Inside-Out Leadership Development

Dark Flow: 19 Years Sober and I Know What This Is

A founder who has been sober for 19 years describes his recent immersion in generative AI as an addictive experience he calls “dark flow.” He built an AI‑driven agent architecture that kept him working nonstop, triggering the same nervous‑system activation he felt during substance use. Drawing on recovery techniques, he argues that abstinence isn’t realistic; instead, structured habits, community, and deliberate breaks are needed to keep the tool beneficial. The piece warns that AI’s infinite improvement loop can deplete creators if left unchecked.