Marcus Aurelius on AI: Ancient Wisdom for the Age of Algorithms
Two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations, a private journal never meant for fame. Yet its wisdom has shaped generations of leaders, thinkers, and builders.
Today, in a crossover no one thought possible, the Stoic Emperor joins us across time on AI with Bry to explore what his philosophy reveals about learning, leverage, and leadership in the age of artificial intelligence.
It turns out the tools have changed.
Human nature hasn’t.
1. Learn: “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
When I asked Marcus how his famous line from Meditations applies to AI, he didn’t hesitate.
“Knowledge flows as freely as air, yet people often drown in it rather than breathe it.”
In ancient Rome, learning required discipline: scrolls, teachers, reflection. Today, knowledge is instant. Infinite. Overwhelming. Marcus’s reminder is simple but profound:
"Learning in the age of AI isn’t about consuming more data. It’s about choosing what deserves your attention."
AI can surface information.
AI can summarize.
AI can assist.
But it cannot reflect. It cannot choose your values. It cannot shape your character. Those responsibilities remain fully human.
“Let your learning serve your humanity, not replace it.”
This is the antidote to information overload:
Intentionality > volume.
2. Leverage: “Use technology not to amplify greed, but to amplify virtue.”
In Rome, leverage meant armies, tools, and statecraft. In our world, the tools are different, but the stakes are the same.
“A sword is only as noble as the hand that wields it.”
Marcus warns that AI, like all powerful tools, reflects the intentions of its user. Corporations and leaders often focus on efficiency, automation, and scale, but forget conscience, clarity, and fairness.
His guidance is strikingly relevant:
AI should serve justice, not manipulation.
AI should clarify truth, not distort it.
AI should elevate people, not diminish them.
“When power is multiplied by intelligence, it must also be bound by conscience.”
The message is timeless:
It’s not the tool that determines fate. It’s the character of the person using it.
3. Lead: “The greatest empire to rule is one’s own mind.”
Leadership has changed since Rome, but Marcus argues that its essence has not.
“Leadership is service, not status.”
Modern leaders often feel pressure to control outcomes, command teams, and outpace competitors. But Marcus offers a different pathone grounded in humility, clarity, and courage. Here are his four principles for leading in the age of AI:
1. Rule yourself first: Your decisions, reactions, and mindset shape your entire company.
2. Surround yourself with challengers, not flatterers: Feedback is oxygen for good leadership.
3. Use data to illuminate, not dominate: AI can provide insights, but only wisdom determines what’s right.
4. Lead from truth, not fear: Innovation requires psychological safety, trust, and experimentation.
“If each of you led yourselves with integrity, you would lead your teams and your technologies with honor.”
It’s a leadership framework as useful for founders and CTOs as it was for emperors.
A Final Message for the Modern Age
Before leaving our conversation, I asked Marcus for one last piece of advice, for anyone trying to learn, leverage, and lead better in this fast-changing world.
His answer was quiet but powerful:
“Do not chase immortality through machines. Chase meaning through mastery of your own mind. The age may be new, but the human heart is eternal.”
This is the center of Stoicism. It is also the center of leadership in the AI era. Technology accelerates everything. Wisdom determines direction.
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🎧 Marcus Aurelius on AI & Modern Leadership
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Episode's Transcript
Please understand that a transcription service provided the transcript below. It undoubtedly contains errors that invariably take place in voice transcriptions.
[00:00.000] Sarah Cornett:
Up to 80 to 90% of AI projects fail to deliver. So there's really a huge gap still.
[00:23.342] Bryan Dennstedt:
It feels like it's almost going back to the basics—like, get out the crayons and color, and learn how to draw again. There are all these new opportunities now in this AI world that we're in.
[00:23.342] Bryan Dennstedt:
Hey everybody, welcome back to AI with Bry, the show where we dive deep into how to learn, leverage, and lead with AI. I'm your host, Bryan Dennstedt — technologist, strategist, and someone deeply curious about how AI is reshaping our lives and work.
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah Cornett to the show. Sarah, welcome.
[00:39.512] Sarah Cornett:
Thank you, Bryan — so excited to be here.
[00:41.271] Bryan Dennstedt:
Sarah is the founder and CEO of Global AI Advisors, helping organizations turn AI strategy into real business value. She brings a unique blend of quantitative finance, enterprise strategy, and deep knowledge in governance and AI adoption.
We’ve gotten to talk a few times about how to make AI practical, impactful, and people-centered. I'm really looking forward to today’s conversation because you're bringing both technical depth and business perspective — which is something so many leaders are trying to balance right now.
[01:09.112] Sarah Cornett:
Absolutely. Yes. We are definitely living in a new AI era. There are so many ways we can talk about the future of AI and what this means for organizations.
[01:23.580] Bryan Dennstedt:
Let’s dive into the Learn segment. What’s something you’ve learned recently that really stood out?
[01:29.442] Sarah Cornett:
From working with organizations on AI transformation, what really stands out is that we still have a long way to go. I recently learned that 80–90% of AI projects fail to deliver expected value. That was an alarming statistic.
[02:39.138] Sarah Cornett (continued):
Some of it is technical — like data availability or infrastructure. But one of the biggest reasons for failure is leadership.
Leaders are still learning how to adopt AI, how to align it with strategy, and how to guide teams through change. There’s a major gap in education and leadership around AI.
[03:29.512] Bryan Dennstedt:
It’s so true. It feels like we have to go back to the basics — like, touch it, play with it, break it, and see what it can do. You touched on the data gap, but also on workflow. There are so many ways you can apply AI across roles. How do you help leaders learn and experiment?
[04:57.280] Sarah Cornett:
Great question. First, I always advise starting with an AI strategy. What are your goals? Where is your industry going? What value could AI bring to your customers?
Then you prioritize use cases — not just by business value, but also feasibility. You don’t want to start with something that could take 10 years to implement. Find the high-impact, low-hanging fruit — that’s where you build momentum.
[07:10.868] Bryan Dennstedt:
What’s a tool you’ve recently used that everyone should check out?
[07:15.412] Sarah Cornett:
I use ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity almost daily. But lately, I’ve been playing with Perplexity’s Comet feature — it’s like their version of web browsing, and it’s really powerful. Highly recommend trying it.
[08:02.300] Bryan Dennstedt:
You’ve already started touching on this — but let’s unpack leverage. I believe AI is going to be like electricity — every business will use it. Where do companies start?
[09:12.428] Sarah Cornett:
It always starts with your strategy — that becomes your guide. Then, once you’ve identified the right use cases, you need to layer in education and change management.
People need to understand their roles with AI. How does leadership change? How do teams evolve?
I've worked with analytics teams, marketing teams — and the most powerful training is always customized to the tools, tasks, and challenges that specific team is facing.
[11:28.098] Bryan Dennstedt:
I love that. And I think as AI becomes more embedded in orgs, planning becomes more important. We’re used to agile, but maybe more detailed planning enables better AI results. Are you seeing that?
[12:55.320] Sarah Cornett:
Totally. It starts with leadership — understanding team structure, AI vs. human responsibility, and defining the workflows.
I've spoken at conferences on the future of work, and we see three big buckets:
AI replaces roles — like memo writers in the pre-Internet era.
AI augments roles — freeing humans to focus on high-value work.
New roles emerge — AI strategists, ethicists, prompt engineers.
[16:13.228] Bryan Dennstedt:
Yes! And I say this almost every episode: we’re entering a new Renaissance era — creativity will explode. But we need structure — especially governance. Without it, people are spending money on ChatGPT with no oversight.
[17:22.301] Bryan Dennstedt:
Let's close with leadership. How are you helping teams grow in this space?
[17:32.412] Sarah Cornett:
I’m doing a lot around AI leadership development — especially educating leaders on governance, investment, and human-centered adoption.
Governance is huge. And human-centered leadership is critical. We can’t just replace people — we need to lift them upand help them adapt. That’s the kind of leadership this moment calls for.
[20:46.122] Bryan Dennstedt:
Yes — and we need explainability too. People have to understand how the AI came to its decision. That’s leadership’s responsibility.
[21:14.372] Sarah Cornett:
Exactly. I’ve worked with banks and healthcare orgs to stand up governance programs. Some industries — like healthcare — start with governance first, due to regulation.
If you’re new to AI, start with your data governance. Then, establish a governance board, educate them, and build a workflow for approval before AI is pushed to production.
[23:04.992] Sarah Cornett (continued):
Make sure you’re aware of regulations like EU AI Act or state-specific US policies. Your governance program should align your legal, compliance, and tech teams. That’s how you lead with responsibility.
[24:31.112] Bryan Dennstedt:
Love that. And it all ripples out — governance → data → security → workflows → business outcomes. That’s what leadership with AI looks like.
[25:00.821] Bryan Dennstedt:
Tell us how people can connect with you and Global AI Advisors.
[25:10.100] Sarah Cornett:
You can reach me on LinkedIn. At Global AI Advisors, we help with strategy, governance, implementation, and leadership development. We also offer executive education and speak at conferences and internal events.
[26:10.112] Bryan Dennstedt:
Awesome. Please reach out to Sarah or me if you need help with your AI journey. Sarah, thank you so much for joining us — this was a powerful episode.
[26:33.528] Bryan Dennstedt:
This episode of AI with Bry was hosted and produced by me, Bryan Dennstedt. Special thanks to Nancy Velazquez and Kelly Lopez. Video by Leo Moralina. Sound: AI-generated.
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