April 7, 2025
There’s a massive talk-to-walk gap in AI right now. Endless yapping about AI because it is (deservedly) a generation-defining technology.
Add on the social currency and dopamine-induced engagement that AI talk attracts, and it’s no wonder our feeds are filled with it.
Scroll through X or LinkedIn, and you’ll see it everywhere: bold predictions, TED Talk-worthy soundbites, and a flood of hot takes. But when you peel back the layers, the reality doesn’t match the noise.
We’re obsessed with talking about AI—yet when it comes to actually using it, the effort feels more like a whisper than a roar.
Hype Overdrive
AI’s the shiny new toy of our era, and it’s earned that status.
It’s flipping industries upside down, rewriting what’s possible, and sparking wild ideas about tomorrow.
That’s why we can’t shut up about it. Dropping “AI” into a conversation—or a post—comes with instant credit: you’re forward-thinking, you’re relevant, you’re in the game.
Plus, it’s a dopamine hit—every like, share, and comment keeps the buzz alive.
Our feeds are drowning in AI chatter because talking is cheap. It’s high reward, zero risk. But chatter isn’t change.
Toe-Dipping Time
Now, go ask 10 startup friends how AI is being used in their businesses. Their responses are flat (totally flat).
You’ll get:
- “Our sellers prep for meetings with ChatGPT.”
- “I edit my emails with Claude.”
- “Granola is my go-to tool for meeting notes.”
That’s the extent of it. Most companies are dipping their pinky toes in right now, barely breaking the surface. Why so little? Because it’s comfortable.
These are low-hanging wins—small efficiencies that let you nod along in the AI conversation without sweating the big stuff. It’s enough to claim you’re “AI-powered” without actually rewiring how you work.
Comfort Zone
Here’s where it gets real: fully embracing AI isn’t cozy.
Add an efficiency here, tell a friend you’re AI-fluent there, post on social about how AI is a game-changer—all without having to put in the work to rescaffold your entire business or reprogram your company’s culture. That’s the easy road. But true AI adoption? That’s a grind. It means tearing down old workflows, experimenting with tools that might flop, and staring down the (understandable) fears of what AI could mean—lost jobs, shifted roles, or just plain uncertainty.
Most folks aren’t wired for that level of discomfort, and companies aren’t either.
Risk of Stalling
This runs counter to how we’re programmed as humans. We like safe, predictable, familiar. But sticking to that script with AI isn’t just lazy—it’s a risk.
History doesn’t reward the toe-dippers; it favors the ones who dive in, mess up, and figure it out.
Fully embracing AI takes trial and error, a stomach for failure, and a willingness to push past the hype into the hard stuff.
If you don’t, you’re not just stalling—you’re setting yourself up to be left behind.
Conclusion
The AI revolution isn’t waiting for anyone.
The gap between what we say and what we do is glaring, and it’s not enough to keep splashing around in the shallow end.
Less talk. More walk.
Start small if you have to—test a tool, rethink a process—but don’t just sit there posting about it.