“The more intelligent our technology becomes, the more human we must become.”

Artificial intelligence is moving faster than almost anyone predicted.

Every week seems to bring another breakthrough. AI can write, create, analyze, code, and perform tasks that once required years of human training. For business owners and entrepreneurs, the opportunities are enormous. So are the questions.

What happens when intelligence becomes abundant?

That question was at the heart of a recent conversation on The Tony DUrso Show with entrepreneur, investor, and thought leader Jeff Burningham.

Burningham is an entrepreneur, investor, and business leader who has spent years helping companies grow and navigate change. His perspective is shaped by both emerging technologies and decades of observing how people respond to them.

Yet rather than focusing on the latest AI tools or productivity hacks, Burningham’s national bestselling book, The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI, explores a deeper question: What does it mean to be human in a world increasingly shaped by intelligent machines? He believes the most important conversation is about something technology cannot replace: our humanity.

Rather than predicting a future where humans compete with machines, Burningham encourages readers to prepare for one where human qualities become even more valuable. His book challenges readers to think beyond technology itself and consider how wisdom, compassion, purpose, and meaningful relationships can guide the next chapter of innovation. Those ideas became the foundation of our discussion and continue to shape his work today.

As artificial intelligence continues to advance, Burningham argues that qualities such as wisdom, empathy, presence, intuition, and meaningful relationships become even more valuable.

In the past, access to information provided a competitive advantage. Today, information is available almost instantly. Tomorrow, intelligence itself may become increasingly accessible through machines.

Wisdom, however, remains distinctly human.

“Information is abundant, but judgment is still scarce.”

Burningham believes one of the greatest misconceptions about artificial intelligence is that more information automatically leads to better decisions. While technology can analyze data and recognize patterns at remarkable speed, human beings still must decide what matters, what aligns with their values, and what direction to pursue. For leaders and entrepreneurs, that ability to exercise sound judgment may become more important than ever.

For entrepreneurs especially, this distinction matters.

Many business leaders spend years pursuing growth, achievement, and success only to discover that accomplishment alone does not create fulfillment. Burningham suggests that the future belongs not simply to those who master technology, but to those who deepen their understanding of themselves and others.

In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, the ability to connect, lead, inspire, and exercise sound judgment may become the ultimate competitive advantage.

Rather than fearing technological progress, Burningham encourages people to use it wisely while remaining grounded in the qualities that make us uniquely human.

The challenge is not whether artificial intelligence will continue to improve.

It will.

The real question is whether we will continue improving as people.

As the tools around us become more powerful, the opportunity is to become more thoughtful, more present, and more intentional in how we live and lead.

“As our machines become more intelligent, we as humans must become wiser.”

The full conversation with Jeff Burningham is available on The Tony DUrso Show including audio and the complete interview transcript.

(Originally published in the Del Norte Triplicate.)