Dec. 10, 2025

When AI Gets Smarter, Our Humanity Matters More Than Ever.

When AI Gets Smarter, Our Humanity Matters More Than Ever.
Season 1

What if the “future of AI” wasn’t just about technology, but about what kind of humans we become while we build it?

This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down for a Spark Short that’s… not actually all that short. They dive into the wild, complicated, and very real ways artificial intelligence is already reshaping our energy use, our jobs, our politics, and even how we show up for our kids’ futures.

Liz shares her perspective as an investor in AI-related companies, unpacking why AI isn’t actually “new,” why it’s suddenly moving at flywheel speed, and how its enormous computing demands are driving everything from nuclear energy conversations to geopolitical tensions over rare earth metals. Michele brings it down to ground level—wondering what all of this means for college majors, careers, small towns trying to site data centers, and those of us just trying to get through our inbox.

Together, they explore the double-edged sword of AI: the incredible productivity gains (think: hours of work turned into minutes) and the unsettling realities of job loss, deepfakes, and what happens when we let machines think for us instead of with us. They also talk about how they’re using AI in very human ways—from AI note-takers and enterprise tools that protect client data, to visual design helpers and “agentic” tools that can schedule your whole business trip in the background.

If you’ve ever felt both excited and uneasy about AI, or wondered how to stay grounded, authentic, and connected in a world where you might not be able to trust what you see or hear, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

  • Why AI isn’t “brand new” technology—and what it means that we’ve now hit the flywheel moment

  • How AI’s massive energy and resource needs are tied to geopolitics, national security, and local fights over data centers

  • The real ways AI is already reshaping the job market—from call centers to finance teams to new grads trying to get hired

  • What parents might want to consider as their kids choose college majors and careers in an AI-saturated world

  • Practical, real-life ways Liz and Michele are using AI in their businesses (and where they’re drawing the line)

  • Why authenticity, in-person connection, and basic communication skills may become the “currency of the future”

  • How over-relying on AI can quietly erode our own thinking— and why “use it, don’t lose it” applies to our brains, too

  • A hopeful reframe: treating AI like something we can “nurture” with our values, instead of a force that’s automatically against us

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

  • Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short
  • Share this episode with a friend navigating grief, shifting traditions, or seeking presence this season
  • Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show
  • Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: How do you maintain meaningful human connection in an increasingly digital world?