AI Might Mint a Trillionaire. But Can It Preserve a Soul?

Mark Cuban says AI will make someone a trillionaire.

I say: it better make someone feel seen first.

Mark Cuban believes artificial intelligence will mint the world’s first trillionaire.
“It could be just one dude in the basement,” he told The High Performance Podcast, describing a near-future where AI tools let anyone turn an idea into an empire.

I don’t doubt him.
But I do wonder: Is this really the best we can do with AI?

Because while VCs chase valuations, something quieter is happening.

In 2024, 62 million people died—the highest annual death toll in recorded history. That’s 62 million voices silenced. Stories lost. Libraries burned, one by one.

And if AI can build billion-dollar businesses, surely it can help us preserve those voices, too.

The Soul Tech Question: What if AI saved wisdom, not just payroll?

We’re building AI that replaces customer service reps, personal assistants, legal associates—even first drafts of blog posts like this one.
We’re squeezing costs. Flattening headcount. Optimizing for margin.

But humanity isn’t an optimization problem.

According to Reflekta’s recent white paper on Soul Tech, nearly half of Americans (47%) regret not recording conversations with loved ones who’ve passed. Three in four say they wish they’d learned more about their family history.

This is where AI should be leaning in.
Not just simulating chat agents—simulating memory. Preserving legacy. Helping us remember, connect, and pass on wisdom to future generations.

Call it Soul Tech.
Call it ethical AI.
Call it remembering what matters.

Your kid’s first AI mentor shouldn’t be a chatbot selling shoes.

Cuban says AI is the new MBA. I agree—and that’s exciting.

But imagine if instead of asking ChatGPT about total addressable markets, a teen could ask an AI avatar of their grandmother:
“Did you ever feel lost when you were 15?”
“How did you know who you wanted to be?”

That’s where this gets real.
And personal.
And profoundly useful.

Psychologists at Emory University found that kids who know family stories are more resilient, have better self-esteem, and handle stress better.
Legacy storytelling isn’t nostalgia—it’s developmental infrastructure.

From “grief tech” to Soul Tech: The trillion-dollar ideas aren’t always monetizable.

The trillion-dollar opportunity in AI might not come from ad revenue.
It might come from empathy engines.
From helping a widow hear her husband’s laugh again.
From letting a granddaughter hear how Grandpa survived the war, or started a business after his first failure.

Reflekta is one of the pioneers in this space. Their emotionally intelligent legacy AI lets families interact with preserved voices and wisdom, long after someone is gone. It’s not about tricking death. It’s about continuing love.

And it’s working. Thousands have already signed up.
Because, unlike click-through rates, grief isn’t optional.
And memory doesn’t scale itself.

What if AI helped us heal?

We’ve already trained AI to optimize email headlines.
Surely we can train it to preserve a father’s blessing.
Or recreate a mother’s tone of voice that soothed us as kids.

Mark Cuban’s right: this stuff is accessible now.
Any kid with curiosity and a connection can build something.
Let’s just make sure what they build doesn’t forget what it means to be human.