Using AI as Augmented Thinking

A simple, human way to think more clearly, with others.

A Place to Actively Practice, Not Just Passively Soak It In.

There’s a difference between understanding an idea and actually using it in your own thinking and work. This monthly Practice Circle is where that shift happens.

It’s a small, live Zoom gathering for people exploring how to use AI as a thinking partner not as a replacement for judgment, experience, or voice.

This is not a class or a presentation or a performance. It’s a place to practice together.

Already know you’re ready to register for the free Zoom practice circle?

Follow this link to reserve your seat:
[https://claude-whitmyer.systeme.io/c03935ce]

How This Fits Into the Larger Path

This circle is part of a simple, evolving pathway:

Articles — explore the ideas
Email Mini-Course — get the basic practices delivered to your inbox
Monthly Practice Circle — apply what you’re learning
Working Circles (Paid) — go deeper with structure and support

Everything builds gently with no pressure and no urgency. This is just a way to continue learning, if and when it feels right.

What We Actually Do

Each session is a lightly facilitated conversation.

People bring:

something they’re working on
a question they’ve been exploring
an example of using AI that surprised them
or simply curiosity about how others are approaching it

Together, we:

look at real examples
try out simple prompt practices
refine how we ask questions
notice what works and what doesn’t
learn from each other’s thinking

From time to time, I’ll introduce a practical exercise or a refined way of working, but the circle is not built around me teaching. It’s built around shared exploration.

The Spirit of the Work

At the heart of this is a simple idea:

AI does not think for you. It reflects how you think.

The clearer your attention, the better your questions.
The better your questions, the more useful the response.

Over time, this becomes less about tools and more about how you relate to your own thinking.

What to Expect

Frequency: Monthly
Length: 60 minutes
Format: Small-group conversation
Group Size: Usually 12–15 people
Facilitation: Light, steady, unobtrusive
Recording: AI summary shared with those who attend

Who This Is For

This circle tends to be most useful for people who:

have read at least one article or completed the email mini-course
are curious about using AI more thoughtfully
>prefer conversation over instruction
value reflection, clarity, and real-world application
enjoy learning with others

Join the Practice Circle List

I’ll send you an invitation when the next session is scheduled. You can decide then whether it’s the right time for you attend.

There’s no obligation. The circle is simply here as a place to continue the work—together.

A note from Claude (that's me, the human, not the AI)

I’ve spent decades working at the intersection of meaningful work, simple living, and mindful use of tools. I’ve been testing Claude.ai, Gemini, and CoPilot extensively and have worked with ChatGPT since it first became publicly available in 2022.

I don’t believe these new systems are either saviors or villains.

I do believe they require discernment and that today’s elders, with their lived experience, have a great deal to contribute to shaping how they’re used.

This free, live practice circle on Zoom is one small way of continuing that conversation together.

—Claude

Possible Follow-Up Opportunities

I respect your time, your attention, and your inbox. You won’t hear from me constantly, and I won’t pester you with constant sales messages.

Down the road, I may offer a small, multi-session Zoom course as a natural follow-on to the email mini-course and free Zoom practice circle—something for those who’d like to explore Augmented Thinking more deeply, together. If I do, there would be a modest fee to cover platform costs and the time it takes to host and facilitate.

And as always: no urgency, no pressure. Just an open invitation—if and when it feels like fun to come play.

Testimonials

Over the years, my work has intersected with educators, organizers, technologists, and community builders. A few reflections from colleagues:

Claude is a deep-water community builder and networker. He was in on the ground floor of the PC revolution in the ’80s and has learned his way up with it, inventing and evolving many useful solutions.

He has tirelessly supported right livelihood approaches to business and other sensible strategies for the new century.

David Sibbet, Founder, The Grove
Developer of “group graphics.” Author of Visual Meetings, Visual Teams, & Visual Consulting

[Claude is a] creative thinker and revolutionary educator, combining technological sophistication with highly developed people skills. A pleasure to work with, reliable, thorough, and innovative.

Lisa Faithorn, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist
NASA Astrobiology Institute

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge about the value of online communication with this year’s Fellowship class. With your inspiration, these Fellows will no doubt continue to strengthen the online community they have begun to build.

The Fellowship Staff
Health Forum Fellowship,
American Hospital Association

Put your name on the reminder list:

Add your name to the reminder list here:

[https://claude-whitmyer.systeme.io/2b507823]

(You’ll receive the Zoom link by email before each session.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be “technical” or already using AI to participate?

No. This work assumes no technical background.

Augmented Thinking is not about learning tools or platforms. It’s about learning how to think clearly in a world where such tools exist. You may come in curious, uncertain, or even skeptical—and that’s entirely appropriate.

For your own play, you will need access to a free or paid account on an AI such as ChatGPT, Claude.ai, or Gemini, that focuses on words (often referred to as an LLM or “large language model.”) The baseline for any demos I share will be the free versions of ChatGPT or Claude.ai, depending upon circumstances.

Is this pro-AI or anti-AI?

Neither.

Augmented Thinking starts from a different place: discernment.

Rather than arguing for or against AI, we explore how these tools actually affect thinking, creativity, and judgment—and how to stay in right relationship with them. You’re encouraged to form your own conclusions.

Is this mainly for writers?

Writers often find this work helpful, but it’s not limited to writing.

Augmented Thinking is relevant to anyone who:

works with ideas
makes decisions
teaches, creates, or advises
or cares about clarity and integrity in their work

That includes educators, consultants, artists, nonprofit leaders, small business owners, and thoughtful retirees.

Will this help me become more productive or efficient?

Possibly—but that’s not the goal.

The focus here is on clarity, authorship, and judgment, not speed or output. Some people find that working this way naturally improves effectiveness. Others find it helps them slow down in healthier ways.

Either outcome is fine.

Is this about replacing human creativity or voice?

No. In fact, it’s largely about preventing that from happening.

A central concern of Augmented Thinking is how easily voice and authorship can be diluted or lost when tools are used unreflectively. Much of the work is about staying grounded in your thinking, language, and values.

Do I have to move through all the steps—articles, email course, live sessions?

No. Each part of this work is designed to stand on its own. You may engage only through the writing. Or you may enjoy the email course or attending a single live session.

Going deeper is always optional.

Are the live Zoom sessions sales presentations?

No. The live session is a complete experience, not a pitch. It’s a conversation, with examples and reflection, designed to help you understand the core ideas in a human, accessible way.

If there’s an opportunity to continue afterward, it’s offered gently and without pressure.

Is the longer program always paid?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Occasionally, my small-group sessions are offered as beta experiments. Other times, they’re offered as a paid series. That decision is based on what makes sense for the work and for me—not on marketing urgency.

You’ll always know the terms clearly before deciding.

The email course focused on Augmented Thinking was piloted in early 2026 and is always available and free. The monthly practice circle on Zoom that follows closely after that is also free. The multi-session “deep dive” Zoom sessions after that will charge a fee yet to be determined. If you participate in the email course and the first free Zoom session, you’ll get a chance to help me figure out the appropriate fee for those final Zoom sessions.

How is this different from other AI courses?

Most AI courses focus on:

tools
prompts
productivity
competitive advantage

Augmented Thinking focuses on:

judgment
voice
responsibility
and meaningful work

It’s less about what an AI tool can do and more about who you are while using that tool.

What if I decide this isn’t for me?

That’s a valid outcome.

This work is about choice and clarity, not persuasion. If reading the essays or participating in a session helps you decide not to engage further, then it has still done its job.

This program is reflective, practical, and non-technical. The lessons and sessions are meant to help you orient yourself, not convince you of anything.

Is this connected to mindfulness or right livelihood?

Yes—explicitly.

Augmented Thinking grows directly out of my long-standing work with mindfulness, right livelihood, and simple living. The same values apply here: attention, responsibility, sufficiency, and care for the human consequences of our choices.

What does “GPT” stand for?

Hopefully, you’ll laugh and not run from the room screaming!

GPT is a very science fictiony label. It is an acronym derived from the phrase “Generative Pre-trained Transformer.”

What does that mean? Well the actual intention is something like: “a type of artificial intelligence model that generates human-like text by learning patterns from vast amounts of data, enabling it to understand prompts and create coherent responses in a conversational format.”

So, we have a scifi label that, on the one hand, could be taken as the savior of civilization or, on the other hand, as an alien come to destroy all life on earth.

No wonder so many people experience fear and uncertainty around AI!

Personally, I’m biased toward names like “Claude.ai” as I am one (a ‘Claude,’ that is).

One final reassurance

You don’t need to keep up.
You don’t need to decide quickly.
You don’t need to agree with everything here.

You’re welcome to engage as lightly—or as deeply—as feels right.