Humanity by Proxy

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant dream or speculative fiction--it's here, shaping how we work, learn, love, and even understand ourselves. But as machines become more capable, what becomes of the humans who built them? In this book, Dr. Joe Chapa explores one of the most urgent and fascinating questions of our time: How can AI help us to understand our humanity? Through a series of engaging, provocative essays, Chapa traces the long arc of our relationship with intelligent tools from ancient myths of mechanical helpers to today's language-learning algorithms that can write, argue, and persuade.

Drawing on philosophy, history, personal experience, and pop culture, the book charts humanity's evolving attempt to outsource not just labor, but judgment, creativity, and even moral decision-making to machines. It asks whether machines can really understand, or if they merely mimic us with increasing precision. It confronts the illusions and anxieties that come with automation, and the promise of instant knowledge paired with the peril of unearned confidence. These essays reveal how AI mirrors our best hopes and our worst biases, sometimes more clearly than we'd like. Along the way, you'll encounter Google products and Greek gods, sci-fi films and Broadway musicals--reminders that every advance in machine intelligence reflects ancient concerns about power, virtue, and what we owe one another.

Rather than preaching techno-optimism or existential dread, this book offers a human-centered perspective: AI may be new, but human nature is ancient.

Whether you're a curious newcomer or a seasoned technologist, this collection is a guide to thinking more deeply about the systems we are designing and the people we are becoming as a result. It invites us to ask not only what AI can do, but who we ought to be.