di·chot·o·my

/dīˈkädəmē/

noun

1. a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.”a rigid dichotomy between science and mysticism”

OK, that’s pretty close.

I’ve never been blessed to be a parent, but I have to figure some get to the troubled teenage years and of course love the kid and what they represent about the future, more than where they actually are in life. (Moody, sullen, obstinate or … wherever they happen to be in their lives.)

And so it is with AI.

I love what it represents about the future, being better in so many ways – more cures, less painful chores, etc. – more than what it actually is.

I’ve been a tech geek, end user- (not coder!) style, for a long time.

I was a beta tester for America Online! With my late, great brother Pete.

What a gadget fan he was. We were both excited by the world of computers, and then came the Internet and online, and … I used all the services – CompuServe, GEnie, and IBM/Sears’ pioneering colorful service called Prodigy. The squeal of dial-up modems and … yeah, even early social media, before it took a turn toward troll-ism (which is why I love Reddit, where downvotes send them out of sight).

Back then, who really knew what was coming? No one, really. Not to the specifics.

But we didn’t care. It was such a fun ride into the future!

The AI buzz is, in my humble opinion, not just hype. It will be a roller-coaster, with a natural share of shysters and fast-buck “artists,” but also with truly visionary people in every field.

But in a world full of AI rabbit holes, hard to escape once you dive in, I love to think big-picture.

And I say, may a zillion AI “flowers” bloom – as long as we stay out of the weeds and don’t suffer from allergies.