This applies to most of us as individuals, most companies. And let’s face it, people are limited and only as prepared as the companies they work for…
In recent decades, technology has let us do more things faster. But are we more efficient as a whole? The unsettling truth is no. Despite breathtaking advances, organizations have only grown heavier, more complex, and less effective. It’s counterintuitive, but undeniable.
For decades, technology promised transformation, but the speed gains were swallowed by bureaucracy, endless handoffs, and outdated mindsets. The natural inclination of humans has been to protect jobs and keep people busy, adding layers of work rather than removing them. So, while technology allowed for efficiency, our instinct was to reject it.
I’ve often wondered if there was a conspiracy by people a lot smarter than me, an intentional hand on the brake, knowing that if we ever let technology do everything it was capable of, it would turn the world upside down. For a long time, whether by design or inertia, that slowing down worked.
But now, with AI, the balance has shifted. This time it won’t be slowed down. The genie is out of the bottle. There’s no putting it back. The real question is: is that a good thing, or a bad thing? Answer: It depends. For those on the right side of change, it could be the best opportunity they’ll ever have. For those on the wrong side, it will be unforgiving.
A History of Resistance
Take insurance as an example. For decades, if a customer wanted to check the value of a policy or execute a transaction, the process required layers of people and handoffs: an agent, a service center clerk, a warehouse runner, interoffice mail, and manual calculations. Today, a customer can log into a portal and get the answer in seconds.
And yet, despite the incredible efficiencies delivered by technology, the ratio of employees to policies in major insurers has barely changed. Why? Because while tasks got faster, organizations piled on more people, more steps, and more complexity. Leadership structures, compensation systems, and entrenched habits consumed the gains.
The instinct to keep jobs intact and add more work held for decades. But this time is different. AI won’t wait for permission.
The Genie and the Mindset Problem
The pandemic and remote work exposed what people were truly doing, or not doing, during their days. At the same time, AI leapt forward at a pace unseen in modern history. Together, these forces ripped the lid off Pandora’s box.
Most large enterprises are already experimenting with AI. According to a recent MIT report cited by Fortune, 95% of companies piloting generative AI say their implementations are falling short. They’re trying to use agents, automate small workflows, and bolt on tools around the edges. From the outside, it looks like they’re embracing change. But underneath, it’s still the same story: legacy technology at the core, and legacy thinking guiding the decisions.
It may seem contradictory to say the genie is out of the bottle while 95% of companies experimenting with generative AI are failing in early implementations. But here’s the distinction: the genie being out means that AI will reshape our future no matter what. Those who approach it with fresh thinking have a chance to unlock its potential. Those who apply the same old playbook they’ve used with past technologies will only add noise, dismiss AI as a fad, and in doing so, create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Worse, these early failures may discourage others from even trying, slowing adoption right when the stakes are highest.
That’s the real trap. The point isn’t just to add AI to yesterday’s problems. It’s to step back, redefine the problems altogether, and then allow technology to solve them in ways that were never possible before. Those starting fresh, unburdened by legacy processes and outdated assumptions, will have the upper hand.
All of this holds true for individuals as well. Many use AI to gain small efficiencies or patch old habits rather than rethinking what truly needs solving. Too often, people believe they’ve mastered it, when in reality, they’re getting impressive incremental results, but not the kind of breakthroughs that could transform their careers or their lives.
Also, for all individuals, independent of your level in an organization, don’t let your company’s complacency steal your time. If your organization isn’t moving quickly and correctly with AI, use this turbulent period to accelerate on your own. Take on small personal passion projects, experiment, and build the muscle now, because doing real project work for real-life applications is the best way to learn.
The difference for everyone will come down to mindset. Leaders who can rethink, reframe, and reset will position their organizations for survival, and possibly dominance. Adam Grant’s Think Again and Chip and Dan Heath’s Switch both highlight why humans resist change, but also how leaders can inspire adaptation. The truth is simple: changing the mindset is no longer optional. It’s existential.
The AI Advantage: Smart Leverage vs. Blind Adoption
These principles are the dividing line between those who end up on the right side of change and those who don’t. Without them, AI becomes just another technology layered on top of old systems, failing to reach its potential, just like so many innovations before it. But this time, the stakes are far higher.
- Architecture matters: Strong technical foundations make or break AI adoption. Without a coherent design, AI only adds confusion and rework. The same goes for individuals: without clear workflows, AI just creates more noise.
- Adaptability is survival: Companies that treat AI as a partner rather than a threat will adapt faster. The same applies to careers: those who lean in and learn will outpace those who resist.
- Rethink everything: Resetting isn’t optional. Organizations must shed decades of baggage (outdated processes, bloated systems, unnecessary work) and point AI to focus only on the real problems and true differentiators. For individuals, that means challenging assumptions about what really adds value in your role.
- Humans still matter: While AI can replace almost any task, the human element remains essential. Just as the 1.2% difference between humans and chimpanzees creates a vast difference, there remains an essential piece of work where humans are irreplaceable: judgment, ethics, empathy, and trust. Imagine if we can get AI to replicate and scale the impact of those few we trust most.
The future won’t be won by those who bolt AI onto every process, but by those who know where it creates lasting advantage. That judgment will mark the line between the organizations that thrive and those that crumble.
The Right and Wrong Sides of History
The captain has put on the seatbelt sign. We’re heading into turbulence: significant, sustained, and unavoidable. Assuming we are right about the great things AI can do for some, rising unemployment, social unrest, wealth disparities, and governments scrambling to react are all likely. The danger isn’t AI turning into “the machines rising.” It’s humans reacting poorly to the disruption.
And the timeline is no longer forgiving. What used to play out over several years will now unfold in just a few. What used to take a couple of years will be measured in months. The short and mid-term are where shocks will be sharpest, and where the split between right and wrong sides will accelerate faster than most leaders are ready for.
While this is guaranteed to be a turbulent ride, I’m betting that someone a lot smarter than me will figure out how to keep the sun coming up every day. And those of us on the right side of this shift will, at the very least, endure, and at best, truly thrive.
The genie is out of the bottle. There’s no going back.
I hope it is not too late, but…My free advice to you is: Move now, but rethink what needs solving, and how you choose to use AI so it can truly help you