The Next Great Human Project
Introduction: The Misalignment Problem Nobody Talks About
Artificial Intelligence is being touted as the most transformative technology since the internet, maybe even since the printing press. (I say it’s still too early to tell.) But in our rush to make AI bigger, faster, and smarter, we have overlooked the most important question: What does it mean for humanity?
Sure, AI can make us more productive, optimize supply chains, diagnose diseases, and even drive our cars. But these are transactions. They are incremental. They are about doing the things we already do, just faster. The deeper, more existential opportunity for AI is in something that rarely makes it into white papers or investment decks: preserving who we are.
OK, so let’s dive into the uncomfortable truth. Humanity is hemorrhaging memory. Every time someone dies, a lifetime of stories, wisdom, humor, and perspective disappears forever. We lose more history every single day than the Library of Alexandria did in its infamous fire.
That is not a problem AI can ignore.
The Case for Soul Tech
“Soul tech” is a term I coined for the use of AI to preserve the voices, personalities, and life stories of people, not as sterile records, but as living, breathing digital presences you can interact with.
At Reflekta, we have built technology that captures a person’s voice, mannerisms, and stories in such detail that future generations can have real conversations with them. This is not Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA. This is not a chatbot with canned responses. It is a dynamic, adaptive intelligence trained on the actual memories, values, and emotional expressions of a human being.
Great, but you’re probably wondering why such a thing is important. It’s simple: because human connection is the one thing AI can amplify without erasing. If AI is going to “benefit humanity,” as Reid Hoffman and others have rightly prioritized, then we must ensure it benefits not only the living but those who haven’t even been born yet.
Imagine a world where every child can speak directly with their great-grandparents, not just see photos or read letters, but ask them questions and hear their voice respond with nuance, humor, and wisdom. Imagine a cultural history where no indigenous language is lost, no oral tradition fades, and no artist’s worldview dies with them.
This is what soul tech makes possible.
Why This Matters Now, Not Later
There are those out there who consider this to be a “later problem.” Before we consider preserving voices, we should prioritize AI safety, alignment, and current productivity use cases.
I disagree. And here’s why:
Loss is irreversible. Every day we wait, millions of stories vanish. AI alignment is important, but history alignment is urgent.
The technology is ready. We already have the models, training methods, and multimodal capabilities to do this at scale.
It is a cultural imperative. The world’s attention is fixed on the dangers of AI replacing human connection. Soul tech is the antidote: AI as a force multiplier for human presence.
The Controversial Part: Silicon Valley’s Blind Spot
AI’s biggest players are in an arms race for computing power and market dominance. The prevailing narrative is “how can AI outperform humans?”, not “how can AI safeguard the best of humanity?”
This is a dangerous blind spot. If AI’s value is measured solely in GDP gains, we are missing its highest calling. The first trillion-dollar AI company might not be the one that builds the most powerful model; it might be the one that earns humanity’s trust. And trust comes from serving the human spirit, not just the human wallet.
A Call to Action, Especially to Investors Like Reid Hoffman
The logline in Reid Hoffman’s bio states that his current priority is investing in and building AI to benefit humanity. I believe Soul Tech is the most human application of AI there is.
This is not nostalgia dressed up as innovation. This is a scalable, technically achievable, and economically viable path to ensuring that every human life, regardless of fame, fortune, or geography, can echo into the future.
The work has begun at Reflekta. We are proving that AI can be a vessel for memory, identity, and connection. We are turning what was once a science-fiction dream into something that fits in the palm of your hand.
The question is not whether we can do this. It is whether we have the will to do it before it is too late.
If AI is going to benefit humanity, it should start by preserving it.
