Yesterday I attended my second Artificial Intelligence event at Finger Lakes Community College, and I left with a mix of excitement, concern, and a lot to think about.
The event brought together people from organizations of all sizes, all trying to answer the same question: How do we keep up with artificial intelligence as it rapidly transforms the way we work?
One thing became abundantly clear. AI adoption is happening much faster than many people realize.
The Speed of Adoption
For all the media coverage and hype surrounding AI, I still think most people underestimate just how widespread its use has become. Across industries, companies are experimenting, deploying, and integrating AI into daily operations at a pace that would have seemed unbelievable just a few years ago.
Perhaps even more interesting was the discussion around employee usage. The research presented, along with the personal experiences shared by attendees, pointed toward the same conclusion: people are using AI whether their organizations want them to or not.
AI policies sound good on paper, but they are struggling to keep pace with reality. Employees are finding ways to use these tools because they are often faster, easier, and more effective than traditional approaches. Organizations may try to limit adoption, but many are discovering that the technology has already found its way into day-to-day work.
Fear, Frustration, and Excitement
Throughout the day there was a consistent mix of fear, frustration, and excitement.
The excitement is easy to understand. AI can automate tedious work, increase productivity, uncover insights, and create entirely new opportunities. But there was also a noticeable undercurrent of anxiety. Many people are genuinely concerned about what these changes mean for their careers, their organizations, and their families. (I’ve written before about managing FOMO in the AI era. The short version: focus on what actually matters to your work, not every new announcement.)
A significant portion of the frustration seems to stem from the fact that many businesses never fully adapted to previous waves of technological change. Digital transformation was difficult enough. Remote work introduced new challenges. Data and analytics initiatives often stalled before reaching their full potential. Now AI is arriving and amplifying problems that were never completely solved in the first place.
Everyone Is Trying to Figure Out How to Remain Relevant
I heard plenty of familiar advice about adaptability, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and providing more value. Those things certainly matter. But I also appreciated the moments of honesty. The truth is that no one really knows what the workforce will look like in five or ten years. No one knows exactly what skills today’s students should prioritize or what advice we should be giving our children. (I’ve argued before that AI won’t eliminate work entirely. But the nature of work is clearly shifting.)
What we do know is that AI is already everywhere.
The examples shared ranged from agricultural equipment using robotics and lasers to manage crops, to sophisticated business systems handling tasks that humans were performing only months ago. Automation is no longer confined to factory floors or repetitive manual labor. It is increasingly moving into creative work, analysis, research, planning, and decision support.
That reality can be difficult to confront.
Creating Space for Honest Conversations
I was encouraged by the role that FLCC and similar organizations are playing in these conversations. Rather than pretending they have all the answers, they are creating space for honest discussions about both the uncertainty and the enormous potential ahead.
At the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that many of the people in that room, myself included, may experience significant disruption in the years ahead.
The event reinforced my belief that I am moving in the right direction with what I am building at LVS Digital and the work I am helping drive at Mason Digital. Of course, that’s probably what everyone believes about their own efforts. The challenge is that every day something new replaces something old, and the pace of change feels unlike anything most of us have experienced before.
Good Enough Is Often Enough
What struck me most is that AI doesn’t necessarily need to be perfect to create disruption.
In many areas, particularly creative and knowledge work, “good enough” is often enough. If an AI system can produce work that is acceptable, deliver it instantly, and do it for a fraction of the cost, it creates pressure on existing processes and business models. Work that might have taken a team days or weeks, and cost significantly more, can increasingly be completed in minutes.
That’s not an especially comforting thought.
But it feels like an honest one.
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