Anxious About AI? How Psychological Flexibility helps you respond effectively in a changing world
AI is changing the world at a pace we’ve never seen in our lifetimes. There are very real concerns about its environmental impact, its safety, and its impact on humanity. For many, on a personal level, the anxiety runs deeper. Maybe you are reading this because you are worried about your job, your children’s future, or who you even are anymore.
Human beings have struggled through the ages with uncertainty. Historically, we worried: Will the rain come during a drought?, Will there be enough food to survive the winter?, and today, Will I ever be able to buy a house?
Now we worry: Will AI replace me?
By nature, we think ahead. That’s what made us successful as a species – the ability to predict events that might cause us harm and take action to mitigate them. But our biology wasn’t ready for this.
In the face of a dizzying array of options, a pace of change in which whole industries can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye; our brains can get trapped. The stories we tell ourselves are designed to evoke a cortisol response – that will drive our bodies into physical action. But now, there is nothing for our body to do, and the cortisol just drives the urgency of those stories higher, making it impossible to have a creative productive response, and creating all sorts of physiological and psychological harm.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) takes the position that the most valuable thing we can focus on is psychological flexibility. When the “doom loop” gets louder and louder, it locks down our freedom of thought and action – the exact opposite of what we need at this moment in history. ACT offers six pillars we can use to promote clearer thinking and reclaim our agency in response to existential dread.
Acceptance
The first step is to accept the reality that faces us in the moment. AI is here, and it will change our lives whether we like it or not. That doesn’t mean giving up, nor that you have no influence over your future.
Imagine getting to the airport for a flight home after a long trip. You are tired and just want to get home. Then you hear the dreaded announcement: your flight is cancelled. You find yourself in line with 200 other people trying to get rescheduled. Everybody is upset, complaining about the airline, about how slow the re-booking process is, about missing connections, or missing important events. You find yourself getting more and more worked up.
And then you realize you have to accept the facts: you aren’t getting home tonight, no matter how much anger, frustration or worry you create. That doesn’t mean you will never get home. It just means that right now, you are standing in line with 200 other people, and nothing is going to change that. You’ve accepted the situation for this moment, in the here and now, and you realize you might as well enjoy it. You can strike up a conversation with a person in line. You can find a fun local restaurant to try. Or as I once did in this scenario, decide to rent a car with a colleague and have an epic road trip driving through the night to reach our destination.
Acceptance creates the flexibility to find new paths, new solutions, and new ways to act with intention.
Cognitive Defusion: Separating Thought & Emotion
In that chaotic airport line, our thought “I’m never getting home” fuses together with emotions (anger, sadness, fear), and makes a temporary setback feel like an objective, permanent catastrophe.
ACT focuses on defusion - the practice of separating thoughts and emotions so that we can appreciate the wisdom in both. Notice the thoughts you have about AI – can you separate them from their associated emotions?
Experience your very natural fear response. Appreciate and make space for it. At the same time notice which of your thoughts are facts and which are interpretations, projections or stories.
Being Present: Dropping the Anchor
The third pillar of ACT is learning to anchor ourselves in the present moment. Taking a deep breath, noticing our bodies, meditation or mindfulness practices, washing the dishes and noticing the warm water on our hands, or leaning into a deep stretch at Yoga. These practices deliberately interrupt and slow down the rumination loop of future predictions.
Guessing how self-driving cars or AI overlords will destroy humanity triggers chronic fight-or-flight reactions, take us away from the present moment – the only moment in which we can take meaningful action.
Self-as-Context: Who are you really?
Many of us have defined our entire identity by our ability to think. In fact, the Latin term Homo sapiens literally translates to “wise man” or “knowing man” - separating us from other species by our ability to think. We identify as software engineers, lawyers, analysts, or creators—roles built on hard-won knowledge gathered through years of intense education and experience.
When AI begins to compete on the very thing that makes us human, it can provoke a profound crisis of identity.
ACT teaches us to shift from Self-as-Content (“I am my profession; I think therefore I am”) to Self-as-Context (“I am the observer of my life, not just my job”). We shift from “Who will I be when AI replaces my job” to “I am a warm, compassionate and creative human who can respond effectively to whatever life throws at me”.
You are not your thoughts; you are the person noticing them.
Values: Your Unshakable Compass
In a rapidly shifting and hyper-digital world, it is incredibly easy to get confused about what matters most to us. We might think that “appearing smart” or “being productive” is our core purpose. On deeper reflection we may discover that "Being helpful," "fostering connection," or "solving complex human problems" matter far more.
Your core values – the things that matter to you most, stand regardless of and in spite of AI. Clarifying what really matters to you acts as a behavioural compass, helping you stay on course when chaos abounds.
Committed Action: Moving the Needle
Finally, committed action is the disciplined choice to move forward every single day in ways consistent with your values.
Neurobiologically, taking purposeful action breaks the hold of the rumination loops running in your brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN), and activates your Task Positive Network (TPN).
Concrete action disrupts the rumination, restores the balance between these two networks in the brain, and gives you a renewed sense of agency.
The Ultimate Human Advantage
Psychological flexibility is the ultimate human advantage and the key to a happy and effective life. Building and retaining that flexibility is the absolute best thing we can do when anxiety about AI becomes overwhelming.
ACT invites you to embrace the world undefended, to lean in even when your mind screams no. Today is the day to experience the deep and rich tapestry of your humanity, express your deepest values, build intentional relationships and purposefully serve those around you even in the face of the unknown.
If your anxiety over AI is interfering with your life, we are here to help! Reach out to us for a free consultation and you will be matched with a therapist who can hear your concerns and help you work through your anxiety.