Written by Charlotte Siller, Senior Manager of Content Marketing at Onramp Invest
I can’t think of a piece of technology or software put in front of me over the last decade that I haven’t been able to understand in under 5 minutes. I pride myself on being a fast learner and keeping up with the trends, making sure I’m the person in the room that can talk about and navigate anything with minimal effort and maximum proficiency. After all, that’s how you survive these days—especially in start-ups, especially as a millennial, and especially in the digital asset space.
But I’m feeling a little rattled lately. My colleague sent me a newsletter screenshot this morning through slack that talked about GPT-4. We send these to each other frequently, every time saying man, we really need to get on that, but my sense of adventure wains. The headlines discussing AI fill me with dread, and I wish I could say I don’t know why. It’s because it’s new, and that’s terrifying.
Usually, being new to things inspires me to understand them, but this feels different. I think because I know it’s going to change everything I know and have learned, and it feels like it’s moving faster than I can. For example, I’m a writer by trade. I know that no AI program in its current iteration can compete with the human brain’s creative power. You can say, “Write something like Joan Didion,” but it’s referencing her work—writing is just a little bit magic, so I don’t believe AI will eclipse the author. However, I know the reality of the situation: ChatGPT is faster than Joan Didion—certainly faster than me—and has years of intelligent computer data backing its work. This makes it something that could be a crucial tool for the workforce. Time is money, and I’m sure you’ve seen the graphics on LinkedIn that read: “AI won’t take your job, but someone who knows how to use it will.”
Basically, it feels like this thing I don’t know how to use is somehow going to sweep in and threaten my entire livelihood. It creates a fear that can only be surmounted through understanding. I feel stuck, even though I know that this technology could benefit me immensely in the long run.
All of this is hard to admit, but it made me realize something: This is the same way that so many advisors feel about blockchain.
I get it. Blockchain is evolving by the day, it’s disrupting the balance, and it’s changing the conversation faster than someone new to the concepts (which is currently most people) can research answers. There are no years of experience to lean on, no patterns from decades past to reference, and if there are, they’re in a language that’s hard to understand. It’s easy to see how you’d dread the day your clients ask you what Ethereum is, what kind of wallet to use, or how to trade on a DEX, in the same way that I dread a client asking me to pull keywords from ChatGPT. And finding time to learn is difficult because you’re still managing the market you’ve always known.
The thing is, we all know what needs to be done—we have to learn, and we have to grow. AI and digital assets are two new advancements that aren’t going anywhere, and for good reason—they are changing things for the better. Think about Desk Set and The Information Machine—there was a time when we were terrified of computers (you might even remember the discomfort and skepticism that came with those early days!). Imagine choosing not to engage them. Imagine saying no to the internet and all of the value it adds to your everyday life: education, innovation, democratization, accessibility, human connection. We can’t let our fear win because, in doing so, we’re cheating ourselves as much as we’re cheating the people who rely on our expertise.
If you’ve made it this far, what I want you to take from this is that you’re smart enough to figure this out, and you don’t have to be scared or overwhelmed because you have us. As the content producer at Onramp, I can tell you that this mutual feeling has made me absolutely dedicated to giving you everything you need to understand this emerging market. No one should have to feel dread over learning, and we are here to provide you with every tool you need to give yourself and your clients the future you deserve. We know you’re capable, we know you’re great at your job, and blockchain doesn’t change any of that. In fact, the only way it will change you is the same way stupid AI is going to change me—it’s going to make us better.
When I say we’re here to support you, I mean it. If you know the ways you learn best, we’ll create resources that can help. You can send me your ideas via email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. The content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. All Content is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Opinions expressed are solely that of Charlotte Siller and do not express the views or opinions of Blockforce Capital or Onramp Invest.