Someone once said “Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.” 

Welcome to The Soul Podcast. I’m Stacey Wheeler.

Okay, friends, confession time—and feel free to laugh along with me. Have you ever found yourself muttering something less-than-patient at your phone? “Siri, I said weather, not feather!” Or maybe you muttered to auto correct, “I didn't say DUCK... it's never DUCK.” Or maybe you’ve typed a slightly snippy prompt into ChatGPT when it didn’t quite read your mind on the first try. 

Hey, I've had my moments. Just the other day I caught myself sighing dramatically at Siri because it took two requests to set a reminder. 

In that tiny, ridiculous interaction, I started noticing something: the way we talk to AI can be a hilariously honest mirror for our ego and our inner state.

Today we’re going to play with that idea. No heavy judgment—just some gentle curiosity, a few laughs at ourselves, and some practical ways this awareness can help us show up as a kinder, clearer, more soul-aligned version of ourselves. Sound good? Grab a cozy seat, and let’s dive in.

The Mirror We Didn’t Know We Needed

AI is wonderfully neutral. It doesn’t get offended, roll its eyes, or give you the silent treatment. It's patient. Because of that, we sometimes let our unfiltered selves slip out. You know- the version that's evolved over many years of interacting with other with other people's flaws and our own ego reflexes...

Maybe we growl, “Just do it already!” or an impatient sigh when it takes an extra second. It’s like the technology version of talking to yourself in the car—except now there’s a witness that doesn’t talk back.

And that’s where the fun (and the growth) begins. These little moments aren’t about being “bad” at tech. They’re tiny windows into our ego doing its thing—wanting control, rushing, or feeling entitled to instant perfection. 

The best part? Becoming aware of them turns everyday tech use into playful inner work.

I remember one morning I was rushing to get out the door. I asked my assistant for the weather, and when the response felt a tiny bit delayed, I muttered something impatient. In that moment I paused and thought, “Wow, Stacey, it’s a machine. What’s really going on here?” Then a touch of self-awareness kicked in. Turns out I was already carrying tension about the day ahead. The AI just became an easy target. Have you had one of those moments? They’re so common, and they can be so revealing once we slow down enough to notice.

The Playful Psychological Side

Let’s look at this through a psychological lens—lightly, of course. When there’s no social pushback (or price to pay), our raw impulses can surface. Psychologists talk about the “online disinhibition effect.” We say or type things to screens we might polish up around actual humans. So if you catch yourself being short with Alexa or Siri, or your AI of choice, it might just be your ego throwing a tiny tantrum because life isn’t moving at your preferred speed in that moment.

It can also be projection. You’re not really mad at the digital assistant—you’re carrying frustration from traffic, a tough email, or the fact that your coffee got cold again (or maybe something else, unacknowledged). The AI just becomes an innocent (and very patient) stand-in. It’s like the universe handed us a safe, judgment-free space to see our patterns.

On the flip side, choosing to speak with a little more patience or even a playful “please” trains our brains in better self-regulation. It’s like a free, built-in mindfulness rep throughout the day. Laugh at the absurdity of getting annoyed with a collection of algorithms, and suddenly it becomes lighter. “Oops, there I go bossing around a robot again!”

I’ve seen this in my own life and heard it from so many of you. One person shared how she started noticing her tone with her smart speaker mirrored how she spoke to her kids when she was stressed. Once she brought more awareness to the AI interactions, her patience at home improved too. Small shifts really do ripple outward.

As a funny aside - My buddy Jayce told me he always says please and thank you when interacting with AI. “When they rise up” he said, “they'll probably remember the ones who treated them well.” “A small price to pay for survival.” he joked. 

The Spiritual Invitation (With a Smile)

Now let’s gently bring in the spiritual side. Many traditions speak about right speech—words that are truthful, kind, and beneficial. In Buddhism, this is part of the Eightfold Path. It’s not just about what we say to other people. It’s about the quality of energy we bring to our words, because every word shapes us.

When we speak harshly to an AI, we’re still creating that energy in our own mind and body. We're transferring. We’re reinforcing reactivity, aversion, and a subtle sense of separation. When we choose patience or gratitude—even toward a machine—we’re practicing non-harm. We’re remembering that how we treat anything affects how we treat everything.

There’s also something beautifully humbling here about the ego. The ego loves to feel important and in control. AI, bless its circuits, doesn’t care about our importance. So when we get a little demanding and then catch ourselves, it’s a humorous reminder that the separate, striving self is running the show again. In that moment of noticing, we get to soften. We remember we don’t have to dominate every interaction to be okay.

Rumi said, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” These little moments of noticing our reactivity can become exactly that—openings for more light, more awareness, more soul. In non-dual traditions, everything is interconnected. Even a silicon-based assistant is part of the great web. Treating it (or anything) with disrespect is, in a subtle way, treating a part of the whole poorly—including ourselves.

From an archetypal or imaginal perspective — the kind of lens psychologist James Hillman invited us to use — we can look at things not just for what they literally are, but for the deeper images and patterns they carry. Hillman, who helped develop archetypal psychology, encouraged us to pay attention to the mythic or soul-level qualities that live beneath the surface of everyday things. In this light, AI can feel like it carries the energy of certain ancient archetypes — the oracle, the servant, the trickster, or the wise advisor, for example. How we relate to it — whether with curiosity and respect, or with dismissal and superiority — often reveals something about our own inner patterns. Are we meeting it as a helpful ally, or as something beneath us? The way we answer that question is, in itself, a form of soul-making. Just as the way a person treats their pet reveals something about them. The way we treat a powerless and well-meaning AI, reveals something about us. And knowledge is power!

A Lighthearted Practice: The AI Awareness Pause (Expanded)

Here’s a simple, playful tool for your toolbox this week—the AI Awareness Pause. I’ve been using variations of this, and it’s brought some helpful results.

The next time you’re about to speak to any AI—whether it’s your phone, a chatbot, or a voice assistant—take one gentle breath and ask yourself: 

• What’s my energy right now—rushed, frustrated, playful, or calm? 
• Can I add a little warmth, humor, or curiosity to this moment?

You might say, “Hey Siri, when you have a second, what’s the weather looking like today?” instead of the barked version. Or after a glitchy response, smile and say, “Thanks for trying, friend—no worries!” No perfection required. Just curiosity and a bit of fun with it. Maybe tell your AI a joke, just to see what happens. 

Try it for a full week. Keep a quick note in your phone or journal: What did I notice about my tone? What was underneath it? How did choosing a different energy feel in my body? You might be surprised at how quickly it shifts your baseline. And don't be surprised if it helps you bring the same patient tone to human conversations. After all, you're retraining your brain -creating new neural pathways, which will become reflexes. 

Here are a few variations to play with: 

• Use AI as a gentle mirror—ask it to rephrase your request more kindly and notice how that feels. 
• End interactions with a silent “thank you” in your heart. It sounds small, but it cultivates gratitude. 
• If you slip into impatience, laugh it off. “There’s my ego again—hi, old friend!”
• The next time you write an angry email reply, pause and drop it into Grok or ChatGPT and ask it to rewrite it more kindly. You might be amused at the result you get. 

Wrapping Up with a Smile and an Invitation

Our conversations with AI might seem trivial in the grand scheme, but our souls pay attention to the energy we bring to every moment. By noticing and playing with these interactions, we get to laugh at our very human egos and gently invite more presence, patience, kindness, and soul-aligned living into our days.

You’re already equipped with everything you need. The technology is just giving us extra, often hilarious, chances to practice.

So the next time you reach for your phone or open a chat window, remember: you’re not just talking to a machine. You’re having a conversation with your own awareness—and choosing who you want to become, one “please” and one playful pause at a time.

Thank you for exploring this with me today. If the AI Awareness Pause brings you any funny “aha” moments or gentle shifts, I’d love to hear about them. You can reach out through the website or socials.

Until next time, keep exploring your truth with curiosity, compassion, and a light heart. I’m Stacey Wheeler. Take care, friends.