Why are people are afraid of AI?
Most people aren’t actually afraid of AI itself.
They’re afraid of what it changes.
Losing their livelihood. If you’ve spent 30+ years becoming a designer, copywriter, photographer,
programmer or accountant, seeing AI do parts of your job in seconds is unsettling.
The speed of change. Previous technological changes happened over decades.
AI capabilities are improving every few months.
Not understanding it. Anything that seems like a “black hole” creates uncertainty.
Loss of control. People worry that decisions will be made by algorithms they can’t question.
Bad actors. Deepfakes, scams, misinformation and cyberattacks are genuine concerns.
Existential headlines. Media stories often jump between realistic concerns and science fiction,
which can make AI seem more frightening than it is.
Why so many small businesses are giving up
This is something we are all seeing firsthand.
Many small businesses didn’t fail because they suddenly became bad at what they do.
They’re being squeezed from several directions at once.
- Customers expect more work, faster, for less money.
- AI has reduced the perceived value of many creative and knowledge-based services.
- Running a business now means marketing, social media, websites, CRM, bookkeeping,
GDPR, cybersecurity, reviews… not just doing the work. - Inflation has increased costs while clients are attempting to delay payment or cutting budgets.
- After years of doing everything themselves, many owners are simply done! Exhausted. Had enough!
AI has changed expectations
A client who once expected:
- A logo in two weeks
may now expect:
- five concepts tomorrow,
- social media graphics,
- website copy,
- videos,
- presentations,
…for roughly the same price because “AI can do it.”
The reality is that AI often produces a first draft.
Someone still has to understand the client and their business, and make good decisions, refine the work, manage the project and take responsibility for the outcome.
The businesses that seem to be thriving
Interestingly, they often aren’t the biggest agencies. They’re people who have adapted.
They use AI to:
- produce work faster,
- automate admin,
- generate first drafts,
- analyse information,
- spend more time talking to clients.
After all, we are selling judgement, experience, relationships, and accountability rather than hours.
Looking at our own business
rtfacts has survived for over 30 years. That’s significant because we’ve already adapted through:
- desktop publishing,
- the internet,
- email replacing post,
- digital printing,
- smartphones,
- social media,
- COVID,
- Donald
- Putin
- and now AI.
We’ve also expanded into things that aren’t purely design work, like merchandise, web projects, and supporting Businesses with branding, communications and operations. That diversity is an advantage.
Where AI could hurt a business like ours is if it continues to sell only “design hours.” Where it can help is by letting us deliver more value—strategy, creative direction, print expertise, supplier management, merchandising, and problem-solving
– while AI handles repetitive tasks.
The opportunity
Small businesses like rtfacts have one advantage that large companies don’t: We can change direction quickly.
A one-person business using AI effectively can sometimes compete with an agency of five or ten people because routine work takes a fraction of the time. We have frequently created work alongside International Mega Agencies and have often produced more effective work at a fraction of the cost.
The challenge is psychological as much as technical. Many owners ask, “How do I protect what I built?”
The more productive question is, “What parts of what I do are still valuable when everyone has AI?”
For most experienced professionals, the answer isn’t the software – it’s the judgement to know what should be created, why it matters, and whether it’s actually good enough to deliver.
AI can accelerate that work, but it doesn’t replace the trust clients place in rtfacts who always stand behind their results.
