Why Magic Still Matters in the Age of AI

We live in a world powered by logic.

AI can write essays, predict trends, even mimic voices. Everything has an answer, a shortcut, a tutorial. Information is instant. Explanation is expected.

But despite all this advancement, people still stop when I pull a coin out of thin air.

They still laugh when a signed card ends up in my pocket.

They still whisper, “Paano mo ‘yun ginawa?” even after they’ve seen a thousand TikToks.

Why?

Because wonder is something AI still can’t replicate.

And maybe it never will.

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I’ve performed magic in alleys and rooftops, in corporate events and public markets, beside buffet tables and soup kitchens. I’ve made cards appear, balls vanish, and thoughts revealed. But what I really give people is not a trick.

It’s a moment.

A pause.

A break from the noise of the world.

In that moment, their eyes light up. They forget the bills, the deadlines, and the chaos of life online. For a split second, they’re a child again—curious, joyful, fully present.

That’s the power of magic.

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In the age of AI, we have more access than ever before. But access doesn’t always mean aliveness. We’ve learned to scroll past meaning. We’ve automated emotion. We’ve made everything so explainable, we forget how to be amazed.

But magic says, “Look closer.”

It invites people to feel.

To believe.

To remember that not everything has to make sense to be beautiful.

And let’s be honest. Some things are more powerful precisely because they can’t be explained.

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Magic isn’t the opposite of technology. It’s the soul that keeps it human.

I use tech too. I create videos, mix AI with art, and tell stories through reels and short-form content. But behind all of it, I know this: people don’t follow you for what you know. They follow you for how you make them feel.

And in this hyper-rational world, feeling something real is the rarest trick of all.

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So to the coders, the skeptics, the overthinkers, the engineers, and the everyday humans—I say this:

AI may be the future. But wonder is timeless.

That little moment when your jaw drops?

That gasp when reality bends?

That laughter when the impossible becomes visible?

That’s not just entertainment.

That’s medicine.

And as long as people crave something real, magic will never die.

Not because it can’t be explained.

But because it helps us remember what it means to be human.

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Mac Florendo is a Filipino magician, storyteller, and sustainability advocate. Known as Mr. Magic of the Philippines, he performs live shows that blend illusion, meaning, and wonder—reminding people that in an overly rational world, awe still has a place.