A growing number of AI maximalists believe we are approaching a turning point that will reshape what it means to be human. According to Peter Diamandis, entrepreneur and vocal advocate for exponential technologies, humanity is about to “fork.” He believes the extent to which individuals integrate with AI will permanently separate the bold from the meek, amounting to a speciation event.
Some humans will advance, while others will be left behind like Neanderthals.
The “Fork in the road” metaphor was made famous in the Robert Frost poem The Road Not Taken, though Frost never explicitly uses the phrase. He describes two roads diverging in a wood and reflects on the uncertainty of choosing between them. The point of the poem isn’t that one path is better than the other. In fact, Frost tells us they are “really about the same.”
Diamandis sees “the fork” as a test of fortitude and courage. It’s a binary choice—be a builder or a relic. AI adopters are the builders of the future; those who don’t adopt will be obsolete. He states this isn’t a moral judgment, but it sure sounds like judgment to me.
The five forks Diamandis lays out are complex topics unto themselves. Rather than tackle all five at once, I’m going to take them one at a time in a series of posts.
The 5 Forks:
Peter introduces them by saying, “Here’s what’s coming, and how to position yourself on the right side of every fork.” Right=Immerse yourself in AI.
Creators vs. consumers — a familiar refrain: embrace AI now or be left behind.
Longevity — some people will adopt radical life‑extension therapies; the rest of us will age and die the old-fashioned way.
The augmented vs. the un‑augmented — one of my favorite topics and a central theme in my novel AI BABY. Diamandis believes Brain–computer interfaces are the next “logical” step in human evolution.
Colonize space — As far as I’m concerned, the Tech Bros can go populate space, share the same cloud‑fed intelligence and build their special utopia. I’m sure those giant egos will live harmoniously together.
Upload your consciousness — move your neurons and synapses to another substrate, in case living forever in your body isn’t enough.
Fork 1: Creators vs. Consumers—Adapt or Be a Relic
Diamandis argues that AI has handed humanity unprecedented creative power. It’s true that AI will expand what’s possible for people who want to build, and you don’t have to be a coder. It’s never been easier to start companies, build products, and innovate. But Diamandis sees the world divided into the techno class that implicitly holds the power and passive consumers. Creators will shape the future while the rest of us sit on ratty couches eating Cheetos and gaming.
What Diamandis fails to acknowledge is that not everyone wants to start a company and he ignores certain fundamentals. Even with AI you need an idea that will be in demand. “Vibe coding” doesn’t change the basic economics of building something customers actually want or need.
Even as AI reshapes work, I don’t believe all jobs will disappear, no matter how hard The Bros try to eliminate them. No one really knows, but I think we will still desire human interaction and even as professions adopt AI tools, there will still be jobs driven by, or supported with, human relationships. And certainly not all creators will decide to use AI. I believe craftsmanship and all art forms will be appreciated and embraced when done the old-fashioned way—pen to paper, brush to canvas, building with human hands.
The bravest choice might be to reject the new technologies altogether.
There might be a return to simpler, community-driven ways of living. Most people will use some of the tech as AI permeates many aspects of daily life, but might not go all in. Peter assumes AI will narrow our options into two choices. This seems contradictory to the Tech Bro rhetoric of abundance and possibility; shouldn’t AI provide more options, not less?
Creation Is Not the Same as Worth
The tech world tends to conflate value with startups. But societies don’t function because everyone becomes an entrepreneur. They function because people contribute in a myriad of ways.
It feels more like coercion when the choice is immediate adoption and “opting out” is considered obsolescence. The future doesn’t need everyone to be a creator‑class with “leverage over reality.” People should be allowed to decide, without shame, how much technology they want in their lives, and for what purpose.
Next up: Longevity — and how living forever is a great way for the egoists to avoid what’s waiting for them on the other side.
Thank you for reading Celeste Garcia Getting Real About AI
Sources: This is a commentary on a recent Substack post by Peter Diamandis. To read the full post, go to: Humanity Is About to "Fork" - by Peter H. Diamandis
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