Theory Thursday - AI backlash is a maturity sign

Art by @basilonmypizza: https://lnkd.in/eF8FkWzN - https://basilhefti.ch/

The AI backlash is in full swing. The Economist made it a title story. Your CFO is probably grumpy about the token cost. The CIO is skeptical of all the high-flying promises. And people are worried about the ecological and societal impact of AI. “Are we doomed?” has turned into “we are doomed”.

The fears are well-founded. And not new. The parallels to the introduction of railways are surprising: people worried about safety, monopoly power, pricing, comfort, social effects, and intrusion into towns, estates, and landscapes.

This is a maturity pattern:  A powerful change first creates wonder. Then excess. Then its side effects become visible. Then the operating model catches up, and the value creation kicks in: railways shortened distances, as did the telephone. Electricity made power available where needed. Software allowed repeatable rule-based execution (often to our chagrin). The internet made discovery and booking of services easier.

Now, AI lowers the threshold for cognitive work with its language, analysis and coding skills. That is closer to our home and increases our fears.

The backlash could be understood as the first sign of collapse. Instead, it signals institutionalisation. Spending is rising. Infrastructure building accelerates. The conversation shifts to value for money and governance.

Trains, once guardrails like safety requirements were in place, delivered to their promise (and do to this day). Similarly, AI becomes normal once we learn how to use it.

In this sense: I hope you see hints of AI backlash in your organisation?

• Art: https://lnkd.in/eF8FkWzN https://basilhefti.ch/