The Race To Real

In our rush toward digital everything, we’re forgetting something fundamental – humans are built for face-to-face.

We’ve traded real for artificial, thinking it’s “good enough.” AI-generated images. Auto-written posts. Endless virtual meetings. All efficient, sure but efficient isn’t connection. And it’s not sustainable for the people living it.

The risk is simple, the more we rely on artificial experiences, the more we strip away what makes us human.

– Loneliness is rising, even in hyper-connected workplaces.
– Empathy is declining because we’re losing the cues like tone, expression, touch, that foster it.
– Our mental health is suffering as we drown in shallow interactions that lack meaning.

Media Naturalness Theory explains it all really, we’re wired for rich, synchronous communication – eye contact, body language, shared presence. Take that away, and the cracks start to show. Anxiety rises. Trust weakens. Relationships suffer.

This is why people will crave face-to-face more than ever.

– A handshake restores trust that an email can’t.
– A live conversation uncovers nuance no AI will ever understand.
– Sharing physical space creates energy, connection, and collaboration that no screen can replicate.

The winners will be the leaders, companies, conferences and communities that understand this.
– They’ll create spaces for *real* connection.
– They’ll design experiences that harness our natural need for human-to-human interaction.
– They’ll recognize that while technology can support, it can’t replace.

It’s not about resisting technology; technology has its place. But it’s about using it to amplify what matters: connection, trust, and humanity.

The race to artificial is crowded and ultimately, it’s a race to the bottom. But the race to Real? That’s the race worth running.