The Analogy

Are you tired of seeing -purely- AI-generated posts on your social media feeds lately?

I’ve been thinking more about that how AI reminds me of frozen food versus fresh home-cooked meals.

When I moved to the U.S. over 15 years ago, I had never eaten frozen food in my life. Walking through the grocery aisles, I used to wonder: why would anyone choose this over a fresh, home-cooked meal?

Of course, I adapted. These days, I’ll pick up frozen food, vegetables, or snacks for the days I lack desire to cook, or simply for variety.

**Still, nothing replaces a fresh, home-cooked meal.**

And I live by the 80-percent principle: 80% for organic + whole food nourishment and 20% for spontaneity and flexibility.
**In my lived experience, and view**: the human mind and body need variation, and too much rigidity makes both brittle.
And, nutrition, after all, is only **one dimension of the larger fabric of human health and well-being** – a foundational one, yes, but not the only player on the field.

So…When used right, AI can be – and already is– a wonderful tool for speed, productivity, and efficiency. Kind of like:

🥦 frozen food vs home-cooked food.

🚗 driving to the grocery store vs walking.

✉️ mailing a letter vs sending an e-mail.

Both get you to your goals, but the time, experience, energy, process, and outcome are entirely different.

Most of us enjoy fresh food over frozen. Similarly, most of us prefer fresh original ideas and reflections over purely AI-generated content. Yet, in a society where the productivity is measured by output, where speed and surface often weight the depth, many will value frozen often.

For some, AI is a shortcut: the frozen option that saves time.
For others, it’s always the “home-cooked” path.
For some, it’s a hybrid: write first, then refine and flavor with your own voice.
And there are others, like my mom (<3): “Wait, what’s AI? or ChatGPT? “

And these are just basic uses of large language models (LLMs) in writing. Of course it goes far far far beyond that. But since I started this reflection from the lens of writing, that’s where I’ll stay for now.

The Process and Presence

As with food, the quality of the outcome depends on what you put in.

I’ve been using AI tools for research, synthesis, code debugging, and brainstorming ideas for this well-being blog, and I iterate over and over, again and again, until it feels true to my voice. Like this post. To me, it’s the relentless peer reviewer or editor who refines each version until I say “enough is enough”.

Friends or colleagues use AI tools for meal planning, travel ideas, or quick letter drafts. Right now, many who explore AI writing are still in the “frozen food” phase – it’s new, convenient, efficient. But eventually, I believe, it will evolve into something hybrid: part machine assistance, part human soul.

And when something is purely AI-generated, our brains can detect instantly, like a radar. The tone, the language, the emphasis, the texture. They all feel different.

What’s missing is the human element in AI.

We know companies are working to close that gap – designing systems that can “sound” empathetic or intuitive.

But let’s not forget “imitation is not embodiment.’

Beyond Artificial Intelligence – The Essence

While AI algorithms accelerate and reshape entire fields faster than many imagined- and often raising fears that automation will replace, or is already replacing, the human “workforce”– I believe AI cannot and will never be able replicate the quiet, intelligent presence that humans bring.

Yes, AI can mimic and replicate speed, scale, and precision, but it cannot – and I truly believe it will never be able to

replicate the physical presence of a human, the soul and spirit presence, the felt sense of meaning, intuition, gut feeling, embodiment, or embodied awareness.

It is artificial intelligence, not wisdom.

Not the essence that makes us human.

Our value as humans lies in our essence – empathy, compassion, purpose, mind, body, soul, will, consciousness, and creative power – the multidimensional layers of humanness that no algorithm can or will ever be able to synthesize.

reflecting on the kind of future we wish to shape

And this reflection is not meant to create any further division - not between humans and machines, nor between “us” and “others.”
We already have fragments: politically, religiously, racially, ethnically, even spiritually.

This is about zooming out, seeing the larger pattern, the shared field we all belong to, and reflecting on the kind of future we wish to shape.

So the question for each of us becomes:
How do we stay human in an increasingly automated world?

In this light, the future is not about competing with technology but co-evolving with it: embedding our purpose, compassion, and curiosity into how we live, create, and connect.

I believe the next era of contribution (I’ve never liked the word “work”) will not be defined by hours or hierarchy, but by harmony – with self, with others, with our occupations, and with the planet.

Because in the end, it’s not about resisting technology.

It’s about - for us individually- staying connected to the living system within us that no algorithm can replicate.
And collectively, it’s about remembering that we are not isolated individuals in a network, but co-creators in a living web – biological, social, and planetary.

The more aware we are of our inner systems – our rhythms, ethics, empathy – the more humane and wise the outer systems we design will become. Because technology, at its best, should extend our aliveness – not replace it.

I’ve been bridging this conversation into my upcoming series on Occupational Harmony and Well-Being, as part of the Yildiz Oceanic Well-Being framework. Stay tuned.

🌊 Our Closing Invitation

As always, we invite you to pause, reflect, and share your thoughts – perhaps even notice what resonates within you as you read.

What comes up when you think of fresh vs. frozen, AI vs. human essence, or the pace of our modern rhythm?

Your reflections and experiences help shape this living conversation – between science, soul, and the evolving systems we co-create.

🌿 Synchronicity and What Comes Next

This reflection on AI felt like a spontaneous in-between tide, a moment to breathe, express what has been sitting quietly in mind and heart, to bridge technology and humanity, before we return to the deeper ocean of well-being.

As synchronicities unfold and both new and familiar connections emerge, our next piece will focus on Occupational Harmony and Well-Being – featuring insights from a fellow scientist in the Guest Tides and Currents series.

We’ll also bridge this AI reflection into future pieces, exploring what harmony looks like in a world of accelerating automation and evolving human needs.

Until next time…

– With care, Zelda - and a touch of Amea 🌊

✨ Disclaimer: This post is for general educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, nor a substitute for professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have concerns about your health, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.

REFLECTIONS: AI writing and the Frozen vs Fresh Home-Cooked Food Analogy