“The worldwide web is a meeting place and will never be used for commerce.”

I heard those words from a speaker in the late 1990s, when the internet was first becoming a thing. He explained that the internet was created for research, collaboration and conversation and people were expected to contribute. If you tried to sell something, you would be looked down upon.

At the time, he had a point.

The early internet was shaped by researchers, academics and technologists who freely exchanged ideas. Its culture rewarded contribution, not promotion. Then everything changed. The internet became one of the most powerful commercial platforms in history.

Social media followed a similar path. What began as a way to connect with friends became a place to build businesses, establish reputations and reach customers.

Now we are hearing similar resistance to AI. Some of the concerns are valid. We should be asking questions about accuracy, privacy, intellectual property and jobs.

What worries me is when concern becomes a reason not to prepare. Communication professionals leading the way with AI often tell me it is creating more opportunities, not less. They are becoming more efficient, but they are also seeing more possibilities. They can explore more ideas, create better material, serve more people and communicate their expertise more consistently.

Efficiency is only part of the story. Effectiveness is where the real opportunity lies. AI does not automatically make someone an expert, but it can help people apply, communicate and share the expertise they already have.

None of us knows exactly where AI is going. That is the point. The early internet became something many people could not imagine…. AI probably will too.

We do not need to believe every prediction or adopt every new tool, but we should stay curious, experiment and prepare for a future that may look very different from the one we expect.