AI was already there — you just hadn't noticed

The launch of ChatGPT created a shockwave. In two months, 100 million users. An absolute record. Newspapers headlined "the revolution". Experts predicted the end of entire professions. Fear and excitement blurred together.

But this "revolution" was a mirage. AI didn't appear in November 2022. It was already everywhere. In your pockets. On your screens. In your decisions — without you knowing.

Take a normal day, before ChatGPT:

Every interaction was optimised by algorithms. Not to serve you — to maximise your engagement, your clicks, your time spent. AI wasn't helping you. It was guiding you. Subtly. Effectively.

Pre-ChatGPT AI had three characteristics that made it invisible:

1. It didn't talk

Recommendation systems don't communicate. They act. You don't see TikTok's algorithm — you just see videos that captivate you. The effect is there; the cause is hidden.

2. It was integrated

Google Maps, Spotify, Amazon... these services *are* AI wrapped in an interface. You don't say "I'm using a music recommendation AI". You say "I'm listening to Spotify". The tool masks the technology.

3. It didn't present itself as AI

Nobody marketed "our AI monitors you to keep you longer". They talked about "personalisation", "tailored experience", "smart suggestions". Soft words for a more complex reality.

ChatGPT didn't invent AI. It did three things:

1. It gave the machine a face

For the first time, you could *talk* to AI. Ask it questions. Have a conversation. AI went from invisible to conversational.

2. It democratised access

Before, using AI required technical skills or significant budgets. ChatGPT put an LLM in anyone's hands, for free, via a simple web interface.

3. It made AI explicit

When YouTube recommends a video, you don't know why. When ChatGPT responds, you see the reasoning (or at least, an illusion of reasoning). AI became observable.

The real change: AI is no longer something that *happens to* you. It's something you *use*. The difference is fundamental.

There's a common confusion. Netflix's AI and ChatGPT are not the same thing:

"Narrow" AI

Generative AI (GenAI)

Both are AI. But one has been influencing you silently for years. The other responds when you talk to it.

Understanding that AI was already there changes the perspective:

1. You're not behind

If you haven't yet "adopted AI", you're already using it. Every day. For years. The question isn't "should I get started?" but "how do I use it *consciously*?"

2. The novelty is control

Before, AI guided you without your consent. Now, you can give it instructions. That's a shift in power.

3. Be wary of both

Generative AI can hallucinate and mislead you. Invisible AI can manipulate your choices without you realising. Both deserve a critical eye.

4. AI is not neutral

Whether it recommends a video or generates text, AI reflects the data it was trained on — with their biases, their blind spots, their commercial interests.