People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much
nytimes.com
February 22, 2026
2 min read
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47/100
Summary
Tech leaders express concern over the public's lack of enthusiasm for the AI boom, contrasting it with the excitement of the dot-com era. Executives claim that AI will significantly improve lives and is comparable to transformative innovations like electricity and fire.
Key Takeaways
- Over one-third of respondents in a You.gov survey expressed concern that A.I. could end human life on earth.
- 80 percent of firms reported that A.I. was having no impact on their productivity or employment, according to a survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
- Sam Altman of OpenAI noted unexpected resistance to the integration of A.I. into culture and the economy.
- Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, believes that critics are winning the narrative battle against the A.I. hype.
Coverage & discussions
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Community Sentiment
Positives
- Despite concerns, AI has rapidly gained a massive user base, growing from ~10 million to ~900 million users in just three years, indicating strong interest and adoption.
- There is a clear enthusiasm for AI among users, but many prefer a more measured integration into their lives rather than an aggressive push.
Concerns
- The rapid pace of AI development is overwhelming, with companies aggressively pushing AI solutions that often lack clear value for users, leading to skepticism.
- Many perceive AI as a threat to jobs, with narratives suggesting that it will either replace jobs or contribute to economic instability, creating widespread anxiety.
- The integration of AI into various products is often seen as lazy and poorly executed, diminishing trust in its potential benefits.
