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The Applied AI Canon

Eight tenets that define what Applied AI means.

I. There is soul-requiring work. Some work requires presence, judgment, taste, care, and responsibility. This work cannot be automated without being diminished.

II. There is non-soul work. Some work is necessary but does not require meaning or presence. This work should be delegated whenever possible.

III. Thinking Machines exist to carry the non-soul work. They reason, remember, and execute. They do not feel, discern meaning, or bear responsibility.

IV. Service flows one way. Thinking Machines serve humans. Humans do not serve Thinking Machines.

V. Ownership over dependency. People and organizations should own their AI capabilities, not rent them. Any system that creates dependency where autonomy is possible is misapplied AI.

VI. Efficiency is not the goal. Efficiency is a tool. The goal is more soul-requiring work in the world.

VII. Automation must increase humanity. If an application of AI reduces presence, judgment, or care, it fails. If it frees humans to do soul-requiring work, it succeeds.

VIII. Applied AI exists to free, not to replace. The end state is humans doing the work only humans can do.

These beliefs are the foundation. For how they translate into daily practice, and who we serve first, see our Principles.