The biggest shift in the age of AI is not technology. It is identity.

AI is changing work quickly. The part we talk about less is how it changes us too.

Almost a decade back, when I went to a 'digital transformation' class at MIT delivered by Professor Hal Gregersen. I expected a deep dive a technical framework to manage enterprise change. What I experienced was more personal. Hal invited us to examine our identities, the roles we hold, and how disruption forces us to rethink who we are.

More recently, I listened to a Hidden Brain conversation between host Shankar Vedantam and psychologist Jonathan Adler. Adler’s research shows that the stories we tell about our lives shape who we become. He explains two patterns.

• In a contamination story, things begin well and then fall apart.

• In a redemption story, difficulty leads to growth and meaning.

These insights help us look at AI-drive transformation through a different lens.

Today's moment is not only about new capabilities and workflows. It is also a narrative moment. As Adler points out:

• AI can trigger a contamination story if we see it as loss or replacement.

• It becomes a redemption story when we view it as a catalyst for reinvention, creativity, and expanded contribution.

I have seen this in my own journey across roles and geographies. Mumbai. Singapore. Toronto. Chicago. Each chapter required a different identity. Each chapter demanded a new story. It was usually uncomfortable. It was always instructive.

AI is doing this at scale. Tasks are evolving. Expertise is shifting. Human value is concentrating in judgment, synthesis, trust, and meaning. This moment rewards curiosity, humility, and the courage to rewrite our story in real time.

Three questions that can guide all of us:

• What role do I believe I play today?

• What role does the future ask me to play?

• What story will support that transition with clarity and optimism?

Technology moves quickly. Identity adapts through reflection and reframing. Successful leaders will honor both truths. We are learning new tools. We are also learning to become new versions of ourselves.

The AI era is not just a technology transformation. It is a narrative transformation. And the story we choose to tell next will shape our trajectory. And this applies to organizations as well. Companies are also identity systems. They carry legacy stories about who they are and why they exist. AI pressures those stories. The companies that thrive will be the ones that update their narrative and build a collective identity that fits the future they aim to create.

The future of work is also the future of self and the story we choose matters.

— Ram Srinivasan MIT Alum | Author, The Conscious Machine | Global AI Adoption Leader.

Published in Business Insider, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, MIT Executive Viewpoints and more.

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A Message From Ram:

My mission is to illuminate the path toward humanity's exponential future. If you're a leader, innovator, or changemaker passionate about leveraging breakthrough technologies to create unprecedented positive impact, you're in the right place. If you know others who share this vision, please share these insights. Together, we can accelerate the trajectory of human progress.

Disclaimer:

Ram Srinivasan currently serves as an Innovation Strategist and Transformation Leader, authoring groundbreaking works including "The Conscious Machine" and the upcoming "The Exponential Human."

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