The Quiet Start of Something Big
Good morning — I’m writing this a little earlier than usual today because something important feels like it’s accelerating around us. If you’ve glanced at the news this week, you may have noticed more headlines about artificial intelligence. Peggy Noonan’s recent Wall Street Journal piece, Brace Yourself for the AI Tsunami, and Matt Shumer’s Fortune article, Something Big is Happening, both point to the same message: technology is moving forward faster than most people expected. The tone isn’t panic — it’s awareness. And that’s exactly where I think we should all be.
The newest wave of AI isn’t just about robots or complicated computer systems. It’s starting to show up in everyday places — customer service calls, medical screenings, financial planning tools, and even the software that helps write emails or organize schedules. The big shift is that these systems are getting better at understanding language, recognizing patterns, and helping people make decisions. For many of us, this will feel less like “new technology” and more like helpful assistants quietly working in the background.
There’s a lot to be excited about. AI is already helping doctors detect diseases earlier, helping businesses reduce costs (which can lower prices), and helping people work faster with less stress. For those of us who didn’t grow up with computers, the good news is that most of these tools are being designed to be simple and conversational — more like talking to a helpful person than programming a machine.
At the same time, this is one of those moments where paying attention matters. Big technology shifts always bring opportunity, but they also bring change. Jobs will evolve. Scams will get more sophisticated. Information will move faster. The people who do best during big transitions are usually the ones who stay curious, ask questions, and learn just enough to stay comfortable with what’s changing around them.
My goal with this column is to help you do exactly that — stay informed without getting overwhelmed. AI isn’t something happening “out there” anymore. It’s moving into everyday life, and it’s moving quickly. The good news is we still have time to understand it, adapt to it, and benefit from it — as long as we stay awake to what’s coming.
More next Friday — bright and early.
Fun Fact: I didn’t write the column above. AI did. I spent about 2 minutes telling it about the context of my weekly newsletter, the age range and tech awareness of my readers, that I wanted the column to be both intriguing and uplifting, and to reference the articles I just read that motivated this topic. The only two edits I made were to the last names of the authors cited. I then asked ChatGPT for a title. Fascinating…
