Jungle AI

“Hey ChatGPT, can you help me find my way out of the jungle?”

No one, anywhere, ever.

Once upon a time, in the heart of the Colombian jungle, a young girl named Leslie was not faced with this existential question. And yet, her story prompts us to profoundly reflect on our reliance on technology and the skills we've lost in our pursuit of progress.

Today, we find ourselves immersed in a digital world, where everything is just a click or a swipe away. We navigate through our lives aided by AI, AR, VR, 5G, IoT, and a myriad of other tech acronyms. We've grown accustomed to the convenience of GPS guiding us through unfamiliar terrains, AR constellations unveiling the secrets of the night sky, and even AI helping us to articulate our thoughts. But amidst all of the digital convenience, have we irreversibly blurred the line between human and nature?

Back to Leslie, who’s story paints a vivid picture of raw survival. The 13-year-old Colombian girl, along with her three younger siblings, survived a plane crash followed by 40 gruesome days and nights in a very dark, very dense patch of the Amazonian jungle. Alone and frightened, these children found themselves grappling with hunger, the elements, and a plethora of predators including snakes, jaguars, and disease-carrying mosquitoes. Luckily (for lack of a better word!), Leslie who was raised in the indigenous Huitoto tribe, was not only well-acquainted with the jungle, but had also learned to hunt, fish, and gather from a very early age. At the end of day, like the next, and the one after that for another six weeks, she led her siblings through whatever nature had to offer, surviving on cassava flour salvaged from the wreckage, fruits from the palm trees, and a makeshift shelter from branches, held together with her hair ties.

Leslie's heroic act is a humbling reminder to hold on to our primal capacities, instincts, and spirit, as if our lives depended on it. And with that in mind, maybe it’s time to try something new (sort of): Learning to treat basic wounds, the way our ancestors did before the age of antiseptic creams and band-aids. Experience the simple joy of picking a fruit off a tree or plucking a mushroom from the undergrowth. Or maybe fix an old motorcycle engine - feel the grease on your hands and hear the purr of the engine as it comes back to life. And when you release that clutch, be sure to navigate the old-fashioned way, guided by nothing but the topography and the stars.

Whatever the skill you decide to pick up, don't do it from behind the comfort of this digital screen. Step outside. Feel the wind on your face. Smell the earth after a fresh rain. Listen to the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. Embrace the adventure that lies beyond the confines of technology. For we are not just creatures of a digital age, but first and foremost, primates of survival, strength, and resilience.

*Image above: Me working on my drawing skills…