I have been following the AI revolution since 2022.
Now, more than three years have passed, let me share three predictions about what's next for this AI economy and how to prepare.
Prediction 1: AI will not immediately replace all human labor
AI is becoming smarter and more autonomous, and many people are predicting the extinction of knowledge workers.
If AI is possible, who needs writers, designers, accountants, lawyers, coders?
If an AI-powered robot can do that, who needs a cleaner, a painter, or an assembly worker?
That's the first thought most people have. But when we think more deeply and start to actually make AI work, we realize that it's not just human outcomes.
Certainly, we want accountants to paint our homes with our taxes and painters, but there is more to it.
The truth is that we deal with massive labor shortages in most parts of the world. When it comes to finding workers, big cities aren't that bad.
We are dealing with the enormous labor shortages in small cities and more rural areas.
I live in Leewarden, north of the Netherlands. For almost ten years, there has been a general shortage of doctors. Those who move to our town do not have adequate access to health care.
Having a GP is one of the most important things in life. If you are sick, you need to know that there are doctors who can visit in a day or two.
Well, that's not the case in many places around the world anymore. Will the AI robot doctor come to the rescue? I don't doubt that. But we have been away from the incident for years.
Think about the number of robots they have to build to help current experts in all fields increase demand.
Think about all the physical labor in the world. Factory workers. People under construction.
They need to be built 24/7 for years to make one for everyone.
And then there is digital work that AI replaces. Well, that's all true. You don't need to call an attorney for legal advice anymore. You also don't need to call your accountant for advice on paying less taxes.
But it's here. We still need to have accounting and law firms as they are an important part of modern life. The government wants an accounting firm between you and them. Because it is an additional step that reduces fraud and errors.
I am registered as a Dutch BV, which is the same as an LLC in the US. Technically, I was able to do all the taxes myself and submit them to the tax officer.
But I prepare everything and send it to an accountant at a reputable accounting firm. If there is a problem, the company will take care of everything. So that's a matter of security.
AI replaces many tasks. But as humans, we will always remain involved as we want peace of mind.
Why do readers still follow me for my views and insights? Because I act as a filter and write my own.
My readers believe I am thinking about it. So they can trust what I have to say. I don't see that type of relationship disappearing anytime soon.
Very early on hiring AI in his business (he is selling training at a high-tech company), he fired several people in 2024 and now hires new people again. He reduced the team too much. No matter how good AI is, we still need humans because we are a society built by humans.
Prediction 2: AI improves work-life balance and mental health
What does it do if AI doesn't replace all workers? I think it will make life much easier.
We're already on that track. When I think about the number of times I use ChatGpt all day for things that are not work related, I can't believe it is true.
The other day I asked him to export my entire mother's medical history to ChatGpt over the past five years and analyze all the results. This was a combination of blood work, MRI, CTS, ECG, and other medical findings.
The doctor suspected that there was some kind of rare condition, but ChatGpt claimed that the probability of that condition was very low based on her medical records. Healthcare issues are once a doctor Suspect You have a condition and all the other experts you visit are saying, “Oh, that's another condition you have. So I can't help you.”
“But that hasn't been confirmed.”
Most of it doesn't bother me.
You need to be aware of your medical record and what it says. And now another specialist is beginning to know that ChatGpt is right. The suspicious condition has not been completely ruled out yet, but it is very close. There are also some more exams that need to give you a clearer understanding of what is happening.
Now I should not start using AI in my work as a writer and teacher. I basically use ChatGpt on everything except writing articles and emails.
I love it.
AI has once again regained the joy of writing. I'm looking for ways to do AI that I don't want to do (like designing slides for online courses).
Overall, AI supports mental health and work-life balance. The fact that ChatGpt didn't agree with the doctor and clearly explained that this condition likely made my mother more reassuring. Otherwise, there were many reasons to worry.
For me, AI has completely changed my job. I'm more excited about working and now I can enjoy every aspect.
Forecast 3: AI will boost the economy for years to come
AI infrastructure needs to expand its capabilities and access globally.
We can see the current stages of the AI revolution as the infrastructure phase.
Now you can see faster chips, better local models, more apps, better voice interfaces and more. It's like the early days of the Internet. Everyone still understands that.
And here's what most AI users don't think about: Supporting this shift requires a huge amount of real infrastructure.
I'm talking about data centers. Fiber network. Cooling system. Energy grid. A warehouse filled with GPUs that suck up more power than the entire neighborhood. This is already occurring around the world as AI demand begins to strain local energy supplies. Utility companies are rushing to expand their capacity. Nuclear energy has returned to conversation.
This is more than just software scaling. That's also physical.
AI requires a lot of power. And that means investing in energy more. Data centers pop up in places you've never heard of (for example, large land in Spain was purchased by US companies for the data center).
A whole new economy has just begun. The series of events that AI has launched deepens.
Don't forget about the chip supply chain. You need a fab. You need rare materials. Smarter cooling technology is required. The growth of AI is not just a digital story, it is an industrial story.
That all means trillions of capital investment.
Governments, investors and world's leading companies are moving rapidly to grab early control. Certainly, winners take the most time. However, there are many indirect winners of this revolution.
This interconnectivity in the supply chain will drive growth over the years.
Think about the Internet revolution. It was invented in Arpanet in 1969, but it was not fully integrated into everyday life around the world until around 2010.
Still, it was still the beginning of a true internet revolution. Smartphones, cloud computing and social platforms were beginning to become more common.
The point is that these things take a lot of time.
And AI is still in its early days. So we have a long way to go. This is probably the most exciting thing about AI.
Overall, the economy is poised to experience great growth.
I'm excited. I'm very excited.
