By State Representative Floyd Griffin (D-Milledgeville)
(711 words)
On May 24, 2026, I celebrated my 82nd birthday.
That milestone caused me to reflect not only on my own journey but also on the extraordinary technological journey our nation and the world have taken during my lifetime.
When I was a young man, solving an engineering or mathematical problem required a slide rule, a sharpened pencil, patience and practice. We watched black-and-white television, used rotary telephones, typed letters on manual typewriters and depended upon newspapers and evening broadcasts for much of our news.
Today, a device that fits in the palm of our hand has more computing power than the computers that helped send astronauts to the moon. Artificial intelligence can answer questions, assist physicians in diagnosing disease, help farmers improve crop production, support teachers in the classroom, strengthen businesses and help governments deliver services more effectively.
During my lifetime, I have watched humanity move from the age of the slide rule to the age of artificial intelligence.
The technology has changed dramatically but the need for leadership has not.
Throughout my career as a United States Army Colonel, educator, businessman, mayor, state senator and, now, as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, I have learned that every generation is confronted with new challenges. The tools change but the principles do not.
Artificial intelligence is one of the most powerful technologies ever created. It has the potential to improve healthcare, expand educational opportunities, strengthen agriculture, accelerate scientific discovery, improve government services and create new economic opportunities that we can scarcely imagine today.
I have experienced that potential personally. During my recent knee replacement surgery, advanced technology, including artificial intelligence-assisted systems, helped my medical team perform the procedure with remarkable precision. As a patient, I benefited from those advances.
But I also learned something equally important. Technology did not replace my surgeon. It did not replace the nurses who cared for me. It did not replace the therapists who guided my recovery.
The technology was important. The people were indispensable.
That experience reinforced a lesson I have learned throughout my life: technology should enhance human capability not replace human judgment.
Artificial intelligence should help us become better teachers, better doctors, better farmers, better business leaders and better public servants.
But it should never replace integrity. It should never replace compassion. It should never replace wisdom. Those qualities remain uniquely human.
As artificial intelligence becomes part of our everyday lives, the question is no longer whether it will change our communities. It already is.
The question is whether we will prepare ourselves and the next generation to use it wisely.
That preparation begins with education, continues with ethical leadership, and it depends upon our willingness to ensure that technology always serves people rather than people serving technology.
Throughout my public service, I have often shared two simple beliefs: Leaders should solve problems, not create them. If you want to be on the landing, you must be on the takeoff.
Those principles apply just as much to artificial intelligence as they do to government, business, education or military service.
Every generation inherits new technology. Every generation also inherits the responsibility to use it wisely. As someone who has lived through eight decades of extraordinary change, I have great confidence in the next generation. They will inherit technologies that my generation could scarcely imagine.
Our responsibility is not simply to hand them more powerful tools. Our responsibility is to pass on the values, character, integrity, faith and commitment to service that will enable them to use those tools wisely.
If we do that, they will not simply inherit better technology. They will inherit a better future, but the future is not determined by technology alone. It is determined by the character of the people. who choose how that technology will be used.
The age of artificial intelligence has already begun. Now it is our responsibility to provide the leadership that will ensure we land in a future worthy of generations yet to come.
The future belongs not simply to those who invent new technologies. The future belongs to those who lead with wisdom, integrity, faith and a commitment to serving others.
That is the leadership our generation must demonstrate, and that is the legacy we must leave for the generations that follow.
Representative Floyd Griffin represents the citizens of District 149, which includes portions of Baldwin, Bibb and Jones counties. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2024 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Special Rules and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
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The views expressed above and information shared are those of the author.