GLP-1, AI, and the new rules of progress: redefining effort for the future

A weight loss drug and artificial intelligence. Think there's no connection? Think again.

Just over 6 months ago, 30% of Americans made New Year's resolutions to mark a fresh start. For the 79% of resolution-makers whose goals centered on health, diet, or exercise, that journey might involve pharmaceutical assistance, such as a GLP-1 medication, something many label as “cheating”.

At Talk Shoppe, we've been deep in research on Artificial Intelligence (AI). It has been the hottest topic at every business conference since ChatGPT was released in late 2023, drawing reactions that swing from excitement about working smarter to anxiety over job security. It is hailed by some as the ultimate efficiency and productivity tool, while condemned by others as a lazy shortcut. In other words, "cheating".

Both GLP-1 agonist medications, like Ozempic, and AI have faced resistance rooted not just in healthy skepticism, but in moral judgment. Witness it for long enough and you start getting a sense that it may be fear of progress, dressed up as a moral crusade against "cheating".

After hours of focus groups, listening to people speculate on the implications of AI on human behavior and society itself, the narratives sounded eerily familiar, like debates over New Year's health goals or heated arguments in the comments section of a celebrity who is looking strikingly thin as of late.

“It’s cheating.”

“It’ll make people lazy.”

“It’ll ruin society.”

In one focus group, a respondent lamented: “Students won’t hold information in their brains anymore!”

It made me wonder: But why do we want to hold on to all the information we come across?

Sure, it’s valuable to commit certain facts to memory, but in the era of smartphones, how many of us even remember the phone numbers of our top five contacts? We’re surrounded by more information than ever, so what if outsourcing some of that mental clutter gives us more capacity to hone our passions, deepen our skills, and lead fuller lives?

There’s pride in reciting Shakespeare, just like there’s pride in walking past a donut in the breakroom, haunted by its sweaty gaze every time you refill your water bottle. That ongoing battle against "food noise" (framed as discipline or self-control) might make you feel superior to those who give in. But is it really a battle worth fighting? Is it the best use of your mental real estate to spend the day locked in an inner tug-of-war? Is it worth exhausting your emotional strength over something so small?

Maybe what we’re really doing is glorifying struggles we didn’t choose.

Walking to the library, chatting with a librarian, and locating a book by its call number (IYKYK) makes you feel accomplished. But when someone tells you that the journey is no longer necessary, it can feel invalidating. Almost unfair.

Yet neither AI nor Ozempic is without effort. They just demand a different kind of work. With AI, it’s about asking better questions, crafting smarter prompts, and rigorously fact-checking results. With Ozempic, it’s about minding your hydration, balancing protein intake, and managing new health risks.

There’s no such thing as an easy road, only better collaboration between body and science, technology, and humans.

AI can spin up insights in seconds that would’ve taken days, sometimes weeks, of human research. It’s about working smarter and unlocking new possibilities.

“We as human beings are difficult at new general-purpose technologies and so the transition is gonna have pain. There's gonna be challenges and reordering and disruption because of it.” - Reid Hoffman on the Diary of a CEO Podcast

Humans have always had a funny relationship with anything that makes life easier. 

The printing press. 

The Industrial Revolution. 

The Internet. 

Each innovation was feared by society, each shifted society, and each birthed the next. 

As Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with saying, “The only constant in life is change.”

The truth is, these innovations aren’t inherently bad or good. They are amplifiers. They expand human capacity when used thoughtfully and can cause harm when used irresponsibly. The key lies not in rejecting the tools, but in how we wield them.

Used well, they free up time and energy for what truly matters to the individual; whether building, creating, or connecting. Used poorly, they can enable laziness, over-reliance, and atrophy of skill. And atrophy of muscle (hello 'Ozempic face').

Embracing these advancements isn't about cheating; it's about adjusting to change and choosing where we want to invest our finite human energy.

In the end, the parallels between GLP-1 and AI remind us of one thing: progress doesn't mean eliminating the work. It means changing the nature of the work.

It means leaning into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math to elevate not just individuals, but humanity, on both a macro and micro scale. When we collaborate wisely with science and technology, we don’t lose our humanity. We expand it.