How do we partner with AI?
We’ve been circling around AI on Work is Weird Now for a while — how to use it, how to feel about it, and how to not completely lose ourselves to it.
In this episode, we sat down with Jaroslav Dokoupil, Managing Director of RQ Genesis and Chief Learning Officer at OpenExO, who helps organisations navigate disruption with purpose and resilience. His work is increasingly focused on AI, and how we can approach it with the same care we’d bring to any important relationship.
Here’s what we learned.
AI Is a Genie, an Explorer’s Map, and… an Alien?
Jaroslav uses three metaphors to make sense of AI:
The Genie: AI shortens the gap between idea and reality — but be careful what you wish for. The real challenge is knowing what matters to you before you ask.
Uncharted Territory: There are no fixed “rules” for AI. The tech evolves weekly. We are all explorers, mapping it as we go.
An Alien Intelligence: Treat AI like another intelligent entity we’re learning to communicate with — not just software. Keep curiosity and healthy boundaries in play.
Partnering with AI Means Setting Your Own Anchor
Simply “using AI” is not enough, Jaroslav says. We need to be intentional — starting with our own values, purpose, and vision.
Without that anchor, it’s easy to get swept away by AI’s infinite possibilities.
Think of it as onboarding a new colleague: you teach them context, figure out their strengths, and decide how you’ll work together.
Automation vs. Augmentation
Jaroslav draws a powerful distinction:
Automation is using AI to speed up tasks — like streamlining payments, building workflows, or having an AI agent search job boards for you.
Augmentation is using AI to do something you could never do alone — visualising thousands of data points, creating a whole library of learning content, or even co-designing a business strategy.
The second is where the magic really happens.
The AI Compass: Your Navigation Tool
One of Jaroslav’s most helpful contributions is the AI Compass — a simple, six-part framework to orient yourself when facing a blank AI prompt.
Place your task in the centre and ask:
What do I need to learn?
How do I need to grow?
What could I create?
What should I build or design?
What can I discover?
How might I collaborate — with humans or machines — to make this better?
The Compass turns “I don’t know what to ask” into dozens of new entry points.
Think First, Then Ask AI
Jaroslav shares research suggesting that people who do their own thinking first, then use AI to expand, stress-test, and implement ideas, get the biggest cognitive benefit.
Those who outsource thinking to AI right away lose depth, memory, and originality.
“Do the hard thinking yourself. Then let AI supercharge it.” — Jaroslav
How to Stay Human
The conversation turns philosophical — how do we protect our humanity while partnering with AI?
Jaroslav’s advice:
Keep a sandbox around AI use — not every thought needs to go into the machine.
Maintain agency and emotional distance — AI is a powerful partner, but it shouldn’t run the show.
Double down on messy, human things: creativity, conversation, intuition, humour — the very things that make life interesting.
The Takeaway
Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a sceptic, Jaroslav’s challenge is simple:
Spend 15 minutes a day talking to AI. Build your own relationship with it.
Not because you have to love it — but because it will be hard to thrive without at least understanding it.
Design your own approach, set your own boundaries, and let AI be an extraordinary partner — not your replacement.
📥 Download Jaroslav’s AI Compass for free: jaroslavdokoupil.com/AICompass
🎧 Listen to the full conversation: Work is Weird Now wherever you get your podcasts.
