When we were kids, we shared a room with bunk beds. Falling asleep, we listened to stories on CD: Native American legends, Greek myths, Irish folk tales. As we drifted off, these stories wove into our dreams, shaping how we understand storytelling — and the world.

One of my favorite discs was dedicated to American tall tales: Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, and especially John Henry. John Henry was a Black steel driver working on the railroad. When a steam-powered drill threatened to replace his labor, he challenged the machine to a race. When the dust settled, he was victorious, but died shortly after from exhaustion.

I’ve been thinking about John Henry amid debates about artificial intelligence and the fear that technology will render humans irrelevant. The story, dating back to the 19th century, reminds us that anxiety about technology replacing us is not new.

John Henry’s resistance was ultimately futile. Machines transformed the world anyway. But while the steam engine is mostly obsolete, John Henry is immortal.

Efficiency is not the same as value, and inevitability is not a reason to surrender. The challenge is not to will the machine away, but to ensure that, in learning to live with it, we do not surrender the parts of ourselves that make life meaningful.