AI is Here — What Is Holding You Back?

[AI THINK TANK]

Over the past few days, a thought-provoking post circulating across overseas social media platforms has caught the attention of business owners and entrepreneurs around the world.

Its message comes down to one simple question:
“AI Is Here. What Is Holding You Back?”
For many people who have spent too much time doubting themselves, overthinking their next move or wondering where their business is heading, the post has been something of a wake-up call. For others who have been through a difficult period, it has given them a fresh sense of direction.
So what exactly is the post trying to tell us?
It starts with a very simple question: What does your business actually need right now?
More purchase orders? More sale channels? More customers? More capital? More opportunities?
These days, we constantly hear people saying that the economy is slowing down, markets are getting tougher, competition is becoming more intense, and business is simply harder to do.

But the post cuts through all of that with one very direct point:
Maybe the problem is not that there is no demand for what you have. Maybe the people who need what you offer simply cannot find you.
Somewhere else in the world, businesses are looking for suppliers and manufacturers.
Companies are looking for good products and services they can represent or distribute.
Corporate groups entering new markets are looking for reliable local professionals and business partners.
Investment funds are looking for promising companies and projects.
Advisory firms are looking for businesses, technologies and resources for clients planning mergers, acquisitions or listings.
In other words, many of the things businesses believe they are short of — customers, resources, partners, capital and opportunities — already exist somewhere in the market.
The real problem is often much simpler: You cannot find them, and they cannot find you.
A potential partner may have no idea that you are looking for exactly what they can offer.
A customer who needs your product, service or expertise may not even know that your business exists.

And even when two sides do find each other, another question quickly comes up:
Can I trust you? Can you deliver? Can we actually do business together?
This is where AI changes the game.
AI is making it much easier for businesses in different parts of the world to communicate, understand each other, connect with the right people and explore opportunities that would once have taken far more time, money and effort.

Language is becoming less of a barrier.
Finding and matching business opportunities is becoming faster.
Cross-border communication is becoming easier.
And businesses no longer need to rely only on the people, customers and opportunities within their immediate circle.
Those who learn how to use AI Enablement Platforms to connect with global business opportunities now will have a very different starting point from those who wait.
They can start positioning their businesses globally before everyone else does.
They can look beyond a weak or saturated domestic market.
They can turn surplus and under-used products, capacity, technology, networks and other resources into new sources of commercial value.
Most importantly, they can start looking for a way forward before their competitors do.
Sometimes, a difficult market is exactly when the next opportunity begins.

And that leads to the post’s most hard-hitting message:
“The truth is, you may not actually be short of anything. And it is not that you do not know enough. What you need most right now is action.”
You do not need to understand everything about AI before you start.
You do not need every condition to be perfect.
You do not need to wait until someone else proves that it works.
Try it. Learn from it. Adjust. Try again.
Because if you keep waiting until the path is completely clear, there is a good chance someone else will already be on it.
That is perhaps why the post has resonated with so many people. It has helped some business owners stop asking, “Why is business getting harder?” and start asking a much more useful question: “What can I do now that I could not do before?”
So here is the final reminder:
Move while your competitors are still watching.
Learn while others are still wondering whether they should.
Start building your position while the opportunity is still new.
Because once everyone can see where the opportunity is, the first-mover advantage is already gone.

AI is here. The opportunity is here.
The question is: what is still holding you back?

 

[Newchodge]

Over the past few days, a thought-provoking post circulating across overseas social media platforms has caught the attention of business owners and entrepreneurs around the world.

Its message comes down to one simple question:
“AI Is Here. What Is Holding You Back?”
For many people who have spent too much time doubting themselves, overthinking their next move or wondering where their business is heading, the post has been something of a wake-up call. For others who have been through a difficult period, it has given them a fresh sense of direction.
So what exactly is the post trying to tell us?
It starts with a very simple question: What does your business actually need right now?
More purchase orders? More sale channels? More customers? More capital? More opportunities?
These days, we constantly hear people saying that the economy is slowing down, markets are getting tougher, competition is becoming more intense, and business is simply harder to do.

But the post cuts through all of that with one very direct point:
Maybe the problem is not that there is no demand for what you have. Maybe the people who need what you offer simply cannot find you.
Somewhere else in the world, businesses are looking for suppliers and manufacturers.
Companies are looking for good products and services they can represent or distribute.
Corporate groups entering new markets are looking for reliable local professionals and business partners.
Investment funds are looking for promising companies and projects.
Advisory firms are looking for businesses, technologies and resources for clients planning mergers, acquisitions or listings.
In other words, many of the things businesses believe they are short of — customers, resources, partners, capital and opportunities — already exist somewhere in the market.
The real problem is often much simpler: You cannot find them, and they cannot find you.
A potential partner may have no idea that you are looking for exactly what they can offer.
A customer who needs your product, service or expertise may not even know that your business exists.

And even when two sides do find each other, another question quickly comes up:
Can I trust you? Can you deliver? Can we actually do business together?
This is where AI changes the game.
AI is making it much easier for businesses in different parts of the world to communicate, understand each other, connect with the right people and explore opportunities that would once have taken far more time, money and effort.

Language is becoming less of a barrier.
Finding and matching business opportunities is becoming faster.
Cross-border communication is becoming easier.
And businesses no longer need to rely only on the people, customers and opportunities within their immediate circle.
Those who learn how to use AI Enablement Platforms to connect with global business opportunities now will have a very different starting point from those who wait.
They can start positioning their businesses globally before everyone else does.
They can look beyond a weak or saturated domestic market.
They can turn surplus and under-used products, capacity, technology, networks and other resources into new sources of commercial value.
Most importantly, they can start looking for a way forward before their competitors do.
Sometimes, a difficult market is exactly when the next opportunity begins.

And that leads to the post’s most hard-hitting message:
“The truth is, you may not actually be short of anything. And it is not that you do not know enough. What you need most right now is action.”
You do not need to understand everything about AI before you start.
You do not need every condition to be perfect.
You do not need to wait until someone else proves that it works.
Try it. Learn from it. Adjust. Try again.
Because if you keep waiting until the path is completely clear, there is a good chance someone else will already be on it.
That is perhaps why the post has resonated with so many people. It has helped some business owners stop asking, “Why is business getting harder?” and start asking a much more useful question: “What can I do now that I could not do before?”
So here is the final reminder:
Move while your competitors are still watching.
Learn while others are still wondering whether they should.
Start building your position while the opportunity is still new.
Because once everyone can see where the opportunity is, the first-mover advantage is already gone.

AI is here. The opportunity is here.
The question is: what is still holding you back?

The unacceptable environmental cost.

 

[Ozzy]

This post was sat in our moderator spam folder, and I would normally delete and not approve it, but with all the discussion on here lately about AI I took a different approach.

I have already edited your post @AI THINK TANK to remove all the horrible fonts, silly font sizes, and I have also edited the post formatting to make it easier to read. The way it was posted was, what I would suggest, was one of the worse uses of AI that I have seen.

So, picking up on the question you have asked in your post, I would suggest your post on here is one of the best examples of what is holding people back. It is that people see so many badly formatted, teenager emoji filled, crazy font filled, ludicrous claim making posts, that it puts people off using AI.

 

[ctrlbrk]

AI slop such as this is surely holding everyone back.

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

I have already edited your post @AI THINK TANK to remove all the horrible fonts, silly font sizes, and I have also edited the post formatting to make it easier to read.

You should have left it in its original state for us to see!

 

[fisicx]

You should have left it in its original state for us to see!

It was really bad.

 

[AI THINK TANK]

This post was sat in our moderator spam folder, and I would normally delete and not approve it, but with all the discussion on here lately about AI I took a different approach.

I have already edited your post @AI THINK TANK to remove all the horrible fonts, silly font sizes, and I have also edited the post formatting to make it easier to read. The way it was posted was, what I would suggest, was one of the worse uses of AI that I have seen.

So, picking up on the question you have asked in your post, I would suggest your post on here is one of the best examples of what is holding people back. It is that people see so many badly formatted, teenager emoji filled, crazy font filled, ludicrous claim making posts, that it puts people off using AI.

Hi Ozzy,
Thank you for approving the post and taking the time to optimize the formatting. I truly appreciate your help in making it much easier to read.
I completely agree with your point about quality. To ensure the focus remains entirely on the core content, please feel free to remove all the emojis from the post.
Thanks again for maintaining the standards of this community.

 

[fisicx]

As @AI THINK TANK cant even get their AI agent to properly respond I think they have answered their own question.

 

[ctrlbrk]

As @AI THINK TANK cant even get their AI agent to properly respond I think they have answered their own question.

To be fair to AI, some humans get it wrong too!

 

[Ozzy]

Thanks again for maintaining the standards of this community.

You're welcome.
So enlighten us, what is holding us back from using AI? and will it cause the fires as symbolised in the closing emojis from your final comment in your earlier post?

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

The unacceptable environmental cost.

I don't know why they came up this old chestnut
Cyndy its nowhere near as bad for the environment as you hammering your XJS up the duel carriage way every afternoon
Its nowhere near as bad as they make out

 

[Ozzy]

Its nowhere near as bad as they make out

Although I do agree that petrol/diesel car usage and waste disposal are significantly more damaging to the environment than AI, AI does have a not-insignificant impact on the environment.

The way we, as a country, ship all our waste to other countries to dispose of it, so that we can then claim we are more environmentally friendly, we are one of the worst countries if we kept all our waste on our own lands.

Personally, I do feel the good that can come from AI when used properly (not stupid images and videos, cat dancing rubbish) is better overall.

It's worth looking at the 30/70 rule for day-to-day proper business use of AI. It states that 70% of our day to day work is repetitive and basic tasks that can reliably be offloaded to AI, while humans retain the 30% high function complex and reasoning tasks.

 

[EnterprisePro]

Although I do agree that petrol/diesel car usage and waste disposal are significantly more damaging to the environment than AI, AI does have a not-insignificant impact on the environment.

The way we, as a country, ship all our waste to other countries to dispose of it, so that we can then claim we are more environmentally friendly, we are one of the worst countries if we kept all our waste on our own lands.

Personally, I do feel the good that can come from AI when used properly (not stupid images and videos, cat dancing rubbish) is better overall.

It's worth looking at the 30/70 rule for day-to-day proper business use of AI. It states that 70% of our day to day work is repetitive and basic tasks that can reliably be offloaded to AI, while humans retain the 30% high function complex and reasoning tasks.

Yeah, I like this viewpoint actually. As members of this planet, we do need to make use of resources in order to gain for humanity. That is human nature, and I think it is a concept described in most religious doctrines. I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to sit idle and pretend everything, including human advancement, will just happen. It reminds me of Sir Frank Whittle, and the legacy he left behind that has advanced humanity, possibly at great cost to himself too. Don't get me wrong, I am conscious of the environment, but I do believe humanity will find a way. We just need to monitor and fine tune as we go along.

 

[Newchodge]

I don't know why they came up this old chestnut
Cyndy its nowhere near as bad for the environment as you hammering your XJS up the duel carriage way every afternoon
Its nowhere near as bad as they make out

I don't drive.

https://unric.org/en/ais-environmental-costs-threaten-water-land-and-climate/ and even if I did, I would not be threatening environmental resources for billions, which is what the UN believes.

 

[fisicx]

It's worth looking at the 30/70 rule for day-to-day proper business use of AI. It states that 70% of our day to day work is repetitive and basic tasks that can reliably be offloaded to AI, while humans retain the 30% high function complex and reasoning tasks.

On the other hand AI and other tech has resulted in the loss of huge numbers of jobs. Tech and other large companies shedding tens of thousands of roles. Small developers, graphics designers and similar no longer have work and admin staff laid off. Plenty of articles on line showing the numbers.

And the AI bubble is also unsustainable. Investors are getting very edgy as it's unlikely to ever be profitable. And as Cyndy says, the environmental cost is huge - not just building and running the data centres but also the cost of mining, extracting and refining the raw materials.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I don't drive.

https://unric.org/en/ais-environmental-costs-threaten-water-land-and-climate/ and even if I did, I would not be threatening environmental resources for billions, which is what the UN believes.

Yes but the UN are not practical and don't have to pay the bills in Cullompton Devon

 

[Ozzy]

Plenty of articles on line showing the numbers.

That happened when the wheel was invented, and when the internal combustion engine was invented, when paper replaced slate, the computer, and robots in factories. It's all the same old, same old. Something gets invented, and jobs get replaced, and there is always an uproar, time and time again.
This is true, it always is, and always will. Jobs always get replaced when something new comes along.
What actually happens is that new jobs are eventually created as the human race adapts.

not just building and running the data centres but also the cost of mining, extracting and refining the raw materials

This is also the same old, same old, but for me, a different reason.
The human race is a virus on this planet that destroys everything around us. It doesn't matter what the reason is. We destroy rainforests because we like our palm oil in our food, we destroy the oceans because we like our gas and oil, minerals, and flushable toilets. We destroy the sky because we are impatient and like to travel faster.

Blaming AI is like blaming books for the destruction of the Amazon rainforests, or blaming soap for pushing whales to the brink of extinction.

 

[ctrlbrk]

That happened when the wheel was invented, and when the internal combustion engine was invented, when paper replaced slate, the computer, and robots in factories. It's all the same old, same old. Something gets invented, and jobs get replaced, and there is always an uproar, time and time again.
This is true, it always is, and always will. Jobs always get replaced when something new comes along.
What actually happens is that new jobs are eventually created as the human race adapts.

Sounds like Ozzy is living in my head

Seriously, I agree 100% - progress has always meant that there are short-term economic shocks in terms of loss of employment, only for employment growth to pick up again in the newly created sector.

In terms of AI, though, it is clear to me that this is a bubble and we are headed for a correction - that's not to say AI will disappear, but it should morph into something that genuinely helps people.

As I write there is live coverage of the World's Humanoid Robot games in Beijing, which showcases robots competing from all over the world in different disciplines.

I understand this as a giant technology marketing show but, eventually, the technology will be viable enough to make noticeable impact in several fields.

I don't want AI to paint the next Mona Lisa or to create poetry - that's what humans are for.

I want AI that can be applied to chores like washing dishes, ironing clothes and the like. Technology that takes away the unwanted tasks and frees my time for other stuff.

 

[Nathanto]

The unacceptable environmental cost.

This is massively overstated and rarely put into context.

For most users, more energy is consumed watching an hour of Netflix than spending an hour chatting to AI, and 95% of that energy is consumed by the end-user infrastructure (TV/laptop/desktop/mobile and broadband/network). The actual Netflix/AI data centres only account for around 5% of the data-centre-to-user viewing chain energy usage.

If you really care about environmental costs then ditch your TV/laptop/desktop and mobile, and petition the government to ban Netflix/YouTube/Disney and TikTok.

 

[fisicx]

It’s not so much the financial cost and more about the resources used.

 

[Nathanto]

It’s not so much the financial cost and more about the resources used.

The resource getting a lot of headlines lately is water but in fact modern AI data centres are closed-loop and use practically zero water compared to traditional data centres used by Netflix/YouTube etc.

 

[EnterprisePro]

This convo has compelled me to look into the numbers a bit deeper, from WEF and industry reports etc.

So far, what I'm getting is energy and electricity remain completely dominant over agriculture, manufacturing, transport, buildings and construction in terms of its impact to the environment. Apparently, even if you wiped the entire digital world, internet, and electricity grid off the planet, the remaining subsectors of "Energy" would still easily crush every other category. I wish I had the time to study this more (perhaps even for the sake of my shameful(?) capitalistic brain?) but I'd assume every other sector is fundamentally built into that macro energy sector, so its hard to say conclusively until we split those layers out, look at the past trends, and then project them into future predictions. Its such an interesting study, perhaps one of you guys could dig deeper, if time permits. I'd be interested to hear more thoughts for sure and I could try to chime in when I can.

 

[fisicx]

The resource getting a lot of headlines lately is water but in fact modern AI data centres are closed-loop and use practically zero water compared to traditional data centres used by Netflix/YouTube etc.

Indeed. But go right back to the raw materials and how they are mined, refined and processed. We are doing a lot of damage so that a small number of people can get richer. People aren’t doing AI for philanthropic reasons. They are doing it for money. Whilst there are good medical and scientific reasons to use AI there are an awful lot of uses which are unnecessary.

 

[Nathanto]

But go right back to the raw materials and how they are mined, refined and processed. ...They are doing it for money. Whilst there are good medical and scientific reasons to use AI there are an awful lot of uses which are unnecessary.

Agreed but that's the same for huge numbers of goods and services we all use everyday, it's not specific to AI.

I'd hazard there's been far more raw materials mined, refined and processed for Facebook, Youtube, TikTok and all the other social media businesses to operate than there has for this new fangled AI.

And at least AI fundamentally serves a useful/business purpose compared to most social media which is primarily for entertainment purposes.

 

[Newchodge]

This is massively overstated and rarely put into context.

For most users, more energy is consumed watching an hour of Netflix than spending an hour chatting to AI, and 95% of that energy is consumed by the end-user infrastructure (TV/laptop/desktop/mobile and broadband/network). The actual Netflix/AI data centres only account for around 5% of the data-centre-to-user viewing chain energy usage.

If you really care about environmental costs then ditch your TV/laptop/desktop and mobile, and petition the government to ban Netflix/YouTube/Disney and TikTok.

I am not talking about the cost to me. I am talking about the cost to the environment of the huge data centres that are needed, and the resources they use to gather the data they need.. I never use netflix, YouTube, Disney or TikTok.

 

[fisicx]

And at least AI fundamentally serves a useful/business purpose compared to most social media which is primarily for entertainment purposes.

Some AI. Most isn’t.

A lot of Social media is useful. How to videos, advice, information about events and services, communication and so on.

A hosting server farm is small compared to the huge bit-barns driving AI.

And a lot of business productivity doesn’t need AI.

AI does have real value but only a tiny fraction of the current useage. In fact the useful stuff is all done in house.

 

[Nathanto]

I am not talking about the cost to me. I am talking about the cost to the environment of the huge data centres that are needed, and the resources they use to gather the data they need.. I never use netflix, YouTube, Disney or TikTok.

The point is that the cost to the environment of the huge data centres is a fraction of the cost to the environment of all the other things everyone in the Western world takes for granted...

 

[Nathanto]

Some AI. Most isn’t. A lot of Social media is useful.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that.

The primary use of AI that millions of people use every day is to answer questions, which by definition is useful.

The primary use of social media is entertainment - that's not 'useful' in the context that we're discussing.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that.

The primary use of AI that millions of people use every day is to answer questions, which by definition is useful.

The primary use of social media is entertainment - that's not 'useful' in the context that we're discussing.

The primary use of AI is to proform tasks that either cost labour or for businesses like mine can be proformed while freeing up time when traditionally there was not enough money in the business to pay a human..

AI was never devoped as a toy to replace a google search

 

[ctrlbrk]

The primary use of AI that millions of people use every day is to answer questions, which by definition is useful.

I think this depends on the user though.

I mean, take the OP of this thread. It is, by definition, the classic "AI slop" that does not help anyone.

Here on UKBF I see this every week. There's at least 3 new users a month trying to sell AI rubbish like it's the Second Coming, and, every time I see this, I think they can't possibly last much more.


I realise I'm in the glass-half-empty side of it right now, but it is absolutely unsustainable.

 

[fisicx]

The primary use of AI that millions of people use every day is to answer questions…

Which be answered without AI.

People use it because it’s in front of them. They managed just fine before AI.

And don’t forget AI does get it wrong. But people don’t verify. They used to.

 

[fisicx]

I've just sat though an advert on my phone for Gemini. Apparently you can use Gemini to change your hair style and colour. That's about as bad as the 'what type of cheese are you' quiz on facebook.

And there is an AI app to find your perfect partner. Is that really worth the $1T spend? Money that could have been spent on more philanthropic ventures (like many other crazy spends by the tech billionaires).

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

I've just sat though an advert on my phone for Gemini. Apparently you can use Gemini to change your hair style and colour. That's about as bad as the 'what type of cheese are you' quiz on facebook.

And there is an AI app to find your perfect partner. Is that really worth the $1T spend? Money that could have been spent on more philanthropic ventures (like many other crazy spends by the tech billionaires)

What type of cheese are you anyway

 

[fisicx]

A mature brie. Old, runny and a bit smelly.

 

[DontAsk]

When a large data centre (in the US) need more power than the states peak demand, there is a problem.

Comparing them to the total of ALL other the things the Western world takes for granted is nonsense.

 

[Newchodge]

The point is that the cost to the environment of the huge data centres is a fraction of the cost to the environment of all the other things everyone in the Western world takes for granted...

So it's OK to add to all those things that are already destroying the planet?

 

[Ozzy]

Is that really worth the $1T spend?

Nope, but I remember the days when email was first introduced and all people did was email around jokes and games and stuff (usually embedded into Excel documents). It clogged up mail servers and bandwidth, until it all eventually settled down.

 

[Nathanto]

When a large data centre (in the US) need more power than the states peak demand, there is a problem.

Which large data centre need more power than the states peak demand?

 

[Nathanto]

So it's OK to add to all those things that are already destroying the planet?

That's a strawman argument - the irony is that it's probably AI that will come up with many of the solutions that will improve the planet for future generations.

 

[Nathanto]

People use it because it’s in front of them. They managed just fine before AI.

People managed just fine before steam engines, before electricity, before computers and before the internet...

All of those things had a significant positive impact on mankind (despite misgivings at the time from naysayers ) and I'm confident that ultimately AI will do the same.