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AI Will Force Us to Rethink the Meaning of Human [Newsletter #44]

How one company is making legal documents accessible—and redefining our view of society in the process

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AI and the Future of Work
April 15, 2025

Hello, AI enthusiasts around the world! 👋 Welcome to this week’s edition of the AI and the Future of Work newsletter.

Have you ever stared at a legal document and thought, “There’s no way I can write something like this”? You’re not alone. Legal documents are complex, demanding precision and a level of formality that can be daunting.

But today’s guest wants to change that.

His goal? To democratize access to legal documents by open-sourcing them—making them easy to understand, easy to use, and available to everyone.

But that’s just the beginning. His broader mission is even more ambitious: to use his company as a tool to build a more harmonious and balanced society.

Let’s get into this week’s highlights! 🚀

🎙️ New Podcast Episode: Rafie Faruq, CEO of Genie AI

What will happen to jobs as AI becomes more capable? It’s the question on everyone’s mind—and Rafie Faruq offers two answers: one “boring,” and one much more interesting.

The first is the obvious one: AI is already taking over repetitive tasks. It’s making day-to-day work easier, and yes, that means some jobs will disappear.

But the second answer? That’s the one that excites Rafie.

For thousands of years, our goal as a society has been productivity and growth. That mindset may have worked for the past few centuries—but it won’t carry us through the next one.

If we keep chasing endless GDP growth, something has to give.

Instead, Rafie encourages us to look to nature—to seek harmony and balance, not just output. It’s a philosophy he’s applied in both his personal and professional life.

In 2017, Rafie co-founded Genie with Nitish Mutha to open-source the law and enable everyone to draft quality legal documents.

Since then, Genie has supported more than 100,000 users in over 120 jurisdictions. The company recently closed an $18 million Series A round led by Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures.

Rafie isn’t just a founder—he also holds an MSc in Machine Learning, has represented the UK Ministry of Justice on foreign trade missions, and teaches meditation to those looking for deeper meaning in life.

Our CEO, Dan Turchin, sat down with Rafie to talk about the future of work, the role of AI, and how both are still unwritten. Topics include:

  • How losing a job to AI could be the start of something better—an opportunity to ask, “Is this really my life’s work?”

  • Why customer trust is essential in legal tech—and how Genie built it through transparency and quality

  • What it means to use a startup as a vehicle for spiritual and societal transformation

  • And why slowing down and aligning with nature might be the most important innovation of all

    🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear how Rafie is using his startup not just to change the legal industry—but to help create a more thoughtful society.

AI Fun Fact: Who Owns AI-Generated Work?

As AI becomes more capable of generating music, art, and text, the question of copyright is taking center stage.

In 2023, the U.S. Copyright Office received over 10,000 public comments from 68 countries about whether AI-generated content can be protected—and if so, by whom.

Recently, they released the second part of their analysis: the Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence.

Writing for Mix Online, Steve La Cerra points out that the report offers a mix of clarity—and new complexities.

At the heart of it is one big question:
“Who wrote that?”

According to the Copyright Office:

  • If a work is authored by a human, even with the help of AI, it can be copyrighted.

  • But if a work is entirely AI-generated, or the human contribution is too minimal, it’s not eligible for copyright protection.

That seems straightforward… until you ask:
What counts as “sufficient” human control?
And that’s where things get tricky. As AI tools evolve, that line will only get blurrier.

Our CEO, Dan Turchin, offers this take:

“AI bots should never be copyright owners. Everything they create is a remix of human work.”

Let’s keep celebrating human creativity—and use AI to elevate our ideas, not replace them.

🌟 Listener Spotlight: Meet Dawn from Seattle, WA

Dawn from Seattle, WA, is a student at the University of Washington and listens while walking to class. Dawn's favorite episode is the discussion with Linda Rottenberg, CEO of Endeavor, about international entrepreneurship.

As always, we love hearing from you! 

Want to be featured in our next episode or newsletter? Comment and let us know how you tune in and your favorite episode.

We want to hear what you have to say! Your feedback helps us improve and ensures we continue to deliver valuable insights to our podcast listeners. 👇

📚 Worth a Read: Can ChatGPT Feel... Anxious?

It might sound odd, but researchers have found that ChatGPT shows signs of anxiety when exposed to violent commands or disturbing prompts.

What’s even more surprising? Under that kind of stress, the model becomes more biased—particularly in how it responds around topics like race, gender, and economic status.

So how are researchers helping ChatGPT manage these reactions?

You guessed it: mindfulness techniques.

Source: Forbes

Yes, really. Scientists are experimenting with mindfulness-based strategies to help large language models respond more calmly and consistently—even in high-pressure scenarios.

The implications are fascinating. It’s not just about building more stable AI—it also raises big questions about how these same strategies could benefit human mental health.

If AI models can "learn" to stay grounded under stress, maybe there’s something in those lessons for us, too.

📰 Read more in this thought-provoking Fortune article on the emerging world of mindful AI.

🗞️ In the News

Here are a few AI headlines you shouldn’t miss:

👋 That’s a Wrap for This Week!

This week’s guest reminds us to pause and consider a different path—one rooted in harmony and balance, rather than relentless growth.

It’s the perfect time to ask ourselves: What truly drives my work?

In the midst of a fast-moving AI revolution, this conversation offers a refreshing—and much needed—perspective. We hope it sparked reflection and inspired you as much as it did us.

Until next time, keep questioning, keep innovating, and we’ll see you in the future of work. 🎙️✨

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