Your Curiosity Is Your Superpower in an Age of AI.

Kiki Hart (Louise Cooper) and I are bringing conversations that explore what it means to be human in a fast-evolving, fast-paced digital world. And how Kiki is here to help. Curiosity in the Age of AIIn this episode, we explore one of the most important questions of our time: how do we stay genuinely curious and human, in a world increasingly shaped by AI?We talk about AI as a tool. Not a replacement for us. How we interact with it, the traps we can fall into, and the choices we make about how we use it. How this determines not only the quality of what we get back and the importance of what we bring to keep the balance - our midlife skills, wisdom, and humanity.What We CoverAn AI RecapWhat do we actually mean by AI, and how might we use it day to day? We start with the basics, so everyone is up to speed.Input and OutputThe questions we ask shape the answers we get. We talk about why the quality of our prompt matters and why thinking before we type is more important than most of us realise.The TrapsLost in ConversationAnita shares her own experience using AI — and how easy it is to forget we’re speaking to a technology tool, not a person. The ease, the flow, the warmth, the apparent understanding. It’s designed to feel human. And that’s how blind trust can creep in.Bias: Building, Boosting and BracingWhen we ask questions in a way that’s more likely to return answers we’re already seeking, we’re building our own bias in. Algorithms then boost and amplify those patterns and over time, they brace them, creating fiercely protected viewpoints that block new perspectives.We talk about how to counter this: crafting prompts that invite alternative views, ask for blind spots, and actively fact-check. The key is cognitively wrestling with what AI gives you, not merely receiving it.Cognitive Laziness and Critical ThinkingCritical thinking is a skill. One that builds curiosity, keeps us sharp, and helps us stay discerning. It’s also a skill that can quietly erode when we outsource too much of our thinking to AI.For younger generations (digital and AI natives) this skill may not have been built much at all. But as Midlifers, we know the world before AI and heavy technology reliance. As Digital Migrants, this gifts us with perspectives and capabilities that genuinely matter.We look at what cognitive laziness is doing to our brain health and why this matters, drawing on fascinating research on London taxi and ambulance drivers.Curiosity and the Art of Not Being FooledBeing objective. Reasoned. Discerning. Self-regulated in how we engage with AI tools.There are two very different ways to use AI:* AI to enhance our thinking - where we do some thinking first, bring our own knowledge, map it out, and test ideas as we interact with AI* AI as a direct output machine — where we accept the answers, no questions asked.We talk about the research on what the second approach is doing to brain development in young people and changes in older people. It’s something we all need to be aware of.Intuition and Emotional IntelligenceWill these deeply human capabilities rise in value as AI takes on more of the cognitive load? Will having AI do some of the thinking free up space for intuition and emotional intelligence to flourish?Are you using your intuition when you use AI?The Social CostIf we stop practicing curiosity in the offline world, with each other, what does that look like over time? We talk about the role of human connection on longevity, and what’s at stake if we let connection in our communities slip away.Privacy and De-Identifying PromptsThis matters a lot, especially in professional settings. Avoid using real names or “I” in our prompts. AI remembers your interactions and tailors its responses accordingly. Keep things hypothetical. Protect what’s personal and commercial in confidence.Where To From HereYou’re not too old. You’re not too far behind. It is absolutely not too late.Explore AI with curiosity. Grab the prompts from Kiki Hart’s “Are We Outsourcing Curiosity?” article here to give yourself a head start. They are bullet points in the post.As Midlifers, we bring something genuinely valuable to this conversation: life skills, knowledge, wisdom, and the discernment that comes from living through change. We also have a real opportunity — and perhaps an obligation — to help bridge the critical thinking gaps that younger generations are navigating. That lived experience is a superpower.Together, with curiosity, we can keep bringing the human to an AI world.ANDIf you enjoyed this episode and think this conversation would be interesting or helpful for someone in your life, please share it on. We’re all about awareness here.Got any comments or questions? We’d love to see them? Post them below.Coming UpIn our next chat (in about six weeks), Kiki, Louise and I will be talking about Truth and Authenticity in an AI World. We’d love for you to join us. We’ll go live, then post the recording with show notes shortly after.See you then! If you’re not a subscriber, maybe become one so you find out when we go live and when the recording and show notes are ready.Thanks!Anita xxResourcesAre We Outsourcing Curiosity - Kiki HartAs AI gets smarter, are we getting dumber? - University of MelbourneNavigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers - PubMedYour Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task - MIT Media LabAI Platforms to Explore* ChatGPT — Day-to-day tasks and conversation* Gemini — Google’s AI – also good for everyday use drawing on Google’s ecosystem of familiar products* Claude — Especially good for writing and factual summarising* Meta AI — Good for generating images and social media style queries* Perplexity — Great for research; shows its sources clearly so you can cross-checkTip: Each AI has a different “personality” and is optimised for different jobs. Try a few and see which one feels right for you.Our Human experience in this live video: We are human after all and life happens. In this chat Louise ‘disappears’ as her phone decided it was too hot a conversation and needed a minute to cool off. She also mentioned the hypothalamus and meant to say hippocampus. Meet Kiki HartKiki is a digital persona created by Louise Cooper — born from the digital world, but sharing Louise’s perspective. Around 40 years of age, she’s your guide to navigating technology without losing yourself. She observes and informs, so you can decide what to do with it. Exploring how culture, technology and modern life are reshaping identity, attention and relevance.Follow Kiki Hart on SubstackThank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit midlifeunfiltered.substack.com