Everyone's talking about AI replacing jobs. Here's what they're missing: the real opportunity isn't replacement, it's amplification. And the best AI collaboration doesn't automate away what you love. It makes more of it possible.
The Wrong Question
Most people ask "What can AI do for me?" That's backwards.
The better question: "What do I already do well that AI can help me do more of?"
The Amplification Framework
Step 1: Identify Your Energy Sources
What work leaves you energized rather than drained? What problems do you actually enjoy solving?
Step 2: Map the Friction
What gets in the way of doing more of that work? What tedious tasks surround the work you love?
Step 3: Design the Collaboration
Build AI workflows that reduce friction around your core work without automating the work itself.
Step 4: Protect the Core
Some things shouldn't be delegated to AI. The strategic decisions. The creative breakthroughs. The judgment calls that require your experience.
Real Examples
A designer: Uses AI to generate initial layout variations, but makes all refinement decisions herself. AI handles mechanical generation so she can spend more time on aesthetic judgment.
A consultant: Uses AI to synthesize research and identify patterns, but writes all strategic recommendations himself. AI handles data processing so he can focus on the thinking that matters.
A writer: Uses AI to organize research and suggest structural options, but writes every word herself. AI handles scaffolding so she can spend more time on the craft.
The Warning Signs
You've built the wrong AI collaboration if:
- You feel disconnected from the output
- The work feels generic or hollow
- You're spending less time on what used to energize you
- You're accepting AI suggestions without real judgment
Building Your Amplification System
Start small. Pick one thing you love doing and one friction point that gets in the way. Build AI collaboration around reducing that friction.
The goal isn't to automate your job. The goal is to do more of what only you can do, better than you could without assistance.
That's amplification.