Roses or Thorns? The Dilemma of the 21st Century AI-driven world

AI, AI, AI... those two letters are everywhere, echoing in conversations, headlines, and corporate strategies. Yet, for all its hype, how many truly understand what it does? Among those benefiting from AI, less than 1% grasp its inner workings. And within that small fraction, even fewer can explain how these models generate insights—let alone mimic reasoning.

Meanwhile, media outlets have feasted on the AI frenzy, churning out headlines like: "AI will replace software engineers," "Founders no longer need developers," "A future without work," and "AI will cure cancer." Grand claims, few of which hold up under scrutiny.

AI is a paradox—both promising and unsettling. It’s reshaping industries, redefining creativity, and challenging the very nature of human labour. But where does the real dilemma lie? Will AI transform how we live, love, and even die? And if so, are we steering it—or is it steering us?

Roses

In the late 19th century, Tesla bet on the superiority of AC (alternating current) to DC (direct current) against Edison and some of his peers. One major advantage of DC is that it can be easily manipulated to get useful work done with minimized losses. With transformers, you could step up the current after a few kilometres to maintain its output.

Like electricity, every technology has a lot more net positive to the world. Most new tech improves our lives, especially if you consider the fact that the average middle-class person in 2025 lives a way richer life today than the English royal family in the 1500s. Although most new tech is a net positive, the scope of impact always tends to vary.

The positive strides made within the machine learning world have been nothing short of amazing, it is accurate to count it as having the biggest impact on how we live and work compared to any other technological advance.

Ideas can now be more easily filtered. More people can now compete squarely in the creative economy - all you really have to do is put on your creative hats. I remember in 2021 and 2022, I earned a decent income writing for companies and a few startups. A lot of my thinking would revolve around defining the structure and spending time curating my thoughts before finally putting the ink on the sheets. At that rate, I could produce a max of 2 or 3 quality articles in a week depending on the length.

Assuming I still wrote the same articles in 2025, my workflow would be similar, albeit greatly improved and efficient. I would probably pen my topic and design a structure that would convey my thoughts. Using chatGPT or any other generative models, I would input my idea and structure and ask for an improvement. This would then filter and improve my plan - I would then go ahead to write and then share my manuscript for improvement and viola a quality article in some hours.

With AI (Artificial Intelligence), human-to-computer collaboration has burst in boundless directions making work easier. The other amazing part is how much the gap of expertise has collapsed. Learning is now literally on steroids because you have a personal librarian at your beck and call. But these and more are the roses - what does this new world mean on the contrary?

Thorns

In 1945, the United States became the first nation on the planet to use atomic weaponry for warfare. Today the number of nations with nuclear warheads has increased. The splitting of the atom brought an end to the Second World War, but today it threatens world peace. One piece of tech multi-dimensional possibilities.

The new AI-driven world cannot be left out of a similar comparison. A few years ago, it used to be that you needed to hire different skilled labour for specialized work. Picture a video content creator - you would need a script-writer, get a graphics artist to make a design, get a voice engineer to work on the audio and a video editor would lay text on the video for better captions.

Today, one person who is aware of the right tools could do these jobs with ease - an AI agent exists for creating YouTube covers and images, another one exists for editing audio and adding what you want, and another one can add captions on the video easily, another could easily generate your scripts etc

The fear of job loss has been one of the biggest concerns. For ecosystems where labour would not be lost to machines, the demand has been said to be more diluted now than ever.

For others, the fear with AI is that we will create a generation where expertise is not adored as much anymore because AI agents are going to exist for everything. The question then becomes when the minds who can create these machines become less incentivized to become experts what would become of our world?

Yet, another school of thought is more apocalyptic and it is that as we approach AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), machines could become more intelligent and somehow take over our world. One would argue that such is far-fetched - but we can never know.

I have often learned to not pick sides. Every technology opens up possibilities - it ends some trades and creates new ones. So the concern for me isn't to get so used to the old that I am unable to embrace the new. Change is inevitable.

Whether roses or thorns the key component is change. How can we handle change? especially when all we've known begins to crumble like a house of cards.

Dealing with Change

Change, especially when propelled by relentless technological advances, can be both exhilarating and unnerving. In this era of AI-driven transformation, our established routines and comfort zones are constantly being challenged. Yet, history teaches us that every revolution—be it industrial, digital, or biological—has ultimately paved the way for innovation, growth, and a redefinition of human potential.

How to navigate change:

1. Embrace Lifelong Learning: The key to navigating this shifting landscape lies in our ability to learn continuously. As traditional roles evolve or even vanish, new opportunities arise in fields we’ve yet to imagine. Embracing a mindset of lifelong learning is not merely about acquiring technical skills, but also about fostering adaptability and curiosity. Whether it’s upskilling through online courses, engaging in interdisciplinary projects, or simply staying informed about emerging trends, each step forward strengthens our resilience against uncertainty.
2. Cultivate Adaptability: Much like the transition from manual to digital tools, the integration of AI into our daily work is not a signal of obsolescence but an invitation to adapt. Cultivating adaptability means rethinking the way we approach problems, valuing creativity over rote expertise, and being willing to experiment with new methods—even if they initially feel foreign. In practice, this might involve leveraging AI to handle routine tasks, thereby freeing up time to engage in strategic, high-level thinking that machines cannot replicate.
3. Redefine Expertise: The traditional markers of expertise are being reshaped in an era where information is instantly accessible and tasks can be automated. This shift challenges us to look beyond conventional credentials and instead value skills like critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to connect disparate ideas. In a world where AI can produce art, write code, or even suggest business strategies, human insight remains indispensable. The art of decision-making—balancing data with intuition—will become one of our most valued competencies.
4. Foster a Culture of Collaboration: The transformation at hand is not a battle between humans and machines, but a collaboration that can amplify our capabilities. Rather than resisting change out of fear of being replaced, we should focus on how technology can augment our creative and analytical skills. By working alongside AI, we can achieve outcomes that neither could realize alone. This collaborative approach requires open-mindedness and a willingness to integrate new tools into our established workflows, thus making us more efficient and inventive.
5. Maintain Ethical Grounding: As we adapt to these rapid changes, it’s imperative to engage with the ethical implications of our new reality. Reflecting on the lessons from the past—whether the triumphs of AC over DC or the double-edged legacy of nuclear technology—reminds us that every breakthrough comes with responsibilities. Establishing robust ethical frameworks and engaging in ongoing dialogue about the societal impacts of AI ensures that progress is both sustainable and inclusive.
6. Celebrate the Journey: Ultimately, change is an invitation to reimagine what’s possible. It’s natural to feel a sense of loss as the familiar gives way to the novel, but every transition brings with it the promise of new beginnings. By viewing change not as a threat but as an opportunity for reinvention, we empower ourselves to not only survive in an AI-enhanced world but to thrive.

In the end, dealing with change is less about clinging to what was and more about harnessing the potential of what could be. As we navigate this evolving landscape, our ability to learn, adapt, and collaborate will determine not just how we cope with change, but how we shape a future that is richer, more equitable, and imbued with human creativity.