A Quiet Revolution
Matt Schumer, the chief executive of AI firm Hyperwrite, has issued a compelling alert regarding the swift and profound impact of artificial intelligence
on our world. He articulates in his widely discussed essay, "Something Big Is Happening," that the public generally underestimates the magnitude and speed of this impending technological wave. Schumer, who immerses himself in the AI landscape daily, often finds himself simplifying complex realities for friends and family who inquire about AI's significance. He admits his usual social explanations, a polite "cocktail-party version," fail to capture the true scope of what is unfolding. His intention in writing is to convey the full picture to those he cares about, acknowledging that the ultimate direction of AI is steered by a very small cadre of brilliant minds at leading institutions like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind, rather than the broader industry.
Sudden, Not Gradual
Schumer draws a powerful parallel between the sudden societal upheaval caused by COVID-19 and the potential impact of AI. He vividly recalls how life transitioned from normalcy to widespread lockdowns in mere weeks, suggesting AI's disruption of jobs and industries could occur with similar alacrity, eschewing a decades-long evolutionary process. He posits that we are currently in a phase where the AI threat seems overblown, but this perception belies a much larger impending shift, one that could dwarf the scale of the pandemic's effects. This acceleration is attributed to a concentrated pool of talent driving AI's rapid advancement, hinting at a future shaped by a select few rather than a widespread industry consensus. Schumer emphasizes the urgency, stating that the conversation about AI's impact needs to move from a future consideration to an immediate understanding of a present reality.
AI Masters His Work
The CEO shared a personal testament to AI's capabilities, revealing that it now handles the majority of his technical duties. He describes a workflow where he articulates his desired outcomes to the AI, departs for a period, and returns to find the task not only completed but executed with superior quality and accuracy, requiring no revisions. This represents a significant evolution from just a few months prior, when he was actively engaged in guiding and editing the AI's output. Now, the process has simplified to merely defining the end goal. This personal experience reinforces the notion presented by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who suggested that AI could potentially eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar positions, underscoring the pervasive reach of this technology across various professional domains.
Broad Industry Impact
Schumer's outlook extends beyond specific skill sets, highlighting AI's capacity for complex cognitive tasks. He foresees significant disruption across numerous sectors, including law, finance, journalism, content creation, software development, healthcare, and customer service. The advanced AI models being developed now exhibit decision-making prowess that mimics human judgment, demonstrating an intuitive grasp of the appropriate course of action, not merely a technically correct one. This capacity for nuanced understanding and execution means that a wide array of knowledge-based professions are vulnerable to significant transformation or even displacement by these sophisticated artificial intelligence systems, making the need for adaptation critical.
Embrace the Change
Schumer's message is not intended to instill fear but to foster preparedness. He stresses that the most significant advantage individuals can possess in the coming years is to be proactive: early in understanding AI, early in utilizing its capabilities, and early in adapting to its evolving landscape. While not offering financial advice, he strongly suggests that maintaining financial resilience is paramount, especially if one acknowledges the potential for substantial industry disruption. He firmly believes AI is not a fleeting trend but a robust and predictably improving technology backed by massive institutional investment. Schumer predicts the next two to five years will be disorienting for many unprepared individuals, as the AI revolution, already a daily reality in his field, is poised to impact everyone's professional lives.
