Simon Sinek: You're Being Lied To About AI's Real Purpose And We're Teaching Our Kids To Not Be Human!

What if AI isn’t just a tool - but the greatest threat to human connection we’ve ever faced?



Simon Sinek is a world-renowned entrepreneur, optimism expert, and founder of The Optimism Company, a platform which teaches human skills to leaders and organisations. He is also the bestselling author of books such as, ‘Start With Why’ and ‘Leaders Eat Last’.



He explains:



Why modern politics is killing your sense of purpose.




Why we’ve forgotten how to be a good friend.




How AI will create a generation of helpless humans.




The number one secret skill AI can’t learn.




How human skills like empathy are vanishing.






00:00 Intro

02:35 Biggest Forces of Change in Society

06:05 Is AI Cause for Concern?

12:55 Authenticity in the Age of AI

18:38 Skills Needed in the Evolving World of AI

20:08 Is Universal Basic Income a Solution to AI-Driven Job Loss?

20:58 UBI’s Impact on Meaning and Purpose

24:34 The Uncertain Future of AI

25:48 The Race for AI Dominance

28:25 AI’s Long-Term Impact on People’s Lives

32:32 Preparing Young People for the Future of AI

35:27 Importance of Gratitude in a World of Unlimited Possibilities

45:35 Importance of Relationships

48:03 Importance of Failure

49:07 Learning Through Experience and Resourcefulness

53:52 Why Struggle Is a Good Thing

55:45 People Buy the Story, Not the Product

59:37 Scale Breaks Things

1:02:37 Ads

1:03:41 Self-Love as a Key to Successful Relationships

1:05:31 Why Wrong Is Easier

1:09:15 Friction Creates Freedom

1:11:18 Building Community in the Age of AI

1:13:45 What Holds a Community Together?

1:16:57 Staying True to Your Values

1:20:46 Does Lack of Meaning and Purpose Lead to Loneliness?

1:22:21 Loneliness by Gender

1:23:06 Mental Health and Likelihood of Loneliness

1:25:15 How to Find Companionship When Lonely

1:30:37 Curiosity as a Key to Building Connection

1:32:28 Importance of Staying in Touch With Your Emotions

1:36:19 Drop in Automation-Related Job Postings

1:38:06 AI as an Opportunity to Discover New Hobbies and Skills

1:42:24 What Simon Is Struggling With Right Now

1:46:27 Choosing the Right Person to Fight With

1:48:33 Self-Reliance as a Career Foundation

1:53:26 Why Simon Wrote a Book About Friendship

1:56:20 How to Know if Someone Is a Friend

1:57:40 Following Up With People You Connect With

2:01:17 Mentoring Someone Behind You

2:03:08 The Challenge Coins

2:13:16 What Simon Misses About Being in a Relationship



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The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett is a podcast hosted by Steven Bartlett, the CEO of the social media management company, Social Chain. The podcast features Bartlett's reflections on his experiences as a CEO, as well as interviews with other business leaders and entrepreneurs. The show provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of running a successful business, as well as the personal journeys of its guests. The Diary of a CEO is known for its honest and candid discussions on the realities of being a CEO, and is aimed at helping listeners understand the inner workings of successful businesses.

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I was a broke, university dropout, at 18 I built an industry leading social media marketing company, and at 27 I resigned as CEO. At 28 I co-founded Flight Story – a marketing and communications company, and thirdweb - a software platform, making it easy to build web3 applications. I then launched private equity fund, Flight Fund, to accelerate the next generation of European unicorns. During this time I decided to launch 'The Diary Of A CEO' podcast with the simple mission of providing an unfiltered journey into the remarkable stories and untold dimensions of the world’s most influential people, experts and thinkers.

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• No. of episodes: 681
• Latest episode: 2025-06-05
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