Do YOU have AI anxiety?
Examining our emotions in relation to various futures
Lately I’ve been thinking about AI anxiety: that mix of awe, unease, and uncertainty that comes from watching technology evolve faster than we can emotionally process it.
It reminds me a lot of the way people talk about climate anxiety. Both are rooted in forces that feel huge, systemic, and out of our control. And both seem to provoke two main types of fear: personal and collective.
(Video also available on my YouTube: https://youtube.com/shorts/FlUoV3mXfQo?feature=share)
Two Kinds of Anxiety
Personal anxiety is the feeling that I will be directly impacted.
In the climate case, maybe I’m afraid I’ll lose my home to a wildfire or flood.
In the AI case, maybe I’m afraid I’ll lose my job to automation or become obsolete.
Collective anxiety, on the other hand, is broader. It’s not that I expect to suffer personally, it’s the sense that we, as a species, are in trouble.
That humanity is veering off track.
That something about the direction of progress feels wrong, even if I’m personally fine.
Both kinds of anxiety are valid. They’re signals that something deep inside us recognizes imbalance. That the systems we live within might not be designed for our wellbeing.
The System Beneath the Fear
When we peel back the layers of both climate anxiety and AI anxiety, we find a common root: capitalism. Specifically, the way capitalism is structured today.
Capitalism, as it currently operates, behaves a lot like a cancer. It requires constant, unrestricted growth to survive. If it stops growing, it collapses. And that endless growth imperative shapes everything — from our economy to our psychology.
In the climate crisis, this shows up as overproduction and overconsumption. The system demands we keep making and buying more, even when it pushes planetary boundaries.
In the AI context, the same growth logic applies.
AI itself is a neutral technology. It’s a set of algorithms and data. But under capitalism, those algorithms often get directed toward things that people think are going to maximize their shareholder value:
Replacing human labor with cheaper machine labor.
Optimizing attention economies to keep people scrolling, clicking, buying.
Extracting as much engagement, productivity, and profit as possible from human experience.
This space is better when more people speak up. You’re welcome to join the conversation, however big or small your thoughts feel.
From Prediction to Participation
So how do we move through that anxiety without numbing out or spiraling into despair?
Whether it’s about climate or AI, the key shift is the same:
We need to move from prediction to participation.
Prediction is the habit of constantly checking the news, scanning headlines, and trying to forecast whether we’re on the right track. It gives the illusion of control but keeps us stuck in worry.
Participation is active. It involves asking: What can I do, with my skills and values, to shape the kind of future I want?
In the climate case, participation might look like taking stock of your skills and figuring out how you want to contribute to bringing the future you want to life.
In the AI case, participation could mean:
Learning how the technology actually works: its limits as well as its potential.
Building literacy around its mechanics instead of reacting to headlines.
Asking deeper questions like:
What is AI good at, really?
What is it bad at?
How could AI serve a humane future?
And then comes the next step: visioning.
Envisioning the Future You Want
Once you understand the mechanics — of AI, of capitalism, or of climate systems — you can start imagining alternatives.
Maybe in your ideal future, AI doesn’t exist at all.
That’s valid.
Or maybe it exists in a different form, one that supports the needs of people and planet.
The point isn’t to predict which version of the future will come true.
It’s to participate in shaping the one you actually want to live in.
This is a space for reflection, not just information. If something struck you, or you’re holding something you want to share, my inbox is open. Hit ‘reply’ or send me a message below.
Closing Thoughts
AI anxiety and climate anxiety both emerge from the same truth: we’re living through systems that move faster than our collective capacity to reflect on them.
But anxiety doesn’t have to be a dead end. It can be an invitation to learn, to imagine, and to act.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Do you experience AI anxiety? If so, what helps you move from prediction to participation?
FYI: On the side I write a weekly newsletter called For People and Planet. It’s all about progress, hope, and the ways people are building a better future with Earth. You can take a look here: forpeopleandpla.net
Bri,
Thanks for this insightful post.
Moving from prediction habits to participation is a great step to move foward out of stuck patterns.
I think the personal and collective anxiety concepts you mentioned apply well to the COVID pandemic. My nervous system personally became dysregulated practicing medicine in 2020-22 because of BOTH of those types of anxiety.
Hope you are feeling stronger and dancing again!
Your well-parsed ideas are always so appreciated Bri. I DO have AI anxiety. And climate anxiety! And I found your words below quite healing:
"AI anxiety and climate anxiety both emerge from the same truth: we’re living through systems that move faster than our collective capacity to reflect on them. But anxiety doesn’t have to be a dead end. It can be an invitation to learn, to imagine, and to act."