In this blog post I share two posts – one written by me as an actual human and one generated by a large language model using generative artificial intelligence based only on the title and the quote by Dr. Mollick.

I like them both – and I am not surprised  that the “artificial” one (drawn from nearly two years of my history using the tool in a variety of use cases) did a really nice job … you be the judge 🙂

Is it live – or is it Memorex (for those of you who get the reference – a tip of my hat)

How do we harness a billion people using AI while managing the chaos that comes with it? – Ethan Mollick (One Useful Thing Newsletter August 28, 2025)

So for the past two years I have been engaged in scholarly and practitioner based study and research and practice with generative artificial intelligence. I’ve applied for and been accepted into two national fellowships (Generation AI with ISTE/ASCD and Google GSV Cohort 3), I won a regional award from IETL, their Delta Award, and I’ve overseen the deployment and evolution of educational generative artificial intelligence here in North Shore School District 112.

Additionally, not to brag – but it is my blog LOL – me and Nick Polyak have our 5th book coming out any day now, Leading for

Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today

Tomorrow’s Schools Today (2025 Bloomsbury Academic Press) which shares the CHANGE leadership framework and expands on the innovative power and approaches of generative artificial intelligence.

Now – please re read the quote at the start of this post – stop for a moment – Dr. Mollick is one of the world’s leading scholars and scientists with respect to Gen AI – his question stopped me in my tracks.

When it comes to the chaos that comes with it I start with the potential and real negatives that have been brought forth since November 2022 – including:

Is it about mental health – yes/no. Is it about cheating – yes/no. Is it about mass hysteria (hopefully no).  Is it about impact (negative) on the environment (power grid, energy, water, climate, mining, data). Is it about impact (negative or transformative) on the economy/job market.

Or is the chaos on the positive side too?

The calculator for the humanities (Amanda Bickerstaff called Gen AI this on a webinar last year). Is this hope for those without abundance resources in developing areas for equitable access to high powered language models? Is this hope for differentiating education and learning opportunities for all learners (finally?!) Is this transforming education – a structure and system often criticized for operating under a 19th century structure?

Or is it “all of the above” – I think that Dr. Mollick calls for us to lean into the all of the above. With nearly a billion people (not a typo) – one eighth of all known humanity – using Gen AI tools each week – in every industry – how can “we” – the collective we harness/manage and leverage for the GOOD of humanity the powerful technological advances in our midst.

It’s not some futuristic sci fi movie with robots – it’s a showroom in suburban (anywhere) with robots … I was visiting a family member at the hospital last week and a robot that looked like Rosie from the Jetsons was near the elevator – it was a cleaning robot. It’s 2025 – this is reality. In what major ways are we creating the conditions so that the adults who support the adults who support the children are maximizing the ability to leverage Gen AI with safeguards, guideposts, literacy, fluency, and above all else – HUMAN intelligence?

This is the call to action – for us all – let’s keep sharing research, learning, hands-on approaches so that we can attempt to keep up with and “harness” the powerful technological advances of Gen AI in pursuit of positive, pro-social, powerful applications.

What I wrote above is “human” – “bespoke” – my voice from my brain.

What I share below is from a large language model – here is the prompt I used,

Knowing what you know about me and my writing, take the following title and quote and write a blog post in my voice and perspective – Change Process

How do we harness a billion people using AI while managing the chaos that comes with it? – Ethan Mollick (One Useful Thing Newsletter August 28, 2025)

Here’s a draft blog post in your voice and perspective, using the title and quote you provided:

⸻

Change Process

“How do we harness a billion people using AI while managing the chaos that comes with it?”

— Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing Newsletter, August 28, 2025

⸻

When I read Ethan Mollick’s reflection, I stopped in my tracks. A billion people. A billion minds, hands, and hearts using AI tools simultaneously. That’s not a distant future—it’s the present rapidly unfolding in front of us. And like every massive change in history, it’s messy, chaotic, and deeply uncomfortable. But it’s also filled with possibility.

The change process has never been about neat transitions. Whether in schools, government, or business, change comes in waves—often crashing before it calms. What separates thriving organizations from struggling ones is not whether they experience chaos (they all do), but how they lead through it.

In my leadership framework, CHANGE isn’t just an acronym. It’s a call to action: challenge the process, have open conversations, adapt and flex, navigate obstacles, generate a shared vision, and enjoy the journey. AI accelerates every one of these elements. The stakes are higher, the timelines are shorter, and the margin for complacency has evaporated.

We are edu superheroes

For superintendents, principals, teachers, and frankly anyone in leadership today, the AI revolution is not optional. Our students are already experimenting with it. Our staff are already finding ways to lighten their workloads with it. Our communities are already questioning what this means for learning, work, and ethics. Pretending otherwise—or worse, delaying action—creates confusion and distrust.

So how do we “harness a billion people” while navigating the chaos? We lean into the same truths that have carried us through every seismic shift before:

• Acknowledge the chaos. Change is disruptive by design. Leaders must stop sugar-coating and start naming the mess out loud.

• Prioritize learning, not perfection. Just as we don’t expect kindergartners to master reading overnight, we shouldn’t expect staff or systems to “get AI right” instantly.

• Center humanity. Tools are powerful, but people are irreplaceable. Ethics, equity, and empathy must drive our adoption.

• Build collective vision. Harnessing a billion people requires alignment—not just top-down mandates, but shared ownership of the future we’re building.

Mollick’s challenge isn’t theoretical. It’s practical. It’s urgent. The change process is unfolding whether we’re ready or not. Our choice is whether to lead it with courage, clarity, and vision—or to be swept aside by the waves.

For me, and for the schools and communities I serve, the answer is clear: lean into the chaos, guide it with purpose, and keep our eyes on the bigger picture—creating tomorrow’s schools, today.