They’re Buying Our Breath: Proof of Life in the Age of AI with Bill Kirst

Something is happening in our lives, and we can all feel it. Voices can be cloned. Stories can be automated. Images can be generated. And most of us are moving through it without fully stopping to ask what that does to our humanity..

In this first part of a two-part conversation, Amy sits down with returning guest Bill Kirst to explore what it means to live in a world where we are beginning to question what is real. Bill reads from his Substack piece, The Buying of Our Breath, and the conversation goes straight to the human cost.

What happens when you discover the voice that moved you didn’t belong to a human body? When narration exists without presence? When we start editing out the very things that prove we are alive — the pause, the breath, the crack in the voice, our human “imperfections”?

The things we once tried to erase may be our last undeniable proof of life.

Take a listen. Hear the plea. Then decide for yourself — how far will we let the buying of our breath go?

Threads We Pulled On:

1. Rest Versus Restlessness – Explore why productivity tools promise freedom yet leave us feeling more unsettled and emotionally depleted.
2. The Commodification of Voice – Understand what it means when Olympic narration, news reporting, and podcasting can be replicated without the human present.
3. Proof of Life in Imperfection – See how coughs, pauses, filler words, and breath may become the rarest markers of authenticity.
4. The Grief of Artificial Reality – Recognize the subtle but profound emotional toll of discovering something you believed was real was AI-generated.
5. Discernment as a Leadership Skill – Consider why the future may demand deeper emotional intelligence and conscious filtering rather than faster consumption.
6. Rebellion Against the Autofill – Exercising discernment and agency in a culture engineered for automation.

You can listen to Bill’s episode - AI & The Poetry of Our Existence with Bill Kirst here - https://create-magic-at-work-r.captivate.fm/episode/ai-the-poetry-of-our-existence-with-bill-kirst/

About the Guest:

Bill Kirst is an author, technology leader, podcast host, military veteran, mentor, educator and mindfulness practitioner. He has been writing stories, poems and lyrics for as long as he can remember. He hails from a long line of storytellers and educators who are deeply inspired, moved and healed by the power of the written word. Mixing in melody, chords and a chorus generate a powerful response toward healing. This is why he sees the world through a songwriter's eyes, and why his first published work was a collection of poetry. And his second book is focuses on how we hold on to our humanity in this era of AI.

In addition to writing, he hosts The Coffee & Change Podcast which went into its tenth season this year. Bill helps people thrive and break through common obstacles that seem to be holding them back so they can reach their true potential. His career as a change leader has been rewarding, impactful and inspirational, reminding him of the importance of this work, all while understanding the human condition.

Follow Bill on Substack - https://open.substack.com/pub/everward/p/the-buying-of-our-breath?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

linkedin.com/in/billkirst

instagram.com/coffee.and.change

instagram.com/journeyeverward

About Amy:

Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in