Magic

My 3-year-old daughter is very excited about Christmas this year. It’s the first year she’s really aware that something special is coming, and it’s both adorable and incredibly nostalgic for me.

I have fond memories of writing my letter to Santa, carefully crafting my wish list. I’d spend hours lying on the floor in front of an open fire, pen in hand, flicking through every single page of the Argos catalogue, circling the toys I wanted. When the list was done, my parents would perform magic—they’d send the letter to Santa by putting it in the fire.

As years went by, two things changed. On my side, I realized I wouldn’t get everything on the list. Over time, I asked for less and less, hoping the one thing I really wanted would make it onto Santa’s sleigh that year (provided I’d been good, of course). On the world’s side, innovation kept advancing. Depending on your age, you might read about my Argos catalogue ritual and think, How old is this guy?

Wave after wave of innovation comes, and as it does, we grow desensitized to just how magical it all really is.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke

How did you feel the first time you used a phone, heard that magical dial-up internet sound, saw a drone, used a computer, got on a plane, spoke to friends online, or tried ChatGPT? The truth is, your reaction probably depends on your age and how established those things were when you encountered them.

Generative AI is particularly fascinating because of how quickly it’s been adopted across so many areas. I vividly remember the first time I used ChatGPT—the excitement I felt about its capabilities and the infinite possibilities it opened up.

But, just like my childhood self who gradually shortened Santa’s wish list, I quickly learned to live within the “limitations” of this otherwise magical technology. With each update and leap forward, my imagination is sparked again, but the novelty diminishes with time.

This is human nature.

A few years ago, the idea of AI being as capable—or even more capable—than humans seemed like science fiction. Now, it feels inevitable. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened tomorrow.

Humans evolved slowly over thousands of years, but in the last three or four, it feels like we’ve seen more transformation than in the previous 3,000. In GTM, for example, AI is everywhere, powering how we understand buyers, create content, and mine data to uncover opportunities for improvement—even if you consider yourself a technological laggard, you’re likely already using it without realising it. And this is just the beginning.

I often write about how AI should—and shouldn’t—be used in GTM or revenue settings. These are important conversations about the choices we must make as we navigate this transformative technology. But amidst these discussions, let’s not forget the sheer wonder of it all.

Generative AI is the most disruptive technology of our lifetimes (so far). As deeply ingrained as it’s already become in our lives, it’s worth taking a moment to pause, reflect, and marvel at the magic we’re living through.

Tis the season after all. Marvel at the magic, including the magic yet to come.

Now just for a bit of fun…

Prompt: Rewrite this blog as a holiday themed rhyme. Make it fairly obnoxious and over the top without losing the core of the post.

A Holiday Ode to Magic and AI

Oh, Christmas is coming, the joy’s in the air,
My 3-year-old daughter can’t help but just stare!
For the first time, she knows there’s magic in sight,
And her wonder reminds me of my own delight.

Back when I was a lad, and the firelight glowed,
I’d pore through Argos, where treasures were showed.
Each page I would circle, each toy I would pick,
Then my letter to Santa was burned up real quick.

“Off to the North Pole!” my parents would say,
And I’d watch as the flames carried my list away.
But as time marched on, my requests became few,
Hoping one special gift would somehow come through.

The years rolled along, the world spun so fast,
And newfangled gadgets replaced those of the past.
Depending on age, you might scoff and declare,
“An Argos catalogue? How ancient! How rare!”

Wave after wave of tech came to the fore,
Each innovation more grand than the one just before.
We marveled at first, but here’s the twist:
We grew numb to the magic these things consist.

“Any advanced tech is magic,” Clarke penned,
And that’s where my holiday musings must bend.
Think back to the first time you tried something new:
A phone, a computer, a flight’s aerial view.

Did the internet’s hum feel like magic to hear?
Did a drone in the sky fill you with cheer?
And what of the moment when AI appeared,
ChatGPT responding in ways so sincere.

Oh, I remember that thrill, that magical spark,
When generative AI lit up the dark.
It seemed so surreal, a tech-filled ballet,
Until I learned its quirks and limits one day.

For just like my list, where less was the rule,
I adjusted my hopes to the AI’s own tool.
Each update still brings excitement anew,
But the magic, I’ll admit, is subdued through review.

That’s human nature, to marvel, then fade,
As wonders grow normal, and awe’s edges fray.
Not long ago, AI seemed a wild dream,
Now it feels like an inevitable stream.

In just a few years, more change has unfurled,
Than in centuries before in this rapidly shifting world.
AI is here, unseen but profound,
Transforming the ways our lives are bound.

Even the skeptics who shun what is new,
Are using AI in tasks they pursue.
From emails to searches, it’s quietly there,
A helper unnoticed, yet everywhere.

In GTM talks, I’ll often reflect,
On AI’s impact, what we should protect.
But today, let’s pause in this season of cheer,
To marvel at magic, both far and near.

Generative AI is wondrous to see,
A disruption so vast, like the gifts ‘neath the tree.
So, as Christmas approaches, take a moment to say,
“Here’s to the magic we live with each day!”

Blog – Human
Spellcheck – AI
Poem – AI
Featured Image – AI (Prompt: “Make a picture to go with this blog”)