The Talking Heads Don’t Speak for Most of Us

A few Sundays ago, I was watching a tech segment on one of the national morning shows. The guest was explaining, with great confidence that we are facing the greatest change in how we live, that AI was going to change all our lives—our work, our homes, and perhaps even our sense of purpose. I remember leaning back in my chair and thinking:

“Whose life are you talking about? It sure doesn’t include most of the people I know.”

That moment crystallized something I’ve been noticing for a while. The people on TV, in blogs, and on podcasts—call them the talking heads—project their own experience onto everyone else. They assume we all went to college, that we all live on our phones, and that we can pivot to whatever “next big thing” comes along after a few YouTube tutorials. And why shouldn’t they? Their colleagues and friends are similar to them and have backgrounds and beliefs that correspond to theirs.

But most of America doesn’t live like that. Most of the people I know—and I’m guessing most of my readers—don’t wake up thinking about how to “optimize our AI workflow.” We wake up thinking about coffee, the day’s to‑do list, maybe a creaky knee, and how to make life a little easier. The people I interact with- retail clerks, waiters, nurses and lab technicians, auto mechanics and, of course other retired people – are not wondering how AI is going to impact them today or this month.

We Are Not All Tech-Savvy Knowledge Workers

Here’s the reality that rarely makes it into those shiny forecasts or perhaps even into the minds of those talking heads:

• More than a third of the U.S. population has only a high school diploma or less.
• About 15% struggle with functional literacy, which means using an app with multi-step instructions can be overwhelming.
• Another big chunk can use tech but can’t easily imagine how it will change their life until it already has.
• And plenty of college students actively avoid technology-heavy topics because coding or data makes their eyes glaze over and something like spreadsheet is a foreign language.

I’ve seen it firsthand. I have friends who can rebuild an engine or manage a crew but freeze up when the doctor’s office tells them to download a “secure health portal” to get their lab results.

So when pundits talk about the “AI revolution,” I can’t help thinking: Half the country will meet that revolution as spectators. They’ll watch—or more likely, they’ll just feel the ripple effects—while the “drivers” of this new world assume everyone is keeping up.

Drivers, Observers, Reactors

Group	Share of Population	Experience of AI Era
Drivers	~10–15%	Shape and deploy new tech
Observers	~40–50%	Notice changes after adoption
Reactors	~30–40%	Feel disruption before they understand it
Resilient Trades	~5–10%	Physical-skill jobs, slowest to be automated

Most of Us Will Watch, Not Lead

Tech forecasters love to paint a picture of endless opportunity. In their version of the future:

• The truck driver becomes a “fleet AI technician.”
• The call center rep moves into “AI workflow supervision.”
• The factory worker suddenly manages a predictive maintenance dashboard.

In my experience, life doesn’t work that smoothly.

Only a small slice of the population has the combination of education, aptitude, and interest to step into those roles quickly. That pool shrinks even more if the jobs require creative problem‑solving with AI, not just pressing the green button on a screen.

For the majority, the reality will look different: we will observe first and react later.

Take autonomous trucking. Tesla’s camera-based system, plus competitors like Aurora and Kodiak, is closing in on the day when long‑haul truckers are replaced on interstates. This is already being tested on Texas highways between Huston and Dallas. Most of those drivers won’t slide seamlessly into high‑tech roles. They’ll simply be out of a job, figuring out what’s next.

And it doesn’t stop with big rigs:

• Food delivery drones and sidewalk robots are already routine for younger generations living in urban areas.
• Boomers (like me -actually I am a pre-boomer) still expect a human hand to bring the burrito or pizza to the door.

I can already imagine the family conversation: “Who’s knocking? Oh wait, that’s the robot.”

I am sure there are many more examples you can think of where early trials are taking place and I will be interesting to see how these progress

The Disconnect Between Headlines and Reality

Here’s what I notice every week:

• Talking heads say: “AI will transform the way we all live and work.”
• Reality: Most people will experience AI as something done to them before they even understand it or realize it is there.

Forecasts sound magical—instant productivity, abundant leisure, new opportunities. But if three‑quarters of the population either can’t, won’t, or doesn’t want to engage deeply with these tools, the forecasts won’t play out as promised. The results could be even more disruptive that anticipated and will create much more chaos than expected.

In my mind, the country splits into four groups:

1. Drivers – Early adopters and developers shaping the tools.
2. Observers – People who notice and adapt after the change is real.
3. Reactors – People who feel the impact first and understand it last.
4. Resilient Trades – Plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, mechanics—jobs that survive because physical skills can’t be downloaded.

And, of course, there is a fifth group of people who will not be included for along time that includes the minimum wages earners, unemployed and umemployable.

Even in business, the pace is wildly uneven. Paralegals, content writers and financial analysts are already seeing AI encroach. Nurses and mechanics may not feel direct effects for some time. And small businesses? Many will struggle to adopt AI fast enough to compete with capital‑rich giants, just like local bookstores could not compete and disappeared when Amazon decided it could sell books directly and at lower costs.

Why This Matters

I’m not cynical—I’m realistic. And reality says that if our public conversation only reflects the top 10%, we’re leaving out the other 90%.

• AI will replace some work faster than it creates new roles for the displaced. (We’ve seen this movie before—ask independent bookstore owners or data entry operators.)
• Small businesses often won’t adopt quickly, leaving big corporations to pull further ahead.
• The psychological divide will deepen—between those shaping the future and those who feel it’s happening to them.

So whenever I see a headline like “AI Will Change Everything,” my first thought is: For whom?

The Future Will Be Uneven

If we continue to plan and talk as if everyone is a Driver, we’re lying to ourselves. And if we build policies, products, and predictions on that illusion, the gap between story and reality will grow.

That’s what I think McCormick’s Means and Meaning missed. He asked, “Cool, now what?”

Here’s my addition: “Cool—for whom, and when?”

Because for most people, the future arrives late. And it doesn’t always feel like progress.

Facebook


Twitter


Youtube