TSUNAMI
SURF IT OR BE CRUSHED. There is no try.
Right now, we’re all standing on the shore of an industry being completely disrupted, staring out at a massive wave of change. The question is: what are we going to do about it? We’ve got options, sure, but not all of them are good. We can choose to ignore what’s coming, bury our heads in the sand, and hope that somehow, the wave will pass us by. Spoiler alert—it won’t. And if we do that, we’ll get left behind, stuck in outdated ways of working while the rest of the world moves forward.
On the flip side, we can panic. We can scramble, convinced that this tidal wave of AI-driven change is going to crush us if we don’t figure everything out overnight. We can waste energy freaking out about what’s new, what’s different, and what might be rendered obsolete. But here’s the thing about panic—it rarely leads to good outcomes. If you’re caught in the thrashing sea of anxiety, odds are you’ll get swept away.
But there’s another option. Instead of ignoring it or panicking, we can learn. We can adapt. We can treat this wave as something to be surfed, not something to fear. AI is here, whether we like it or not, and the truth is that if we embrace it—if we actually take the time to learn about it, understand how it works, and find ways to integrate it into what we do—it might just be the most exciting thing to happen in our careers.
Yes, it’s a lot of change. But that’s part of the job, isn’t it? As designers, creators, and professionals in a constantly evolving field, we’ve always had to be on our toes, learning new tools and techniques to keep up. And honestly, if you don’t like learning new things, what are you even doing in this profession? Our industry thrives on innovation, and AI is just the latest challenge for us to rise to. The truth is, for those of us who enjoy the process of discovery, who get a thrill from learning, this could be a lot of fun.
Think about it this way: every time something new comes along, we get the chance to reinvent ourselves, to push our limits and explore new possibilities. AI isn’t here to replace what we do—it’s here to enhance it, to give us new tools and open up new creative avenues. Yes, it’s different, and yes, it requires effort to get up to speed. But if we approach it with the right mindset, this wave of disruption could propel us to new heights, not drag us under.
So let’s not just ride the wave—let’s master it. Let’s figure out how to surf this tsunami of change, and come out the other side stronger, smarter, and more creative than before. After all, this is what we do best, isn’t it?
