Episode 23

Becoming Wise in the Age of AI: Jeff Burningham on What It Means to Be Human

Published on: 22nd October, 2025

After decades of chasing success as a tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and even a candidate for Utah governor, Jeff Burningham found himself questioning what it all meant.

When the governor’s race ended in 2020, Jeff finally had space to pause—and that pause changed everything. It led him to write The Last Book Written by a Human, a deeply personal reflection on consciousness, connection, and wisdom in an age increasingly defined by artificial intelligence.

“As our machines become smarter, we have to become wiser.”


Hear Jeff talk about:

  • What it was like to step back from chasing success and re-evaluate what matters
  • Why he believes AI is a mirror showing us who we are
  • The four stages he sees as part of every human and technological evolution: disruption, reflection, transformation, and evolution
  • Why slowing down might be the most human thing we can do

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About the Podcast

Tell Me What It's Like
Everyday People. Defining Moments.
Ever wonder what it really feels like to live through something extraordinary?

On Tell Me What It’s Like, host Stacy Raine talks with people who’ve faced defining moments – from running a world marathon to surviving a rare illness to building something entirely new. Hear the real experiences behind extraordinary choices as they discuss how it happened, what it felt like, and the lessons they learned along the way.

About your host

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Stacy Raine

I was 16 when I conducted my first interview. I was a nervous high school kid assigned to interview a WWII veteran. It was an incredibly emotional conversation, and an experience I still think about to this day. I didn’t know it then, but that moment would shape everything that followed.

As a nonprofit communicator and podcast producer, I’ve spent my career thinking about the stories we all have to share. Tell Me What It’s Like unearths the backstory to the small and large moments that changed everything.

One of my biggest beliefs is that sharing stories connects us – as long as we're willing to listen.