The Troubles We Imagine: What AI, Waymos, and Golf Courses Taught Me About Fear
Why our fears about artificial intelligence say more about us than the technology — and what it means for hiring, candidates, and the future of work.
This happened.
I was in Phoenix last year when I started noticing Waymos everywhere.
Not one or two. Everywhere.
They looked impersonal. A little eerie, honestly. No driver. No distraction. Just a self-driving car doing one thing — driving.
And then I pulled up next to one at a red light and glanced over at the car beside me. The driver was staring at his phone.
The robot was more focused than the human.
Back home this week, my town started freaking out about a new AI data center being proposed nearby. Everyone had an opinion. Energy usage. Water consumption. The end of the neighborhood as we know it.
Nobody was freaking out about the golf courses using the same water to keep grass green for a sport that, let’s be honest, is a pretty goofy game.
Here’s a thought — what if we built AI data centers in the ocean? Or in outer space? Some people are exploring this. We already put telescopes up there. Satellites. The International Space Station. Why not the servers powering the next era of human intelligence? The engineering challenges are real, but so was landing on the moon. If the pressure of energy and water consumption forces scientists and engineers to think differently about where and how we build these things, that’s not a bad outcome. That’s innovation doing what it always does — finding a way.
Just leave the water alone. And maybe start with the golf courses.
Which made me realize.
We imagine troubles selectively.
We worried the internet would destroy society. Then we gave everyone a smartphone and stopped worrying about the internet.
We worry about artificial intelligence taking our jobs. But I use AI tools every single day — in recruiting, in business development, in content creation — and my job is still here. More than that, I am more productive, more efficient, and delivering better results for my clients and candidates than I ever have before.
I’m old enough to remember when the internet was slowly rolling out inside companies. Some employees had access. Others didn’t. I was a fresh college hire with internet access while Larry, the night shift sanitation supervisor, wasn’t allowed near it.
That seems insane now. But that’s exactly how we treated a technology that changed everything.
AI in the workplace is that moment. Right now. Today.
The professionals asking how do I use AI well are going to look back at this era the way we look back at Larry and the internet. The ones imagining troubles are going to look back wondering why they waited.
Which means for you.
If you’re a job candidate — how are you using AI in your job search and in your work? Not just to polish your resume or generate cover letters, but to think better, prepare deeper, research companies faster, and show up sharper in interviews? AI-powered job searching is already separating top candidates from the rest. The question is which side of that line you’re on.
If you’re a hiring manager — are you asking candidates about AI tools and AI skills in your interviews? You should be. Not to catch them using it, but to understand how they think with it. The future of hiring is not finding candidates who avoid AI. It’s finding candidates who use AI as a force multiplier — while still possessing the critical thinking, resilience, and problem-solving skills to perform when the technology fails them.
The best hiring teams in 2026 are already screening for this. The ones who aren’t are going to fall behind.
AI recruiting tools, AI-powered candidate screening, and AI-assisted hiring processes are not replacing great recruiters and great hiring managers. They are amplifying the ones who know how to use them.
The troubles we imagine about artificial intelligence are almost always bigger than the troubles we actually face.
I have two client meetings and a few solid interviews today. I’m going to imagine good things.
You should too.
— Ben
P.S. Build the AI data centers in the ocean or outer space if you have to. Just leave the water alone. And maybe start with the golf courses.