How often do you pause to think before asking AI? When was the last time you sat with a problem for a few minutes instead of rushing to ChatGPT for the answer? And if AI is doing more of your thinking every day, what happens to your ability to think at all?
Microsoft AI Innovation Officer Michael J. believes the most dangerous thing AI can steal isn’t your job. It’s your next thought. Long before AI replaces work, it can quietly replace the habit of thinking for yourself. That’s why he has a simple philosophy: “Teach me, don’t tell me.” Instead of asking AI to hand you the answer, ask it to help you understand. Because the moment AI starts thinking for you, its thinking can slowly become your thinking.
In this episode, Marcus Sawyerr sits down with Michael J. (MJ), AI Innovation Officer at Microsoft in the Office of the CTO, to continue a conversation they first started in a San Francisco green room. It doesn’t take long before they tackle some big questions, from the uncomfortable reality of “downskilling” to why so many executives are approaching AI the wrong way. They also talk about what it means to raise a generation of children growing up with machines that can do 90-100% of what they ask.
MJ explains the concept of the harness, the layer between humans and AI that shapes how AI behaves, and why we’re moving from being harness engineers to becoming meta-harness engineers. He also shares the story behind his children’s book series The Giving Mind, inspired by conversations with his 6-year-old daughter after she started asking AI the same questions she once asked her parents.
They also discuss why data and process are no longer the competitive advantages they used to be, how non-deterministic AI is becoming a trusted delegate, and why the businesses that thrive will be the ones building machines that can build other machines. Marcus shares a personal story about his 7-year-old son using AI to create graphics for a newsletter. His son’s design picked up 500 likes, while Marcus’s own AI-generated version received only 20.
By the end of the episode, you’ll probably find yourself thinking differently about the way you use AI. Is it simply giving you answers, or is it helping you learn? Are you taking the time to think before you ask? And which skills are you choosing to hand over, versus quietly losing without realizing it?
In this episode:
(00:00) Dynamic Intro
(01:21) Continuing a deep conversation from San Francisco
(03:21) Michael’s role as AI Innovation Officer at Microsoft
(03:48) Building AI applications to stay ahead of the technology
(06:43) What an AI harness is and why it matters
(09:17) The hidden danger of agency erosion
(12:07) Why deskilling is becoming AI’s biggest side effect
(13:28) Being intentional about the skills you choose to lose
(14:12) Why your brain needs downtime to keep thinking clearly
(16:18) Think before you ask AI
(18:14) Teaching children creativity in an AI-first world
(19:08) The story behind The Giving Mind
(24:01) Why AI shouldn’t replace parenting
(26:04) Where AI will have the biggest impact on business
(26:44) From building machines to building machines that build machines
(27:20) The new competitive advantage in an AI economy
(30:08) Why mindset matters more than automation
(31:38) The coming relationship between humans and agentic workers
(32:23) Why AI delegates still need human leadership
(35:02) Michael’s advice for every executive entering the AI era
About Michael J. Jabbour
MJ is the AI Innovation Officer at Microsoft in the Office of the CTO, where he focuses on the short- and long-term horizon for AI. He specializes in agency, memory, metacognition, and the intersection of digital and organic systems. He also teaches at Stanford, writes children’s books about AI and humanity, and is a practicing physician, a combination that gives him a uniquely holistic view of how AI is reshaping human cognition.
About Marcus Sawyerr
Marcus Sawyerr is the Founder & CEO of EQ.app, a company reshaping recruitment by eliminating administrative overhead through AI. With 19 years of experience in staffing and recruiting technology, including serving as Global President of Innovation at Adecco, Marcus brings a rare blend of grassroots sales expertise, executive leadership, and product vision. EQ.app is built around a clear mission: Zero-Admin™. Marcus’s goal is to empower forward-thinking recruiting organizations with intelligent infrastructure that unlocks access to opportunity and drives real outcomes.
Resource Links
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.