It took me some time to understand the true appeal of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a developer, I've been writing software to optimize, systemize, and automate tasks long before AI became mainstream. I've developed software for automation, simplification, and eliminating human labour from the equation.

The Philosophy

What I'm about to share is more philosophical than practical. It's a perspective on life, business, and everything in between. It's a universal truth.

The reason AI is so appealing to many people is because humans are inherently lazy. This isn't a negative trait, but rather a result of our evolutionary genetics. We're programmed to conserve energy and exert the minimum viable effort to survive. This is where AI comes in. It appeals to our core genetic programming of automation, giving people their time back.

In reality, AI appeals to our desire for automation and our inherent laziness. The "get rich quick and easy" ideology is laced within the entire industry of automation (and AI).

Appeal to "laziness" is evident in government programs, such as universal basic income and welfare. These systems are built on the idea of providing for those who don't work. And there are plenty of suckers to join in.

I'm not suggesting that everyone on welfare is lazy. Many recipients have faced misfortune and welfare was the only way to get back on their feet. They eagerly returned to jobs.

However, an overwhelming amount of participants prefer not to work. Ever.

I recall when I was laid off from a corporate job. I received unemployment benefits. It was a company-funded insurance against being laid off.

But I realized that I would earn less from a minimum-wage job than from these benefits. Instead of seeking employment, I started a business. Had I been the "lazy" type, I'd filed for welfare and joined numerous federal and state hardship programs.

Even, being an ambitious person, it was tempting to continue receiving those benefits rather than getting a job.

This was many years ago and I made the right choice.

Today, we have AI promising "free money" to those who do not want to work. However, this is nothing but an illusion.

AI: A Tool for the Ambitious

However, there's a small percentage of people, less than 1%, who are not content with idleness. These individuals have an insatiable desire to work nonstop. For them, AI can exponentially multiply their efforts. What AI can do for the lazy, it can do so much more for those who exert effort.

If you fall into the lazy category, you may be susceptible to scams, fraud, and get-rich-quick schemes. The internet is filled with content promising wealth with minimal effort. For your own sake, ignore this content.

Instead of looking for ways AI can make money for you, look for ways AI can multiply your existing output. Assume AI never existed and consider the workload you would do without it. Then, utilize AI to multiply this output. This is the correct approach to AI.