Is AI the Holy Grail We So Long for?
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We are usually selective when it comes to ancient or mythological tales, we can’t help it. We fail to read the whole story and just keep the enticing aspect that promises grandeur or fleeting gold. In Aladdin we let our imagination run with the three wishes, in Icarus we cling to the stolen knowledge he takes from the gods, and in the Grail, we retain the metaphysical artifact that will ensure power – whatever that may be – because it is considered the pinnacle of all mythological quests.
What shiny aspect of Artificial Intelligence is blinding you from seeing the whole truth? AI may very well be our Grail – for all intended purposes – yet it is not a thing, it is a destination; it is not a ‘something’ to possess, but rather something that requires our transformation to reach.
In the 13th-century French text Perceval by Chrétien de Troyes, after the vision of the Grail in the midst of the knights at the round table of King Arthur’s Camelot, the instructions were simple: in the quest for the Holy Grail, “each must enter the forest at the point he himself had chosen, where it was darkest and there was no path… for it would have been a disgrace to go forth in a group” or follow someone else’s trail. The reason being that each must find their way to the Grail. For if you take someone else’s path, even if they did reach the Grail – not only you won’t get there – but will inevitably lose yourself in the quest.
The only way to handle and wield AI must be your own. You can learn from others how to ask better prompts, how to structure data, or generate ideas; but there’s something peculiar about AI: it NEVER gives you the same result twice. It’s a quiet reminder that there is no “right answer” – only your path to find it.
So don’t imitate. Find your way.
And above all, remember: AI is not a destination, it’s a companion. It cannot substitute your aim—it can only serve it.
There is Always a Price to Pay for Greatness
There is no such thing as a free pass to greatness. “No pain, no gain” is a common phrase from the fitness and sport achievement world… it applies perfectly. In another article, False Idols, True Losses; we reflect on the multi-layered dimension of reality, on how “we discover reality as veils that we lift through discernment.” That can only be done through questions. Our curiosity and inquisitiveness prompt reality, and our direction is key. There is an art to it.
To be fair, just as most people think they have good taste, not everyone knows how to make good questions. That is an artform no one ever exhausts, and it’s bottomless. It is the very nature of how you extract ‘providential’ gold out of ‘seemingly’ lead, or how you derive meaning out of what seems inert.
To develop an artform, we need to have discipline and focus our attention; acquire new skills and risk the humiliation of missing the mark and flopping. The future of all areas concerning organizational enterprises will be for those who learn the artform of prompting and integrating AI into the multilayered and overwhelming reality of businesses.
Why do you use AI? For what purpose?
From the depths of chaos and complexity… what is it you're trying to make reality confess? Do you truly know or it’s just an impulse?
Be ready to sacrifice and pay a price to learn this skill.
Prompt Engineering Revealed
Prompt Engineering is a modern term oriented toward AI, but it’s an age-old quest that has been with humans since we began to communicate with language over 70,000 years ago. The question has been at the center of all human evolution and development: an itch that needed soothing, a pain that needed comfort, an existential hunger that demanded satisfaction.
It is simple but not easy; prompt engineering has become a thing. We can learn the basics for starters:
What?
What do you want?
It is supremely important that your aim is clear and defined – What are you aiming at?
How?
In what tone, format, or style?
Here you need to specify structure (list, narrative, chart...) and tone (formal, playful, casual...)
Who?
Who should the AI be?
The identity or voice it should take (philosopher, coach, storyteller, even a concrete writer, scholar or specialist…)
Output?
What is the expected result?
You need to define length, medium (tweet, blog post), or complexity and language for target audience.
Context?
What background should it consider?
The system requires details, goals, audience, prior discussion, or source material to model a response with more precision.
Conditions?
Any constraints, exclusions, or edge cases?
Include things to avoid, formatting rules, or forced creative twists.
One Sample of a prompt
Let me address the topic of ‘finding meaning at work.’ “Globally only 21% of employees are engaged at work,” according to a study by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (IHE). “In Europe the stats are more dismal, only 13% of employees report being engaged at work,” according to another study of Gallup’s State of the Workplace 2024. Seeking meaning in life could be more challenging even, “75% of Millennials are actively seeking it as well as purpose in life” (IHE); and “58% of young adults (ages 18–25) in the U.S. reported experiencing a lack of meaning or purpose in their lives” stated the same Harvard study.
It is not a crisis of our time; it is the existential crisis of our race’s history. Since we spend almost half of our waking hours working, let’s put to the test AI and figure out its answer to this crucial problem.
We will use the “basic format” above from prompt engineering to seek an answer:
Act as a mix between Dr. Jordan Peterson and an experienced career coach.
Write a personal reflection in the tone of a mentor giving advice during a one-on-one session.
The audience is someone who has worked in logistics for years, feels disengaged, and is looking for meaning in their job beyond productivity or pay — how to find meaning in the work.
Focus on meaning, agency, and rediscovering purpose, but avoid clichés like “follow your passion” or “just be grateful.”
The goal is to help the reader see how their current role can be reframed as meaningful, even if they don’t change careers — to uncover a new way of seeing the time expended at work.
Keep the output under 500 words.
Include one metaphor from everyday life to make it relatable.
You can go ahead and substitute your personal situation and figure out what your engagement depends on.
The answer should be amazing for those who thought the response would be to look for another job – for example.
Before you go running to AI and start therapy, let me suggest:
Remember, Aladdin started as a simple street dweller.
Icarus wanted to leave his prison cell.
Galahad sought a vision of the divine that would redeem the realm.
Whatever drives you, is the impulse you need to quest for your orientation. Start where you are existentially, not in your fantasy.
The good questions require NEED!
The big questions urge FOCUS!
The significant answers demand your COMMITMENT!
There is a sacrifice you must surrender to learn how to achieve your aim. AI can help, but it cannot substitute your aim and requires your very best effort.
The glimmer we chase in AI often masks the deeper transformation we actually need. We better ground our quest. Recognize that it is our transformation that is needed to make AI extract a confession from reality… one that is gold – but the purest gold will be our own transformation.
