The Waterline Analogy and Its Future

What happens when AI becomes as good at thinking as humans and what skills remain uniquely ours?

On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Mike Bechtel, Chief Futurist at Deloitte.

Mike began his career at Accenture Labs, where his team helped Fortune 500 clients put emerging technologies to profitable use. Twelve years and twelve U.S. patents later, he was named the firm’s first Global Innovation Director, tasked with creating the strategy, processes, and culture to foster company-wide intrapreneurship. At Deloitte, Mike and his team focus on making sense of what’s new and next in technology, with the goal of helping today’s leaders arrive at their preferred futures ahead of schedule. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches corporate innovation. In 2013, Mike co-founded and served as Managing Director of Ringleader Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups that had—intentionally or not—built simple solutions to complex corporate challenges.

Mike sits down with Geoff to talk about the future of AI and what it means for our work, creativity, and humanity. He shares an optimistic vision of a world where automation elevates human potential, allowing people to focus on creativity, innovation, and connection. This conversation challenges how we think about AI, AI art, the future of work, and the role of human skills. Mike draws on his experience advising leaders and students to show how we can prepare for a future where AI isn’t just a tool but a partner in thinking. He shares insights on the ethical challenges of outsourcing thought, why intent matters in how organizations use AI, and why AI is less about replacing jobs and more about automating the “muck” so humans can focus on the magic. Mike also challenges us to consider: what happens to writing, philosophy, and ethics when machines can master technical tasks faster than ever?

In this episode:

00:00 Intro

01:00 Why AI isn’t new (but why this moment matters)

04:10 Automation as a Trojan Horse for elevation

05:30 Best practices get automated, next practices get built

09:50 Expertise vs. curiosity: Why human skills win

15:00 From fear to opportunity

17:00 What clients really want in the AI era

19:20 Automating muck to unlock magic

22:00 The revenge of the humanities & synthetic thinking

23:00 Writing = thinking: Why we can’t outsource human thought

36:15 Why people still matter

42:00 Beyond AI: Blockchain, trust & cryptographic futures

47:30 Deepfakes, truth, and the math we can trust

1:05:50 The future of IT

1:08:00 AI Reshaping corporate teams & skills

1:14:40 Guidance for the next generation

1:19:30 Staying ahead of AI

1:21:45 Key takeaways

Connect with Mike:

Website: https://mikebech.tel/bio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebechtel/

X: https://x.com/mikebechtel

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