Here is a playful but serious thought.

What if the biggest risk around AI is not that people will use it too much, but that the people who could benefit the most will be talked out of using it at all?

For years we have heard the same story. Underserved communities often have weaker access to current textbooks, updated materials, and specialized instruction. That gap has always turned into an opportunity gap.

AI changes that equation in a very real way.

Right now, anyone with a basic device and an internet connection can ask complex questions, get layered explanations, generate study guides, simulate tutoring, practice writing, and explore technical subjects that used to require expensive books or formal programs.

That is not hype. That is already happening.

So here is my conspiracy flavored question.

What if the loud fear messaging around AI — that it is dangerous, untrustworthy, job killing, society breaking — ends up discouraging adoption most strongly among the very communities that could use it as a ladder?

I am not saying there is a secret committee in a dark room planning this. I am saying incentives matter and outcomes matter.

Here is the consistent pattern with every major technology shift.

People who learn the tools early gain leverage.
People who avoid the tools become dependent on those who did not.

We saw it with computers. We saw it with the internet. We saw it with cloud systems and cybersecurity. The early learners shaped the systems everyone else now has to use.

AI is not magic and it is not always right. It makes mistakes. It reflects bias in its training data. It requires verification and judgment. But so do books, teachers, media sources, and institutions.

Fear alone is not a strategy. Literacy is.

If someone refuses to use AI because they are told it is scary, while others use it daily to learn faster, write better, analyze problems, and automate routine work, the outcome is predictable. The capability gap grows.

My position is simple.

AI is a power tool for the mind.
Used carelessly, it causes damage.
Used intentionally, it multiplies capability.

Instead of leading with fear, we should be leading with responsible use, critical thinking, and verification skills. Especially in the places where people were told for years they lacked access to good educational resources.

AI does not remove the need to think. It raises the ceiling for people who are willing to.

Also, for legal reasons, I am required to disclose that AI made me write this.

…please ignore that last sentence.

…actually do not ignore it.

…connection lost…