Krrrshhh–beeeep beep beep–screeeeee–shhhhhh.

Remember that noise? If you lived through the ‘90s you may recall the exciting sound of your dial-up modem starting. You were going online! Connecting to the World Wide Web. Now, with AI going mainstream, we’re on the cusp of a societal shift that could eclipse the Internet’s impact.

From business to society to education, no segment of life will remain untouched.

To understand this moment, I spoke to five leaders bringing AI to the masses. Just as early Internet adopters demystified that technology, these innovators excel at turning complex AI into practical tools, empowering companies, communities and individuals to adapt and thrive.

Let’s learn their thoughts.

Bestselling author of AI Made Simple and Prompting Made Simple, and CEO of leading B2B technology marketing and events company, 1105 Media, Kapur is one of the most sought-after global leaders for translating AI into practical, actionable strategies. A trusted advisor to executives and educators, he recently opened the Kapur Center for AI Leadership in Nogales, Arizona, and will be opening another one in Bermuda later this year. One of the first dedicated AI leadership hubs, it will equip leaders, teachers and communities with skills to thrive in the AI era.

What’s one thing about AI that might surprise people to know and why?

AI isn’t here to replace people—it’s here to replace tasks. That distinction matters. The real winners will be those who know how to combine human judgment, creativity and empathy with AI’s speed, accuracy and scale. When you reframe AI as a force multiplier rather than a threat, you stop asking, “Will AI take my job?” and start asking, “How can AI make me twice as effective by augmenting what I do?”

Why is AI such an exciting technology that more people and companies should embrace?

AI has the power to democratize learning on a global scale. It can put world-class education, mentorship, and tools into the hands of anyone with an internet connection—leveling the playing field between the largest cities and the most remote villages. That means a student in rural Africa can access the same quality of instruction as one in New York or London. It also means a small business owner can compete with global corporations. This is about more than technology; it’s about expanding opportunity for billions. That’s why I opened the Kapur Center for AI Leadership, to train leaders, educators and communities to harness AI for real-world results and build a future where everyone has a fair shot at success.

Recognized as the world’s first Chief AI Officer for enterprise, Sol is the recipient of awards like “Top 100 AI Thought Leaders,” “Forbes AI Mavericks of the 21st Century,” and “Top 50 Women in Tech.” Rashidi’s career includes launching IBM’s Watson and holding C‑suite leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies. She holds 10 patents and is the bestselling author of Your AI Survival Guide.

What’s one mindset shift that leaders must adopt to thrive in the AI age?

In my view, it’s not one big mindset shift but several smaller ones that, compounded over time, will help leaders thrive. AI was designed to amplify human ingenuity and problem-solving skills—not to erode or replace it—so it’s critical we outsource tasks—not critical thinking, to avoid Intellectual Atrophy™ and stay cognitively strong to continue to solve bigger business, humanitarian and social problems. Next, the responsibility of AI cannot be outsourced to IT. It’s a shared mandate amongst all leaders; therefore, everyone needs to become digitally native. Last, but not least, don’t do AI for the sake of AI. There needs to be a real business problem only AI can solve; after all, why introduce a chainsaw if a scissor does the trick?

What drives your passion for making AI accessible to everyone, and how do you think it will change the world?

I’ve been in tech for 25+ years, in the data space for 20+, and in the AI space for 11+ years—I’ve never seen anything like this. I come from an era that witnessed the rise of the Internet, the explosion of email, the democratization of mobile phones, the ubiquity of smart devices, and the advent of personalization at scale. Yet this evolution—and now revolution—feels unlike anything before.

And I believe AI shouldn’t be restricted to businesses or big tech companies. We should all have the ability to amplify our innate abilities and operate to our greatest potential. But we must approach AI with both ambition and caution—ensuring we don’t create a co-dependency with AI and that every interaction strengthens (rather than weakens) our ability to think deeply, independently and critically. Also, we’ve reached a point where we have to reinvent ourselves, because AI won’t replace our jobs, but people using AI will. So reinvention isn’t optional, but now essential, with AI’s democratization. So I say, “Lean in, explore with intent, experiment with excitement, but always ask yourself: Will this amplify me—or diminish my critical thinking abilities?”

Named Inc.’s Power Partner in AI & Software Development and voted a #1 Gen AI Solution Provider, Powell is CEO of HatchWorks AI. HatchWorks helps organizations adopt and scale AI by combining U.S.-based strategy with nearshore execution, operating with top talent across Latin America. From generative AI adoption to automation and product innovation, he guides companies through complexity, delivering real, measurable outcomes.

What’s your driving philosophy about AI’s growing importance to life and work?

I’m an AI humanist. AI’s real value emerges when everyday people—not just engineers—use it to do more with less, execute new ideas, and transform their work. When AI becomes as natural as flipping a light switch, we’ll see a true shift, not just in productivity, but in human potential.

What concerns you most about AI?

My biggest concern is we’ll fail to bring people along for the journey. Technology isn’t the bottleneck, people are. If we don’t invest in training, demystifying AI, and addressing the real fears about job loss and change fatigue, we risk a future where AI divides instead of empowers. AI adoption is as much change management as it is digital transformation.

Founder of Iffel International Inc. and creator of SEO2Sales™, Dey pioneered a proprietary MarTech framework fusing AI-driven SEO, predictive search intent and storytelling to turn marketing into measurable revenue. As a Fractional CMO and keynote speaker, Dey helps B2B companies and CEOs align branding, digital strategy and sales into one cohesive growth engine. With expertise spanning AI marketing, data analytics and compliance-focused solutions, she empowers businesses to scale profitably.

What advice do you have for company leaders wishing to leverage AI?

Embrace a ‘learn, unlearn, relearn’ mindset. Be open to new ideas, paradigms, and techniques. Stay curious! Curiosity drives innovation and fresh thinking. And be patient with those who struggle to adapt: show them, teach them, and nurture their motivation—rather than shut it down.

What’s a simple way you recommend someone start using AI in their daily life or work?

Time is precious. Use AI to speed up research, decision-making and everyday planning—whether that’s creating a meal plan around allergies, finding where to buy ingredients or generating calorie counts and prep instructions. Small, practical uses build confidence and unlock bigger opportunities.

The Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Rowan Fellow, and Associate Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Mollick co-directs the Generative AI Lab, studying the effects of AI on work, entrepreneurship and education. Named one of Time’s “Most Influential People in Artificial Intelligence”, his book Co-Intelligence: Living and Working With A.I. is a New York Times bestseller and was named a “Best Book of the Year” from The Economist and Financial Times. He also writes the Substack newsletter One Useful Thing.

What’s a common misconception about AI’s abilities that you think people should better understand?

AI capabilities follow what we call a “jagged frontier.” AI can outperform experts at some incredibly complex tasks while failing at seemingly simple ones. For instance, the same AI that can write sophisticated code or diagnose diseases might struggle with basic spatial reasoning or counting objects in an image. This jagged pattern means you can’t simply assume AI is “good at hard things and bad at easy things” or vice versa. Understanding this irregular capability boundary is crucial for effectively integrating AI into any workflow.

Why do you believe broad access to AI matters, and what impact could that have on education, work and society?

We’re witnessing the first general purpose technology that can be broadly applied to any intellectual task, and I believe everyone deserves access to this amplification of their potential. AI can help level playing fields in education, entrepreneurship, medicine and more. If we get this right, AI could reduce inequality by democratizing access to intelligence and expertise, helping solve problems that were previously intractable.

Looking ahead, what worries you about AI’s rapid evolution?

My biggest concern is the speed of change—we’re transforming work, education and society faster than our institutions can adapt. Educational institutions are overwhelmed by AI assignments, companies are using management structures from the industrial age and our regulatory frameworks are already outdated. We risk massive disruption and displacement if we can’t evolve our systems quickly enough. A general-purpose technology has lots of impacts, good and bad, and we will need to work hard to amplify the good while mitigating the bad.

*****

Once upon a time the screech of the dial-up sound signaled our entry into a new realm in the form of the Internet. Today there is no such signifier marking our passage into the AI age. Instead, crossing the threshold is a very personal experience. Each of us is on our own individual journey, connecting with this burgeoning technology in wildly different ways, whether that’s using ChatGPT to suggest a family budget, incorporating AI into our business operations, or even interacting with a chatbot as our new therapist.

Never before has the world witnessed innovation that touches so many aspects of the human experience so profoundly, augmenting abilities daily and unlocking intelligence at scale. Clearly, these five thought leaders have a finger on the pulse of this unprecedented time, helping us to appreciate what’s here and what it is yet to come.

In each of their responses a common theme emerges, one in which AI doesn’t replace humans but instead enables us to do more than we once thought possible and be more than we ever dreamed. I’m grateful for their insights and share their same sentiment of excitement and wonder for a new era that is rapidly coming online.