In his book: The Mattering Effect: Creating a Life of Meaning and Worth, John R. Miles offers his ideas on how ‘our ever-changing world’ (to apply the ubiquitous AI phrase), impacts our perspective on the work we do.

“Cognitive technologies alter the user directly,” he says, “reaching into our neural wiring, accelerating the slide into becoming what gaming culture terms an NPC.”

An NPC is entirely scripted by the surrounding system. They are a resource to be extracted.

Faced with this systemic pressure, John says, two paths emerge.

“One can become an adopter: passively integrating every new tool while letting automated demands dictate their daily existence.”

Or

“One can choose to become an adapter. Being an adapter means lifting your head above the digital current to recognize where the tide is pulling you. It means refusing to live by default and asking not merely what technology can produce for you, but who are you becoming while interacting with it. Reclaiming human significance begins the moment you stop merely executing external prompts and start consciously authoring your own choices.”

I find this insight serendipitous, as this month ATD-Orange County will be joined by Certified Foresight Practitioner Katie Rucker, who will be discussing The Adaptive Skills That Outlast Any Disruption.

“As learning and talent leaders race to help their organizations adopt new technologies,” she says, “expectations around leadership, trust, human connection, decision making, workforce dynamics, and continuous learning are also evolving.”

Do we adopt, or adapt? Do we keep pace with the new tools as they shift and change beneath our cognitive feet, or do we cultivate the adaptive ways of thinking that enable ourselves, teams, and organizations to navigate whatever comes next?

Promo image for 'Free Guy' — a movie about an NPC who becomes an adapter.

Attendees will leave with practical ways to widen their perspective, navigate complexity with greater confidence, and help build a culture that is prepared for more than just the next technological advancement.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize how dominant disruptions can unintentionally narrow strategic thinking.

• Identify emerging shifts unfolding alongside technological change.

• Explore five adaptive leadership capabilities that support long term navigation of uncertainty.

• Use practical reflection questions to widen perspective before making strategic decisions.

• Reframe future readiness as a disciplined way of thinking, not simply a response to the latest trend.

Join us this October 28 to begin thinking Beyond the AI Tunnel.