Why AI is like the Industrial Revolution
AI is like the industrial revolution. Why We Keep Distrusting Progress (and Why It’s Time to Stop)
Humans are a curious species. Gifted with intelligence, creativity, and the ability to adapt like no other — and yet, we’ve got a habit of turning our noses up the moment something new arrives on the scene.
Let’s rewind, shall we?
Looking Into The Past
Picture the early days of the Industrial Revolution. One moment, everything was handmade, manual, and… well, exhausting. Then suddenly: factories. Giant machines clanking, steaming, producing faster and more efficiently than ever before. The reaction? Panic.
People were terrified.
“It’s too fast!”
“It’ll replace our jobs!”
“It’s not natural!”
There were protests. People vowing they’d never go near a factory. Clinging to tradition like it was a lifeboat.
But slowly — inevitably — the tide turned.
The convenience crept in. The efficiency became addictive. Factory-made goods made life easier, faster, cheaper. And just like that, what was once feared became the new normal. Now? We trust it. We rely on it. You probably haven’t lost sleep over a biscuit made on a production line. Funny, that.
Fast Forward to Present Day
Now, you might be wondering…
“What’s this got to do with AI?”
Well — everything.
Because here we are again. A new era. This time, not driven by coal and steam, but by algorithms, automation, and artificial intelligence. And yet, once more, the familiar cries echo:
“It’s too fast!”
“It’ll replace our jobs!”
“It’s not natural!”
Sound familiar?
We’ve hit that same human cycle: distrust, discontent, disbelief. A refusal to let go of the traditional, even when the benefits are stacked tall and shimmering in front of us.
Those Ahead of The Curve
But let’s take a moment to think about the innovators — those brave few in the industrial era who did get involved early. The ones who harnessed those machines and let them do the heavy lifting. They leapt ahead, leaving the fearful and stubborn in the smoke of progress.
It’s the same now.
The businesses already embracing AI — automating the mundane, enhancing decision-making, reclaiming time — they’re moving faster, scaling smoother, and breathing easier. Why? Because they worked smart, not hard. They realised life’s too short for the long, painful, repetitive route.
Let’s ask the real question
Why are we still resisting?
Why do we keep fearing the thing designed to make life easier? AI isn’t here to steal your spark — it’s here to fan the flames of your brilliance. It takes the dull out of the day-to-day and hands you back your energy, your focus, your edge.
We’ve seen this before. We know how this story ends. The difference is, you get to decide where you stand when it all clicks into place. Ahead of the pack — or clinging to an outdated past?
The future is right next door, with a sign that reads:
“Shorter hours. Better work. Less stress. More life.”
You just have to be brave enough to walk in.
