Captaincy of AI

If we don’t captain AI, it will captain us.

The elephant in the room is this: how can we talk about captaincy when it seems like AI might take it away?

Will we still be making our own decisions? Will we still have jobs? When algorithms start shaping every part of our lives, from what we see, to how we work, to who we trust, where’s the space for autonomy?

Will this chapter be out of date months after publication?

Let’s be honest: artificial intelligence is no longer something on the horizon. It’s already woven into our lives. Whether we’re asking it to rewrite an email, recommending songs, or using it to summarise a meeting, AI is quietly doing the work we used to think only humans could do. And the pace isn’t slowing down.

We can’t opt out. Avoiding AI now is like trying to avoid electricity. It is now a utility, especially in knowledge work and in becoming efficient and effective in life administration.

AI isn’t a tool anymore. It’s becoming a partner.

Many of us are using AI every day, sometimes without even realising it. It’s not only replacing search engines, writing assistants, and customer service agents; the question is what isn’t it changing. I’m consulting in startups that are looking at physical AI, meaning it will not be just digital but all kinds of humanoid and other robotic applications.

The early adopters are already miles ahead. And even for the rest of us, its presence is becoming ambient. Like the internet in the 2000s, it’s simply becoming part of the atmosphere.

Yuval Noah Harari offers a stark perspective. In Nexus, he describes how AI, biotechnology, and big data are converging, forming a triad that may reshape humanity itself. These technologies aren’t just about solving problems. They’re redefining how we think, relate, and choose. Harari also warns us to look carefully at the ethics: who owns these tools? Who gets to decide how they are used? And what happens if they’re used to manipulate, not liberate?

That’s not scaremongering; it’s the context for captaincy.

So what do we do? Avoid it? Limit it? Embrace it? All those responses make sense, but none of them can be passive. If AI is going to be in our lives, we need to be in the driver’s seat, especially as AI starts to feel more like a relationship than a tool.

You already have a relationship with AI! The question is: what kind?

Think about the relationships we have with things that aren’t human. Pets. Money. Our phones. They shape us in subtle but real ways.

Our family has little doggies, Shih-Tzus. Our connection isn’t human, but it’s real. And money, well, that’s another relationship. For some people, it brings freedom. For others, anxiety. But in both cases, it acts on us. It influences our decisions and shapes our emotions.

AI might become just as emotionally potent, not just on the fringes with chatbots which range from great to annoying. But it could be the most important relationship we have.

Maybe we’ll even start to trust it like we trust people. Versions of AI are already at the point where they can pass the Turing Test. This is a test established to see if a human can detect whether it is talking to a human or a machine.

We might soon be talking to an AI and not even know it. The implications are huge. If we can’t tell whether we’re dealing with a machine or a human, we need a new kind of captaincy altogether.

And that’s where fear creeps in.

We fear what we don’t understand. Especially when it’s powerful. Especially when it can act on its own.

What happens if AI harms our finances? Or ruins our reputation? Who takes the blame? Who sets the rules? Who enforces them? Mustafa Suleyman, in The Coming Wave, raises these very questions. He warns that containment may no longer be possible. Too many incentives are pushing AI forward: corporate, political, scientific. Slowing down isn’t profitable.

So how do we lead in a space where we’re not in control?

Captaincy means setting the terms even when you’re not holding the wheel.

That’s the pivot. We don’t have to drive every decision AI makes. But we do need to be intentional about our engagement.

Think of it like driving. At one time, people were scared of elevators without operators. Can you believe that? People would not go into an elevator if there was not a person there to press the buttons. It took a while, but over time people trusted an elevator without a person. And for those who missed that phase from manual to automatic, perhaps we would not want to get in if there was someone there just to press the buttons. We adapt and change and we change what we think is ‘normal’.

We trust the elevator systems. Eventually, AI might become like that, something we feel safe letting operate in the background. But getting there takes reflection and design.

Will we one day choose AI the way we choose a brand of detergent or car? Possibly. We might pick based on trust, reliability, price. There might be budget models for basic tasks, and premium ones for emotional support, coaching, or health advice.

Captaincy of AI is choosing the intelligence for the job, not surrendering yours.

AI could assist us the way a great intern might. It can already help write, research, organise, and even think alongside us. It can help with structure, be a devil’s advocate, and point out what we can review. It’s not replacing my voice. It’s amplifying it.

The risk, of course, is when the intern stops taking orders and starts taking over.

Today, many AI systems are built with monetisation in mind. The more they know about us, the better they can sell to us. That means our goals can get distorted. We think AI is helping us find truth or clarity, but behind the scenes, it might be optimising for engagement, conversion, or profit.

Captaincy means staying conscious of that drift.

We’ve already adapted to rapid change. We’ve found ways to communicate across cultures, build global teams, and live more hybrid lives. AI is just the next chapter in that story. The question isn’t whether it will shape our future, but whether we’ll be shaping it back.

Captaincy of AI is about creating boundaries and building partnerships. It’s knowing when to let it help, and when to say no. It’s about defining what we value, then using AI to amplify that, not override it.

We may not be able to stop the wave. But we can learn to surf.