Effects of AI ~ Deepak Kumar

 

Something Big Is Happening — But We've Been Here Before

Every few years, the world convinces itself that this time is different.

“This is unprecedented.”

“This changes everything.”

“There’s no coming back from this.”

We heard it in 2020.

Remember the early days of COVID?

•No vaccine.

•Experts saying it would take 3–4 years to develop one.

•Hospitals overwhelmed.

•Daily death counts on every screen.

•Borders closed.

•Entire economies frozen.

The question wasn’t political. It was existential.

How will anyone survive this?

But Here’s What We Forget

Humans are terrible at predicting adaptation. We assume that today’s limitation is permanent.

In early 2020, businesses were “doomed,” education systems were “broken,” and travel was “finished.”

Yet within months, vaccines were developed at record speed. Remote work scaled globally. Industries reinvented themselves.

Not perfectly. Not without loss. But undeniably — rapidly.

Crisis Always Feels Permanent

World Wars felt civilization-ending. The 2008 financial crisis felt like economic collapse. The Cold War felt like nuclear extinction was inevitable.

Each time: fear peaked, predictions escalated, and adaptation quietly began.

Fear Is Loud. Adaptation Is Quiet.

Fear spreads faster than solutions. Headlines amplify worst-case scenarios. Uncertainty fuels imagination.

But innovation works silently. Resilience builds gradually. Systems adjust behind the scenes.

By the time we realize it — we’re already adapting.

This Doesn’t Minimize Suffering

COVID was real. Loss was real. Economic damage was real.

Acknowledging resilience is not denying pain. It’s recognizing that humanity is stronger than its worst week.

The Real Lesson

In the darkest months, people said: “There’s no vaccine.” “This will take years.” “Life as we know it is over.”

Yet within two years, vaccines existed. Travel resumed. Schools reopened. Businesses rebuilt.

Not identical. But functional. Alive. Moving forward.

Final Thought

Every generation believes it is witnessing the most fragile moment in history.

Every generation also underestimates its own capacity to adapt.

Something big may be happening. But so is human resilience.

Written by Deepak Kumar