We are all collectively experiencing an aha! moment—that flash of discovery, insight or understanding—with the recent developments in AI, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Of course, an “aha” moment is a bit longer in the tooth than AI. According to the O.E.D, “aha” as we know it goes back at least to the 1390s, when English author Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in the fable “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”: “They crieden, out! A ha the fox! and after him thay ran”

Today, it’s AI rather than a fox that has us exclaiming, but the aha feeling is there—and maybe even more powerful. It’s not just a passing moment of discovery, but possibly a peek into something more enduring: how this technology can augment our abilities in a lasting way.

With AI, our AHA moment stands for something bigger: it’s an Augmentation of Human Ability. These AI tool advancements make us more productive, creative, and efficient. They show us more deeply and swiftly who we are and can be.

What do you think about this AHA (Augmentation of Human Ability) term as capturing what AI can do for humans and humanity? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.