I’m convinced: people have no idea what to actually use AI for. Not even what it really is. And yet it’s flooding over us right now – AI-driven apps popping up everywhere, as if they were cheap gadgets from TEMU. “Write a book! Build agents! Do this, do that!”
We’re told that a company without an AI product isn’t a real company. And to top it off, the constant drumbeat: we’ll all lose our jobs.
But I want to take a step back and ask: is that really true? Or are we simply caught in a giant exaggeration, a hype we confuse with reality?
When AI Became a Sticker
Today, AI feels more like a label than real substance. Companies slap on “AI-driven” the way they once slapped on “Internet-based” in the ’90s or “blockchain” in the 2010s. It’s a sales pitch, not necessarily a reality.
And we buy it. We download apps that promise to write a novel in five minutes or design a website without lifting a finger. But deep down, we know these are shortcuts. We confuse surface with depth.
Concept Confusion – What Is AI, Really?
Most people who talk about AI are mixing up completely different things:
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Generative AI – ChatGPT, Midjourney, tools that create text or images.
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Algorithmic prediction – Netflix recommending your next series.
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Autonomous agents – programs that actually act and make decisions on their own.
When people say “AI is going to take our jobs,” they rarely know which kind of AI they’re talking about. And without that clarity, fear takes over, and the real opportunities get buried.
Investors and the Hunger of Capital
Here’s another driver: the market. Right now, there’s an unspoken rule in venture capital. If a company doesn’t have an AI project, it’s not interesting. But if you say you have an AI product, suddenly your valuation goes up.
This creates inflation – a flood of shallow AI products. Many are just thin layers on top of the same engines from OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic. They look different on the outside but run on the same core.
It can’t last. Most of these companies will disappear, just like the empty websites of the dotcom bubble. But those building real structures will remain.
Jobs – The Narrative vs. The Reality
The headlines scream: “AI is taking your job!” But reality is more nuanced. AI isn’t removing entire professions, at least not yet. It’s removing tasks.
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Lawyers get standardized contracts generated automatically.
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Marketers get draft campaign texts.
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Developers get code snippets that save hours.
So the jobs don’t vanish – they transform. And it’s the middle layer that’s most at risk: the routine, semi-intellectual tasks.
But companies don’t have a clear plan. Instead, the mantra is: “Everyone must use AI.” For what? With what process? With what follow-up? That question rarely gets asked.
The Illusion of Democratization
AI is said to be democratized – that everyone now has access. And yes, in one sense, it’s true. Anyone can type a prompt and get text or an image.
But that doesn’t mean the results have equal value. The difference lies in domain knowledge.
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An amateur can ask AI to “write a book.”
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An experienced writer can use AI for research, structure, editing – and create something meaningful.
AI doesn’t replace our knowledge. It amplifies the knowledge we already have. Forgetting this is the trap we’re in right now.
So, What Should We Actually Use AI For?
For me, the real potential isn’t about replacing humans, but about amplifying us.
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Decision-making: AI can analyze massive datasets faster than we ever could.
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Creativity: AI can suggest unexpected combinations we’d never see ourselves.
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Automation: AI can take over repetitive tasks, freeing us for what’s unique.
But this only works if we understand our role. AI without people is useless. People without AI will eventually lag behind. The future lies in the combination.
I imagine a new kind of role emerging – not the much-hyped prompt engineer, but an AI producer. Someone with the helicopter view, a creative conductor who blends human imagination with machine strength. Like a music producer, but for AI projects.
Historical Parallels – We’ve Seen This Before
When electricity arrived in the 1800s, it was the same chaos. People plugged lamps and motors in everywhere, without a clue. It took decades before we got standards, regulations, and safe systems.
The internet went the same way. At first, it was all hype and novelty – then came the crash. But the companies that built real value survived, and today, we don’t even think about “using the internet.” It’s just there.
AI will follow the same path. First chaos and hype. Then regulation and standardization. Finally – invisible integration.
What This Means for Us
I believe we’re in the eye of the storm. We’re surrounded by cheap apps and broken promises. But this phase is necessary.
We need to pass through this exaggeration before we can understand what AI really is: a mirror forcing us to rethink what work, value, and knowledge mean.
That’s the true revolution. Not that an app can write a blog post in five minutes, but that we must ask: What is it that only I, as a human, bring to the table? What is truly irreplaceable?
Closing Thoughts – My Conviction
So yes – I’m convinced. People don’t know what to use AI for. Companies are flooding us with apps like cheap TEMU gadgets. Investors throw money at castles in the air. And we’re told to fear losing our jobs.
But I also see something else. I see the beginning of a journey. AI won’t be a product in itself – it’ll be part of everything. Companies that get this will survive. Those that think a flashy app is enough will vanish.
And we, humans – we need to stop seeing AI as a competitor and start seeing it as an instrument. An instrument that only sounds good if we know how to play it.
Like a drummer isn’t better just because they own an expensive kit, but because they understand rhythm – we need to understand the rhythm between human and machine.
For me, AI isn’t a replacement. It’s an amplifier. And in the end, it’s not about AI taking our jobs. It’s about finally defining what human work is truly worth.
By Chris...
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