We Boomers have lived through a golden age of analogue wonder. LM Radio crackling through the transistor. Encyclopaedia Britannica volumes heaving off the shelf with the wisdom of the ages. Saturday evenings with Springbok Radio’s No Place to Hide or Esmé Euvrard’s velvet tones bringing us Forces Favourites. Or news, sport and music broadcast 24/7 on Umhlobo Wenene FM. Our lives were built on vinyl, the Yellow Pages door stopper tome and similarly thick telephone directories.
Then, just as we found our stride, the world digitised. A friend down the road got a black-and-white TV. We gathered around it like pilgrims at a shrine and watched The World at War — its grainy scenes etched into our memory. In the early 1990s, our first brick-sized Nokia arrived, followed soon after by computers so bulky and intimidating they looked like they might explode if you pressed the wrong button. And truth be told, some of us approached them like they might.
Fast forward to now: our grandchildren swiping and pinching screens before they can tie their shoelaces. The house listens to us. Our cars talk back. The world, once predictable, now updates itself while we sleep.
And then along comes AI, yet another curveball in the long cricket match of life. But before we duck for cover, let’s take a breath.
The truth is, we’re already using it. Every time we ask Google a question, follow Waze to a braai, or unlock our phones with our faces, that’s AI. Streaming platforms suggest our favourite shows. Online shops know what we want, even before we do. Our cars beep us into parking spots and correct our driving with a smugness that’s hard to ignore.
So no, AI isn’t just a sci-fi fantasy or a threat lurking in the shadows. It’s here. And it’s quietly making life easier, particularly for those of us who sometimes forget where we left the remote, or the car.
In fact, smart home tech has been a quiet revolution in my own life. Thermostats that anticipate your required settings. Lights that obey without eye-rolling. A lawn that mows itself. It’s the future.
Of course, we’d be foolish not to acknowledge the risks. Jobs will shift. Creative industries will adapt. Misinformation, deep fake and plagiarism are real concerns. But here’s the thing: every major leap, electricity, the car, the internet, all came with warnings of doom. And yet, here we are.
The key lies in embracing it with eyes open and minds engaged. AI isn’t here to replace our humanity; it’s here to enhance what we already do well, especially when it comes to care, insight, leadership, humour, and empathy. No algorithm can or will do what a wise grandparent or a great team leader can.
To those still hesitating, I say this: you’ve already navigated a world that changed a thousand times in your lifetime. You’ve adapted to television, mobile phones, the internet, and possibly your grandchildren’s taste in music. You can handle this.
As a recently published local book title puts it perfectly — Taking the Anxiety out of AI. It’s not about becoming a tech wizard, it’s about staying curious. Trying. Tinkering. Asking questions. You don’t need to code. You just need to be open.
So let’s not be scared of the robot in the room. Let’s give it a little hug. It’s not the end of the world, it’s just another beginning. And, frankly, Boomers are rather good at those.
• Stephens is a seasoned advertising, marketing and PR strategist, who has consulted for The Up&Up Group over the past 13 years.
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