By Dr. Victoria Ranade

When I was a kid, I spent hours building forts out of pillows, carefully arranging each cushion until it felt like my own little world. I traced shapes on the walls with my fingers, letting my imagination carry me to places no one else could see. I survived dysentery on the Oregon Trail, guiding my pixelated pioneers through hardships I didn’t yet understand. In the evenings, we played red light, green light with the neighborhood kids, laughter filling the sunshine and street, spilling across the pavement like it belonged to everyone.

Even the quietest moments felt alive—watching dust float in a beam of sunlight, tiny specks moving as if with a secret presence of their own. The clerks rang up our orders, and we wandered the aisles, unhurried, as if we had all the time in the world. These small, ordinary rituals made life feel connected, human.

Now, it’s different. Children swipe through screens instead of building with their hands, and we check out at machines that don’t ask how our day is going. Packages appear at our doors with startling speed, delivered by strangers whose names we’ll never know. Technology is changing our ways of life faster than we can adjust to it. It often feels as though the rhythm of innovation is outpacing the rhythm of our humanity, leaving many of us feeling isolated and disconnected.

But here’s the thing: change doesn’t mean loss. It means adaptation.

AI as a Bridge to Wellness and Connection

The same curiosity that once inspired me to trace patterns on a wall or imagine worlds inside a pillow fort now finds new expression. Artificial intelligence (AI) is here, and while it may seem like another force pulling us apart, it also holds the potential to bridge gaps in our lives.

As a clinical psychologist, my hope is that AI transforms mental health care, reducing the burden of anxiety, depression, and everyday overwhelm. By offering support in moments of need, AI can create more space in our lives for wellness and connection.

Of course, there are gaps in what AI can provide. As Carl Rogers, a pioneer in humanistic psychology, reminded us, true healing often comes from authentic relationships—the power of being truly seen and heard. While AI cannot replicate the depth of human empathy, it can act as a bridge, offering support in the in-between spaces and freeing up mental and emotional energy for the deeper connections that make us feel alive.

Here are three simple ways to use AI to enrich your life and wellness while staying true to what makes you curious, creative, and connected as a human:

1. Use AI as a Mental Health Companion

AI-powered tools can help you practice mindfulness, track your moods, and provide gentle, evidence-based support when you need it most. These tools offer affirming responses like, “It’s okay to feel this way,” which can validate your emotions and remind you that help is always within reach.

2. Reignite Curiosity and Creativity

AI can make learning fun again. Ask it for a new recipe, a creative writing prompt, or an explanation of a concept you’ve always been curious about. Think of it as a playful teacher that turns everyday boredom into opportunities for discovery.

3. Lighten Your Mental Load

On days when you’re too tired to string together coherent thoughts for an email or task, AI can help. Simply input a few phrases, and it will craft a polished response, reducing the overwhelm of daily responsibilities. This kind of support creates space for rest, focus, and self-compassion.

Adapting Without Losing Ourselves

By embracing AI with intention, we can let it enhance our lives without losing the essence of what makes us human. It’s not about replacing connection—it’s about deepening it. AI can bridge the gap between isolation and connection, freeing us to spend more time on what truly matters: our relationships, creativity, and well-being.

As humans, our greatest strength is our ability to adapt. In a world of constant change, let’s hold onto the things that matter most—including our sense of connection, our curiosity, and the simple joy of being alive. And in doing so, we grow and evolve into our fullest expression.