Dear AI, Before we go further....

Not every invitation is gentle. Some are a dare. You know that feeling when it’s time to throw out the old playbook and walk right into the unknown?

Last week, I stood naked on a stage in Niagara Falls—no slides, no script, nothing to hide behind. I finally surrendered to the possibility that the only way forward is to show up as you really are. What happened next changed me, and it’s changing how I see the future we’re building together.

I learned that sometimes the deepest truths come not from prep, but from surrender. For fifteen years, public speaking scared the shit out of me. I hid behind scripts, slides, props. Then, finally, on that stage, I let go. I allowed the goddess of inspiration to take over, and something different happened—something human, vulnerable, real. Without crutches, I connected in ways I’ve been chasing for a decade.

Now, as we stare down the relentless acceleration of artificial intelligence, I see the parallels clearly. AI right now feels like public speaking once did—uncomfortably exposed, dizzyingly fast, and overwhelming. Everyone’s gripping tightly to frameworks, guardrails, safety checks, and marketing hype. It’s all scripts and slides, predictable and safe.

Let’s face it: Web Summit Vancouver and events like it are often AstroTurf—polished, neat, synthetic. They mimic the appearance of grassroots movements but lack real roots. Real AI ecosystems—the mycelium we’re cultivating here in BC—aren’t manicured. They’re messy, complex, alive. They’re built in hackatons, coworking spaces, and meetups. They honour Indigenous sovereignty, environmental stewardship, creative expression, and human dignity. They’re nourished by genuine community, not VC funding rounds.

I’ve seen it firsthand. At Vancouver community meetups, lightning talks become prototypes overnight. PR folks, journalists, salespeople, and creative professionals are stepping into AI through TheUpgrade.ai cohorts—not because they’re chasing trends, but because they understand these tools are part of a profound cultural shift. More than hustle culture… this is humans learning to jam with machines, building a future that actually reflects our values.

Bass Coast 2025 is my next intervention. On the ‘Brain Stage’, I’m hosting a ritual conversation titled “Dear AI, We Need To Talk About Your Soul.” No decks, no pitches, just a collective reckoning. It’s a soul-check séance for technology, asking not just what AI can do, but who it will serve, what it might cost, and how we ensure it remembers our humanity.

We’ve also launched the BC + AI Ecosystem industry association—Canada’s first grassroots AI industry body.

Our survey results and ecosystem mapping are showing clearly: People crave leadership that prioritizes ethics over extraction, community over commercialization, and soulful integration over mindless adoption.

If you're growing something weird, beautiful, hard-to-explain—reach out. Let’s surface the signals beneath the noise.

This moment isn’t just about the technology we’re building. It’s about the people we’re becoming. It’s about reclaiming our voices, our communities, our souls, in an age of profound technological possibility and profound human risk.

That’s the real upgrade. Let’s build it together.

Kris Krüg

PS— Between gigs and gatherings, I've been building something new. WhisperForge —it transforms your voice recordings into living content ecosystems through AI that feels more like aurora than algorithm. Still weird, still brewing, still learning to breathe. I'll share more when it's ready.