Editor’s note: In addition to following tech developments, our author is a musical composer (Juilliard-trained). He has provided a musical composition for you to listen to while reading this column. This piece is called “Ask Questions.”
The amount of information flowing into our lives today is staggering. But I don’t believe most of it. Many of the so-called experts predicting the future of AI don’t even know enough to recognize what they don’t know. The people I trust the most are those who answer AI-related questions with, “I don’t know.” That’s the only honest answer in a field so new that almost no one has enough real-world experience to say definitively what is possible and what isn’t.
After decades in research and development for major companies and government agencies, I’ve seen how rarely things go according to plan. This isn’t incompetence—it’s the nature of innovation. If the outcome were known from the start, there would be no point in doing it. The most brilliant people I know focus on what they don’t know, not on what has already been proven. This sense of curiosity is essential because exploration is unpredictable by nature. It’s not about being right from the beginning but about being persistent and adaptable enough to find the correct path forward.
The scientific method is all about asking questions, forming hypotheses, testing, and iterating. The same approach applies to AI or any emerging technology. You don’t need to take experts at their word—do your own experiments. For instance, if you’re curious whether AI-generated art is any good, test it yourself. I’ve been using AI tools for months to create images for this column. Some tools respond to my prompts beautifully; others require 40 attempts to get it right. There are days when I nail it on the first try, and days I spend hours and get nothing usable.
It would have been easy to take someone’s word for what works best, but I chose to invest nearly 100 hours of hands-on experimentation instead. I’ve read the blogs and watched the videos, but ultimately, I had to experience the tools firsthand—both free and paid versions. I found that some $20/month options were worth every cent, while others, not so much. As the tools evolved, so did my understanding. My time and $100 investment were well spent, but your experience might differ. You need to test for yourself, using your own unique criteria for success.
In my journey, I discovered that drawing was not my forte, but AI helped me create art I never thought I could. Likewise, I’ve explored using AI to assist with writing and found it both frustrating and rewarding. However, I haven’t put the same effort into AI-generated music because, in my initial trials, it didn’t meet my standards. But that’s me. You have your own strengths, preferences, and creative needs. The point is not to settle for what others say should work for you. Take control of your own learning curve. There’s no substitute for firsthand experience when evaluating something new.
So, why not experiment? Don’t look for experts to give you the definitive answer. Technology, business, and even politics are filled with opinions masquerading as facts. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but don’t let your critical thinking be derailed by persuasive narratives or attention-grabbing headlines. Use your own judgment. This is a call to action: question everything and try things for yourself. Experimentation and discovery don’t need to be the sole domain of scientists or engineers. All of us, no matter our background, have the ability to take part.
For example, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told to use a particular piece of software because it’s supposed to be the best at what it does. Maybe it was—for someone else. But when I finally took the time to try it, I found it wasn’t suitable for my needs at all. That’s why it’s so important to get hands-on experience. If you want to know whether AI art suits your needs, dive in and see. If you want to understand how the economy might shift, look at multiple perspectives and test those ideas against your own experiences. Stop accepting everything at face value. Challenge assumptions.
I have the confidence to say this because I’ve taught thousands of students as a professor and a dean. I’ve seen people surprise themselves when they dig in and challenge conventional wisdom. Many assumed they couldn’t handle certain subjects until they took that first step, asked that first question, and explored on their own terms. Once they did, they found they could grasp complex topics, learn new skills, and change their own narrative about what they were capable of achieving.
We’re all capable of evolving and refining our perspectives through evidence and critical thinking. After all, if you want to know what Paris is like, you go there. If you want to know if a recipe will make a dessert you love, you bake it. So why would you let someone else’s opinion dictate your understanding of something as complex as technology?
Don’t cede your power to self-proclaimed experts who “know more” than you. They may know more about what they want to achieve, but they don’t know more about what you want. Do your own work. Invest the time and money to explore. With a few hours and a few dollars, you can gain a real understanding that will guide your decisions better than any headline ever will.
There’s something incredibly empowering about reaching your own conclusions and building your own expertise. So, whether it’s AI, economics, or simply choosing the right tool for a personal project, make it a point to engage deeply. Don’t just consume—experiment. Think of it as an investment in your own capacity to learn and adapt. It’s not just about proving experts wrong; it’s about proving to yourself that you have the power to know what’s right for you.
