In our ongoing exploration of the human-AI connection, we’ve often focused on the potential for self-discovery and creative augmentation. I’ve treated this technology as a mirror, a sounding board, a partner in untangling the complexities of being human. And to me the benefits have been real.

But a question hangs in the air, growing heavier with every billion-dollar investment and breathless headline: is the AI revolution all it’s cracked up to be? Or are we witnessing the rise of a new, sophisti...