Calm down and plug in: how entrepreneurs can use AI without losing their minds

The healthiest response to AI is not fear or blind enthusiasm, but informed curiosity, steady learning and a few well-chosen experiments in your own business.

Article link: https://open.substack.com/pub/johanosteyn/p/calm-down-and-plug-in-how-entrepreneurs?r=73gqa&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Audio summary: https://youtu.be/V17G-iI3RJk

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I write about various issues of interest to me that I want to bring to the reader’s attention. While my main work is in Artificial Intelligence and technology, I also cover areas around politics, education, and the future of our children.

If you are a business owner today, it can feel as if you are caught between two extremes. On one side, there is panic: headlines warning that AI will take all the jobs, wipe out industries and leave you behind. On the other side, there is hype: every second product is suddenly “AI-powered”, and you are told that if you do not adopt it immediately, you are finished.

Neither of these reactions is helpful. Fear paralyses, and blind enthusiasm leads to expensive mistakes. There is a calmer middle path available: treat AI as an important new general-purpose technology that you must understand, not worship. Carve out regular time to learn, think and experiment in a structured way, instead of trying to swallow everything at once.

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence is not entirely new. For decades, businesses have used algorithms to detect patterns, make predictions and automate decisions. What feels different now is that AI has become visible and conversational. Tools like ChatGPT have put advanced language models into the hands of ordinary people, including entrepreneurs running very small operations. This accessibility is both empowering and overwhelming. It creates the sense that you should “do something with AI” immediately, even if you are not sure what problem you are trying to solve.

At the same time, many small businesses are already stretched. Owners juggle sales, operations, cash flow, staff issues and family responsibilities. In this environment, it is tempting either to ignore AI as a distraction or to outsource thinking to the nearest tool. Both are risky. Ignoring AI completely means missing out on efficiencies your competitors may capture. Outsourcing your thinking means you slowly erode your own judgment and understanding of your business. A more responsible response is to stay curious, but remain in charge.

INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS

The first mindset shift is to distinguish between automation and intelligence. Automation is about repetitive, rule-based work: issuing invoices, reconciling payments, and sending routine reminders. These are prime candidates for AI-enabled tools because the risk is low and the rules are clear. Intelligence is about ambiguity, values and context: deciding which customers to prioritise, how to handle a complaint, and whether to approve a risky deal. This is where human judgement, empathy and experience are still essential. AI can offer input, but it should not make the final call without oversight.

Another important idea is cognitive offloading. When we let technology do more of our thinking, our own mental muscles can weaken. If every question in your business is answered by typing into a chatbot, you risk losing the habit of reading deeply, reflecting and challenging assumptions. That does not mean you should refuse to use AI; it means you should treat it as a collaborator, not a brain replacement. Ask it to generate options, but force yourself to compare those options with your own understanding of your market, your customers and your numbers.

A practical way to keep balance is to build small, deliberate habits. Set aside perhaps two hours a week to read about AI developments in your industry, watch a talk, or test a new feature. Use AI tools not only for quick answers but for structured work: drafting a business plan, exploring scenarios, or stress-testing a marketing idea. Then step back and ask: Does this make sense for my context, my country, my customers? Over time, this rhythm of “learn, apply, reflect” will serve you better than any one-off crash course.

IMPLICATIONS

For entrepreneurs, the most urgent task is not to buy more tools, but to ask better questions. Where in your business are people doing repetitive, low-value tasks that drain energy? Could AI help there, so that you and your team can focus on work that requires human connection and creativity? Conversely, where are decisions sensitive and emotional, such as dealing with a bereaved client or advising someone on their finances? Those are moments where AI should remain firmly in the background, if it appears at all.

There are also implications for how we keep our minds sharp in an AI-saturated world. Reading widely, including fiction, strengthens your ability to imagine, to interpret text and to notice nuance – the same medium through which most AI systems communicate. Strategic games, deep conversations and reflective thinking all help to ensure that the “six inches between your ears” remain active. Our children will grow up surrounded by intelligent systems. If we want them to be leaders rather than passive users, we must model what it looks like to combine technology with strong, independent thinking.

CLOSING TAKEAWAY

AI will continue to advance, whether we panic or not. The entrepreneurs who thrive will be those who remain calm, stay curious and take responsibility for their own learning. They will automate boring tasks to free up time, but guard the human heart of their businesses: relationships, wisdom and trust. They will treat AI as a powerful assistant that must be supervised, not as a magical oracle to be obeyed. For the sake of our businesses and the future of our children, we should refuse both fear and blind worship. Instead, we can quietly plug in, read, experiment and think – and in doing so, shape an AI-enabled future on our own terms.

Author Bio: Johan Steyn is a prominent AI thought leader, speaker, and author with a deep understanding of artificial intelligence’s impact on business and society. He is passionate about ethical AI development and its role in shaping a better future. Find out more about Johan’s work at https://www.aiforbusiness.net