So, I wasn’t planning on writing this week. With the holiday weekend, I originally planned on giving myself (and you) a break. However, I’ve been scanning headlines and having some startling conversations that highlight a concerning trend that’s growing too fast to ignore. Given I had some unexpected free time (if you can believe that), I thought I’d put to paper what keeps rattling through my head. Granted, it’s a slight deviation and a bit more condensed. Consider it a thoughtful public service announcement.
Service announcement for what? I’m so glad you asked.
More and more, people are starting to make reckless, fear-driven choices about their future (or perceived lack thereof). I continue talking to and hearing about people dropping out of degree programs, cashing out retirement accounts, and throwing caution to the wind all because they’re convinced AI is about to end it all. And, what’s frustrating is a lot of that panic is being fueled by bad advice from high-profile tech leaders. For a while, they were fringe cases, but the momentum behind them is accelerating. And, it’s putting everyday people at risk.
I had time to make a YouTube video with my raw thoughts per usual. However, for all you readers, I worked on it more and wrote this structured reflection. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the chaos and uncertainty all around us, you’re not alone.
With that, let’s get to it.
Key Reflections
“We’ve been here before, and fear-driven choices don’t age well.”
Every generation has its “end is near” character (sometimes multiple), and right now AI is wearing the sandwich board. It’s the latest propellant fueling people to radically disrupt their lives, convinced humanity won’t make it to 2030. And hey, it’s not completely unwarranted. However, things shift into the red zone when concern and discernment turn into rash decisions because we’ve lost sight of history. Solomon famously said, “there’s nothing new under the sun.” It’s a reminder we’ve been here before. Unfortunately, we tend to forget that whenever a new one pops up. Before you know it, people start liquidating savings and abandoning opportunity only to be filled with regret when the world keeps spinning. Now, I’m not suggesting you ignore the red flags. I’m simply encouraging you to strip out the panic and evaluate whether you’d be comfortable with whatever choices you’re considering if the apocalypse doesn’t come.
“Bold advice sounds impressive until you realize who’s giving it.”
Like the AI panic, this one isn’t new either but equally concerning. A lot of the bold advice fueling the panic is coming from people unqualified to give it. Take the Google GenAI executive who recently proclaimed young people shouldn’t bother with law or medical degrees because AI will make them irrelevant. I looked and he’s never been a physician or practiced law. I’d wager a bet he probably knows very little about the programs he’s convinced will be obsoleted. We’ve been conditioned to see tech leaders as prophets of the future, but a lot of what they say isn’t grounded in data or lived expertise. They’re dressing up reckless opinions as inevitabilities. And, thanks to the tech they’ve created, people take their opinions seriously. So yes, believe them when they say change is coming, but don’t allow their intersectional involvement in the change give them authority to dictate your future.
“Data and emotions matter but discernment matters more.”
It’s a noisy time right now. I’m particularly interested to see how much noisier things get after 2pm today. Headlines, expert opinions, and even your own emotions are everywhere, which isn’t necessarily bad even if it’s exhausting. They’re valuable inputs for consideration. However, you should never let them make the decision for you. That responsibility comes down to discernment, which is more important than ever, especially since everything is telling us to delegate it away. You have to remember that no matter the outcome you will be the one living with the path you choose to walk. You can try and shift the blame, but you’ll still be the one holding the bag. So no, you shouldn’t ignore emotion, headlines, data, or expertise, but you must refuse to outsource the final call. And, in the chaos of wild and constantly changing AI predictions, that’s something that will keep you grounded while everyone else is swept away.
Concluding Thoughts
As always, thanks for sticking around to the end.
Hopefully I caught you before you cashed in that 401k, clicked “purchase” on those four pallets of freeze dried food, or secured your condo in one of the many doomsday bunkers that are becoming ever so popular. Not that I’m saying don’t do it. Just make sure you’d still consider it a wise decision if you’re still reading my Substack in 2050. And hey, hold out hope we all live to see that day because by then my kids will be grown, and I may have capacity to meet up IRL.
However, in the meantime, if what I shared today helped you see things more clearly, would you consider buying me a coffee or lunch to help keep it coming?
Also, if you or your organization would benefit from my help building the best path forward with AI, visit my website to learn more or pass it along to someone who would benefit.
With that, I’ll see you on the other side.
Panic is never good (says the guy who suffers regular panic attacks). At this point, I think AI is closer to "vaporware" than it is to a danger. My true fear is the financial bubble this is creating that could break the economy.
Where do I order that pallet of food?
This is so good! Decisions made from panic are rarely wise! Thanks for writing this!