The legend of John Henry tells of a steel-driving man who raced a steam-powered hammer—and won. But he died with his hammer in his hand. Is that really the model you want for your business?
The Frankenstein Fear
From Mary Shelley is Frankenstein to modern AI anxiety, humans have always feared the machines they create. And as David Maples explores on The Buck Stops Here podcast, that fear is not entirely irrational.
But the question is not whether to fear AI—it is what to do about it.
The Five-Generation Challenge
Modern workplaces span five generations, from Gen Z to the Greatest Generation. Each has different relationships with technology:
- Some grew up with smartphones in their hands
- Others remember when computers filled entire rooms
- Many adopted email reluctantly in the 1990s
- A few still prefer paper files
But here is the thing: even Gen Z has not experienced a fundamental technological shift like AI represents. Everyone is navigating new territory.
The Exhausted Business Owner
Maples shares conversations with business owners who explicitly said they did not want to learn AI technology. After surviving a pandemic, pivoting their operations, and managing endless crises, they were simply exhausted.
The sentiment is understandable. But it is also dangerous.
If you do not want to learn about AI, you are going to be forced to, period.
— David Maples
The Google Bard Wake-Up Call
When Google demonstrated its Bard AI and it provided incorrect information about the James Webb Space Telescope, the company lost $100 billion in market value—in a single day.
This illustrates both AI is current limitations and its importance. The technology is imperfect, but the stakes of engaging with it (or failing to) are enormous.
What AI Can Do Today
Practical applications are already transforming business operations:
- Job descriptions: Generate drafts in seconds that previously took hours
- Administrative efficiency: Automate routine communications and documentation
- Industry research: Synthesize information from multiple sources rapidly
- First drafts: Create starting points for human teams to refine
- Diagnostic tools: Even trades like plumbing are seeing AI-powered troubleshooting
The Coming Disruption to Hiring
Consider this: AI-written cover letters are already becoming standard. How do you evaluate candidates when everyone is resume looks polished?
Job boards may become obsolete as AI matches candidates to positions. Hiring processes must evolve to detect genuine capability rather than AI-enhanced presentation.
Price pressure will increase as low-quality AI content floods markets. High-quality work will require demonstrated human expertise that AI cannot replicate.
The John Henry Alternative
John Henry beat the machine—and died doing it. That is not a success story. That is a cautionary tale.
The smarter approach is learning to work with machines rather than against them. Use AI to handle the tasks it does well, freeing human intelligence for the work that truly requires it.
What You Must Do
- Personal engagement: Business owners must learn AI themselves—this cannot be delegated
- Hands-on experimentation: Spend time with ChatGPT and similar tools to understand capabilities
- Opportunity framing: Present AI as a productivity tool to your team, not a threat
- Industry awareness: Every sector will be affected—identify how yours will change
- Adaptation timeline: Companies refusing to adapt face obsolescence within 24-36 months
The Choice Is Yours
You can be John Henry, racing the machine until you collapse. Or you can be the operator who learned to drive the steam hammer—and built a career that lasted decades instead of one legendary, fatal day.
The machines are here. The question is whether you will work with them or against them.
This article is based on Season 2, Episode 12 of The Buck Stops Here podcast: “Adapt or DIE – Part 2 of 3.”