17 Common Fears in Embracing AI and Strategies to Overcome Them

Adopting a new technology into everyday life is a challenge. When Geographic Positions Systems (GPS) emerged as an available option for commuting, the early adopters would still rely on backup paper maps. It has been pointed out some of the fears and emotions that drive people to and away from newer advanced technologies (Saplacan & Herstad, 2018; Khasawneh 2018). The author also cautions us for not confusing this with the phobia of using computers. Khasawneh (2018) identified some of the fear factors associated with adopting advanced technologies.  The connection between emotions, anxiety, and fear runs high when a new or advanced technology is introduced to the marketplace. These include mistrust in the technology that can disturb the usual way of life, unwarranted fears that have no evidence of such happenings like robots taking over the world, fear of causing some major disaster, losing their privacy, to name a few. The connection between emotions, anxiety, and fear runs high when a new or advanced technology is introduced to the marketplace.

The requirement to be familiar with coding or programming adds an additional layer of complexity to embrace AI. However, this can be overcome in several ways. Advances in code-free tools are on the rise. Block coding applications like Scratch, VEXcode, Roblox Lua coding, Kodable are a few block-based coding that can help one get started (Virginia 2021). The other critical trait one should aim for is to be fearless and not stop trying.While one may not be an expert in coding, it is essential to develop the proper analytical framework and thought process for problem-solving to incorporate AI solutions successfully.

The other critical trait one should aim for is to be fearless and not stop trying. Upadhyay (2020) in GeekforGeeks.org recommends starting on small projects and taking them to the finish. While the final product may not be perfect, it is a good start. While one may want to learn and master multiple coding languages, mastering one language is a better alternative. To accelerate learning, one could also join informal groups working on such projects, attend boot camps and look for open or shared resources. The University of Florida, Informatics Institute is an invaluable resource to tap into for such opportunities. The Informatics Institute also offers webinars, boot camps, and consultations on special projects. In addition to the above, one can tap into LinkedIn Learning, GitHub, Codecademy, Google’s Teachable Machine to get started.