I remember clearly the early days of the internet in Brazil, back in the mid-1990s. Everything was new — but the general mood was one of excitement. It felt like we were discovering a new continent: incredible opportunities were emerging, entirely new professions were taking shape, and no one really knew where it might lead. There was curiosity, optimism — and a bit of naïveté, too.

Thirty years later, we’re facing another major technological revolution: artificial intelligence. But this time, the dominant emotion isn’t excitement. It’s fear.

Fear of losing jobs. Fear of being replaced. Fear of not understanding what’s going on or having enough time to adapt.

Why are we reacting so differently to two equally transformative technologies?

Of course, the internet and AI are very different in nature. But I believe the way each one arrived — and the context in which it did — helps explain a lot. Here’s a comparison that highlights some of the key differences:

This contrast shows that today’s fear is not just about what the technology can do — but about the pace and context in which it’s arriving. And I say this as someone who lived through the previous transformation from the inside.

In 1992, I co-founded a Bulletin Board System — a BBS — that allowed people to exchange messages and files over telephone lines. Our system was called Dialdata BBS, and for a while, it was our main focus.

Mosaic browser used in 1995

In 1995, when we got our first taste of the internet, it became clear: BBSs were going to disappear (and they did). But it also became clear that an entirely new world was opening up. What first looked like a threat turned into opportunity. We adapted, learned, and built. From Dialdata BBS to Dialdata Internet — one of Brazil’s first internet service providers. We were part of building the early days of the web in the country.

Looking back, I can see how choosing to see possibility instead of threat made all the difference. And just the other day, I saw that same curious and fearless mindset in a five-year-old.

A father introduced his daughter to an AI tool that generated drawings based on descriptions. She asked it to draw a “flying unicorn.” The result was strange — even a bit creepy. The father was worried about how she’d react. But she just said: “That drawing I made didn’t turn out very well. I’ll try again.”

To her, AI wasn’t something to fear. It was just another tool for making things. And if it didn’t work the first time, that was okay — she’d try again.

Maybe that’s the mindset we need to approach this new technological wave: less fear of being replaced, and more willingness to explore, learn, and create.

That’s how I lived through the arrival of the internet.

That’s how I’m living through the age of AI.

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