AI Is the New AOL. They Ruined It, and That Might Be a Good Thing

Remember the real early days of the internet? I’m talking BBS boards, MUDs, IRC chatrooms, back when you had to earn your place online. Every link felt like a hidden cave of treasure. You could tweak a dial-up setting and squeeze a few extra kbps out of your modem like some digital alchemist. It was gritty, underground, and honestly kind of magical.

And then… AOL happened.

With one shiny CD ROM and a perky “You’ve got mail,” the secret handshake was gone. Grandma was online. My exclusive club turned into a food court. It felt like the mystique had been stomped out by suburban dads on dial-up.

When grandma logged onto AOL and unknowingly became the original digital pioneer.

And now? Déjà vu. But this time, AI is the New AOL!

Every time I scroll my feed, I see AI generated "art" from people who didn’t know what Photoshop was five minutes ago. There's a swarm of auto written poems, generic blog posts, and headshots with eyes that almost line up. A button gets pressed and, poof, something appears. Something that used to take hours, days, even years to learn.

It feels like magic has become microwaveable.

But then I pause. And I remember something important: AOL did not kill the internet. It simply gave it a makeover and dragged it into the mainstream, kicking, buffering, and yelling "you have mail." Sure, it felt like the end of an era, but it was actually the beginning of a much bigger one. That wave of users created demand and demand built broadband, security, e-commerce, streaming, and an entire generation of cursed memes we’ll never unsee.

And that is when it hits me: AI is the new AOL. It is messy. It is loud. It is full of people who do not quite know what they are doing yet. But it is also the gateway to something massive. The more people jump in, the faster the tools evolve. What feels clumsy and chaotic now might just be the messy first draft of the next creative revolution.

A nostalgic view of a vintage computer setup reminiscent of early internet days.

Remember when people shifted from browsing websites to building them?

Or from reading blogs to launching businesses? The tools got better, and so did the creators. AI will be no different. What feels shallow now will push tech deeper than ever before.

Sure, it stings to see someone skip the hard parts. But accessibility isn’t the enemy. It’s the multiplier. The more people using AI, the faster it gets smarter, better, more nuanced. Just like we saw with the internet, this flood might wash away some of the mystique, but it also clears the way for something much bigger.

Wider adoption of AI tools means increased demand for improvement. As more people use these resources, the quicker breakthroughs will arrive. For instance, AI tools can help graphic designers create striking visuals or assist writers in crafting engaging stories in a fraction of the time it used to take. A report from McKinsey found that 70% of organizations are expected to adopt at least one type of AI by 2030, indicating a remarkable shift in how we create and communicate.

A colorful abstract painting showcasing modern AI-generated art.

We are at the threshold of a new era.

One where creativity can be shared on a much larger scale. It’s not just about who presses the buttons; it’s about the collaborative potential that unfolds. An experience can be less exclusive while still holding significant value. This suggests that value is evolving and finding new forms.

The soul of creativity hasn’t vanished. It’s just growing a bigger audience.

So yes, let’s grumble nostalgically about MUDs and dial-up tones. But let’s also lean in, adapt, and make things that matter. That’s what builders do.

And if you need a guide through this next era of messy innovation, someone who remembers both the old ways and how to wield the new ones, well… Ilumifly’s got your back.

Now go click something. Who knows what you’ll spark?

It’s not about losing the allure of innovation; it's about what a more inclusive world can create with the opportunity to contribute.

Isn’t that a celebration worth having?