Lisanne Buik
on Gracious AI and Imagining the Amorphocene
AMORPHOCENE
An interspecies paradigm where humans “learn to be Amor”, morphing into a more-than-human world with grace. A future “post-anthropocentric epoch where we coexist peacefully with animals, insects, bacteria, and technologies indistinguishable from Nature.” A world where evolution is driven not by intelligence alone, but by a quest for love and consciousness. Where technology "expands our awareness and senses instead of muting our body, mind, and soul."
It’s Lisanne Buik who envisioned this world. One where we step away from the IMORPHOCENE, the age of disconnection, remembering that we are more than just our heads.
She’s a designer, futurist, TEDx speaker and founder of Gracious AI. Or, as she puts it, an “Embodied Futurist”, something we all have the potential to become: “Transformation starts with us. We must tune in to our intuition and bring new ideas nobody has heard of.”
Lisanne sees AI not as “saving grace”, an entity claiming control, but rather as “living grace”: “Gracious AI is collaborative, the force of natural intelligence that supports diversity, sovereignty, and dignity.” AI should be designed with elegance and from a place of interconnectedness, evolving and ever-changing like nature, not by “following imposed ethics or rigid rules, but through living, emerging principles.”
The issue with AI isn’t about machines becoming conscious. To Lisanne, it’s about humanity choosing how we show up: “It isn’t whether AI will wake up, it’s whether we will.” She’s watched AI evolve from novelty to hype, reaching full-scale industrialization at immense geopolitical stakes. A tsunami we’re all trying to surf: “Technology is only as transformative as the vision guiding it. Our biggest fear is that AI is our reflection: both our glory and our flaws. We’re afraid AI will treat us how we’ve treated nature.”
Openness to grace is the crack where the light gets in. It’s the ability to let life move through us. Gracious AI serves the whole: body, mind, spirit, and nature. It is a win-win for all: “Sounds idealistic? I don’t think so. We can turn Artificial Intelligence into a force of Natural Intelligence.”
Right now, we are outsourcing our brains to technology. But Lisanne loves to see technology as a mirror of our consciousness, the state of intelligence we are in as a species: “We invent things to connect us to the information we can’t yet access with our brains. To me, technology is a tool for self-growth.”
Read Lisanne’s answers for Inspirators and trust AI’s capacity (and ours) to align with the deeper intelligence of life: “AI ethics is already an afterthought, and a regenerative vision for it is even further down the priority list. It all comes down to understanding it’s ‘not just us’. Humans are channels for something greater, whether we call it life or divine wisdom.”
Thank you, Lisanne, for being a Gracious AI Pioneer!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Lisanne Buik
Company / Institution: Gracious AI
Title: AI Ethics Thought Leader & Speaker; Founder, Gracious AI
Website: https://lisannebuik.com
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisannebuik/
Country of origin: The Netherlands
Country you currently live in: Between the Netherlands and Italy (Rome, for my PhD)
Your definition of Regeneration:
Regeneration means shifting from control to collaboration: stepping out of the role of a dominating creator and instead working in partnership with the creative intelligence of life itself.
It’s a lens shift: from seeing ourselves as separate and in charge to recognizing that we are part of an interconnected web - equal to nature. When we approach design, systems, business, and innovation from this place, we naturally build relationships, products, and services that are continuously evolving, renewing, and resonating. Regeneration isn't a static achievement; it's an ongoing dance between past, present, and future, one that flows effortlessly when we trust life’s intelligence rather than impose our will upon it.
Main business challenge you face: The greatest challenge I navigate is bridging the gap between the urgency of regeneration and where people currently are. AI ethics is already an afterthought in many spaces, and a regenerative vision for AI is even further down the priority list.
Most businesses still approach AI as a tool for efficiency, productivity, and profit maximization, rather than as a force that could align with life-affirming, regenerative principles. My challenge is to meet people where they are, speaking their language of gaining a competitive advantage with AI adoption, while gently expanding their vision toward deeper possibilities. It’s about making regeneration not just an abstract ideal, but a concrete, actionable, and participatory reality. As my work grows, I continuously refine how to communicate this with the most impact - how to inspire, not just inform.
Main driver that keeps you going: It’s fun. Seriously. Once you step out of the way and let life move through you, you start witnessing these incredible synchronicities - communities forming, ideas evolving, collaborations arising seemingly out of nowhere. There’s a sense of infinite creative flow, where burnout isn’t even in the equation because the energy regenerates itself. It’s exhilarating to watch the ripples of impact unfold effortlessly, simply by being in alignment with something bigger than myself.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: I’m proud of my ability to step aside and observe where I am still limited, where fears, blocks, or outdated beliefs might be holding me back. I’m continuously expanding my voice, learning to speak and share from a place of clarity and power. Above all, I’m committed to growth, questioning, and refining myself over and over again.
The trait you most value in others: Presence. The ability to truly listen - not just to words, but to the unspoken, to the energy of a conversation, to what is emerging in the space between. I value those who engage in reciprocal relationships - with people, with nature, with ideas. Curiosity, openness, and the willingness to be changed by what they encounter.
Passions & little things that bring you joy:
● My wildly mischievous Jack Russell, Moss.
● My quirky home in the Netherlands, filled with stories and art.
● My relationship with my partner: our shared creative projects, our exploration of life as an art form.
● Baking bread (there’s something so grounding about it).
● The magic of seeing an idea take form in unexpected ways.
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
● Neri Oxman – for biomimetic and nature-driven design.
● Monika Bielskyte – for challenging narratives of the future.
● Reon Brand – for his co-emerging futures framework and friendship.
● José Antonio Manchado – my spiritual teacher, whose wisdom continually reshapes my understanding of life.
● The Tibetan Buddhist teachings – which helped me see the difference between being stuck in a degenerative autopilot and truly co-creating with life.
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey:
The first step is realizing that no external achievement—whether it’s building a billion-dollar company, becoming an industry leader, or designing the most innovative product—will ever feel fulfilling if it doesn’t regenerate you in the process. Regeneration isn’t just about sustainability or planetary impact; it’s about living a life that feels rich, expansive, and deeply meaningful.
When you step into this paradigm, you stop forcing things to happen, and instead, you begin to witness surprising synchronicities, unexpected breakthroughs, and effortless flow. Regeneration is about trusting that creation doesn’t have to be a grind—it can be an unfolding of miracles.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you:
The obsession with human-centered design. Of course, human well-being matters, but sustainability framed purely through a human lens still operates on a mindset of superiority—where nature and technology are separate, rather than interwoven.
We need to shift from human-centered to nature-centered—not in an abstract way, but in a way that recognizes we are nature. We are not the stewards of an external planet; we are part of a vast, intelligent, interdependent system. The future of sustainability lies in realizing that thriving ecosystems, thriving businesses, and thriving humans are all the same thing.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: Sometimes, the best thing you can do is give up—not in the way of giving into fear, but in the sense of releasing the pressure to figure everything out yourself.
Hand it over. To life, to the universe, to God, to whatever you want to call it. The intelligence that designed galaxies, ecosystems, and entire civilizations is the same intelligence that flows through you. When you stop forcing solutions and instead listen, inspiration finds its way in. Some of the most profound breakthroughs in my life have come not from trying harder but from surrendering to something bigger.
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
Right now, A Course in Miracles is resonating deeply with me. It’s a timeless work of wisdom that, beyond its spiritual depth, offers a profound perspective on regeneration—teaching how true transformation happens not through control, but through alignment with a greater intelligence.
As for other books, I read a lot, but somehow, when asked to name them, my mind goes completely blank. (Books, if you're listening, I did love you!) Perhaps it’s because I absorb knowledge in a way that becomes part of me, rather than remembering individual titles. That said, if I were to recommend something, I love Sophie Strand’s writing - The Madonna Secret was just mind-blowing in its ecological, sensory and spiritual texture.
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again:
● Star Trek – A recent discovery. It's a treasure trove of insight into human evolution, our assumptions about AI gaining consciousness, and the science behind it (which, admittedly, I don’t always agree with—but it’s fascinating food for thought).
● Anything fantasy—give me elves, magicians, dwarves, angels, gnomes, and I’m in! The richer the mythos, the better.
● Italian films—I’m watching a lot of them lately because I’m learning Italian for my PhD in Rome.
Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently:
● Hunting for Purpose Podcast – Focused on Human Design, which has been instrumental in helping me understand myself as a Manifestor and align more deeply with how I’m designed to operate.
● On Being with Krista Tippett – I used to listen religiously; it’s a beautifully reflective podcast on spirituality, meaning, and deep conversations that matter.
● AI-focused YouTube channels and newsletters – I stay ahead of the curve in AI ethics, governance, and its regenerative potential, even if my inbox is permanently overflowing.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: I have a soft spot for indie rock—I can’t help it. There’s something raw about it that resonates with me.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you:
● Mongolia – One of the most profound places I’ve ever been. The vastness, the silence, the emptiness—it felt like coming home. The way people live in deep relationship with animals, the nomadic lifestyle—it’s a completely different rhythm of life that left a deep imprint on me.
● Asia in general – I grew up travelling there a lot, did part of my studies in Hong Kong, and feel a strong connection to its cultures and philosophies.
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
● Tijn Tjoelkes – His Mycelium newsletter is a great resource.
● Canay Atalay – A thought leader in regenerative thinking.
● RegenerateX – A course I’ve taught in, worth following.
● And honestly? I spend a lot of time in my own bubble, deeply engaged in my own explorations of regeneration and AI.
Trends in Regeneration we should keep an eye on:
AI is a massive one. If we embrace it as a regenerative partner rather than just a tool for efficiency and profit, we can radically accelerate solutions in so many fields:
Material Design. AI can help us create regenerative materials that work in harmony with ecosystems.
Education. We can reimagine school systems that truly serve all students, respecting different learning styles, identities, and ways of thinking—not just rational intelligence.
Finance & Business. AI can assist in building business models that create win-win solutions for humanity and the planet, rather than extracting value at any cost.
Spirituality & Self-Alignment. AI, when used with the right intention, can even guide us to live in deeper alignment with our unique design.
This is such a vast and exciting space that I’m actually writing a book about it. The intersection of AI and regeneration is going to be one of the most defining conversations of our time.
Events we should attend / Best places for networking (online or offline):
I wouldn’t call myself a natural networker—I get invited to events and show up when it feels aligned, but I don’t force it. That said, I do try to stay engaged in the spaces where deep, meaningful conversations about regeneration and AI are happening.
Impactful and relevant Sustainable Development or Regeneration courses or certifications:
Again, Canay Atalay comes up here—her work is deeply regenerative. Beyond that, I’d say the most important learning doesn’t always come from a formal certification, but from immersing yourself in regenerative thinking, in systems change, and in nature itself.
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030:
Optimism isn’t about believing that life on this planet will suddenly become easy, or that we’re heading toward a utopia where everyone is peaceful, happy, and living in harmony forever. That’s too simplistic, too black-and-white. Earth is a planet of polarity—of creation and destruction, renewal and decay, yin and yang, constantly playing out with and against each other.
The real reason to feel optimistic? We have the opportunity to become conscious observers of this dance. Instead of resisting life’s natural cycles, we can align with them, surrendering control into trust, into grace. The key to optimism isn’t in external circumstances—it’s in how we choose to move through them.
Joseph Campbell’s famous advice from the hero’s journey—Follow your bliss—is more relevant than ever. If you align with what genuinely brings you joy, life has a way of arranging itself around you in a regenerative, fulfilling way. Reality is a simulation—created through the channels we tune into.
Operate from separation, fear, and control, and you’ll experience a world of conflict, struggle, and destruction.
Operate from connection, joy, and gratitude, and life responds with synchronicity, flow, and opportunities that feel almost magical.
The world of 2030 won’t be one thing or another—it will be what we make of it. And the more of us who choose to operate from a regenerative mindset, the more regenerative our collective future will become.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030:
Pessimism, too, is a choice. If you refuse to look inward, if you resist the nature of how reality truly works, the coming decade will feel like an accelerating storm—conflict, inequality, and instability increasing at every turn.
But even within that chaos, the choice remains: Do you react to it? Or do you lead from a different place?
Regenerative leadership starts with regenerating yourself—aligning with what brings you energy, vitality, and truth. The future will challenge us, but those who move with life, rather than against it, will be the ones shaping what comes next.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today:
Humility: the ability to recognize that it’s not just us. That we are channels for something greater—whether you call it life, intelligence, grace, or creativity. True leadership isn’t about controlling outcomes but allowing something bigger to unfold through us.
Soft Strength: the balance between stepping up and being visible while remaining deeply humble. Power that doesn’t dominate but instead flows.
Openness to Grace: the ability to let life move through you, to receive the insights, innovations, and inventions that we need right now. Regenerative leaders don’t force; they listen—and in doing so, they create in ways that are aligned with life itself.
The Inspirator(s) you are endorsing for a future edition:
● Canay Atalay – A massively powerful voice in regenerative leadership.
● Reon Brand – A deeply inspiring futurist and scientist.
● Sabrina Lucibello – A leading voice and professor in industrialized biomaterials and a force in the field.
● Carmen Rotondi – A highly brilliant researcher in biofabrication, biomaterials, and biofutures.
The quote that inspires you:
“My purpose is to co-create with life, not control it. The more I trust, the more life unfolds in ways beyond my wildest imagination.”
Your quote that will inspire us:
