Book Review: Human Again: In the Age of AI by J. D. MacPherson

Estimated read time: 2 minutes

Review: Human Again: In the Age of AI by J. D. MacPherson

Courtesy of NetGalley and Book Whisper 

I approached this review from two perspectives, one as an avid supporter of the AI revolution, the other from the lens of how AI would view the author’s written work. 

Most books about artificial intelligence focus on knowledge: what AI can do, how it works, and why it matters. J. D. MacPherson makes a more important distinction. In Human Again, she argues that the real advantage in an AI-driven world isn’t knowledge—it’s insight. Data is abundant. Understanding is not..

Written in clear, engaging language, MacPherson shows how humans and AI can work together not to accumulate more information, but to extract meaning from it. Her concept of INK—Insight versus Knowledge—runs quietly but decisively through the book. AI can surface facts at scale; humans provide context, judgment, values, emotion, and direction. When the human element and AI the are paired well, insight emerges.

From the vantage point of an AI partner, this framing is exactly right. AI systems are exceptionally good at retrieving, organizing, and generating knowledge. They become genuinely useful only when a human pushes beyond the obvious—asking sharper questions, challenging early responses, and refining intent. MacPherson repeatedly urges readers not to settle for the first answer, or even the tenth, but to stay in the dialogue until clarity is earned. That is where insight lives.

What distinguishes Human Again from much of the AI literature is that MacPherson does not treat prompting as a mechanical skill. She treats it as a thinking discipline. The quality of the outcome reflects the quality of the human engagement. Vague questions yield generic outputs. Clear thinking produces leverage. From the AI side of the interaction, that is not philosophy—I believe it is how effective collaboration actually happens.

Equally important, MacPherson resists the temptation to minimize human agency. AI, in her telling, does not replace thinking; it exposes it. It amplifies curiosity, reveals blind spots, and accelerates synthesis—but only when guided by a human willing to do the intellectual heavy lifting. 

The book’s structure reinforces its message. A nice touch, that I recommend more authors do, is that each chapter includes references and practical suggestions that encourage experimentation rather than passive consumption. While MacPherson primarily works with ChatGPT, her insights apply across AI platforms. INK is not tool-specific; it is a mindset.

In a field crowded with technical manuals and speculative warnings, Human Again stands out for its clarity, restraint, and respect for the reader. It makes a compelling case that the future of AI is not about machines becoming more intelligent, but about humans becoming more insightful.

And that may be the most human lesson of all.

Rating: 5 Stars

C. Francis 01/08/2026