What if the most important AI skill is knowing when not to use it?

AI can make you faster, more productive and capable of creating things that were previously out of reach. But it can also create more work, more distraction and slowly change the way you think. So the real question may not be: How can we use more AI? But: When should we use AI — and what should we deliberately keep human? In this episode of How to Thrive in Life in the Age of AI, innovation specialist Remco van Riet and High Performance Coach Shorombo Mooij explore the tension between efficiency and meaning, automation and creativity, and using AI as an assistant versus allowing it to become a shortcut for thinking. Remco shares why he deliberately protects his mornings from AI and how constant prompting can turn us from thinkers into validators. Shorombo reflects on his own experience of AI making almost every idea executable — while at the same time creating more possibilities, more decisions, more rabbit holes and sometimes simply more work. Together, we explore why some struggle is worth preserving, why not every process should be optimized and why judgment, prioritization and conscious decision-making may become even more important as AI gets better. In this conversation: Why AI can create more work instead of saving time The difference between using AI as an assistant and using it as a shortcut Why Remco avoids AI at the beginning of his day How constant prompting can turn you into a validator instead of a thinker Why some struggle is necessary for creativity, clarity and meaning Why not every enjoyable process should be automated How AI can unlock ideas and capabilities that previously required technical expertise Why more AI isn't always better Whether everyone should already start experimenting with AI Which kinds of work may be more vulnerable to automation Why human judgment and decision-making become increasingly valuable How to avoid becoming a “digital factory worker” The conclusion isn't that we should resist AI. These tools create extraordinary opportunities. They allow us to remove friction, create things we couldn't create before and spend less time on work that doesn't matter to us. But thriving in the Age of AI requires something more than simply learning how to use the tools. It requires learning where they belong in our lives — and where they don't. Because the goal shouldn't simply be to become more efficient. The goal should be to use AI in a way that actually makes our lives better. Follow Max Your Life Today https://maxyourlifetoday.substack.com Shorombo Mooij https://shorombomooij.com Remco van Riet on LinkedIn   / remcovanriet   How to Thrive in Life in the Age of AI explores how we can use the opportunities created by AI without losing the things that make us human. Hosted by Shorombo Mooij — Founder of Maxyourlife.today.