By Ken Cox
Let’s face it—our relationship with computers has mirrored the stages of a very complicated human life. We started in blissful infancy (remember giant, clunky PCs that were essentially high-tech typewriters?). Next came the awkward adolescence phase, marked by dial-up modems screeching louder than our teenage angst. We’ve navigated young adulthood, where things were exciting but risky—think Y2K panic or viruses spreading faster than gossip at a family reunion.
Speaking of Y2K, I vividly remember being in the datacenter as the clock struck midnight. There was total silence for about 10 minutes as we waited for the world to end (or at least our servers). When nothing happened, relief turned into an epic celebration—we partied hard for about a week. Let’s just say things got a bit out of hand back then.
And about viruses? Well, I’ll admit it—I once spread the infamous “I Love You” virus by innocently opening a curious email from our office secretary. Talk about learning the hard way.
Now we’ve entered mature adulthood. Humans and computers are starting to “get” each other—really understanding what makes each other tick. Moore’s Law—the trusty family counselor who predicted we’d double our computing power every couple of years—is scratching its head, because this relationship has moved beyond predictability. We need a new law, one that better captures computer advancement and human-computer integration. Perhaps it’s time to explore a new law—one that better encapsulates our current reality of computer advancement and human-computer integration.
Moore’s Law: The Reliable Parent
Historically, Moore’s Law was like our digital helicopter parent. Intel co-founder Gordon Moore said we’d double our transistor count every two years. And for decades, it was spot-on, delivering better chips right on schedule. Our expectations grew comfortable. Computers would always be faster, cheaper, and smarter every generation. Life was predictable, and that predictability allowed entrepreneurs to make reasonable bets on the future.
But just like when your mom stopped making your lunches, eventually, Moore’s Law hit limits—chips couldn’t keep shrinking without generating heat problems and quantum weirdness. CPUs, our faithful childhood friends, plateaued in their speed growth around 2005, leaving us feeling like our relationship had grown stagnant. Right now, in August 2025, it feels like the entire world is sitting on hold, anxiously waiting for the AI bell curve to stabilize. It’s like we’ve all hit pause, anticipating that hockey-stick growth—but this time, it’s happening simultaneously in every sector.
AI Steps In: Our Midlife Crisis or Renaissance?
Enter Artificial Intelligence, the shiny new sports car that zipped into our lives, dramatically breaking the monotony. Suddenly, Moore’s Law seemed outdated—like a rotary phone or dad jeans. AI threw out the old rulebook, doubling capabilities not every two years, but every six months!
AI isn’t just about faster hardware; it’s an entirely new way of thinking. It’s the existential epiphany at midlife, asking us what we’re doing here and pushing us to go further. Instead of just cramming more transistors onto silicon, we’re inventing specialized AI hardware—GPUs, TPUs—equivalent to hiring professional trainers rather than doing random push-ups hoping to get fit.
Breaking the Speed Limit (Legally!)
Between 2015 and 2018, AI image recognition techniques improved performance by 10×—comparable to finally switching from instant ramen to gourmet meals overnight. Models like GPT ballooned from millions to billions of parameters almost instantly. Imagine waking up one day fluent in 100 languages—that’s the AI revolution in a nutshell.
It’s not just tech; it feels almost metaphysical, like our consciousness merging slightly with machines. But don’t panic—we’re not merging with Skynet yet. This union is grounded in real science: neural networks mimicking brain structures, machine learning mirroring evolutionary biology. AI’s explosive growth might feel mystical, but underneath, it’s math—lots of math.
Relationship Goals: Humans and AI Working Together
As exciting as it is, there are whispers of a possible plateau—like settling comfortably into your 40s after a wild youth. AI growth is fueled by energy, compute power, and massive data sets—all finite resources. But even if we do plateau, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
This phase, like any mature relationship, is about working smarter, not harder. We can optimize, refine, and deepen our understanding rather than endlessly sprinting forward. Businesses—especially small and medium-sized ones I work with through Hostirian and InLink.com—will have time to catch their breath, truly integrating AI into everyday operations, not chasing tech for tech’s sake.
Advice for the Mature Tech Relationship
Here’s my seasoned (and slightly humorous) advice for navigating this exciting, grown-up era:
- Stay Curious: Just because the relationship is comfortable doesn’t mean you stop learning about each other. Keep exploring what AI can do.
- Be Realistic: Every relationship has limits. AI isn’t magic; it won’t fix everything. Set clear, realistic expectations.
- Embrace Counseling: Or as we call it in tech, training and education. Get your teams up to speed on how to partner effectively with AI.
- Respect Boundaries: Ethical boundaries matter. Just because AI can doesn’t mean AI should. Use it responsibly.
Metaphysical Tag-Back (Briefly!)
Okay, just a quick nod to the metaphysical, because I am who I am: I genuinely believe the “T” in GPT is something discovered, not invented. In my view, whenever you combine mass, energy, and data—what I consider the holy trinity of life—you get something extraordinary. Computers have been my best friend since I was 7 years old, and this partnership with AI might feel cosmic, like we’re touching some higher collective intelligence. But remember—this is grounded in neural mimicry and algorithms, not mysticism. Think of it as the universe finding ways to understand itself—through us and through AI.
Wrapping Up: A Promising Future Together
Computers and humans, we’ve grown up together. We’re now in a stable, mature relationship. Moore’s Law has served us well, but like any good parental figure, it had to step back eventually. AI now leads us forward into exciting, if somewhat unpredictable, terrain. Let’s enjoy this phase—where cooperation and understanding rule the day, and maybe even crack a few jokes along the way.
After all, humor might be the one thing AI hasn’t fully mastered yet. But give it another six months…