Everyone: 'Adopt AI or Get Left Behind!' Me: 'Yeah... That's Not Actually True

Balanced AI Adoption: Beyond the "Fall Behind" Narrative I am an AI enthusiast, but there is something I hear often regarding AI, and I don't totally agree with it: "Adopt AI immediately, or risk falling irreversibly behind." It sounds logical on the surface. After all, we've seen it happen in other industries. Think about car companies that stubbornly stuck to small sedans while the public flocked to SUVs. They didn't just fall behind; some nearly vanished. Similarly, consider Blackberry's failure to transition from physical keyboards to touchscreen devices, ultimately losing out to more innovative competitors like Apple. But I don't think the analogy neatly applies to AI. Here's why: First, AI isn't stable or predictable yet. What we call "game changing" today could easily become obsolete in mere months. I've seen too many videos declaring an end to OpenAI or Midjourney only to have the same YouTuber declare a resurrection with the next update. This stuff is evolving fast. Attempting to master a specific tool or framework right now may be more transient than transformative. The truth is you probably won't "fall behind" by pausing briefly. In fact, waiting strategically for the inflection point might position you far better than jumping onto every hype-driven iteration. Google, for example, wasn't the first search engine on the scene. However, by clearly recognizing what users needed from a search engine, they quickly built a superior and enduring product. Instead of obsessing over specific tech stacks or rapidly shifting tools, now is the ideal time to double down on timeless, human strengths: Build your own taste. Don't stress about mastering every tool. What really matters is developing a strong point of view. AI just turns the volume up on your judgment, your creative instincts, your style. The sharper your voice, the more you'll get out of whatever tool you're using. Figure out how you like to work. Don't chase LLM releases and benchmarks. Build your workflow then experiment. Get good at prompting, remixing, and refining. That skill carries over no matter what tool you're using. Know where AI ends and you begin. These tools are fast and efficient, sure. But they don't have gut instinct. They don't have taste, intuition, or a sense of timing. That's your lane. If you've vibe coded, then you have probably found out that there are times when the AI doesn't know what it is doing. But... Let me be clear about something: while the fear of "falling behind" is overstated, there is value in measured experimentation. Companies that test early can discover hidden advantages, subtle challenges, and powerful use-cases that late adopters may struggle to replicate swiftly. The bottom line? Don't panic. Despite the hype, not every update is a game-changer or requires your attention. Go build something, be curious, and follow people who do interesting things with AI. AND... it's ok if you just decided to have a glass of wine and watch the AI hype train pass by and jump on later. DM me for wine suggestions.

Apr 22, 2025 - 05:01

Everyone: 'Adopt AI or Get Left Behind!' Me: 'Yeah... That's Not Actually True

Balanced AI Adoption: Beyond the "Fall Behind" Narrative

I am an AI enthusiast, but there is something I hear often regarding AI, and I don't totally agree with it: "Adopt AI immediately, or risk falling irreversibly behind." It sounds logical on the surface. After all, we've seen it happen in other industries. Think about car companies that stubbornly stuck to small sedans while the public flocked to SUVs. They didn't just fall behind; some nearly vanished. Similarly, consider Blackberry's failure to transition from physical keyboards to touchscreen devices, ultimately losing out to more innovative competitors like Apple.

But I don't think the analogy neatly applies to AI. Here's why:

First, AI isn't stable or predictable yet. What we call "game changing" today could easily become obsolete in mere months. I've seen too many videos declaring an end to OpenAI or Midjourney only to have the same YouTuber declare a resurrection with the next update. This stuff is evolving fast. Attempting to master a specific tool or framework right now may be more transient than transformative.

The truth is you probably won't "fall behind" by pausing briefly. In fact, waiting strategically for the inflection point might position you far better than jumping onto every hype-driven iteration. Google, for example, wasn't the first search engine on the scene. However, by clearly recognizing what users needed from a search engine, they quickly built a superior and enduring product.

Instead of obsessing over specific tech stacks or rapidly shifting tools, now is the ideal time to double down on timeless, human strengths:

Build your own taste. Don't stress about mastering every tool. What really matters is developing a strong point of view. AI just turns the volume up on your judgment, your creative instincts, your style. The sharper your voice, the more you'll get out of whatever tool you're using.
Figure out how you like to work. Don't chase LLM releases and benchmarks. Build your workflow then experiment. Get good at prompting, remixing, and refining. That skill carries over no matter what tool you're using.
Know where AI ends and you begin. These tools are fast and efficient, sure. But they don't have gut instinct. They don't have taste, intuition, or a sense of timing. That's your lane. If you've vibe coded, then you have probably found out that there are times when the AI doesn't know what it is doing.

But...

Let me be clear about something: while the fear of "falling behind" is overstated, there is value in measured experimentation. Companies that test early can discover hidden advantages, subtle challenges, and powerful use-cases that late adopters may struggle to replicate swiftly.

The bottom line? Don't panic. Despite the hype, not every update is a game-changer or requires your attention. Go build something, be curious, and follow people who do interesting things with AI. AND... it's ok if you just decided to have a glass of wine and watch the AI hype train pass by and jump on later. DM me for wine suggestions.