Becoming an Artist Is the Only Way Forward in the Age of AI
The Art of Being Human in 2026
“Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.” — Agnes De Mille.
I’m sharing this quote with you because the word art is something I will be paying close attention to.
If art is a way to communicate without being explicit — if it is meant to conjure the deepest emotions and meaning from the surface of our distracted daily living — I ask myself: what is my art?
“Engineer, product manager, marketer, analyst, designer, ops... they’re all converging now very quickly into a single meta competency orchestrating AI agents to get work done. If you cannot do that, none of the rest of the domain knowledge is going to matter in late 2026.” — Nate B. Jones. (*)
“This is an art you learn by doing. You do not get to learn to ride a horse by reading a book... You do not get to learn to swim by sitting in a deck chair and watching the ocean. You just got to get in.” — Nate B. Jones. (*)
Working with AI and discussing it with people who don’t use it much makes me clearly see that they resist it for ethical reasons. Discussing the same topic with early adopters reveals something different:
AI can bring our humanity to the surface. Why? Because otherwise, anything it produces is flat, standard, and unoriginal. We add what is missing.
As Agnes De Mille suggests, the leaps we take, the changes we go through, and our insecurities bring meaning to our story. That is why we appreciate the famous artists in the great museums, not only because of the piece of art as it stands, but because of the meaning it carries, and the human connection it generates.
I hope this message finds you in the mood for some reflection. I believe this is the time to bring our art to the world.
“Understanding your work as art is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity because the new connected economy demands it and will reward you for nothing else. Art is not a gene or a specific talent; it is an attitude available to anyone who chooses to adopt it. When you seize new ground, make connections between ideas, and work without a map, you are producing a work of art regardless of your specific job or tools. This shift in perspective is critical because art is the new safety zone—maintaining the status quo and fighting to fit in no longer works in a culture that has moved beyond the rigid industrial system.” — Seth Godin.
Our reaction to new technologies and trends is often there to protect us from burning too much energy on learning something new, risky, or unpredictable. We all get that. But in my opinion, this change is very different.
As always, my articles and posts are here to present different perspectives so you can form your own opinions.
Love,
Jose.
(*) Watch Nate’s latest video.
Big thanks to Learn Grow Monetize for featuring this interview:
The article makes a compelling case that in a world crowded with automation and standardization, the unique human element, creativity, risk-taking, and emotional connection, is what differentiates meaningful work and brand impact. This underscores the importance of intentional expression and purpose led storytelling in building trust and cultural relevance with an audience.
Nate’s Great
And I deeply agree with you