COMMENTARY: Every major technological leap sparked fear. People once called electricity dangerous, and President Benjamin Harrison refused to touch the light switches in the White House, ordering staff to do it instead. In the 1990s, many dismissed the internet as a passing fad.
Each of these advances reshaped society more than its skeptics imagined. AI will do the same. It will not pause for us, so we must guide it with wisdom.
As a CEO and a father of four, I see this shift up close, both in business and in my home life. AI is embedding itself into daily routines as the internet once did for mine. It is already everywhere: useful, often invisible, and capable of extraordinary help and lasting harm. That is the opportunity. That is also the responsibility.
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Fear slows. Foresight accelerates.
Fear tells us to wait until we are certain. But in a world changing this quickly, hesitation is the riskiest move. Those who engage thoughtfully, with safeguards, shape the future. Those who sit out will have it shaped for them. Progress requires deliberation, not paralysis.
Recent LinkedIn data found more than half of professionals say keeping up with AI feels like another job, and 40% report that the pace of change affects their well-being. Conversations about AI at work surged 111% in the U.S. this year, with Gen Z workers are already feeling the strain. I see that firsthand, not just in the office but around my own dinner table. The next generation is already navigating it.
Trust is the foundation
AI is no longer just answering work questions — it is beginning to play roles once reserved for people. Microsoft recently reported that many mothers are turning to AI for parenting and emotional support, describing it as “the newest member of their parenting village” that offers judgment-free, 24/7 guidance (Microsoft, 2025).
But when guardrails fail, the consequences can be devastating. As the New York Times recently reported, when those guardrails fail, the consequences can be devastating — including cases where vulnerable people received harmful advice from AI chatbots (
NYT, 2025). These stories underscore why trust has not caught up with use.
A global survey of 48,000 people across 47 countries found that while two-thirds use AI regularly, fewer than half say they trust it (
KPMG, 2025). In the U.S., a Pew study found that most Americans feel more concerned than excited about AI, and 60% say they would be uncomfortable if their doctor relied on it (Pew Research, 2023).
One reason is that AI sometimes hallucinates, generating answers that sound confident but are false. The same question can even yield different responses. That unpredictability should not erase trust, but it should drive us to design systems that admit uncertainty and explain their limits. Some of the newest AI models, including
the latest version of ChatGPT, attempt to do this by reducing factual errors and adding the ability to say “I don’t know” when information is unreliable.
Transparency, humility, and openness to correction are not extras. They are the foundation of trust.
Curiosity beats caution
If I could spark one cultural shift, it would be to replace fear with curiosity. In my organization, we do not see AI as a replacement for people. We see it as a tool: automate what you can, so humans can focus on higher-value challenges.
Create safe spaces to experiment, even to fail. In AI, progress favors the willing, not the perfect.
AI leadership will shape fairness, opportunity, and public trust. Done well, it can reduce bias, fight misinformation, and widen access to education and jobs. Done poorly, it can deepen inequality and erode trust. That is why education matters. People need to understand AI’s boundaries: what it can do, where it falls short, and when to cross-check. Companies and agencies must speak plainly about limitations, hallucinations, blind spots, and errors. If people do not know when to double-check, they will not know when to trust.
If fear prevails, we leave progress to those less thoughtful. If we act with responsibility and foresight, we can protect privacy, build trust, and create space for sustainable innovation. The internet changed how we live. AI will shape who we become. Our obligation is clear: approach this era not with fear, but with the deliberation and wisdom it demands. That is how we build a future worth inheriting.
