Fun Is Always Step One
If you want to predict how a new technology will change the world, don’t watch the keynote speeches or read the manifestos about solving humanity’s greatest challenges. Instead, look for three things: Who’s using it to have fun, who’s using it for “romance” and relationships, and who’s using it to chase riches. Time and time again, these supposedly “frivolous” use cases end up as pre-cursors for mainstream adoption.
Remember when the internet was going to revolutionize education and democracy? Sure, that happened eventually – but first, we all had to spend a decade sharing cat videos and arguing in chat rooms. Those “time-wasting” activities taught an entire generation how to navigate digital spaces, create content, and build online communities.
And here we are again. The AI revolution promises to solve climate change, cure diseases, and unlock the secrets of the universe. And it probably will! But first, we’re watching people fall in love with AI chatbots, generate their own art and music, and make digital versions of their favorite celebrities do ridiculous things.
History is just repeating itself with higher stakes and better graphics. Let’s look at what’s really happening:
AI companions and digital relationships? We’ve seen this movie before – literally. From phone sex lines to dating apps, lonely people have always been early adopters of new ways to make “connections”. The only difference is that now your digital companion can quote Shakespeare and remember your birthday. Today’s “weird” AI relationships will likely become tomorrow’s normal, just like online dating evolved from “desperate and dangerous” to “how I met your mother.”
The explosion of AI-generated art and music? On the surface it might look like people are just playing around, but the impact is profound: millions of users are learning to become prompt engineers, understanding model capabilities, and developing an intuitive grasp of how AI thinks. Sure, they’re making their favorite actors star in fake movie trailers today, but those skills will translate to professional applications tomorrow.
What about memecoins? While traditional Investors are shaking their head about the explosion of memecoins, millions of people are getting their first exposure to blockchain technology, opening and funding accounts, and trading through DOGE, PEPECOIN, GME and PNUT. They’re reading charts, analyzing trends, and understanding market psychology – all while sharing jokes with an energetic online community about dogs and frogs.
Some are getting rich and some are losing their shirts, but regardless of the individual outcomes, it’s difficult to overlook all the entertainment that memecoins are generating. The same people dismissing this as foolishness probably thought Twitter was just for sharing what you had for lunch.
The pattern is clear: entertainment and vice aren’t distractions from “serious” technology adoption – in many cases they’re the catalyst for it. The skills people develop while “wasting time” with new technology become the foundation for its mainstream applications.
Our world has been transformed time and time again by technology that found its footing in humanity’s endless quest for a good time. And to the people who are trying to invert the adoption curve and jump directly to serious applications….good luck! You’d be better served to play around with all the emerging new tech, have some fun while you’re learning and do your best to enjoy the ride!
