“It is not the things themselves that disturb people but their judgements about those things.”
Epictetus, Enchiridion, 5
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we work, think, and even create. Every week seems to bring a new breakthrough, and with it, new waves of excitement and fear. Some see AI as liberation, others as a threat. Stoicism invites us to pause between these extremes, to see clearly before we react.
Stoic philosophy teaches that it’s not events themselves that trouble us, but how we interpret them. The same applies to AI. Whether it feels like an opportunity or a danger depends on how we choose to respond.
Understanding AI Through a Stoic Lens
In The Via Stoica Podcast episode AI and Stoicism: Meeting Rapid Change with Reason, Not Fear, Benny explores how Stoicism can help us meet technological change without losing our inner balance.
“AI isn’t really a good or a bad thing. It’s a tool, something that we can use to our benefit, or abuse if we let it control us.”
Benny Voncken, Via Stoica Podcast, AI and Stoicism: Meeting Rapid Change with Reason, Not Fear (05:22)
For the Stoics, tools and technologies are externals, indifferent things. They can be used well or poorly, but they are not inherently good or bad. What matters is how we use them in accordance with reason and virtue.
Opportunity or Threat: A Matter of Judgment
The rise of AI has stirred anxiety about jobs, misinformation, and human relevance. Yet these fears echo past transitions, the printing press, the calculator, the internet. Each new innovation first unsettled, then transformed human potential.
“AI is an external. It’s up to us whether we use it in the right or wrong way.”
Benny Voncken, Via Stoica Podcast, AI and Stoicism: Meeting Rapid Change with Reason, Not Fear (10:14)
Epictetus would remind us to separate what is within our control from what is not. We can’t stop AI’s progress, but we can control how we engage with it, how we learn, adapt, and stay grounded in reason.
Applying the Three Stoic Disciplines to AI
Stoic practice gives us a framework for handling change wisely:
- Discipline of Desire – Don’t cling to or resist what lies beyond your control. AI will evolve regardless of our opinions; what we can control is our relationship to it.
- Discipline of Assent – Examine impressions before believing them. Not every AI-generated claim or image is true. Keep your critical mind sharp.
- Discipline of Action – Choose how to use this tool ethically. Whether you embrace or avoid AI, let that decision reflect reason and virtue.
“We still have our agency, to make the right choices and to see how to incorporate this new technology into our lives.”
Benny Voncken, Via Stoica Podcast, AI and Stoicism: Meeting Rapid Change with Reason, Not Fear (03:32)
Practices for Meeting Change with Calm
- Negative visualization (premeditatio malorum): Imagine losing your job to automation. How would you respond? Preparing in thought makes you calmer in reality.
- View from above: See AI not as an isolated event but as part of humanity’s long journey of progress and adaptation.
- Daily reflection: Ask yourself, “Where did I use technology mindfully today? Where did I follow it blindly?”
By practicing awareness, we keep AI in its rightful place, as an aid to wisdom, not a substitute for it.
A Stoic Perspective on the Future
AI isn’t the enemy. It’s another test of our wisdom, reason, and courage. Stoicism reminds us that progress doesn’t threaten our humanity unless we surrender our reason. Technology will keep evolving—but our ability to choose remains the same.
Accept these changes. Use them with virtue. Face the risks with courage.
And remember: AI can never take away your reason, unless you give it up yourself.
Watch the full episode here:
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Author Bio
Benny Voncken is the co-founder of Via Stoica, where he helps people apply Stoic philosophy to modern life. He is a Stoic coach, writer, and podcast host of The Via Stoica Podcast. With almost a decade of teaching experience and daily Stoic practice, Benny creates resources, workshops, and reflections that make ancient wisdom practical today.
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