19 May 2026 - Blog Entry
I spent a few hours the other day making some adjustments to my typewriter. Specifically I made a "ring and cylinder" adjustment as well as a, what I would call a "trip setting" adjustment though I am sure there is a more technically accurate term. Anyone with a modicum of mechanical knowledge would be able to make these adjustments and the satisfaction is in the tactile and immediate changes. Working on such things reminds me of how humans in general interact with tools.
This is a bit of a generalization, but I believe that humans all respond to new tools and technology in a similar way, namely hesitance and then acceptance. We want to have a feeling of control over our surroundings and that includes a strong desire to feel as if we are moving forward and not stagnating. Currently, the tech du jour is AI. From my perspective, the level of technology (whether AI or a fancy new project management platform) is inconsequential, we all tend to adopt certain views about it and hold onto those views to protect our identity and place in our own constrained world.
Again, here is another generalization. From my experience there are three broad groups that encapsulate how people tend to approach new tools: the chasers, the operators, and the integrators.
The chasers see new technology through a lens of social status and survival. They have a feeling that they must adopt to stay relevant but do not know how to implement the new tech into their life or organization. A fear of missing out or falling behind tends to drive their decision making under the guise of being "in the know". They see everyone else moving and feel like they need to move too. The "noise" of the trend gets confused with the actual "signal" and demand that the new tech be used in as many places as possible without knowing exactly where it will best benefit the organization overall. They need to feel. "safe" within the group.
The operators see new technology like a part of their daily life but tend to treat it as though it is a tool within an assembly line. The tech gets used daily but it is about replacing basic labor without changing how they think about the role the tech plays in their life. The logic and reasoning behind the tool does not get considered, instead, it is a way to get from point A to point B. The trouble is there is a reliance on the tool to "do the thing" and when it does not then the tool is viewed as a blocker preventing them from carrying on with their daily efforts. The volume of work may increase but the quality remains the same, or the other way around.
Finally there are the integrators who see the technology as a part of the problem-solving process. They tend to not care about looking modern, and they do not follow the manual blindly and take quick tips and hacks with a large grain of salt. We see this playout with all of the posts about how "best" to use AI and how this one simple prompt will "improve the model's responses a quintillion percent" or what-ever. These kinds of quick wins might have some merit, but should not be taken at face value. Integrators use the technology to filter out the noise from the signal so they can focus on high-value tasks. They treat the system as an extension of their own cognitive limits using it to spot errors in their thinking or to see data from a different perspective. Technology is used to widen their view and improve themselves.
If you see yourself in one of these camps immediately either you are very self-aware or you are misleading yourself. I struggle identifying where I reside and find that it oscillates depending on how comfortable I feel at the moment. Of course, AI is relatively new on the field and so there is a "sink or swim" mindset but that can get in the way of honest growth and improvement. As with anything the most important part is to truly be honest and objective with yourself, as much as that is possible. Tools are meant to be used and not meant for simply keeping up with the herd.