The AI Hype Cycle: John Cutler Predicts a ‘Detox’ Upsell

In a recent LinkedIn post, John Cutler discusses a potential future trend within the booming AI industry: the emergence of “AI detox” services. Cutler, a prominent voice in the business and technology community, suggests that companies initially driving the AI hype may pivot to offering solutions for managing its perceived negative impacts, a strategy he likens to a classic business advice playbook.

Cutler outlines this predicted cycle, stating:

“Prediction: The AI hype industry will start offering AI detox as secondary offering. Perfect double dipping! Sell the panic, then sell the calm and steadfast personal traits required to ‘thrive’ in the new reality.”

The ‘Sell the Panic, Sell the Calm’ Playbook

According to Cutler, this approach is a well-established tactic in the business advice world. He elaborates on the perceived pattern:

“This has always been the business advice playbook. – First, make people worry that the world has changed and they are behind. – Then, offer them a framework, retreat, course, or mindset to feel less worried.”

In Cutler’s view, the rapid advancement and pervasive discussion around AI are designed to create a sense of urgency and potential obsolescence among professionals. This, he argues, sets the stage for the subsequent introduction of services promising to alleviate the anxiety generated by this narrative.

The Dual Offering Strategy

Cutler highlights the perceived duality of this strategy, where the same entities fueling the initial alarm are positioned to offer the remedy. He notes the swiftness with which this transition might occur:

“One second AI is coming to make your role completely irrelevant. The next second, magically the advice-givers ‘quietly’ come in with a way to seek inner-calm and reassurances (and the playbook to adapt).”

This observation by Cutler suggests a critical perspective on how the market may evolve to capitalize on both the excitement and the apprehension surrounding artificial intelligence. He implies that the narrative is carefully constructed to create a demand for both the transformative technology and the personal adaptation strategies that follow in its wake.

John Cutler’s analysis prompts a closer look at the business models emerging around AI, encouraging professionals to critically evaluate the advice and solutions presented to them in the face of rapid technological change.