Feeling like you’re late to the AI party? Trust me, you’re not alone. Every few years, a new technology makes a big splash, and it’s easy to feel like you’ve missed the boat if you’re not on board right away.
But here’s the thing: technology evolve over decades, and proper adoption and behavior creation even longer. And it happens in waves.
Let me take you back in time.
The Internet: In the early ’90s, the internet was clunky and slow. Websites were text-heavy, and “surfing the web” meant waiting minutes for a page to load. By the mid-2000s, companies like Google and Facebook had started showing us what was possible. Today, we can’t imagine life without it, from video calls to online shopping. The real transformation didn’t happen overnight—it took decades.
E-Commerce: Remember the dot-com bubble of the late ’90s? Everyone was hyping up online shopping, but there were huge challenges—payments weren’t seamless, logistics were a nightmare, and many businesses failed. It wasn’t until companies like Amazon started focusing on customer experience and supply chain efficiency in the 2000s that e-commerce truly took off. Fast forward to today, and ordering groceries online is second nature. But that too to a limited user base.
Data Analytics: Early analytics tools in the 2000s were designed for experts. Businesses struggled to make sense of the data they collected. But as tools evolved, so did their accessibility. Today, even small businesses use platforms like Google Analytics to understand their customers, and fitness apps crunch data to guide our daily steps. Even today, majority just do SQL-based reports.
AI is following the same trajectory.
Right now, we’re in the infrastructure phase—the first wave. Companies are building tools and foundational models, like ChatGPT, which can do amazing things but require effort and experimentation to get real value.
The second wave will bring practical applications—AI tools designed for specific industries and everyday use. Think user-friendly AI solutions that solve real problems and don’t require a Ph.D. to operate.
In time, AI will become so embedded in our lives that we’ll barely notice it—just like the internet, e-commerce, or even electricity.
But the keyword is “In time”. Though technology can evolve, human behavior and anciliary infrastructure and governance do not evolve so quickly.
So, if you’re worried that you’re not fully riding the current wave, don’t be. You’re not behind; you’re pacing yourself. The key is to invest time in understanding and experimenting today, so you’re ready for the next wave—the one that truly creates value.
AI is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. And the good news is that there will always be more waves—more opportunities to leverage the technology in meaningful ways.
What’s your take?