I think I finally found what it means to be AI-proof AND it has nothing to do with coding or prompts.
A few days ago I fell into a YouTube rabbit hole with one of my favorites — BeardMeatsFood — the competitive eater who somehow makes devouring a mountain of pancakes feel cinematic.
As I watched, I thought:
“Does what BMF is doing give us a clue to what is AI-proof?”
An AI can generate fake people, fake voices, even fake meals — but could it make you care?
I don’t think so and here’s why…
Empathy Can’t Be Faked
When Adam (the Beard) eats ten pounds of food, your body feels it.
You’ve overeaten before — you know that slow, uncomfortable breathing, that “why did I do this?” regret.
That’s embodied empathy — your brain and body reacting because you’ve lived a version of it.
AI can simulate the scene, but it can’t feel the pain, the fatigue, the risk.
Without risk, there’s no tension.
Without tension, there’s no drama.
And without drama, there’s no story worth watching.
It’s Not About Food — It’s About Stakes
Every great piece of content has stakes — something that could go wrong.
Will he finish?
Will he puke?
Will he have to pay and miss out on the free t-shirt?
That’s what keeps you hooked.
AI can generate infinite “perfect” videos. But perfect is boring.
People watch BeardMeatsFood because he’s humanly imperfect — and we feel that.
Mo Gawdat’s 4 Skills
Then I remember something from a Mo Gawdat video I watched recently.
He says there are four skills that matter most in the age of AI:
Learn AI
Mo says: “AI is not there to help you write an email better, it is there to help you find the fricken truth about everything.”
Human Connection
Mo says: “In a world where machines are becoming the central provider of intelligence (all of labor), then human connection is the the super power.”
Learn to Find the Truth
Mo Says: “Use AI to inform you of the basic truth, rather than manipulate you to believe what you’ve been told.”
Teach the AI Ethics
Mo Says: “Our future hangs not in the hands of those who use AI for thier own benefit against the rest of us, it hangs in the hands of AI itself, believe it or not, when it’s fully empowered to have our best interest in mind.”
BeardMeatsFood nails #2 and #3 — human connection and truth-finding.
#2 - Viewers connect with BMF not for the food, but for his real struggle and emotion—something AI can’t fake because it doesn’t feel.
#3 - BMF’s authenticity makes his content believable because viewers see a real person doing something genuinely difficult, not a performance.
But the million-dollar question is: How do these skills pay the bills?
The Million-Dollar Question (How They Pay)
Naturally, or should I say artificially, I ask ChatGPT.
Here’s how each one can actually make money:
Skill | How You Get Paid |
|---|---|
Learn AI | Teach it, build tools, sell templates, or guide others through the chaos. Be the translator, not the technician. |
Human Connection | Build a brand people feel — content, coaching, events, or community. Trust is the product. |
Find the Truth | Become the filter. Curate, research, test, and tell people what actually works. |
Teach AI Ethics | Advise, consult, or speak about keeping AI human-centered and honest. |
When you combine two or more, you stop being replaceable and start being essential.
💡There are even more insights on how Beard meets these skills and learn about the hidden 5th skill (hint: taste), you can read all about it and go see how I used ChatGPT to connect the dots here: ChatGPT: BeardMeatsFood and AI Proof Skills
The Big Takeaway
You don’t have to outsmart AI.
You have to out-human it.
Empathy, risk, humor, pain, presence — those are things AI can’t feel.
AI can copy your face.
It can’t copy your felt experience.
So, we need to team up
You + AI = 💪
Learn how to team up with AI
I’m putting together a workshop with a top AI expert and he’s gonna show you how to kick some ass using ChatGPT. So keep an eye on your inbox for the announcement coming soon. Its gonna be pretty bad ass.
AI Prompt of the Week
Let’s put this into practice and see what you have to offer.
Open ChatGPT and enter this prompt:
Using Mo Gawdat’s 4 skills, ask me 10 questions about my background, map my answers to the four skills with 1–5 scores, pull out 3–5 AI-resistant edges based on empathy, embodiment, and stakes, then give me 5 monetization ideas, pick the best one as a one-page offer with price and a 90-day plan, and finish with 5 content ideas and 3 CTAs.”
Example Monetization Patterns to Suggest (the model can mix and match)
Learn AI → Translator: 90-minute setup consults, prompt packs, role-specific AI “copilots,” cohort workshops.
Human Connection → Community/Media: paid newsletter, membership, meetups, creator collabs, sponsored segments.
Find the Truth → Curator/Guide: tool testing service, weekly “what actually works” report, buyer’s guides.
Teach AI Ethics → Advisor: policy playbooks, audits, leadership briefings, talks.Music Of The Week
Rick Springfield – “Human Touch.”
For some reason this song popped into my head while writing this.
Now I don’t love the song — there are WAY better Rick Springfield tracks — but it is kinda crazy how the first few lines are more relevant today than they were 40+ years ago.
Everybody's talking to computers
They're all dancing to a drum machine
Rick Springfield the futurist, who woulda thunk?!
Go check it out but beware, it’s a tad cheesy.
That’ll do it.
And remember, keep an eye on your inbox for the AI workshop.
Want more on this? I put together a full guide on surviving the AI boom here: Gen X AI Guide.
Have a good one,
Corey
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