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Friday, June 20, 2025

Forget the AI Hype: Two Lessons on What Drives Technology Adoption

Introduction

When a new technology like Artificial Intelligence or rather the Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini enters our work and lives, our attention is often misdirected. We see a familiar pattern: on one side, there is hype and optimism about solving all our problems; on the other, there is anxiety about control and obsolescence. A third group quickly emerges: self-styled experts who profit from this confusion by selling courses on the technical specifications of the new tools, without telling people why and how they should use the new technology.



This is happening now with AI, just as it did with the personal computer. However, the history of technology adoption teaches a clear lesson. The primary obstacles to implementation are not technical; they are psychological and institutional. Success does not come from understanding the machine itself, but from creating an environment where it becomes genuinely useful. Below I describe the two main barriers to technology adoption, and neither is technical.

Forget the AI Hype: Two Lessons on What Drives Technology Adoption

Introduction When a new technology like Artificial Intelligence or rather the Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini enters ou...