I am sick of the hype surrounding AI.
Before you come at me with pitchforks, let me clarify. I use AI regularly, and think it’s a pretty good tool. However, I don’t buy into the hype that AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are perpetuating.
Has AI come far since ChatGPT burst into the scene? Yes. Can AI do everything that AI companies, solution providers, some well-meaning people in industry and straight up shills are continually making? Not really. The truth is somewhere in between.
AI can do a few things well in well-defined contexts and smoke humans on the same tasks. Analysing structured data is one example that comes to mind. Can AI help us build a solution from idea to deployment? Sort of. Based on personal observations, vibe coding will take us 80% of the way, but if you have no clue about coding, you will spend all the time you saved on two things: failing to fix the stuff that’s not working and floundering with the remaining 20%. If you do have coding experience, you’ll fail less and flounder less. Probably.
I fear many SMBs have bought into the AI hype and are not far from making drastic changes to their workforce, potentially impacting the livelihood of many. We might occasionally hear about a big business walking back on their decision, but smaller businesses, especially ones that are desperate to reduce operating costs, want to believe the hype and convince themselves that the AI solution they have purchased (or wanting to purchase) will help them reduce headcount without negatively affecting daily operations and their bottom-line. When the business owner doesn’t see the results, the excuse from vendors will be that the AI needs time to train on the company’s data and processes, and in time, the results will show. By the time these business owners realise that they may have made a mistake, they would’ve lost good people who were far more productive and reliable than the fancy AI solution that replaced them. If this is you, I’m sorry you’ve had to learn this lesson the hard way.
If this is not you, it could be, if you are not careful and exercise wisdom to discern what’s hype and what’s reality. If you are seriously considering AI for your business, please don’t rush into it. Research as much as you can. Don’t be too afraid or proud to ask questions of those who know what they’re talking about. Be careful of those who position themselves as AI experts. Real professionals, like me, are open to answering questions and assisting those sincerely seeking information, even if I’m not an expert.
AI continues to defy expectations, and God alone knows where it’s heading, and so, I continue to rely on His Spirit to lead me and guide me, not only with AI, but every aspect of my business. I have faith that the LORD can use me to help your business, so don’t hesitate to reach out.