Lately, I have been following developments in AI with both glee and tepridation. This will dramatically change the landscape and its march is unstoppable. “AI will be more profound than the invention of fire,” so the CEO of Google has famously professed. That seems quite dramatic, but it is hard to disagree with the sentiment of that statement. As I write this, we are in the midst of the start of the AI revolution. There will be disruptions and dramatic changes.
Just a few weeks ago, OpenAI’s Sora blew everyone’s minds when they showcased how it can create a video from just a prompt. It was able to create a short video of fantastical scenes. This will inevitably destroy the movie industry as we know it. And as big as it is, it is just but one of the many industries to be disrupted.
Unfortunately, with this big of a revolution, there will be social upheavals and people will lose their livelihoods. There will be dramatic changes ahead and I’m afraid with that will be hardships. This is why I’m looking at this with utmost vigilance.
In this doom and gloom scenario however, there will be lots of opportunities as well. I can’t tell in which form yet. But if you are reading this, it is probably a good time to start with reading about AI. It is a huge wave that is coming to crash down on existing business. If you are working for a company, I’m afraid to tell you your job may not be safe.
You know those post-apocalyptic movies where the world was destroyed in some sort of cataclysm? Waterworld, Madmax and Book of Eli comes to my mind. Maybe I’m being too dramatic, but I kind of envision AI’s eventual effect to be like that. Or a dystopian setting like Gattaca, Blade Runner and Total Recall. Where we end up in is likely somewhere in the middle.
As for business opportunities, in every upheaval, is a seed for something big, something profound. I remember the story one of the Philippines’ business magnates, Henry Sy. He started his empire after world war 2. The country is destroyed and everyone is basically starting on the ground floor. While everyone was trying to come to terms with what has happened, Sy climbed and strived. Eventually, he grew his mall empire and with luck and hard work, it grew into a behemoth.
So, what will our future be? What can we do to position ourselves to catch opportunities? With a lot of hard work and some luck, I’m sure anyone of us can build something worthwhile.
