The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of AI

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of AI

A Human Story Repeating Itself

Throughout history, the development of technology has been met with a blend of awe, excitement, fear, and resistance. Whether it was the discovery of fire, the invention of the wheel, the rise of the steam engine, or the more recent emergence of nuclear energy and artificial intelligence, humanity’s journey with innovation has always followed a strikingly similar cycle. This cycle includes a passionate push by visionaries, a backlash fueled by fear or misuse, and eventually, widespread societal adoption for the greater good. AI, the subject of today’s hope and horror, is merely the latest chapter in this timeless story.

A Glimpse into History: Innovation and the Fear of the Unknown

Fire: One of the earliest and most powerful technologies discovered by humans. It gave warmth, protection, and a way to cook food, drastically altering human evolution. Yet, it also brought destruction, fear, and the possibility of death if misused.

Metal Instruments: The knife is a great example. It can prepare food and build homes, yet it can also kill. When the first knives were made of flint or bronze, the line between tool and weapon was blurred. But the usefulness of metal instruments far outweighed the risks.

The Steam Engine: When James Watt refined the steam engine, fears arose about jobs being lost to machines. The Luddites in early 19th-century England smashed textile machines, fearing the collapse of their livelihoods. But the Industrial Revolution ultimately lifted economies and living standards globally.

Nuclear Energy: The fear was justified with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But from the same source came energy that powers nations cleanly and efficiently. A single invention, terrifying as it was, has also been harnessed for peace.

Robots in the 1980s: Headlines screamed about mass unemployment and job replacement. Movies like “The Terminator” ingrained fears of robot overlords. And yet, robots mostly ended up helping build cars, clean floors, and perform surgeries with stunning precision.

Every time, our reaction was the same: excitement about what it could do, fear about what it might do, and a future shaped by how we chose to use it.

The Cycle of Innovation: Enthusiasm, Misuse, and Maturity

With every wave of innovation, there’s always a small group of passionate individuals—scientists, inventors, and entrepreneurs—who are so captivated by the thrill of the new that they don’t always stop to ask, “Should we?”

They build, test, release. Some of them get it right, some of them get it wrong, and many don’t care as much about right or wrong as they do about doing something that’s never been done before.

Then, inevitably, someone finds a way to misuse the technology. Fire becomes arson. A knife becomes a weapon. AI becomes a deepfake generator or a tool for cybercrime.

But, gradually, the majority of society adapts. We create guardrails. We make laws. We educate users. We embed ethics. And slowly, that once-feared technology becomes another layer of our daily lives.

This cycle isn’t just a theory—it’s history. Repeated, again and again.

Can we learn from the past and minimize damage? Experience suggests: not really. But hope remains. And hope is powerful.

AI: Our New Frontier of Fear and Fascination

AI is today’s great unknown. When I was a student, I remember daily articles about robots taking over the workforce. That was nearly 40 years ago. It still hasn’t happened.

Why? Because human beings are remarkably adaptable. Our ability to shift, learn, pivot, and reinvent ourselves is why we survive. And that adaptability is our greatest hope against the fear that AI will overtake or eliminate us.

Reid Hoffman , a respected voice in the tech space, argues that while the pace of AI development appears rapid, real-world constraints exist. Physical, financial, and logistical limitations slow things down far more than we imagine. Yes, AI is progressing quickly, but not as fast as doomsayers claim.

Andrew Ng , one of the world’s leading AI educators, frequently emphasizes the practical over the panic. “Worrying about evil killer robots is like worrying about overpopulation on Mars,” he famously said. His view is clear: let’s focus on the real problems AI can solve today—like diagnosing diseases, reducing waste, and improving learning outcomes.

Fei-Fei Li , co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, advocates for what she calls “human-centered AI.” She argues that AI should augment—not replace—human abilities and that we must embed ethics and empathy into every system we build.

Demis Hassabis , CEO of DeepMind, speaks passionately about how AI can be a tool for scientific discovery. His company’s AlphaFold project solved a 50-year-old problem in biology by predicting the 3D structures of proteins—opening the door to medical breakthroughs.

What AI offers is not destruction, but a new way to live—much like electricity did when it first lit up homes, or airplanes when they shrunk our globe, or social media when it connected distant voices. The question isn’t whether AI will take over. It’s whether we will choose to use it well.

Lessons from the IoT Boom

In my work in IoT (Internet of Things), I’ve seen firsthand how innovation bursts onto the scene. Hundreds, even thousands, of companies have tried to bring IoT solutions to life. Some were brilliant. Some were terrible. Most failed.

That’s not failure of technology—it’s the nature of competition. When the hype dust settles, those who were patient, genuine, and problem-focused stick around. It happened with .com period. It’s happening again with AI.

But one aspect is particularly troubling: the rise of fake innovation. Companies that shout loud, offer flashy promises, and deliver nothing of real value. They erode trust. They hurt the market. They make customers skeptical of real solutions.

We experienced this constantly in the IIoT space. Our team worked tirelessly to build genuinely useful solutions. Meanwhile, there were some, who faked it till they made it—or rather, faked it until they vanished, leaving disillusioned customers behind. This cannot become the norm.

It’s time to return to the original spirit of MVP: Minimum Viable Product. Even if it’s small, it must work. It must solve a real problem.

A Glimpse at Our Work in AI Safety

I am working toward developing AI solutions that aim for zero injuries in industrial environments. That mission is deeply meaningful. And honestly, we should have started it earlier.

Will it eliminate some jobs? Yes.

But these are often high-risk, hazardous jobs. Isn’t that a good thing?

This transition offers a chance to uplift those workers, train them for safer, more meaningful roles. What will those roles be? We may not know yet. But we will find them. Human ingenuity always finds a way.

Yes, it eliminate many jobs, but these are often high-risk, hazardous jobs. I believe it is a good thing.

The Industrial Revolution: From Mechanizing Humans to Humanizing Technology

The first industrial revolution did something odd. It didn’t just give machines to humans—it turned humans into machines. Workers in factories did repetitive tasks, in loud, dangerous environments, mimicking what machines could do.

For centuries, this was seen as progress. And in many ways, it was.

But now, we’re at a turning point. We can flip the script.

Today, we have the opportunity to humanize technology—to use machines to do the repetitive, dangerous, and mechanical, so that people can do what only humans can do: LOVE

That’s the real promise of AI. Not to replace us, but to free us. The problem is we have done jobs for years and years, which were not our jobs from the first day.

For the first time in history, we’re close to ending hunger, offering universal shelter, and eradicating dangerous labor. Machines can carry the burden. Humans can carry meaning.

This is not a fantasy. It is a possibility. One we must embrace wisely.

Fear is Natural. But So is Hope.

We have always feared the unknown. Fire, Knives, Steam, Nukes, Robots, And now, AI.

Each time, we worried. And each time, we adapted.

The good, the bad, and the ugly of AI are not unprecedented. They are simply the next chapter in our long and winding story of innovation.

Yes, there will be misuses. Yes, there will be setbacks. Yes, some will abuse it.

But, as always, we will learn. We will regulate. We will improve. And we will build something better than what we fear today.

Let’s take the opportunity to write this new chapter with intention. Let’s humanize our tools, rather than becoming tools of them.

Because in the end, we are not defined by the technologies we invent, but by the choices we make with them.

About the author

Amin Shad is a visionary entrepreneur, technologist, and founder of Ellenex and 10Phase, with over 25 years of experience in advanced manufacturing, industrial IoT, and AI-driven solutions. He is recognized for building one of the most scalable frameworks for industrial asset monitoring and maintenance, leading innovation across critical sectors such as water, energy, mining, and smart infrastructure.