How Each Enneagram Type Might Use AI—For Avoidance Or Growth
Photo Credit: Caleb Jones / Unsplash
A Reflection from a Type 8
As a person with an Enneagram type 8 view of the world, I’ve been thinking about what AI might help me with and what mischief it might enable me to get up to.
Type 8 folks value the capacity we have to do it all and be it all. To never share our vulnerabilities, to never be weak and to charge into action. We love fighting the good fight, especially on behalf of those we love. And anything short of all of this we’d consider weak and vulnerable. So I might use AI to help me get more done. To pack more into each day. Or, I might use it to ask for help or guide me through things I might not understand so I don’t have to feel weak in front of others.
And how might I use the Enneagram to help me grow?
When each Enneagram type moves into its release line—the path a type takes when it’s at its best—they can adopt the healthy traits of another type. This can provide balance and help “release” us from some of the more challenging parts of our core type.
Below is a reflection on how each type may use AI to help us avoid our core fears and ways in which we might use AI to help us grow into our release lines.
Note: when we use the shorthand “type x” in our writing, know that we know each of us contains multitudes. I mostly resonate with the worldview, motivations, core fears and gifts of “Type 8” on the Enneagram and many of these avoidances below are also in my wheelhouse!
Enneagram Types and AI
Type 1
Type 1 may be avoiding: Making mistakes, inefficiency and/or ambiguity. They may use AI to double-check accuracy, ensure consistency, or make things “right,” avoiding the discomfort of human error.
And when type 1 folks move into their type 7 release line, they can use AI to help them become more spontaneous and optimistic. For example, exploring creative AI tools like art generation or music composition for fun or using AI for brainstorming wild ideas or travel planning to explore possibilities.
Type 2
Type 2 may be avoiding: Feeling unneeded, rejected, or disconnected from others. They might use AI to optimize tasks for others or to avoid asking for help themselves.
And when type 2 folks move into their type 4 release line, they can become more self-aware, emotionally honest and expressive about their needs. For example, using AI journaling tools to explore their inner world and feelings or using AI for mental health advocacy or emotional wellness platforms.
Type 3
Type 3 may be avoiding: Failure, appearing incompetent, or being slow. AI can be very handy in staying efficient and high-performing. Folks with a 3 orientation may use it to keep up appearances or results, avoiding letting others know the work was a struggle.
And when type 3 folks move into their type 6 release line, they can become more cooperative and community-focused. For example, using AI to foster team collaboration or building or supporting ethical AI projects that emphasize transparency and trust—perhaps even participating in open-source AI communities to share the work.
Type 4
Type 4 may be avoiding: Being ordinary, emotionally exposed or inauthentic. They may simultaneously resist AI’s generic outputs, feeling they are inauthentic, and want to use it to create uniquely expressive work without having to expose their deeper feelings.
And when type 4 folks move into their type 1 release line, AI can help them become more disciplined and grounded. For example, using AI to help edit, outline, or organize, giving structure to their creative work or teaching AI to uphold aesthetic integrity and artistic ethics.
Type 5
Type 5 may be avoiding: Being depleted, invaded or seen as ignorant. They may use AI to gather knowledge, maintain autonomy, and manage the gathering and/or sharing of information on their terms, allowing them to avoid emotional or interpersonal overwhelm.
And when type 5 folks move into their type 8 release line, they can become more assertive and action-oriented. For example, moving from theorizing to building tools that empower others. Perhaps something like applying AI research to solve real-world problems like climate change and other social justice issues.
Type 6
Type 6 may be avoiding: Uncertainty, blame or being unprepared. They may use AI to double-check, simulate outcomes, and create backup plans with vigilance, avoiding the fear of making a wrong decision or not being supported by others.
And when type 6 folks move into their type 9 release line, they can become calmer and more self-trusting. For example, using AI to create more peaceful environments, like wellness apps, or designing AI to reduce societal anxiety in high stress arenas like news or education.
Type 7
Type 7 may be avoiding: Pain, limitation or boredom. They might use AI to explore ideas quickly, generate novelty, or escape tedious tasks, avoiding discomfort or emotional heaviness by keeping things fun and fast-moving.
And when type 7 folks move into their type 5 release line, they can become more focused and deep-thinking. For example, exploring advanced AI technologies with sustained attention or creating long-term AI projects like educational platforms or scientific simulations, using AI for in-depth research rather than just novelty.
Type 8
Type 8 may be avoiding: Vulnerability, dependence or being controlled. AI can be a tool for efficiency, strategy, or control, allowing them to stay powerful and independent without having to show need or rely on others.
And when type 8 folks move into their type 2 release line, they can become more caring, open-hearted and nurturing. For example, building AI to protect or empower the vulnerable or mentoring others using AI tools that promote personal growth (including their own!), or even asking AI to help them find language to articulate their softer feelings.
Type 9
Type 9 may be avoiding: Conflict, tension or inner discomfort. They may use AI to avoid difficult decisions or bypass conflict-heavy communication, keeping peace externally while possibly tuning out their own priorities.
And when type 9 folks move into their type 3 release line, they can become more driven, confident and more in touch with their own opinions. For example, using AI to launch personal brands or productivity systems or harnessing AI to act on long-held dreams and ideas.
What do you think?
Do these resonate with you? What are we missing?
Are you ready to lead with the uniquely human qualities that make a difference?
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