Between You and AI

Introduction

IN THE 1800s, during the Golden Age of gold mining and railroad expansion in the United States, there lived a man that, according to folklore, was considered the strongest alive. His name was John Henry—a steel driver who shattered massive rock with unmatched power, carving tunnels through mountains with his sledgehammer. Day after day, with sheer strength and unwavering resolve, John Henry struck each blow with the force of a lifetime of toil and pride. No other human could outdo him.

But the major threat to his dominance did not come from fellow workers in flesh and bone, but from ones in steel. Technological progress was relentless indeed. One fateful day, a salesperson arrived at John Henry’s construction site, unveiling a mechanical marvel—a steam-powered drilling machine that he claimed would outwork any human laborer.

To John Henry, this was more than just a sales pitch; it was a direct challenge to his very identity. Unwilling to accept that any machine could surpass human strength and skill, he proposed a contest: he challenged the salesperson to determine who—him or the machine—could drill the deepest hole in a single day.

Confident in the power of his invention, the salesperson agreed. At dawn, the contest began. The machine roared to life, its piston hammering away with relentless precision, while beside it, John Henry swung his sledgehammer with determination, but at nowhere near the same speed. Although he was already lagging behind, his fellow workers ...