Author: Tom White   Published: February 25, 2025    CEO WEEKLY

Nathan A. Dailey knows firsthand what it takes to rebuild a community after disaster strikes. Growing up in foster care, he experienced instability from a very early age. But it was surviving the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that cemented his understanding of a fundamental truth: in many cases, without knowledge transfer and strong infrastructure, rebuilding can be nearly impossible.

Now, as the founder of Preparedness Planning, LLC, Nathan Dailey is applying those hard-earned lessons to a new kind of crisis—one that doesn’t come in the form of natural disasters but rather the rapid and often unchecked rise of artificial intelligence (AI). His argument is nuanced yet compelling: if humans fail to retain and transfer knowledge effectively, from the older generations to the new, AI could become less of a tool for us and more of a challenge.

Nathan says, “AI is moving at an exponential rate, and the real question might be, what should we be learning to adapt to and work alongside it? And I believe that the answer lies in what I call ‘authentic intelligence,’ the knowledge gained through real-world case studies, experiences, along with human ingenuity.”

He argues that businesses often struggle not with capital investment in infrastructure but with intelligence investment. AI, he contends, is only as powerful as the data it’s fed. But what happens when critical human knowledge isn’t properly documented or shared? “There’s a significant issue of knowledge transfer,” he explains. “Technology could hold the key to preserving intelligence, but only if we know how to input it correctly. If we don’t act now, we might risk losing generational expertise to an algorithm that doesn’t fully understand human creativity, problem-solving, or historical context.”

His solution is a controlled regeneration model, a system that captures and organizes critical infrastructure intelligence across industries. By focusing on real-life case studies—whether natural disasters, economic collapses, or workforce shifts—he’s building a reservoir of knowledge that businesses and authorities might use to make informed decisions.

While many frame AI as either a miracle or a menace, Nathan sees it as a reconciling point: an external force that could unite humanity in preserving and sharing knowledge across borders. “We need to understand that AI isn’t necessarily an issue. Energy demands, migration patterns, economic shifts—these are real global concerns,” he says. “We need a unified approach to infrastructure intelligence that could potentially surpass even national boundaries.”

Through his work with stakeholders and municipal leaders, Nathan is applying these principles in real time to support communities in becoming leaders in critical infrastructure investments. “From disenfranchised communities, there often seems to be talk of reparations, but I’m focused on reconciliation,” he explains. “As humanity evolves, human infrastructure is just as important as physical infrastructure and capital investment.”

Nathan simplifies this with his three key pillars: Work, Live, Learn. According to him, the workforce of the future must be incentivized properly. AI is changing labor markets, but Nathan stresses that work isn’t just about what employees do—it’s what they create that matters. The focus should be on building industries that incentivize knowledge-sharing and retention.

Food, water, and shelter—these are human’s basic essentials to live. Similarly, to have a stable workforce, Nathan believes humans need water, power, and broadband. He explains, “Without these, today’s technologically advanced community may struggle to function. Broadband especially is crucial as it connects us with knowledge—and ultimately through the power grid, we can help ensure critical knowledge is transferred.”

Learning is where the battle begins. “The speed at which AI learns might be matched by understanding how the input affects the output,” Nathan warns. “The input we should be learning starts with the foundations of our institutions and elements that build and rebuild our cities, capitalizing on the flow of private and public sectors of authentic intelligence.”

To facilitate this, he proposes the concept of Communiversities: a micro-grid community-based learning hub where information about infrastructure, sustainability, and economic resilience is collectively documented, shared, and applied. “Every community has wisdom that is vital to its survival,” he explains. “If we rely on AI to store and regurgitate information, we must also build human-driven models. The controlled regeneration model aims to ensure the value of our wisdom isn’t lost.”

Nathan’s vision isn’t just theoretical—it’s actionable. He’s calling on businesses, policymakers, and investors to rethink how they approach AI and infrastructure development. “The investment market could benefit from opening up,” he asserts. “There’s untapped potential in underserved and aging communities. If we capture and leverage authentic intelligence correctly, we might create an economic model that benefits both local populations and global industries. And if we don’t invest in the transfer of authentic intelligence now, we could be responsible for our negligence to the next generation.”