The case for AI optimism 

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Doom-and-gloom narratives about artificial intelligence going rogue to the detriment of humans are a staple of popular culture. For some people, just say “AI,” and visions of Skynet from the Terminator movies taking over the world will instantly pop into their heads.  

Skepticism about AI isn’t just in the realm of science fiction, of course. As AI becomes more mainstream, legitimate concerns about its accuracy, privacy, transparency, and the possibility of job displacement continue to be voiced. There’s simply not an overabundance of trust when it comes to AI. A quick internet search will turn up plenty of surveys indicating more people than not are tired of the hype around AI and worried about potential risks.   

I have a different point of view. I’m not the guy to ask about the downsides of AI. I’m the guy who says a world you can’t even imagine is right around the corner, thanks to AI. What happens with this new technology is entirely up to us. It’s ours to own and do amazing things to make lives better. If we embrace and employ it wisely, AI will be a tremendous positive for people.  

I believe in AI for good. 

Why I’m optimistic 

I come to my optimism in the most personal way possible. Technology changed my life and perhaps even saved it. In my mid-20s, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition where my immune system attacked insulin-producing cells in my pancreas. For years, my body was a constant chemistry experiment due to a lifelong dependence on prescription insulin. I had to check my blood sugar with a fingerstick 10 times a day, and then inject myself with insulin another 10 times a day. Administering too much or too little made for some very panicky moments.  

Today, I have an insulin pump attached to one side of my abdomen and an insulin sensor on the other. Those two amazing devices communicate in real time and deliver the proper dosage I need to stay healthy. It just happens automatically. The result is that I’m blessed with a safer, more productive, and more enjoyable life. So, I have a deep appreciation of the profound and transformative nature of technology in our lives. 

Let’s extend this to AI. I recently spoke with leaders at a hospital network who are reimagining how AI can improve care. Their vision? When a child is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, they’re immediately supported by a lifelong AI assistant—one that understands their condition, offers guidance, and grows with them. I wish I’d had that kind of support years ago. It’s not about replacing doctors or caregivers. It’s about augmenting care with intelligence—safely, consistently, and with empathy. 

That’s just one example. I believe AI should be used to solve real human problems – making essentials like food, shelter, healthcare, and opportunity more accessible to more people. The promise of AI is longer, healthier lives. Smarter, more sustainable systems. At its best, AI doesn’t remove the human element, it amplifies it. That’s what this moment demands, not just building technology, but building a better world with it. 

We still need guardrails 

Now, there’s a difference between being optimistic and a starry-eyed Pollyanna. This vision only happens if AI is carefully curated and managed. Secure guardrails must be in place to ensure AI is used responsibly, ethically, and morally. We must be careful to ensure AI models are free of biases and inaccuracies. And in the workplace, we must deploy AI to help people perform their jobs better, not replace them.  

The biggest worry I hear about AI is the fear of employment loss. Trust me, I get how AI can be a scary topic if we think it will impact our livelihoods. But history is a good guide in showing us what ultimately happens when new technologies emerge and change the old ways of doing things. Consider some of the great shifts of the past, whether it was the Industrial Revolution, the manufacturing revolution, or the computing revolution. There was always the concern that the machines were coming for our jobs. Yes, there were adjustment periods. But the jobs didn’t go away. They just changed. In the process, quality of life improved. 

We’ll likely see something similar with AI. The people who will thrive in this new era and have nothing to fear are those who learn to use AI in their daily roles. That’s because humans will always be in the loop. We’ll be the ones overseeing and orchestrating AI processes. 

Instead of AI eliminating roles for humans, we should think more about the era of the super-human thanks to AI. Great technology reduces tedious work, makes our lives easier, and allows us to focus on the activities that make our careers more rewarding. AI will take that to the next level.  

We’ve all been hearing so much about the potential of AI “agents” to help us do our jobs. But they will need watchful management and governance to ensure they aid, not hinder, our businesses. We’ll need to be attentive stewards to increase AI’s veracity and credibility to ensure it becomes practical in our lives.  

When properly managed, I unequivocally believe AI should be embraced, not feared.  

If we do that, powerful agentic systems will do far more than make our businesses hyperproductive. They will transform everything. What this world looks like in 10 years will be extraordinary—thanks to AI. 

Steve Lucas is CEO and chairman of Boomi. He’s the author of the new book Digital Impact: The Human Element of AI-Driven Transformation. 

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