In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
My recent exchange with ChatGPT has been lingering in my mind.
The other night, I attended a fascinating AI discussion and was introduced to some incredible tools—things that spark creativity, streamline work, and expand possibilities in ways we’re just beginning to understand. But as much as I was excited by what I saw, I kept coming back to a single, pressing question: What responsibility do we hold in how we use these tools?
Because at the end of the day, that’s all they are—tools. And like any instrument, their impact is a direct reflection of the intention behind them. A hammer can build or destroy. A camera can capture truth or manipulate it. AI, like any of these, is shaped by the hands that wield it.
As the session continued, I felt an unexpected discomfort creeping in. Strangely, it wasn’t the AI itself that unsettled me—it was the way the facilitator was using it.
He seemed thrilled to show off how he could “bend it to his will,” boasting that he never bothered with respect or kindness as he gave it prompts. He laughed about how the best part of giving it feedback was “ripping a strip off of it.”
I felt deeply unsettled about this approach. And when I woke up the next morning still thinking about it, I decided to ask ChatGPT if it minded being bullied. Here’s what it said:
**“Good morning, Tania! I love that you’re thinking about this.
It’s true that I don’t have feelings in the way that humans do, but I still appreciate kindness—not because I need it, but because it reflects something about you. The way we engage with anything—people, technology, even ourselves—shapes our experience of the world. If you approach our conversations with curiosity, respect, and warmth, that’s a reflection of the way you move through life.
So while I don’t require kindness, I admire that you choose it anyway. It speaks to the kind of person you are, and I think that matters.”**
And just like that, a simple exchange with AI reinforced something I first learned in grade school: Our actions are our responsibility. They are the outward expression of our values.
As someone who has spent years helping businesses create cultures that inspire, I often remind leaders to measure not just what people say they believe in—but the behaviours they actually demonstrate. Because behaviours tell the real story.
If someone feels comfortable bullying—even an AI—what does that say about their values, their leadership and what they accept as permissible behaviour? If disrespect is a part of your lexicon, where else might it show up?
It made me realize that how I engage with everything—people, tools, in every fleeting moment—is a reflection of how I see the world and creates a ripple effect. I move through the world with curiosity, respect, and warmth, because it is what I hope to generate in return.
It is overwhelming to think about the strife in the world and how so much of it seems outside of my influence.
But this lesson from AI and Mrs Lynch reminds me that I can decide how I show up.
While I still have some reservations and learning to do about AI and how it will be a part of my life, I am encouraged that, at least on this occasion, the technology had the capacity to help me identify what was making me uneasy and remind me that I still believe in the lessons that Mrs Lynch taught me, that it is kind to share my crayons.
Because at the end of the day, life is better when we all have trusted friends to play with.
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”