Layer One
The Work Itself
Intention
This is where you use AI with intention — starting with what the task actually asks of you.
Can you write down how to do it? If the instructions would work for anyone following them, AI can probably help. If the thing requires pattern recognition or judgment that took you years to build, it lives inside you.
"Could I write the instructions for someone else to do this?"
Is this Fast Work or Slow Work? Fast Work rewards speed — the same answer every time, throughput matters. Slow Work rewards reflection — the answer changes based on context, and going faster usually makes it worse.
"Does going faster make this better, or worse?"
Layer Two
What’s on the Line
Self-Determination
This is where you take action to determine your own future — weighing what you risk and what has to come from you.
If this goes wrong, can you walk it back? Some mistakes are two-way doors — reversible, recoverable, low cost. Others are one-way — they close behind you. A first impression, a sent contract, a hiring decision. The harder it is to unwind, the more your judgment belongs in the loop.
"If this goes wrong, can I walk it back?"
Whose thinking is in it? Whose judgment made the calls? Human contribution is starting to carry a measurable premium — and the premium grows as more work gets commoditized by AI. Provenance is what separates work that sounds like you from work that sounds like everyone else’s ChatGPT.
"Does this have to come from me?"
Layer Three
The People
Human Judgment
This is where you exercise human judgment — about the person on the other end, and the skill you want to keep.
What does the recipient expect? A hiring manager expects you wrote the cover letter. A patient expects you read their chart. A client expects you thought about their business. The more the recipient’s trust depends on it being you, the less AI should be near the output.
"What does the recipient expect?"
Is this a skill worth protecting and investing in? Judgment skills take years to build and erode fast when you stop using them. For skills you’re developing, AI shortcuts stop the build. For skills you have, AI shortcuts let them atrophy.
"Is this a skill worth protecting?"
