Brian Holihan: Expanding Human Perspective in the Age of AI.
- Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM
- Jun 23
- 4 min read
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Meet Brian Holihan.
In this interview, I created Brian Holihan's fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions to which there were no wrong answers.
I had a magic wand and a time machine at my disposal, so expect some surprises, laughs, anecdotes and conversational detours.
Some people spend their lives specialising. Brian Holihan has spent his exploring.
A writer, cultural thinker, world traveller, humanities advocate, and highly regarded résumé strategist, Brian has devoted much of his life to understanding one deceptively simple question:
Why do different cultures see reality so differently?
For more than three decades, that question has taken him across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia, studying how different societies understand beauty, knowledge, identity, meaning, and human flourishing. What began as childhood curiosity evolved into a lifelong exploration of cultural diversity and its power to expand human thinking.
A defining moment came during a round-the-world journey through Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East. Rather than viewing each culture in isolation, Brian found himself seeing them reflected in one another. The result was a profound shift in perspective that inspired two books: Thinking in a New Light and Teaching the Mind to Dance, works that encourage readers to broaden their thinking through engagement with multiple cultural viewpoints.
Alongside his writing and cultural studies, Brian has built a successful résumé-writing and career strategy business. By helping thousands of professionals articulate their accomplishments, strengths, and aspirations, he has developed a rare ability to recognise human potential and communicate it clearly. His commitment to understanding people as individuals has earned him an exceptional reputation among clients and colleagues alike.
Today, Brian's work increasingly focuses on one of the defining questions of our time:
How do we ensure that humanity remains at the centre of artificial intelligence?
While recognising AI's extraordinary potential, he argues that machines inevitably reflect the cultural limitations of the data on which they are trained. His mission is to encourage greater involvement from historians, philosophers, artists, anthropologists, writers, and other humanities specialists in shaping the future of technology.
For Brian, cultural diversity is not merely something to celebrate.
It may be one of the most important resources humanity possesses.
Brian Holihan's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and a time machine to hand.
Brian's Fantasy Cultural Year begins in Cambodia.
The setting is Preah Ko, one of the earliest and most influential temples of the Khmer civilisation, standing quietly beneath the warm glow of a June evening. As the sun begins to set, a small pop-up café has appeared beside the ancient structure. On the table sits a steaming cup of ginger tea.
Beside it lies a copy of Erich Auerbach's Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, a book that helped shape Brian's understanding of how culture, language, history, and lived experience combine to influence creative expression.
In his headphones plays the music of the great Big Band era — Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Tommy Dorsey — reminding him that creativity often flourishes when different influences meet and interact.
As he admires the temple's intricate carvings, Brian receives a remarkable invitation.
A wealthy international foundation has been following his work on culture and AI.
Concerned that technological development is moving faster than our understanding of its human implications, they offer him a year-long mission. Travel the world. Meet the leading minds shaping artificial intelligence. Bring the humanities into the conversation.
The assignment comes with first-class travel if wanted, unlimited resources, a documentary crew, and complete freedom to pursue one question:
How can humanity retain its uniqueness in the age of AI?
The journey begins in Silicon Valley, where Brian meets AI researchers, entrepreneurs, and software engineers. Rather than focusing solely on technical capabilities, he challenges them to consider the wisdom embedded in thousands of cultures, languages, philosophies, and artistic traditions.
From California, he travels to Japan, where discussions explore the relationship between technology, spirituality, and social harmony.
In India, he examines ancient philosophical traditions that have grappled with questions of consciousness for millennia.
In the Middle East, he explores the relationship between knowledge, ethics, and faith.
Across Europe, he speaks with historians, philosophers, artists, and educators who argue that human understanding cannot be reduced to data alone.
Everywhere he goes, Brian discovers the same thing: Technology advances rapidly.
Human wisdom accumulates slowly. Both are needed.
As the year unfolds, the project evolves from a study of artificial intelligence into a celebration of cultural intelligence.
By the end of the journey, Brian has produced a bestselling book, delivered a TED Talk viewed by millions, and helped spark a global conversation about the role of the humanities in technological development.
Most importantly, he demonstrates that the future does not belong solely to machines.
It belongs to people capable of seeing the world through many different lenses.
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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Mark Walmsley FRSA AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
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A fascinating discussion about creativity, human perspective, and the evolving relationship between people and AI. Many creative ideas begin as handwritten sketches, notes, or reflections. Cursive handwriting recognition can help preserve these early thoughts and make them easier to organize digitally.