AI: Overhyped Bubble or Overhated Revolution

AI Revolution?

There’s a growing chorus online claiming that AI is overhyped, but could it just be the growing pains of an AI Revolution?

“It’s just like the dot-com bubble,” they say. “The crash is coming.” Some even go as far as to call today’s AI landscape a fleeting trend - flashy, shallow, and headed for a fall.

But those voices are missing something essential.

Not just a detail, but a historical pattern… a rhythm that has played out time and time again throughout technological history.

A pattern that tells us one thing loud and clear: whenever a specialized piece of technology becomes generalized - accessible, adaptable, and democratized… we witness a full-blown revolution.

The Historical Pattern of Tech Revolutions

Let’s rewind for a moment and look at the past.

The Personal Computer (PC):

Once upon a time, computers were massive machines locked in government labs or university basements. They were built for a single purpose: number crunching. Only trained specialists could use them, and their applications were narrow.

Then the PC was born. It was clunky, yes. Expensive, sure. But it was personal. It brought the power of computation to the average person. Over time, it became indispensable—used for writing, accounting, art, music, gaming, and connecting with others.

That shift—from specialized number-crunchers to versatile, mass-market machines—didn’t create a bubble. It created a tidal wave that redefined how we live, work, and think.

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The Internet:

Originally developed as a research tool for academics and a communication system for the military, the internet was never meant for the general public. It was complicated, technical, and obscure.

Then came the World Wide Web. Suddenly, anyone could build a website. Anyone could connect. Information flowed freely, businesses sprang up overnight, and social networks rewired our social fabric.

It wasn’t just about websites—it was about access. Once the internet was generalized, it changed everything.

The AI Moment: From Niche to Norm

For decades, AI was stuck in the lab. It lived in research papers, PhD dissertations, and proprietary code behind closed doors. It was a field reserved for data scientists and engineers with massive compute budgets and years of mathematical training.

But not anymore.

Now, anyone can spin up an AI chatbot, generate artwork, write code, analyze data, or build a virtual assistant. With tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Claude, Whisper, and countless no-code AI platforms, the power of artificial intelligence has been handed to the masses.

This isn’t hype. This is the tipping point.

We’re not witnessing a bubble—we’re watching the generalization of a once-niche technology. And if history is any indicator, this is precisely the moment when revolutions begin.

The Innovation Flywheel Has Been Unlocked

When technology becomes general-purpose, the innovation flywheel kicks in:

• Lower Barriers to Entry: Suddenly, startups, artists, educators, and tinkerers can build with AI. No PhD required.

• New Business Models Emerge: AI isn’t just a feature—it’s a foundation for new markets, tools, and services.

• Creativity Explodes: We’re already seeing AI-written novels, AI-assisted film production, generative music, and hyper-personalized content creation.

• Global Collaboration Increases: Just like open-source software, AI tools are being shared, remixed, and improved at lightning speed.

Sure, not every idea will succeed. Some companies will flame out. Some tools will disappoint. But to focus solely on the noise is to miss the symphony underneath.

We’re Early, Not Wrong

Remember when people said the internet was a fad? Or that no one would ever want a computer in their home?

It’s easy to be cynical about new technology, especially when there’s so much hype. But it’s just as easy to be blind to the momentum of history.

What we’re seeing now isn’t a tech bubble. It’s the early innings of the most significant paradigm shift since the internet.

It’s Like… History, Bro

If you’re watching AI and thinking “this feels overblown,” take a step back. Look at the larger arc. History tells us that when we democratize something powerful, everything changes. We’re not overhyping AI. We’re underestimating the scale of what’s coming.

This isn’t a crash waiting to happen. It’s a revolution already underway.

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Randall Thomas is a technologist, storyteller, and founder exploring the intersection of humanity and technology. He builds at the edge of AI, security, and social impact.

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