Strong fist raised up in halftone shape. Vector collage in contemporary punk grunge style . Modern … [+]
The world is up in arms. Layoffs are happening at a higher rate than we’ve seen in over a decade yet the government is claiming the highest job numbers in many years. The price of everything is going up but banks are collapsing. Tools like ChatGPT can write novels and help people do their taxes but kids are still being taught in school as if they’ll graduate into an industrial-era workforce. Nothing seems real anymore and it has left a lot of people unsure about the future.
I’ve been asked repeatedly whether I have any optimism about the future based on everything I’ve been seeing and while my response is often long-winded, the short answer is yes. In fact, I’m incredibly optimistic about the future. Despite how things may feel today, I believe it’s just that—a feeling. What we’re experiencing is the onset of a creative revolution, thanks in large part to the rapid evolution of the internet and artificial intelligence.
The Tools To Make Change
Recently there has been rapid growth in the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) models, capabilities of low and no code tools, and technical literacy within the public. This combination will enable creative expression that’s been stifled for the last two decades due to a lack of knowledge and access to resources. You used to need a team of engineers for months on end to develop what a single, non-technical individual can develop in weeks with no code. You used to need to know Adobe software and Microsoft Powerpoint to create a brand and pitch deck that can now be generated automatically by typing a few sentences into an interface.
Today an entrepreneur can use a tool like Tome to develop an idea into a pitch deck by typing their thoughts into a chat input or sharing a draft of the business plan, build a relational database with Airtable, connect that database to a user interface built with Webflow, automate SEO content with ChatGPT, and manage the data moving between systems with services like Zapier or Whalesync. Or that same person could skip these tools entirely and develop the whole thing in a tool like Glide.
There are so many alternatives at this point its more about learning what tools do what and discovering the tools you prefer to work with than it is about knowing how to build everything from scratch. While there is some technical knowledge involved, it’s nothing compared to what it used to be even three years ago. Peter Diamandis has gone as far as saying we won’t need programmers in five years’ time. Regardless of whether this is true or not, as of today, most entrepreneurs can have an app built and highly functional within a few weeks, maybe even a few days, with relatively no code!
These new technologies, paired with enhanced technical knowledge within the general population, are what will lead to the greatest creative revolution the world has ever experienced.
Disrupting The Disruptors
For the past two decades tech giants, such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook, have had a stranglehold on the internet. If a company got close to competing Big Tech would make an offer the executives couldn’t refuse because they were so exhausted just trying to achieve product parody.
With these new superpowers, no code and AI tools are giving entrepreneurs we can expect to see creative alternatives to monolithic tech monopolies. Small businesses, startups, and independent artists will be able to compete with large corporations as they’ve never been able to before, because the barriers to entry will be reduced, if not eliminated, and their investments (both time and money) will go further than ever before. This is especially true as the tools converge.
Philip Lakin, Founder of NoCodeOps, a community of operations professionals that are leveraging No Code to reimagine the future of internal innovation, told me that he’s “thrilled to witness the exciting intersection of No-Code and AI! One trend that has me truly captivated is the integration of AI into No-Code tools, revolutionizing development speed and eliminating manual tasks. The convergence of AI and No-Code opens up a world of possibilities, and these trends exemplify the exciting developments we can expect in this space.”
Democratizing creativity, making it accessible to a wider audience, and making it more affordable than ever before, will lead to a surge in artistic expression and new forms of business will emerge around the world. This will lead to a more diverse online ecosystem, with a wider range of options for consumers. We can expect to see the small business market make a comeback as micro online services are built to serve local communities in ways global tech giants simply can not.
People Want Better Options
Increases in digital literacy are also contributing to this creative renaissance. As more people become digitally literate, they can participate in the online world more effectively. Digital literacy is not just about being able to use a computer; it is also about understanding how the internet works and how it impacts your life. As more people become digitally literate, they’re realizing how toxic the current internet is and has been for decades. Like dieters looking for the next health trend, the general population is ready to kick Big Tech but hasn’t yet found a viable option.
This increase in literacy is what I believe will drive the change more than the tooling. Previous decades of work created dramatic change and awe-inspiring products but often these tools failed to gain traction because 1) people didn’t understand them, 2) didn’t understand the need, or 3) they were narrowed into acquisition because the monopolies threatened their ability to exist if they didn’t accept the offer. These power dynamics are changing and with greater technical literacy people are more willing to give a new tool a test drive. Consumers being more literate means they’re more comfortable with the unknown. Paired with a desire to get away from the toxic internet we currently live with I believe the coming years will lead to a more diverse online ecosystem that represents a wider range of voices and perspectives.
Don’t Wait Around, Start Exploring Today
The creative renaissance that is currently taking place on the internet is being driven by generative AI, Low- and No-Code tools and increases in digital literacy. These technologies are making it possible for more people to participate in building the Internet, and they are democratizing creativity and entrepreneurship. We can expect to see a surge in small businesses operating globally, creative alternatives to monolithic tech monopolies, and localized alternatives designed to work better for the local economies they serve. This is an exciting time for the internet, and I can’t wait to see what emerges in the years to come!
