Beyond AI Fear

Why you should adopt AI now

I have had a TON of conversations with clients recently about AI and how to use it to help you and grow your business. There is SO much fear and misinformation out there that many of my clients are struggling to know where to start.

Happily for you, I have an expert who can assuage your fears and help you leverage AI to make life easier for you.

Snigdha Sharma is an AI developer and advisor with a decade of knowledge and experience under her belt. She works with startups and has previously worked with one of the world’s biggest banks.

Why you’re going to love hearing from Snigdha is because she is an actual human being and she really understands solopreneurs and AI.

No fear, let’s get to work.

Photo by Tonik on Unsplash

AI has been all around you even before you noticed.

How does your phone camera know that it’s you when you use the face unlock feature? How do you get suggestions for the next word when you are typing on your phone’s keyboard? Or how does Netflix suggest your next binge-worthy show to you right when you need it the most? Or the new songs that Spotify spookily knows that you’d be listening on loop for the next whole month?

Remember how Google Maps saved you from getting stuck in traffic while on your way to your niece’s birthday party? Or when you receive ads for buying that perfect gift right when your partner’s birthday is around the corner? Yes - all of that is AI.

And yet no one seemed to fear AI before it became evident that AI can actually do your job much faster/cheaper than you - although maybe not as soulfully while maintaining the quality standards that you would hold yourself to as a professional.

But something changed dramatically in November 2022 when ChatGPT burst onto the scene, making AI's capabilities suddenly visible and accessible to everyone. It was an exciting and fun game at first. People discovered how it could write a blog piece on gardening, cooking or even mountaineering. Some discovered it could write poems that sometimes sounded rather lame to be honest, but well, “so what?”, we thought. It’s just an AI.

Until some employers heard of all the AI wonders possible, and started firing their creative staff to  let AI do their job for them - cheaper, faster and without all the employee tantrums - that’s when everyone around the world realized how big of a problem this technological revolution could actually lead to.

Yet it's not the first time we've stood at such a crossroads. Every major technological leap in history has followed a similar pattern: initial shock, fear of change, and eventually, transformation that benefits society in ways nobody could have predicted.

So what exactly is in store for you with this revolution? Let’s take a small step back to learn from our history.

The Printing Press Revolution

Imagine yourself in 15th century Europe. Books are rare treasures, handcrafted by skilled scribes who spend months or even years copying single volumes. Knowledge is a luxury reserved for the elite. Then suddenly, Gutenberg's printing press arrives, threatening to upend this centuries-old system.

The reaction? Panic. Scribes feared for their livelihoods. Religious authorities worried about losing control over information. Sounds familiar?

But what actually happened? Within just 50 years, the price of books fell by roughly 80%. Literacy rates soared. New professions emerged – typesetters, editors, publishers, and booksellers. The scribes who adapted became valuable consultants, lending their expertise to this new industry. The democratization of knowledge triggered the Scientific Revolution, leading to inventions we can't imagine living without today - including the very phone you’re reading this article on.

The transformation wasn't instant or painless. It took about a generation for new job categories to fully develop. But those who embraced the change? They shaped the future.

Today's AI Fears

When I first talked to Marisa, the first thing I noticed was how well connected she is with her audience. And disconnected and oblivious I was just about 2 years ago, working on building the very technology that people are fearing today. I’ve been working on building stuff using AI for almost a decade now and I never imagined the fear my work was producing until I heard the possibility that my job would soon be automated as well! Yes you heard that right - the expertise that I paid my college fee for, and honed by working days and nights for my employers - would someday be automated (at some level at the very least) - enough to reshape the industry. It might take 5 years, maybe 10, but it will happen. Does that stop me from using AI? Not really.

But I do realize that I might be in a luckier group. Some jobs would be transformed much sooner than that. And some already have been.

So when Marisa told me about the questions she gets from her clients, I deeply resonated. Read on for my take on these fears.

"Will I lose my job?"

Your job will transform, not disappear. Just as the printing press created more jobs than it eliminated, AI will create new roles we haven't even imagined yet. The key? Focus on skills that complement AI, not compete with it.

"Will my expertise become obsolete?"

Your expertise will evolve, not vanish. Did calculators make mathematicians obsolete? No – they freed them to tackle more complex problems. Similarly, AI will handle routine tasks while you focus on higher-value work that requires human insight.

"Isn’t using AI like cheating?"

You tell me. Is using a calculator cheating? Or a spell-checker? AI will be just another tool that augments your capabilities. The skill lies in knowing how to use it effectively to enhance your creativity and productivity.

"Will AI replace humans?"

AI will augment human capabilities, not replace them. We're entering an era of human-AI collaboration, where the combination of human creativity and AI's general knowledge and power will unlock unprecedented possibilities.

Still worried? Share your thoughts below in the comments section, and I will respond to your questions.

Embracing the Future

The cost of waiting is higher than the risk of starting. While some are hesitating, early adopters are already:

• - Automating routine and admin tasks to focus more on creative work

• - Learning to prompt AI effectively

• - Combining their expertise with AI capabilities

• - Creating new opportunities in their fields

Start small:

1. Try using AI for tasks you find challenging or boring

2. Experiment with AI tools in your current workflow

3. Focus on learning one AI application at a time

4. Share your experiences and learn from others

The choice between progress and paralysis is yours. The printing press didn't just change how we make books – it transformed how we think, learn, and share knowledge. Advancements in AI today represent a similar pivotal moment.

You're already part of this revolution. The question is: Will you help shape it, or let it shape you?

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*Share your AI fears and questions in the comments below. As an AI developer, I'll address your specific concerns and help you navigate this transformation.*