Lately, when I tell people that I am a writer, the conversation inevitably turns to artificial intelligence. People want to know if AI will replace journalists and take over everything from writing newspapers to books. I don’t think it will, and here’s why.

AI can be a useful tool. I use an AI-driven app to transcribe the interviews I conduct for my columns. Sure, it makes mistakes and I have to double-check the transcription, but it’s still helpful and saves me time. But even as the technology gets better, I don’t see AI replacing me as a storyteller.

Storytelling is an innately human function that both fuels and requires connection, empathy and learning for it to be meaningful. It is a human who will show up at the scene of a natural disaster to document stories of tragedy. It is a human who will sit down with a scientist to ask thoughtful questions about important research and extract a relatable story. It is a human who has the emotional intelligence to hold space for trauma on the worst days of someone’s life with the intent of doing right by their lived experience. Vulnerable storytelling honors our collective humanity. I’m not convinced AI can be trained to replicate that experience.

Humans are wired for connection and we are wired for belonging. A robot at the scene taking notes cannot empathize with survivors in the face of hard times the way a fellow human being can. It takes sisters and brothers standing together, facing life as mortal, sentient beings to understand what our lived experiences really mean for humanity as a whole.

Perhaps in the future some AI-driven intelligence encased in a humanlike robot shell will be the first to arrive in the aftermath of a disaster to offer immediate assistance and extract data. But the stories? They belong to humanity. Stories offer context and are shared in the name of healing for communities in search of solutions and solidarity.

If social media was the digital beta test for convenient connection in an algorithmic world, we see every day where it falls short. Social media fails to hold real space. We scroll through our feeds and offer a sad face, a care emoji followed by a laughing face emoji all in the span of 30 seconds over morning coffee. These reactions are not measures of empathy. They’re performative in their attempt to connect. Mostly, social media prompts knee-jerk rage-based immaturity. We let it spike self-righteous indignation. It’s a poor substitute for human connection that comes in the form of a hug or a helping hand. Yet even in my awareness of it, I am guilty of it too. Lately, I find myself engaging less and less.

My hope as a consumer of social media is that society will get to a point when the vitriol and the inauthentic vibe of it all will redirect us back to more human conversations in real life community spaces. Clickbait-driven AI content that caters to our biases in search of profit only serves to chip away at the integrity of any possible connection to be had in an online interaction. These manipulations fail to add value or meaning to any digital space.

Facebook groups are popular for gathering people around common interests. I belong to a few gardening groups where I see people trying to pass off AI-generated images as their own backyard. Some share outlandish stories to spark a debate. These posers get called out in the comments. It’s such an odd place to be disingenuous, and I don’t understand the purpose.

Most people want authenticity in their quest to belong. They want human-made content that doesn’t leave them feeling bamboozled all the time. Maybe we can decide that AI can function well as a tool to bolster productivity while recognizing that the things that make us uniquely human — such as storytelling and journalism — are better left to the humans. If we can do that, then maybe humanity actually stands a chance.

Do you know anyone who’s doing cool things to make the world a better place? I want to know. Send me an email at Bonnie@WriterBonnie.com. Check out Bonnie’s weekly YouTube vdeos at https://www.youtube.com/bonniejeanfeldkamp. To find out more about Bonnie Jean Feldkamp and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM