Entrepreneur and author Jeff Burningham explores how artificial intelligence serves as a cosmic mirror reflecting humanity's true nature. Through his book "The Last Book Written by a Human," he argues that as machines become more intelligent, humans must become wiser. This conversation examines our collective journey through disruption, reflection, transformation, and evolution in our Hybrid Analog Digital Society.
⸻ Podcast: Redefining Society and Technology
https://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.com
______Title: Tech Entrepreneur and Author's AI Prediction - The Last Book Written by a Human Interview | A Conversation with Jeff Burningham | Redefining Society And Technology Podcast With Marco Ciappelli
______Guest: Jeff Burningham
Tech Entrepreneur. Investor. National Best Selling Author. Explorer of Human Potential.
My book #TheLastBookWrittenByAHuman is available now.
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-burningham-15a01a7b/
Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Last-Book-Written-by-a-Human/Jeff-Burningham/9781637634561#:~:text=*%20Why%20the%20development%20of%20AI,in%20the%20age%20of%20AI.
Host: Marco Ciappelli
Co-Founder & CMO @ITSPmagazine | Master Degree in Political Science - Sociology of Communication l Branding & Marketing Advisor | Journalist | Writer | Podcast Host | #Technology #Cybersecurity #Society 🌎 LAX 🛸 FLR 🌍
WebSite: https://marcociappelli.com
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-ciappelli/
_____________________________
This Episode’s Sponsors
BlackCloak provides concierge cybersecurity protection to corporate executives and high-net-worth individuals to protect against hacking, reputational loss, financial loss, and the impacts of a corporate data breach.
BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb
_____________________________
⸻ Podcast Summary ⸻
Entrepreneur and author Jeff Burningham explores how artificial intelligence serves as a cosmic mirror reflecting humanity's true nature. Through his book "The Last Book Written by a Human," he argues that as machines become more intelligent, humans must become wiser. This conversation examines our collective journey through disruption, reflection, transformation, and evolution in our Hybrid Analog Digital Society.
⸻ Article ⸻
I had one of those conversations that made me pause and question everything I thought I knew about our relationship with technology. Jeff Burningham, serial entrepreneur and author of "The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI," joined me to explore a perspective that's both unsettling and profoundly hopeful.
What struck me most wasn't Jeff's impressive background—founding multiple tech companies, running for governor of Utah, building a $5 billion real estate empire. It was his spiritual awakening in Varanasi, India, where a voice in his head insisted he was a writer. That moment of disruption led to years of reflection and ultimately to a book that challenges us to see AI not as our replacement, but as our mirror.
"As our machines become more intelligent, our work as humans is to become more wise," Jeff told me. This isn't just a catchy phrase—it's the thesis of his entire work. He argues that AI functions as what he calls a "cosmic mirror to humanity," reflecting back to us exactly who we've become as a species. The question becomes: do we like what we see?
This perspective resonates deeply with how we exist in our Hybrid Analog Digital Society. We're no longer living separate digital and physical lives—we're constantly navigating both realms simultaneously. AI doesn't just consume our data; it reflects our collective behaviors, biases, and beliefs back to us in increasingly sophisticated ways.
Jeff structures his thinking around four phases that mirror both technological development and personal growth: disruption, reflection, transformation, and evolution. We're currently somewhere between reflection and transformation, he suggests, at a crucial juncture where we must choose between two games. The old game prioritizes cash as currency, power as motivation, and control as purpose. The new game he envisions centers on karma as currency, authenticity as motivation, and love as purpose.
What fascinates me is how this connects to the hero's journey—the narrative structure underlying every meaningful story from Star Wars to our own personal transformations. Jeff sees AI's emergence as part of an inevitable journey, a necessary disruption that forces us to confront fundamental questions about consciousness, creativity, and what makes us human.
But here's where it gets both beautiful and challenging: as machines handle more of our "doing," we're left with our "being." We're human beings, not human doings, as Jeff reminds us. This shift demands that we reconnect with our bodies, our wisdom, our imperfections—all the messy, beautiful aspects of humanity that AI cannot replicate.
The conversation reminded me why I chose "Redefining" for this podcast's title. We're not just adapting to new technology; we're fundamentally reexamining what it means to be human in an age of artificial intelligence. This isn't about finding the easy button or achieving perfect efficiency—it's about embracing what makes us gloriously, imperfectly human.
Jeff's book launches August 19th, and while it won't literally be the last book written by a human, the title serves as both warning and invitation. If we don't actively choose to write our own story—if we don't rehumanize ourselves while consciously shaping AI's development—we might find ourselves spectators rather than authors of our own future.
Subscribe to continue these essential conversations about technology and society. Because in our rapidly evolving world, the most important question isn't what AI can do for us, but who we choose to become alongside it.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and join me on YouTube for the full experience. Let's continue this conversation—because in our rapidly evolving world, these discussions shape the future we're building together.
Cheers,
Marco
⸻ Keywords ⸻ AI technology, artificial intelligence, future of AI, business podcast, entrepreneur interview, technology trends, tech entrepreneur, business mindset, innovation podcast, AI impact, startup founder, tech trends 2025, AI business, technology interview, entrepreneurship success
__________________ Enjoy. Reflect. Share with your fellow humans.
And if you haven’t already, subscribe to Musing On Society & Technology on LinkedIn — new transmissions are always incoming.
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/musing-on-society-technology-7079849705156870144
You’re listening to this through the Redefining Society & Technology podcast, so while you’re here, make sure to follow the show — and join me as I continue exploring life in this Hybrid Analog Digital Society.
End of transmission.
____________________________
Listen to more Redefining Society & Technology stories and subscribe to the podcast:
👉 https://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.com
Watch the webcast version on-demand on YouTube:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTUoWMGGQHlGVZA575VtGr9
Are you interested Promotional Brand Stories for your Company and Sponsoring an ITSPmagazine Channel?
👉 https://www.itspmagazine.com/advertise-on-itspmagazine-podcast
Tech Entrepreneur and Author's AI Prediction - The Last Book Written by a Human Interview | A Conversation with Jeff Burningham | Redefining Society And Technology Podcast With Marco Ciappelli
Transcript Summary
Episode Description: Serial entrepreneur and author Jeff Burningham discusses his book "The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI," exploring how artificial intelligence serves as a cosmic mirror reflecting humanity's collective consciousness and the urgent need for wisdom as machines become more intelligent.
Key Discussion Points:
AI as a "cosmic mirror" that reflects human behavior and consciousness back to us
The four-phase journey of disruption, reflection, transformation, and evolution
Transition from "human doings" to "human beings" as AI handles more tasks
The choice between an "old game" centered on control versus a "new game" based on love
Practical approaches to maintaining humanity while integrating with AI technology
The importance of embodied wisdom and real-world human connections
Reformation needed in education, religion, business, and politics for the AI age
Notable Quotes:
Marco:
"I always like to say that it's a bad thing when we just follow the blinking lights and the funny noise, and we do technologies just for the heck of it, just because we can."
"AI really allowed us to go back into, reflect on who we really are, what makes us human, and what AI means."
Jeff:
"As our machines become more intelligent, our work as humans is to become more wise."
"AI is a cosmic mirror to humanity. We all need reflections, like we can't see ourself without a reflection."
"We're human beings, not human doings. And so as we come back to our being, I think that's a key for us to remember who we really are."
"The real work for us as humans in this age of AI, of highly intelligent machines isn't to do more. It's to be more."
"Our messiness and imperfection is where the beauty lies. Because as our machines become more intelligent and more efficient, we could follow the same path of just becoming inefficient robots."