Four Ways I’m Using AI to Support Discernment in a Fast-Moving World
I’ve been experimenting with something practical.
As current events accelerate and narratives compete for attention, I’ve been less focused on forming opinions — and more focused on how I arrive at understanding in the first place.
That distinction has changed how I’m working with AI.
I don’t use it to tell me what’s true. I use it to help me stay oriented while meaning is still forming.
Here are four ways it’s supporting that process.
First, it helps me distinguish events from explanations.
I ask it to separate what has been reported from how it’s being interpreted. That simple distinction creates space — not to disengage, but to let understanding develop without being rushed.
Second, it allows me to hold multiple perspectives at the same time.
Instead of needing one story to win, I can see different frames side by side. That makes it easier to notice which ones resonate immediately, which ones irritate me, and which ones invite curiosity.
Third, it helps me acknowledge what isn’t visible yet.
Rather than filling in gaps with assumptions, I can name what typically takes time to surface in unfolding situations — and let those unknowns remain intact.
Fourth, it gives me room to notice my internal state before drawing conclusions.
When information is held steadily — without urgency or emotional charge — I can sense where compassion opens me, where skepticism tightens me, and where certainty feels prematurely comforting.
This process doesn’t lead to quick answers. It leads to self-trust. Not because I know more — but because I know how I’m engaging with what I know, and where I’m still in process. In a world where decisions are often made mid-stream, that feels like an essential capacity.
My hope is not that this changes what you think about current events. It’s that it supports how you stay with them — especially when things are still unfolding.
If it’s useful, here’s a prompt I’ve been experimenting with:
AI Discernment Prompt
I’m trying to understand a current event without rushing to a conclusion.
Please help me by doing the following:
• Clearly separate what is verifiably reported from what is interpretation or narrative.
• Lay out the main ways this event is being framed, without arguing for one as correct.
• Name what is typically unknown or slow to emerge at this stage of similar events.
• Point out where assumptions are commonly made — so I can notice my own.
• Keep uncertainty intact where information is incomplete.
My goal is not certainty, but clearer orientation.
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