The Mental Health Impact of AI: Living with Tomorrow’s Questions
When we talk about artificial intelligence, it’s easy to get swept up in extremes. On one side, you hear the promises: smarter tools, faster answers, endless possibilities. On the other, the worries: job loss, disconnection, even the question of what it means to be human. Somewhere in the middle sits the rest of us, just trying to figure out how to live in a world that seems to be rewriting itself every morning.
I’ve noticed something in conversations with clients lately: it isn’t the technology itself that causes the most anxiety. It’s the speed. The feeling that we can’t keep up, that every day we’re expected to learn, adapt, and pivot before we’ve even had a chance to catch our breath. That sense of acceleration leaves people feeling unmoored, like the ground beneath them is constantly shifting.
There’s a phrase I like to use: future anxiety. It’s not about something that’s gone wrong yet, it’s about what might. AI becomes the screen onto which we project all our doubts about relevance, safety, and meaning. Will I matter in ten years? Will my children have work? Will relationships change if machines do more of the connecting for us?
The truth is, no one has the answers yet. And oddly enough, that uncertainty is both the challenge and the opportunity. Anxiety thrives in unanswered questions. But so does growth.
So how do we steady ourselves in this in-between space?
First, we LEARN. Notice how often your mind drifts toward worry about the future. Ask yourself: what is the story I’m telling here? Am I imagining a worst-case scenario without evidence? Bringing awareness to the narrative helps you see it for what it is—a thought, not a prophecy.
Then, we GROW. Growth in this context doesn’t mean becoming a tech expert overnight. It means strengthening resilience: learning how to sit with uncertainty, building habits that restore calm (like exercise, mindfulness, or simply unplugging for an hour), and remembering that adaptability is a skill we all carry, even if it feels rusty.
Finally, we CONNECT. It’s tempting to retreat when we feel overwhelmed by big changes. But this is precisely the moment to reach out—share your worries with a friend, talk through your thoughts in therapy, or gather with others who are navigating similar transitions. Connection grounds us. It reminds us we’re not alone in facing tomorrow’s questions.
AI is here, and it will continue to grow. But your worth isn’t measured by how quickly you master the latest tool or keep up with the latest trend. Your worth is rooted in your humanity, your ability to learn, to grow, and to connect. The very qualities machines cannot replicate.
If you find yourself feeling swallowed by the speed of it all, remember this: the future will arrive one day at a time, no faster than it always has. And you already carry the tools to meet it with steadiness.