How to Overcome the Maddening Frustration of Being a Gen-X-er in an Age of AI

Leverage the best of both worlds, find more time, and become more creative.

So, you think I am too old?

Two DJs were discussing the topic of “age.”

“Artists who are over fifty years old should quit performing. They no longer understand the younger audience, and their presence on stage looks unnatural and seriously uncool.”

His “colleague” agreed with this sentiment and suggested artificial intelligence might be used to replace the “older” performers.

“We could use AI tools to recreate younger versions of the fading stars, and the originals could happily retire to their country estates.”

When did morning radio become so controversial? And couldn’t the same logic be applied to fading middle-aged DJs?

I was driving to work and was slightly taken aback by the direction of the discussion. It is one thing shocking your audience to grab their attention, but quite another to tell them they are past their best and should be replaced.

And here was a topic I totally disagreed with. If I had the chance, I would tell them they could make their radio show more interesting by listening to and learning from people my age.

We are more up to speed than you think. But such defensive thoughts make me older and, worse, old-fashioned.

Telling people, “I’m still relevant,” is never a good look.

Better to stay focused on the positive and ignore the negativity and noise.

My Cyborg Life

I am 54 years old and have started to become an actual cyborg. I spend most of my time in front of three 32-inch monitors with a smartphone at hand. And when I am in the zone, I avoid interaction with people. If I must attend a meeting, I try to have them online and for no longer than fifteen minutes max.

I find myself constantly connected to AI and other online tools. I get many more tasks done in less time. Emails. Memos. Reports. Assessments. Presentations. I can do them quicker and better. AI has become my favorite new colleague.

Fewer interactions with people and more with AI help me save one of the most precious things in life: time.

And I need the time to be creative and fulfill my dream of writing a novel.

Or so, I thought!

Judge Dread

But despite the developments in AI and the increase in productivity, I haven’t made the progress I expected. The time I saved was largely wasted on online engagements, social media posts, comments, and reviews.

The cyborg lifestyle makes a person prone to inertia.

A lot of time is wasted on comparing and judging the other cyborgs’ input.

The constant flow of information. The need to check the social media channels. The abundance of choice. There is always something else to do, so a “cyborg” usually lacks creativity and finds it difficult to make decisions.

For instance, my wife and I had to buy a new dishwasher last week. We also needed new winter jackets.

So, as an actual cyborg, I surfed the website for the best deals. And, before I knew it, I wasted hours and hours without making a decision. Whenever I thought I had found the perfect product, a devasting review made me doubt my choice and start my search again.

All the information didn’t help me. It disabled me.

In a world of cyborgs, online reviews have become the highest truth.

Of course, I know this is ridiculous. Most reviews are meaningless. They are fake, inconsistent, AI-generated, or written by people who are just professional complainers who have too much time and hope that being negative can help them get more attention.

Back to the 80s

Confused and frustrated, I gave up and went for the old-fashioned approach.

Last week, we decided to visit actual stores.

Not one of the large retailers that send you an email request to write a review about the shop experience before you are back home. No. We went to one of the smaller ones we knew from the past and still existed. It reminded us of the eighties when we went to our favorite and trusted shops whenever we wanted to buy something, a music record, electronics, or sports apparel.

And within one hour, we had purchased a new dishwasher and were ready for the winter with our new jackets. I always thought that online shopping was faster. It would save me the inconvenience of driving down to the little shops that weren’t always in fancy malls. But I was wrong.

I got my life back.

So, I now have two identities.

At work, I am a cyborg, constantly interacting with AI and digital tools. But when I am in my creative mode, I return to a Gen-X lifestyle, appreciating human imagination and personal interaction — no online reviews, no online shopping, no online confusion, no online engagement, no AI.

Finally, I have found the time to start writing a novel. It takes time to come up with something that doesn’t exist yet. Something that AI cannot generate. A novel that offers humanity a glimpse into the unknown.

I realize that it takes even more time to finish the novel. But that’s okay. I am in charge. And I know I will have at least one reader, and that reader is none other than myself.

I look forward to losing myself in the new time I suddenly possess.