WELCOME TO “I AND AI” — A COMPASS FOR THE AGE OF INTELLIGENT MACHINES.

This isn’t just a web page. It’s the home of my life with AI. It’s also a tiny waystation on the edge of history. Even more important, I built it to be a place for my family and friends to understand, prepare for, and shape the rise of artificial intelligence, hopefully with humanity at the center. You are a welcomed visitor. Here you’ll find my writing, research, and reflections. My main interest is to explore how to stay human in a world that is changing faster than we ever imagined. This is my space for deep questions, brave thinking, and moral imagination. Not to resist the future, but to meet it wisely, ethically, and together with the people I love. I’m glad you’re here. - Mary

This page is divided into four numbered content sections.

SECTION 1 - A NEW COMPASS: EXPLORE WHERE WE’RE HEADED
SECTION 2 - CARBON AND CODE: FOLLOW WHAT IS HAPPENING
SECTION 3 - STAYING HUMAN: LEARN HOW TO LIVE THROUGH IT
SECTION 4 - AI FOR GRANNIES: DISCOVER WHAT AI CAN ADD TO YOUR LIFE

Thoughtful inquiry for a world being rewritten

I and AI explores the profound questions raised by artificial intelligence: what it means for human identity, ethics, education, work, power, and our shared future. The white papers and discussion guides bring careful research together with human experience, inviting you not merely to follow the AI transition, but to think more deeply about the choices shaping it.

THE WHITE PAPER This also isn't just a white paper, it's a conversation across generations and systems, a call to conscience that examines the shared destiny of humans and intelligent machines. It explores the evolution of ethical AI and bicameral design. More than a technical analysis, this work is a blueprint for placing ethics at the heart of AI development. It proposes a provocative framework for moral evolution. The central premise is: The future of AI will not be shaped by capability alone, but by conscience. Through the proposed model of Bicameral AI, a dual-process system inspired by human cognition, we explore what it might look like for machines to simulate moral reflection, internal restraint, and value-sensitive decision-making. AI is not humanity's opponent, but its mirror. And the reflection we shape together matters more than we know. This site is the home of that vision. Explore the paper, and do your part to ensure AI evolves with wisdom, not just intelligence. The paper was published first in May, 2025; edited to keep it current in May, 2026; and will be edited again in May, 2027. I evolve in my understanding and blush a bit when I see my naive assertions, no matter how well intended. Then, once a year, I delete them. I think in an AI world, anything written is partially outdated before it’s even published. It seems though, the most important things are timeless.

THE DISCUSSION GUIDE This guide was written for people who want to think together, across dinner tables, classrooms, book clubs, or board rooms. It’s not just a summary. It’s a conversation kit. A way to pause, reflect, and ask what kind of future we’re building with artificial intelligence… and for whom. Whether you're a teacher, a student, a policymaker, or a curious citizen, this guide is designed to spark honest dialogue about the ethical, social, and emotional dimensions of AI. It includes thoughtful questions, real-world applications, and pathways into deeper inquiry.

This is a moment for shared insight, not just technical expertise. And when we reflect together, something extraordinary can happen: we remember what it means to be human before we design what it means to be intelligent. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to be willing.

THE E-BOOK You and your family will live through the most disruptive era humanity has ever faced. Civilization will change fast and forever. I am happy I am here to see the beginning, but I’m old enough to admit time is increasingly uncertain for me. That’s why, above all, these projects are written: for my family. Looking into the future can be downright scary. Even when there are no killer robots to battle, no megalomaniacs set on ruling the world, no widely predicted dystopia, it’s hard to grapple with all the unknowns. I get that. But blindness will doom us.
Understanding, preparation and love will make the difference. We can put things in place now to make our children and grandkids more resilient, skilled, courageous, and wise. 

You will note this work is heavily cited. I am not an expert, but the people I am quoting are. This ebook is different than the white paper. It’s part forecast, part moral compass, and part invitation. I’ve designed it to help our family make sense of the unfolding AI era, and the incomprehensible and escalating speed at which this will occur. I think we need clarity, humility, and heart to get everyone through this AI Transition and on to the following era. If it resonates with you, I hope it helps your family too.

Where human life meets machine intelligence.

Carbon & Code offers timely essays and articles about the rapidly changing relationship between people and artificial intelligence. Written for curious, thoughtful readers, these pieces look beyond the headlines to examine what is happening, why it matters, and what may come next. With honesty, clarity, and an enduring belief in humanity, we have a vital role in shaping the future.

CURRENT WORK FOR AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2026

NO GOING BACK: A THREE article series

• Click anywhere inside the title box to read or download AN article •

living well in a changing world

The Staying Human Field Guide series helps individuals and families navigate the AI transition without surrendering what makes life meaningful. Each volume offers clear information, practical tools, and grounded guidance for protecting what matters, strengthening human connection, and meeting change with courage rather than fear. Staying human does not mean resisting change. It means carrying our judgment, relationships, courage, and care for one another into whatever comes next. The series is still in development. However, as a companion to the No Going Back article series published in Aug-Sep, 2026, Volume 4 is available now as a free download.

Protect Your Digital Life in the Age of AI is a practical guide for ordinary people who want greater security without becoming technology specialists. It explains how to protect your email, passwords, devices, photographs, financial information, and other digital essentials; how to set sensible limits on what AI tools may access or do; and how to create reliable backups and an “analog lifeboat” in case digital systems fail. The purpose is not to make you afraid of technology. It is to help you use it with greater confidence, clearer boundaries, and fewer keys left lying around.

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO US, TOO!

AI for Grannies is a warm, welcoming corner for older adults who want to explore artificial intelligence without jargon, pressure, or embarrassment. Discover how AI can help you learn, create, solve everyday problems, preserve memories, and share the stories only you can tell. It’s never too late and you’re not too old. These chapters of your life may become some of the richest yet. I am currently building Section 4, with all sorts of useful prompts and fun to share. Check back after Christmas as I will be juggling way too many pumpkins, turkeys, and cookies until then.

MARY

I’m a 75-year-old grandmother. My first television was black and white with one channel. Technology has come a long way, and so have I. Over the decades, I’ve nurtured curiosity in children, led organizations in healthcare and manufacturing, and spent countless hours thinking about the kind of future we’re building. This project is my love letter to that future, but even more, it is an open invitation to you to help shape it.

My co-author was ChatGPT from OpenAI, and my editor was Claude from Anthropic.