is not the machine—it’s us.
We fear AI replacing us, but maybe it won’t have to. Maybe our own hypocrisy, our obsession with noise, and our inability to prioritize collective good will do the job faster.
Boy Scout or Grown Up?
Perhaps this is the hardest pill to swallow: you cannot be both boy scout and grown-up. The world doesn’t need naïve optimism alone, nor hardened cynicism alone. What we need is maturity—a balance that says yes to hope, but no to stupidity.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is not just to be normal—it’s to make sure we don’t normalize stupid. Loudness is not leadership, noise is not knowledge, and posts are not progress.
AI can help us filter truth from noise, expose double standards, and keep digital receipts that hold people accountable. But even the smartest algorithms can’t replace human honesty and responsibility.
So maybe being “normal” in the Age of AI isn’t about blending into the noise. It’s about standing apart from it—choosing substance over spectacle, truth over patronage, and maturity over childishness. Because if we don’t, the machines won’t have to replace us. We’ll out-stupid ourselves.
How Filipinos Can Use Algorithms to Expose Corruption—Before Politicians Weaponize Them 🚨 The Silent Game-Changer in Elections The next political Read more
How AI Helped Me Unpack the Rigged System Filipinos Are Told to Accept 🗳️ “There’s Nothing We Can Do”—Or So Read more
This AIWhyLive.com article tackles AI’s impact on politics, human-first, no “I asked AI…” gimmicks. For those, see “AI Philippine Politics: Read more
Find out how AI is revolutionizing politics and governance in the Philippines. From personalized messaging to automated processes, AI is Read more
