How To View A Private Instagram Without Following

TLDR: How To View A Private Instagram Without Following

Peekviewer lets you anonymously view Instagram profiles, stories, posts — even some private content — without logging into Instagram or sending a follow request. It’s browser-based, easy: enter the username and Peekviewer pulls available posts/stories into an anonymous viewer.

Many reviews and user reports call it a reliable, privacy-focused alternative to scammy “unlock” sites, so it’s our pick as the best easy way to privately peek at IG content.

BEST WAY TO VIEW PRIVATE IG WITHOUT FOLLOWING: Peekviewer

Runner up: uMobix

Third place: xMobi

Introduction

Instagram has become a central platform for sharing moments, stories, and photos with friends and followers. However, many users choose to keep their profiles private, restricting access to their content only to approved followers. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to view a private Instagram without following, you’re not alone. Whether it’s for curiosity, reconnecting with someone, or legitimate reasons, understanding how private Instagram accounts work and the options available to view private content is essential. 

Instagram’s policies are designed to protect user privacy and set clear rules about who can view private content. 

In this article, we will explore various methods, focusing on legal and ethical approaches, including the use of tools like Peekviewer to view private Instagram profiles anonymously.

What is A Private Instagram Account?

A private Instagram account is a popular choice for users who want to maintain control over their online presence and safeguard their personal information. 

With a private Instagram account, the account owner decides exactly who can see their posts, stories, and other private content. Only approved followers are granted access, making it an effective way to share moments with a select audience rather than the entire Instagram community. 

This privacy setting is especially appealing to those who wish to keep their experiences and updates within a trusted circle, such as friends and family. 

Understanding how private Instagram accounts operate is important for both those who manage these accounts and those who are interested in viewing private content, as it sets clear boundaries for access and sharing on the platform.

Understanding Instagram Accounts

Instagram offers two main types of accounts: public accounts and private accounts. Public accounts allow any user to view the account’s posts, stories, and profile information without restrictions. 

In contrast, a private account restricts access, requiring users to send a follow request to the account owner before they can see any content. 

Private accounts are easily identified by a padlock icon next to the username, signaling that the account’s content is protected. 

Account owners have the flexibility to switch between public and private settings at any time, giving them full control over who can access their Instagram content. 

Even with a private account, the account owner can selectively share certain posts or stories with specific users or groups, ensuring that their privacy preferences are always respected.

Why Would You Want to View a Private Page on Instagram?

There are several reasons why someone might want to view a private Instagram page without following the account owner. 

Sometimes, you may want to check out a friend’s or acquaintance’s private Instagram profile before sending a follow request. Other times, you might be researching public figures, monitoring changes on a private page for professional reasons, or simply trying to reconnect with old contacts. 

For casual users, the desire to view private Instagram content stems from curiosity, but it is important to respect privacy and avoid intrusive behavior.

Is It Possible to View a Private Instagram Profile Without Following?

Instagram’s security measures ensure that private Instagram accounts only share their content with approved followers.

Instagram private accounts are specifically designed to limit access, and attempting to bypass these privacy settings can involve significant risks and ethical concerns. 

This means that, by default, you cannot access posts, stories, or archived content on a private page without the account owner’s permission. Instagram’s policies are designed to protect user privacy, and the platform restricts account visibility accordingly. 

However, there are some methods and third-party tools that claim to help users view private Instagram profiles without following, but the effectiveness and legality of these tools vary widely.

Sending a Follow Request

The most direct and respectful way to view a private Instagram account is by sending a follow request. To do this, simply visit the private account’s profile page and click the “Follow” button. 

The account owner will receive a notification and can choose whether to approve or decline your request. If approved, you’ll gain access to the private content, including posts and stories, on that Instagram account. 

This process allows the account owner to maintain full control over who can view their private Instagram content, ensuring that only trusted users are granted access. 

Remember, sending a follow request does not guarantee access—approval is entirely at the discretion of the account owner, and respecting their decision is essential for maintaining a positive experience on Instagram.

1. Use Peekviewer to View Private Instagram Pages Anonymously

One of the most popular and user-friendly tools for those seeking to view a private Instagram page is Peekviewer. This service allows you to explore certain content from private Instagram profiles anonymously and without needing to send a follow request.

Peekviewer operates by leveraging publicly cached, archived, or indexed data related to Instagram profiles. It does not hack, infiltrate, or bypass Instagram’s security systems, but instead retrieves only information that can be legally accessed through public systems. This ensures that the tool works within legal and ethical boundaries, making it a safer option compared to many other third-party services that claim to unlock private accounts.

Key Features of Peekviewer:

• Anonymous Viewing: Peekviewer allows you to browse certain parts of a private Instagram profile without logging into Instagram or revealing your identity to the account owner. This means you won’t appear in the viewer list or notifications.
• No Instagram Login Required: You don’t need to provide your Instagram login credentials, which enhances security and reduces the risk of account compromise or data theft.
• Search by Instagram Username or Profile URL: You can easily find the private Instagram profile you want to explore by entering the exact username or the direct URL of the profile. Using the exact username or direct URL ensures the most accurate and precise search results.
• Display Content: While Peekviewer cannot show all private content due to Instagram’s privacy restrictions, it can display profile pictures, some tagged and archived content, and other accessible data that is publicly cached or mirrored.
• Regular Updates and Monitoring: You can revisit the tool to monitor changes on the private page over time without sending a follow request or alerting the account owner. This feature is especially useful for professionals like private investigators or marketers who need to track profile updates discreetly.
• User-Friendly Interface: Peekviewer is compatible with multiple devices including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops, making it accessible and easy to use for a wide range of users.
• Safe and Ethical: Unlike many shady apps or websites that promise to unlock private Instagram profiles but are scams or malware, Peekviewer operates transparently and respects Instagram’s policies and privacy laws.

2. Search by Username or Profile URL

When looking to view a private Instagram profile, having the exact instagram username or the direct profile url is crucial. Using these details in search tools like Peekviewer or even search engines can sometimes provide limited access to publicly available information or cached content related to the profile. This method is straightforward and often the first step in trying to find any accessible details about a private Instagram account.

3. See Photos on a Private Instagram Page Without Following

Typically, private Instagram profiles restrict access to their photos and posts to only approved followers. However, some tools and methods claim to allow users to see photos on a private Instagram page without following. It’s important to note that the results vary, and many third-party services are scams designed to steal data or install malware. Many so-called private Instagram viewer tools are unreliable, potentially illegal, and often put users at risk. Legitimate tools like Peekviewer can sometimes display profile pictures or previously archived content, but they cannot bypass Instagram’s security to show all private photos.

4. Monitor Changes Without Ever Following

For those who have a legitimate reason to keep track of a private Instagram profile—such as private investigators or marketing professionals—tools like Peekviewer offer the ability to monitor profile updates anonymously. This means you can check for new posts, stories, or changes without sending a follow request or alerting the account owner. This feature is particularly useful for keeping tabs on private Instagram pages discreetly.

5. Is It Legal to View a Private Instagram Page Online?

When considering how to view a private Instagram without following, legality is a critical factor. Instagram’s privacy laws and policies protect users’ rights to control who sees their content. Using unauthorized third-party tools to access private Instagram content may violate Instagram’s terms of service and, in some cases, legal regulations. Unauthorized access can lead to account suspension, legal consequences, and breaches of privacy. Always prioritize ethical methods and respect the privacy of private Instagram accounts.

Risks of Using Third-Party Tools

While there are many third-party tools and services that claim to let users view private Instagram accounts without approval, these options come with significant risks. 

Many of these tools require users to enter their Instagram login credentials, which can lead to account compromise, unauthorized access, or even account suspension. Some services are outright scams designed to steal personal information or install malware. 

Additionally, using such tools often violates Instagram’s terms of service and privacy laws, potentially resulting in legal consequences for users. 

It’s important to avoid these risky shortcuts and instead focus on legitimate ways to view private Instagram content, such as sending a follow request or using authorized services like Peekviewer that operate within legal and ethical boundaries.

Step-by-Step: How to Use Peekviewer

If you decide to use Peekviewer to view private Instagram profiles, here is a simple step-by-step guide to get started:

1. Go to the Peekviewer Website

Open your preferred browser and navigate to the official Peekviewer website. Ensure you are accessing the legitimate service to avoid scams.

2. Enter the Instagram Username or Profile URL

In the search bar provided, type the exact instagram username or paste the direct profile url of the private Instagram profile you want to view.

3. Click the Search Button

After entering the details, click the search button to initiate the process. Peekviewer’s backend system will retrieve and display accessible content from the profile.

4. Preview Accessible Content

Once the search completes, you can preview any content that Peekviewer can legally and ethically display. This may include profile pictures, some tagged photos, or archived posts.

5. Revisit for Updates

You can return to the site at any time to check for new updates or changes on the private page without notifying the account owner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you view a private Instagram account without following the owner?

Under Instagram’s built-in privacy settings, private Instagram accounts restrict access to their profile content, posts, stories, and highlights exclusively to approved followers. 

This means that without being accepted as a follower, you cannot directly view the full content of a private profile through the Instagram app. 

However, some third-party tools and services claim to provide limited access to certain publicly cached or archived information related to private profiles. While these tools, such as Peekviewer, can sometimes display profile pictures or previously indexed content, they cannot fully bypass Instagram’s privacy restrictions. 

It’s important to approach these tools cautiously, as many are unreliable or violate Instagram’s terms of service. The most respectful and secure way to view a private Instagram account remains sending a follow request and waiting for approval.

Is there a free way to view private Instagram profiles?

There are a few tools and platforms, including Peekviewer, that offer free services to view limited information from private Instagram profiles. These services typically do not require you to create an account or pay fees and allow you to preview publicly cached content such as profile pictures or some tagged posts. 

However, the amount of content you can access for free varies depending on the profile’s settings and what data is available outside Instagram. 

Beware of websites or apps that promise full access to private content for free but ask for personal information, payment, or login credentials—these are often scams designed to steal your data or compromise your security. Always use reputable tools and prioritize your online safety.

Will the person know I viewed their private Instagram page?

When you view a private Instagram profile through the official Instagram app by sending a follow request and being accepted, the account owner will know you are a follower and may see your activity depending on their settings. 

However, when using third-party tools like Peekviewer, your viewing is anonymous. These tools do not log you into Instagram or interact with the profile directly through the app, so the account owner will not receive any notifications or see you in their viewer list. 

This makes Peekviewer a discreet way to preview certain accessible content without alerting the profile owner. Nonetheless, it’s important to use such tools responsibly and ethically.

Can I download content from private Instagram accounts?

Downloading content from private Instagram accounts without the account owner’s permission is against Instagram’s terms of service and may violate privacy laws in many jurisdictions. 

Legitimate tools like Peekviewer generally do not support downloading private content, focusing instead on providing a way to view publicly cached or archived data safely. 

Attempting to download or redistribute private content without consent can lead to legal consequences, account suspension, and ethical breaches. 

If you want to save content, the best approach is to request permission from the account owner or interact with the content through official Instagram features.

Do I need an Instagram account to use Peekviewer?

No, Peekviewer does not require you to have an Instagram account or to log in. It operates independently of the Instagram app by accessing publicly available or cached data related to Instagram profiles. 

This means anyone can use Peekviewer from any device with internet access without needing to create an Instagram account or provide login credentials. 

This feature enhances privacy and security, as you avoid sharing sensitive information and reduce the risk of your account being compromised. It also means you can browse profiles anonymously without leaving any trace or footprint on Instagram.

Alternatives to Viewing Private Content

If you’re unable to view private Instagram content directly, there are still some alternative approaches to consider. One option is to search for the user’s public content on other social media platforms or through search engines, as some Instagram users share their posts or stories on sites like Twitter or Facebook. 

Engaging with the account owner’s public posts—by liking or commenting—can help build a connection and may increase your chances of being approved as a follower in the future. 

Additionally, some account owners share exclusive content with mutual followers or close friends, so building relationships with other users in their network can sometimes provide access to private Instagram content. 

While these alternatives may not guarantee access, they offer respectful and legitimate ways to connect with private Instagram users and view their content.

When Not to Use These Methods

It is important to avoid using these methods for unethical purposes, such as stalking, harassment, or violating someone’s privacy. 

Creating fake accounts or using third party tools that promise full access to private Instagram content often leads to scams or account suspension. Respecting privacy and adhering to Instagram’s policies is crucial to avoid legal consequences.

Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Way to View a Private Page on Instagram?

The best and most respectful way to view a private Instagram profile remains sending a follow request and waiting for approval from the account owner.

For those seeking to explore content anonymously or monitor changes on private pages for legitimate reasons, tools like Peekviewer provide a free way to access limited content without compromising security or violating privacy laws.

Always prioritize ethical behavior, avoid scams, and respect the privacy rights of private Instagram accounts to ensure a safe and positive experience on Instagram.

The post How To View A Private Instagram Without Following appeared first on jeffbullas.com.

* This article was originally published here

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The Superpower of the 21st Century Isn’t IQ or EQ

When the French psychologist Alfred Binet created the first IQ (Intelligence) test in 1905, his goal was simple: Identify students who needed extra help. It wasn’t meant to label human potential for life.

But as the test spread globally, it morphed into something else — a cultural obsession with measuring “how smart you are.” IQ became the passport to opportunity, the mythic number that decided who was “gifted” and who wasn’t.

For over a century, success has been linked to intelligence. 

We measured it. Ranked it. Built entire education systems around it. Classes from primary school to high school were created for the smart and the dumb: Intelligence had now become a class structure and some students’ self esteem was destroyed for life. 

But as the world accelerates faster than ever — driven by AI, automation, and exponential change — a different kind of intelligence is now defining who thrives and who struggles. 

Success in life is now much more than IQ score. And the question we need to ask now is “If the intelligent global machine has the raw IQ what do we need to have as humans to succeed in life?”

The Problem with Measuring IQ

IQ only measures a narrow slice of human intelligence — primarily logical reasoning, verbal fluency, and spatial awareness.

It tells us how fast you can think, not how well you can adapt. And while IQ can predict academic performance, it says little about real-world success, creativity, empathy, or resilience.

Einstein, who was famously skeptical of IQ tests, once said:

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”

And as AI systems outperform humans in knowledge recall and computation, imagination and adaptability — become our ultimate differentiators.

Image source

The Emergence of EQ — Emotional Intelligence

But before AQ emerged EQ made itself known.  

In the 1990s, psychologist Daniel Goleman popularized a breakthrough idea: that success depends less on IQ and more on Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

EQ is your ability to:

• Understand and manage your own emotions.
  
• Empathize with others.
  
• Build and sustain relationships.
  
• Navigate social complexity.
  

Goleman’s research revealed that top performers in leadership, business, and life shared one trait — high EQ.

Image source

A Harvard study later confirmed that EQ accounted for nearly 90% of the difference between high and average performers in leadership roles.

EQ made us realize something profound: You can’t think your way to success — you have to feel and connect your way there. But now, even emotional intelligence is being tested by the machine age.

We’re entering a world where synthetic empathy — chatbots that mirror emotions, AI companions that simulate care — blurs the line between real and artificial connection.

So what happens next? We evolve again.

The Rise of AQ — The Adaptability Quotient

AQ is your ability to adapt, learn, unlearn, and re-learn in response to change.

In a world where algorithms rewrite job descriptions and industries can be disrupted overnight, adaptability isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s survival.

One way of looking at the essence of AQ includes these three components.

1. Character: The personal qualities that aid adaptability
2. Ability: How a person is able to learn new skills and accept feedback creatively
3. Environment: Do you have a culture that accepts failure as part of the learning process. 

Image source

Dr. Natalie Fratto, a venture capitalist who studies founders, calls AQ “the new competitive advantage.”
When she invests in entrepreneurs, she doesn’t just ask for their IQ or track record. She asks:

• How quickly can you pivot when data changes?
  
• Can you hold two opposing ideas without paralysis?
  
• Do you learn faster than the world is changing?
  

Those with high AQ don’t just survive disruption — they dance with it. They treat change as fuel, not fear.

Why AQ Is Critical in a Fast-Changing World of AI

Artificial Intelligence is not just accelerating change — it’s exponentiating it. Every industry, job, and skillset is being redefined in real time.

McKinsey estimates that 40% of global workers will need to reskill within the next three years due to AI-driven automation. ChatGPT, Midjourney, Claude, and Sora are reshaping how we write, design, learn, and even think.

In this new reality:

• The half-life of skills is shrinking to less than five years.
  
• The volume of digital knowledge is doubling every 12 hours.
  
• Entire professions — from law to marketing to education — are being rewired by algorithms.
  

So the real competitive edge isn’t in what you know, but in how fast you can evolve what you know. That’s AQ.

AI will keep learning faster than humans — but humans who adapt faster will still lead.
Why? Because adaptation is not just cognitive — it’s creative, emotional, and ethical.

High-AQ individuals excel at:

• Learning new AI tools and workflows rapidly.
  
• Reframing threats into opportunities.
  
• Integrating human judgment, empathy, and creativity — the things AI can’t replicate.
  
• Thriving amid ambiguity by turning confusion into curiosity.
  

The AI revolution rewards those who stay fluid. Low-AQ people cling to old maps. High-AQ people redraw them as the terrain changes.

The future will belong not to the ones who master a tool — but to the ones who can continuously master themselves as tools evolve.

What Science Says About AQ

In recent years, researchers from Harvard Business Review, World Economic Forum, and MIT Sloan have begun measuring AQ as a distinct form of intelligence — one that integrates cognitive flexibility, emotional resilience, and learning agility.

Science defines AQ as “the ability to adapt to new environments and to integrate new knowledge, perspectives, and behaviors rapidly and effectively.”

Here are some key findings:

• Cognitive neuroscience shows that adaptable people have more active anterior cingulate cortices, the brain region responsible for error detection and conflict monitoring. This means they can notice when something’s not working and shift strategies faster.
  
• Psychological studies link high AQ with growth mindset — the belief that abilities can be developed through effort. Carol Dweck’s research shows that this mindset directly increases resilience, motivation, and learning speed.
  
• Organizational research by Korn Ferry and PwC found that adaptability predicts long-term success more strongly than IQ or EQ in fast-changing industries.
  
• A 2021 study in Frontiers in Psychology concluded that AQ correlates with emotional regulation and stress tolerance, especially in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments.
  

In short: “Your AQ determines how well you navigate reality when reality keeps changing. It’s not about being the smartest in the room — it’s about being the quickest to evolve when the room transforms”.

What Ancient Wisdom Says About Adapting

Long before science coined “AQ,” ancient wisdom traditions had already mapped the art of adaptation.

In Taoism, the Tao Te Ching teaches that: “The softest thing in the world overcomes the hardest.” Lao Tzu’s philosophy of wu wei — effortless action — reminds us that true strength lies in flexibility. The reed that bends survives the storm; the rigid oak breaks.

In Stoicism, Epictetus wrote: “We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.” This is adaptability in its purest form — mastering your internal world when the external one is chaotic.

In Buddhism, impermanence (anicca) is central. The Buddha taught that suffering arises when we cling to what must inevitably change. Freedom, therefore, comes not from control, but from flow — from meeting change with awareness instead of resistance.

And in Japanese Zen, the concept of shoshin — “beginner’s mind” — captures the spirit of high AQ. It’s about approaching every situation as if for the first time, curious and open, free from rigid preconceptions.

Across these traditions, one truth echoes: “Adaptability is not just a survival skill — it’s a spiritual practice. It’s how we stay aligned with life’s movement instead of fighting against it.

3 Successful People not Known for Their High IQ

Here are three standout examples of people who achieved extraordinary impact not because of raw intellect, but because of adaptability, emotional intelligence, grit, and vision — the real-world traits behind a high AQ.

1. Richard Branson — The Adaptive Visionary

Why he matters:
Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, left school at 16 with dyslexia and no formal academic achievements. Traditional IQ tests or academic systems didn’t capture his kind of intelligence — intuitive, people-oriented, and fearless in experimentation.

His edge:

• Branson’s success came from his EQ and AQ, not IQ.
  
• He constantly reinvented himself and his businesses — from music to airlines to space travel — showing the fluid adaptability that defines AQ.
  
• He’s known for empowering people, taking bold risks, and bouncing back from failures.
  
  Lesson:
• When the environment changes, learn faster than your competitors — not by being the smartest, but by being the most responsive.

“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” — Richard Branson

2. Oprah Winfrey — The Emotionally Intelligent Empire Builder

Why she matters:
Oprah wasn’t born into privilege or formal intellectual advantage. She grew up in poverty, faced trauma, and was told repeatedly that she didn’t “fit” the mold of success.

Yet she became one of the most influential figures in modern media — and one of the first Black female billionaires in history.

Her edge:

• Oprah’s superpower is emotional intelligence (EQ) and narrative adaptability (AQ).
  
• She transformed pain into purpose, using empathy and storytelling to connect with millions.
  
• She continuously evolved her platform — from local TV to global digital influence — by sensing where culture was moving and adapting accordingly.
  
  Lesson:
• Success isn’t about raw intellect — it’s about deep understanding of human emotion and the courage to evolve with your audience.

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey

3. Muhammad Ali — The Master of Mindset and Reinvention

Why he matters:
Muhammad Ali wasn’t known for academic intelligence or intellectualism. He often spoke about his struggles with formal schooling. Yet he became one of the most recognized and influential figures of the 20th century — transcending sport, politics, and culture.

His edge:

• Ali’s genius lay in self-belief, psychological adaptability, and strategic intelligence under pressure.
  
• He revolutionized boxing by adapting his style (“float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”), but also reinvented himself as a global symbol of conviction and courage.
  
• Even when banned from boxing for refusing the Vietnam draft, he used the setback to deepen his philosophical and social influence.
  

Lesson:
High AQ means the ability to redefine yourself when life throws you into a new ring.

“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” — Muhammad Ali

The Common Thread

Each of these figures shows that success in the real world isn’t a test of intellect — it’s a test of adaptability.

Person	What Drove Their Success	AQ Trait
Richard Branson	Experimentation and risk-taking across industries	Adaptability and resilience
Oprah Winfrey	Emotional connection and narrative evolution	Empathy and reinvention
Muhammad Ali	Psychological agility and principled courage	Identity transformation and grit

Takeaway:
IQ may measure your potential in a stable world.
But AQ measures your power to stay relevant in a changing one.
And history consistently rewards the adaptable — not the purely intelligent.

How to Build Your AQ — The New Human Operating System

Building AQ is about cultivating the mindset, habits, and environments that allow you to evolve continuously.

Here are five proven practices:

1. Rewire Your Relationship With Uncertainty

Our brains crave certainty. It makes us feel safe. But growth only happens when we dance with the unknown.

Reframe uncertainty as a signal of possibility, not danger. Every time you step into uncertainty — launching a project, learning a new tool, meeting someone outside your comfort zone — you expand your adaptive range.

Action:
Once a week, deliberately do something you don’t know how to do — a new AI tool, a new creative medium, or a conversation with someone outside your field. Treat uncertainty like a gym.

2. Learn to Unlearn

In a world that changes this fast, outdated knowledge is riskier than ignorance. Adaptable people are ruthless unlearners. They’re willing to say: “I was wrong,” or “That used to be true, but not anymore.”

Unlearning is about releasing attachment to identity and mastery, which is hard — especially for high achievers. But it’s the secret to staying relevant.

Action:
Ask yourself weekly:

• What assumptions no longer serve me?
  
• What skill or belief did I overvalue that needs to evolve?
  

3. Upgrade Your Curiosity Engine

Curiosity is the oxygen of adaptability. When you stop being curious, your adaptability dies.

The world’s best problem solvers — from Elon Musk to Leonardo da Vinci — share an infinite curiosity loop: observe → question → experiment → reflect.

Action:
Build a “Curiosity Habit”:

• Each day, capture one question that fascinates you.
  
• Let AI help you explore it.
  
• Turn those explorations into notes, reflections, or creative experiments.
  

4. Build Emotional Agility

Psychologist Susan David defines emotional agility as “the ability to be with your thoughts and feelings without being dominated by them.”High-AQ people feel fear, frustration, and doubt — but they don’t identify with them. They use emotion as data, not identity.

Action:
When change hits, pause and name your emotion: “I’m feeling anxious because I value stability.” Naming creates distance — and distance creates choice.

5. Create Adaptive Systems Around You

Humans adapt best in environments that reward experimentation and learning. If your ecosystem punishes failure or overvalues predictability, your AQ shrinks. If it celebrates curiosity, learning, and iteration — your AQ expands.

Action:
Design your life like a startup:

• Run micro-experiments with new ideas.
  
• Hold retrospectives to learn from outcomes.
  
• Keep a “Flourishing Journal” to document what conditions make you most alive and creative.
  

The Future Belongs to the Adaptable

As we enter the AI-accelerated future, success won’t belong to the smartest or the strongest — but to the most adaptable. The Machine Age is not a threat; it’s an invitation. An invitation to evolve our human software.

To build not just IQ or EQ — but AQ, the intelligence of evolution itself. In the words of Charles Darwin:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change.”

The future doesn’t belong to the machines. It belongs to the humans who know how to dance with them.

Final Thoughts

If IQ measures what you know, and EQ measures how you connect, then AQ measures how you grow. In a world of AI we are having our IQ amplified and enhanced by the machine. And our unique humanness needs to be nurtured in how we adapt (AQ) and connect (EQ) and that isn’t inherited but nurtured. 

In a world changing at machine speed, adaptability is not just your edge, it’s your essence.

The post The Superpower of the 21st Century Isn’t IQ or EQ appeared first on jeffbullas.com.

* This article was originally published here

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What Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-Year-Old Notebooks Reveal About AI’s True Purpose

Over 500 years ago Leonardo DaVinci’s notebooks overflowed with anatomical drawings beside mechanical inventions and poetic reflections, showing how curiosity itself can be a form of design. 

These notebooks had a name, “Commonplace Books” and they were used to capture creativity and ideas before they were forgotten and disappeared into the ether.  

Long before the internet, the thinkers and creators like Leonardo da Vinci, Marcus Aurelius, and Michel de Montaigne kept these Commonplace Books — handwritten notebooks where they collected quotes, sketches, insights, questions, and fragments of thought gathered from life, study, and observation.

These books weren’t diaries or mere scrapbooks. They were living laboratories of the mind… places to connect disparate ideas, capture wonder, and discover hidden relationships between art, science, philosophy, and daily life.

Here is an excerpt from one of Leonardo’s notebooks. His Commonplace book.

Source: Openculture.com

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations was also effectively a private Commonplace Book, written as a tool for self-examination and moral clarity. It was “journal meets a notebook”.

And Montaigne’s Essays also emerged directly from his own Commonplace habits, weaving literature, experience, and reflection into one of the first modern explorations of consciousness.

What these thinkers shared was not just brilliance, but a discipline of noticing. They treated thought as material, something to gather, shape, and revisit over time.

The next evolution of the Commonplace Book (The Reflection Engine)

The ancient Commonplace Book was a one-way system — a personal repository for capturing and organizing insights. It reflected the world back to you but couldn’t challenge, expand, or remix your thinking. You were the collector, editor, and interpreter. The notebook was your mirror, not your partner.

In contrast, using AI as a two-way system transforms the process from archiving to live dialogue. Modern AI tools don’t just store your ideas — they respond to them, synthesize patterns, and even provoke new directions of thought. You can ask your AI to:

• Spot recurring themes across your notes.
  
• Challenge assumptions or identify contradictions.
  
• Combine unrelated fragments into novel concepts.
  
• Summarize your evolving philosophy or voice.
  

What was once a static collection now becomes a dynamic conversation with your own mind — an evolving ecosystem of ideas that grows richer each time you interact with it.

In essence, the old Commonplace Book was a memory system; the new, AI-powered version is an intelligence system. It doesn’t just remember what you wrote — it thinks with you.

It can become your own live and dynamic “Reflection Engine”

In short, the traditional Commonplace Book helps you think; the AI-powered one helps you keep thinking.

It moves knowledge from being a collection of what you knew to an ever-expanding conversation about what you’re becoming.

How can we evolve this ancient creativity system in a world of AI? 

One of the existential fears that often creep into our modern day creators’ thoughts is the pervasive threat of AI replacing us as creators. And used incorrectly that is maybe true. So, we need to approach AI with a mindset of collaboration and curiosity…not replacement, and definitely not just copy-pasting answers from a single prompt.

In the digital age, the tools have changed  but the purpose remains timeless. Where they used parchment and quill, we now have Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Evernote, Apple Notes, or even ChatGPT threads.

The essence is the same: “To collect what moves you, question what confuses you, and connect what inspires you”.

But a modern Digital Commonplace Book can be far more dynamic, searchable, and interconnected than any paper notebook. It can become the central nervous system of your creative and intellectual life.
Here’s how to evolve the practice for our century and today’s digital media world:

1. Capture constantly

I carry my iPhone with me everywhere like most people.
It’s my GPS, my inbox, my phone, and my camera.

But more than anything, it’s my idea catcher.

When I’m walking to the beach or even mid-conversation, I’ll often pause to jot something down.

My go-to app is just the simple Notes app.

I am quite confident that the thinkers and creators of the past always made sure they had their notebooks close at hand.

So, we all need to emulate Da Vinci’s curiosity: Capture note ideas from books, podcasts, AI conversations, or your own reflections.
Use short, atomic entries — one idea per note — with a few key tags (e.g., curiosity, leadership, AI ethics, beauty, strategy).

The goal isn’t neatness, but momentum — a steady stream of captured insight.

2. Connect relentlessly

Once you have a body of fragments, start linking them. Montaigne’s genius wasn’t collecting — it was connecting.
Digital tools like Notion or Obsidian make this easy with backlinks and relational databases.

When you connect one idea to another — say, Stoic acceptance with AI ethics — you’re not just organizing notes; you’re creating meaning through idea relationships.

3. Converse with your notes

This is where AI transforms the ancient practice. Instead of reading passively, you can now talk to your own archive.

Upload your Commonplace Book into ChatGPT or a personal AI assistant and ask:

• “What are the recurring themes in my notes this month?”
  
• “Summarize how my thoughts on creativity have evolved.”
  
• “Combine my insights on Stoicism and entrepreneurship into a new essay.”

I often use Google Docs to journal most days and I currently have 1,000+ pages that have captured my ideas, insights and much more over the past few years. ChatGPT will not let you share those links to its platform but you can save Google Docs as a PDF and ask it to look for themes and patterns.  

It’s like having a living dialogue with your past selves — Da Vinci meets digital consciousness.

4. Reflect regularly

Marcus Aurelius didn’t write Meditations to publish — he wrote to remember. So….once a week, review what you’ve captured and ask:

• What still feels true?
  
• What ideas have changed meaning for me?
  
• What questions remain alive?
  

Reflection is how scattered thoughts become wisdom. Your digital Commonplace Book becomes both a mirror and a map — showing where you’ve been intellectually, and where your curiosity wants to go next.

5. Create publicly, evolve privately

Finally, let your Commonplace Book feed your outward creative work. Pull excerpts into essays, social posts, or newsletters. Every public creation is just a polished fragment of your private curiosity. But the core remains private, fluid, and evolving — your lifelong conversation with yourself.

The 8 step AI “Reflection Engine” system

If Da Vinci had Notion, his notebooks might have included hyperlinks between anatomy and art. If Marcus Aurelius had ChatGPT, he might have asked it to test his logic against Stoic paradoxes. If Montaigne had a digital twin, he might have used it to refine his essays in real time.

In the 21st century, we have the ability to think with our tools, not just through them.
Our AI powered modern “Commonplace Book” is not a storage system — it’s an ideas ecosystem.

It combines:

• Ancient reflection
  
• Renaissance curiosity
  
• Modern interconnection
  
• AI-powered dialogue
  

Together, they form a timeless creative loop:

Capture → Connect → Converse → Create → Reflect.

That’s how we turn scattered curiosity into coherent wisdom — and how we keep our inner world alive in an age of noise.

Here are some practical steps to design that system enhanced by AI

1. Create your “AI Journal” workspace

Start by setting up a digital home for your conversations — something like Notion, Obsidian, or Google Docs.

Each entry becomes a chapter-in-progress, with:

• Title: the core question or theme (e.g., “What does success mean after 50?”).
  
• Prompt thread: a running dialogue of your conversation with AI.
  
• Reflection section: a short summary of what you learned, what surprised you, and what to explore next.
  
• Tagging system: e.g., Philosophy, Business, Purpose, AI Ethics, etc.
  

This simple structure turns disconnected chats into an indexable, evolving library of thought.

2. Use “Prompt Loops” instead of single queries

The heart of deep prompting lies in the loop — not the question. A prompt loop looks like this:

1. Ask an open question.
   
2. Ask ChatGPT to expand or challenge it.
   
3. Reframe or narrow based on its answer.
   
4. Ask for the opposite or a counter-argument.
   
5. Summarize the key insight.
   

Each loop is a cycle of discovery, reflection, and synthesis. Over time, you build intellectual muscle …learning how to think with AI, not just through it.

Example:
“What does it mean to live authentically?”
→ “Give me three philosophical perspectives.”
→ “Now critique each one.”
→ “Summarize my stance compared to theirs.”
→ “Write a 200-word journal reflection.”

That five-step loop is a micro-chapter of your living book.

3. Capture “Aha” moments in human language

Don’t let great insights vanish in chat history. After each conversation, translate key takeaways into your own words.

You might use a simple template like:

• Prompted Insight: What the AI said that sparked something.
  
• Human Reflection: What that means to you.
  
• Next Exploration: Where curiosity points next.
  

This not only builds retention — it also ensures you remain the author, not the algorithm.

4. Cross-link threads and themes

Over time, you’ll notice recurring motifs — ideas that resurface across different conversations.
Create interlinking pages (e.g., “Creativity,” “Mortality,” “AI Ethics”) where you gather excerpts from multiple threads.

This is how your “living book” gains depth: Threads become chapters → chapters become themes → themes become philosophy.

Think of it as a digital Commonplace Book — a 21st-century version of how Da Vinci, Marcus Aurelius, or Montaigne collected their ideas.

5. Schedule regular “Dialogue Reviews”

Once a week or month, review your AI conversations.
Ask yourself:

• What patterns or shifts do I see in my thinking?
  
• What ideas are converging into something larger?
  
• Which insights deserve a public version — an article, post, or video?
  

This practice turns AI conversation into a creative feedback loop between private reflection and public expression.

6. Treat AI as a mirror, not a mentor

The key to co-creation is remembering that AI doesn’t possess wisdom — it reflects yours back to you in different forms.
When you treat it as a mentor, you risk imitation.
When you treat it as a mirror, you spark revelation.

Ask reflective questions like:

• “What assumptions am I making?”
  
• “Where might my reasoning be incomplete?”
  
• “Summarize my argument — what’s its essence?”
  

You’ll quickly realize that ChatGPT is less a machine giving answers and more a lens that helps you see your own mind in motion.

7. Publish or archive each cycle

When a dialogue feels complete — say after 5–10 exchanges — export it as a polished piece:

• A blog post or newsletter essay.
  
• A short e-book chapter.
  
• A LinkedIn carousel or video script.
  

Label each one “Version 1.0.”
As you revisit, update, and expand, your living book grows — not as a static object, but as a continuously evolving artifact of your evolving consciousness.

8. Optional: Build a “Meta-index of You”

The most advanced users build an index of themselves using AI:

• Feed your best threads into a custom GPT or vector-based notebook.
  
• Tag content by topic, emotion, or worldview.
  
• Ask: “Summarize my philosophy of creativity in three paragraphs.”
  
• Or: “Show how my view on success has evolved over the past six months.”
  

This becomes a personal “Reflection Engine” — your own digital twin for reflection and creative work.

Final thoughts

ChatGPT isn’t just a writing assistant. It’s a thinking companion that helps you write yourself into clarity. The act of conversation becomes the act of creation. You’re not documenting what you already know, you’re discovering who you are, one prompt at a time.

And in that process, your “living book” becomes more than content. It becomes a portrait of your evolving mind…one that grows in wisdom as you do.

And it is captured by the machine that has a perfect memory. It is your two way personal “Reflection Engine.”

The post What Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-Year-Old Notebooks Reveal About AI’s True Purpose appeared first on jeffbullas.com.

* This article was originally published here

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The Emerging Art of Deep Thinking with ChatGPT

Most people use ChatGPT like a smarter search engine.

Ask a question, get an answer. But a quiet revolution is underway…one that reframes ChatGPT and other AI chatbots as thinking partners, not just tools.

Those who learn how to prompt well and how to stay in the conversation are discovering that they can do more than get answers. They can write books, clarify strategies, generate insights, and even deepen their own thinking.

So the old adage applies: “Ask better questions and you will get better answers”. 

Deep prompting is becoming a new creative discipline 

My prompting practice has evolved from asking simple questions to following threads of curiosity deeper and deeper, layering question upon question until, by the end, I feel like I’ve co-created an entire book.

We’re now entering a second wave of AI use, not defined by the novelty of the tool, but by the quality of the questions and the structure of the interaction.

Let’s explore this emerging craft, uncover the best practices, and look at the powerful techniques most people still aren’t using.

The current best practices of power prompting

While casual users ask ChatGPT for lists, ideas, or summaries, power users—authors, founders, researchers, and educators—use it like a second brain.

Here’s what they do differently:

Technique	Description
Iterative Prompting	Revisiting and refining prompts over multiple turns
Role-based Context Setting	“Act as my editor/speech coach/founder friend” to shape tone and perspective
Threaded Inquiry	Asking follow-up prompts like “What’s missing?” or “What would a critic say?”
Output Remixing	Requesting alternate formats: bullets, stories, analogies, or frameworks
Meta-Prompting	Asking the AI how it arrived at its answer to foster reflective thinking
Voice Embedding	Training ChatGPT on your tone, style, or goals to get more aligned output
Chained Prompts	Structuring multi-step workflows for writing, strategy, or decision-making

In short: they don’t treat ChatGPT like Google. They treat it like a creative collaborator.

What most people haven’t discovered (Yet)

Some of the most powerful uses of ChatGPT lie just beneath the surface—used by only the most advanced thinkers and creators.

Here are hidden techniques that can change the way you think, write, and solve problems:

1. Prompting as dialogue, not command

Most users write one-line prompts. Experts? They stay in the conversation.

Like this:

• “Go deeper on that last point. What would a philosopher say?” 
• “Now summarize it in a story about a 12-year-old who discovers this in a science lab.” 
• “Give me the version you’d present to a skeptical CEO.”

They treat ChatGPT like an interactive dialogue partner, not a vending machine.

2. Ask for the opposite answer

Want sharper insight? Well…ask questions like this:

• “What’s the opposing argument?”
  
• “Debunk this idea using expert criticism.”
  
• “How might this approach fail?”
  

This simulates mental dialectic—testing ideas from both sides.
You’ll often discover weaknesses or blind spots in your own logic.

3. Prompt for transparency and reasoning

For transparency and more try these questions: 

• “Explain your reasoning step-by-step.”
  
• “What’s your chain of logic?”
  
• “What model of thinking are you using?”
  

This forces ChatGPT to reveal its logic, which makes you a better thinker too.
It’s not just what the answer is, but how it came to be.

4. Ask “What’s Missing?”

When you get a list or analysis, follow with:

• “What would most people forget to include?”
  
• “What’s the hidden factor no one talks about?”
  
• “What’s a counterintuitive insight here?”
  

You’ll unlock the edge cases, the subtleties, and the nuance.

5. Use ChatGPT to simulate people and perspectives

Instead of writing alone, ask:

• “What would Richard Branson say about this?”
  
• “How would Steve Jobs tear this apart?”
  
• “What does a Gen Z teacher think about this trend?”
  

This lets you role-play conversations across domains and generations.

6. “Write this like a book”

Turn any idea into a long-form intellectual journey:

“Let’s co-write a book called AI and the Art of Thought. Start with a 12-chapter outline. Then we’ll write each chapter together, one by one.”

Chunking ideas into scenes, chapters, or building blocks creates more structure, more insight, and better writing.

A 5-step prompting framework: Socratic Systems Design

The Socratic method, rooted in ancient Greek philosophy from over 2,000 years ago, was the practice of seeking truth through dialogue rather than instruction. 

Socrates used questioning to expose contradictions, challenge assumptions, and guide others toward self-discovery. Instead of providing answers, he inspired wisdom through curiosity, humility, and reflection—teaching that genuine understanding arises from continuous inquiry, not certainty.

So with the arrival of an answer engine (ChatGPT) that needs questions to find the answers and the truth we are heading back to the future. Let’s explore what that may look like. 

Socratic Systems Design

Socratic Systems Design is an emerging framework for thinking and creating with AI that blends two powerful traditions: the Socratic method of inquiry and systems thinking. 

In essence it is the socratic method on steroids

At its core, it’s about asking structured, layered questions — not to reach a single answer, but to uncover deeper patterns, assumptions, and relationships beneath the surface of a problem. Like Socrates, it starts with curiosity and dialogue. Like systems design, it connects the dots across disciplines, causes, and effects.

In practice, Socratic Systems Design turns prompting into a disciplined conversation — where each question leads to insight, each insight informs structure, and the whole process evolves into a dynamic, self-correcting model of understanding. It transforms AI from a passive responder into an active collaborator in reasoning, synthesis, and creativity.

Put simply: it’s the art of thinking in systems through questions. Instead of seeking answers, you design better questions — and through that design, you build better understanding.

Here’s a simple 5-step approach to turn any idea into a compelling body of work or decision framework.

Step 1: Define the domain

“Let’s explore the future of work in an AI-driven world. Act as my co-researcher.”

Step 2: Diverge

“List 10 future scenarios.”
“What would an optimist and a pessimist say?”

Step 3: Converge

“Which patterns repeat?”
“Which ideas align with current macro trends?”

Step 4: Challenge

“Where is this argument fragile?”
“What does the data say?”
“What would a skeptic say?”

Step 5: Synthesize

“Write a manifesto version.”
“Summarize as a tweet thread.”
“Turn this into a 3-minute speech.”

This is how books are written. Strategies are built. Insight is formed. Not through “What’s a good headline?” But through conversation, iteration, and clarity. 

Bonus: Build your own prompt library

The best creators are now building Prompt OS systems that you can pull out of your toolkit:

These include creating “Go-to frameworks”: “Give me 5Ps, 3 Horizons, SWOT + Wild Card” 

For clarity these frameworks are: 

5Ps – A strategy framework that examines five key elements of marketing or planning: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People 

3 Horizons – A future-thinking model that helps organizations balance innovation and execution across three timeframes: Horizon 1 (core business today), Horizon 2 (emerging opportunities), and Horizon 3 (long-term visionary bets). 

SWOT + Wild Card – A decision-making tool that analyzes Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats while adding a Wild Card—an unpredictable external factor (like a sudden technology or crisis) to test resilience and adaptability.

You can also apply Brand tone templates: 

Like asking – “Write like my personal newsletter” This is powerful as ChatGPT and other models now have memories that can write and create from your history of prompts and threads over time.

Then you can add some self-prompts: Such as “Ask me questions about my idea until I cry or get clarity” You can keep these in Notion, Google Docs, or even preload them into Custom GPTs.

Final insight: AI is a mirror of your mind

If you treat ChatGPT like a tool, it will act like one. If you treat it like a mirror, a thinking partner, a co-creator, it becomes something more.

It reflects your clarity.
Sharpens your logic.
Distills your chaos.

And it is maybe starting to know you better than yourself. The real revolution in AI isn’t technical. It’s cognitive.

Prompting well isn’t about hacking a system. It’s about asking better questions, which leads to a better version of you.

The post The Emerging Art of Deep Thinking with ChatGPT appeared first on jeffbullas.com.

* This article was originally published here

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AI’s $1 Trillion Bet: Is It the Next Internet or the Next Dot-Com Bust?

Global data‑center capital expenditure to power AI is projected to rise from roughly $430 billion this year to over $1.1 trillion by 2029 (which is equal to the GDP of the Netherlands).

Why it matters

We’re witnessing an infrastructure boom that echoes a familiar pattern in tech history but the question is whether it’s building toward lasting transformation or racing toward collapse.

Capital is pouring into data centers, cooling systems, power infrastructure, and networks at a staggering pace. Yet most AI applications haven’t proven they can generate sustainable revenue at scale.

Infrastructure matters…nothing scales without it. But when infrastructure spending dramatically outpaces the revenue streams meant to justify it, the result is predictable: Stranded assets, overcapacity, and mounting financial pressure.

Why should “you” care if AI is in a bubble?

It’s not just a venture capitalist’s problem. It’s a “you” problem. Because when bubbles pop, users get hurt. Here’s how:

1. The tools you rely on disappear.
Free AI apps? Funded by hype. If capital dries up, so do they.

2. The wrong things get built.
Speculative funding chases deepfakes and avatar tools — not mental health, caregiving, or education.

3. Trust erodes.
Sloppy red-teaming, hallucinations, rushed rollouts — all get worse in a frenzy.

4. You’re part of the product.
When AI companies fail, your data might be sold, exposed, or abandoned.

The bottom line? If AI is built for IPOs instead of impact, we all lose when the music stops.

Then vs now: (Cisco 2000 vs Nvidia 2025)

In 2000, Cisco was king. It didn’t just sell routers, it financed the internet, bankrolling fiber buildouts for telcos. At its peak it was valued at $560 billion and was touted to be the world’s most valuable company.

It was betting demand would catch up.

It didn’t.
The dot-com crash hit. Fiber went dark, unused. Cisco lost 80% of its value.

Fast forward to now: Nvidia is playing Cisco’s part in the AI era.

• It’s not just selling GPUs but also funding the ecosystem.
  
• $100B pledged toward OpenAI. It buys those GPU’s from OpenAI.
  
• Oracle is building massive AI data centers to run those chips.
  

The bet? That future AI demand will justify today’s infrastructure binge. This isn’t just tech optimism, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: Nvidia funds the compute → Hyperscalers build the data centers →  Startups rent the capacity. 

And everyone prays demand shows up.

The real question: Are we building the next platform revolution? Or laying down $1 trillion in dark silicon, waiting for a future that never arrives?

Why infrastructure spending holds the key

Every tech boom starts with belief. Then capital follows. Infrastructure always leads.

That’s exactly where we are now. Global data center capital expenditures (as projected in our opening line) to rise from $430 billion in 2024 to over $1.1 trillion by 2029, with AI as the dominant driver (NetworkWorld).

This is no longer about clever apps or viral demos. It’s about rack space, server heat, energy grids, and chip pipelines.

And while it echoes the early 2000s, this time the stakes are even higher because computer costs are ballooning and AI training is already pushing infrastructure and energy limits.

The spending surge: Betting on the future

The money flowing into AI infrastructure is staggering.

According to McKinsey, global infrastructure needs tied to AI and computers could top $6.7 trillion by 2030 (McKinsey). NVIDIA’s $100B chip pact with OpenAI, announced in late 2025, is among the largest prepayment-style bets in tech history (Forbes).

Meanwhile, Citigroup forecasts Big Tech’s AI infrastructure spend will exceed $2.8 trillion by 2029, up from roughly $500 billion today (Reuters).

We’re not just talking about servers, we’re talking about the physical foundation of AI. Massive electrical upgrades. Cooling innovations. Storage logistics. Real estate footprints. In Texas, in Sweden, in India.

And we haven’t even hit the energy ceiling yet where the real friction may begin.

The energy crunch that no one wants to talk about

A data center today uses as much power as a small town. When you’re running AI training workloads that consume gigawatts, you start bumping into national infrastructure limits.

OpenAI and AMD’s latest chip deal includes up to 6GW of compute, the equivalent of three full-scale nuclear reactors (AP News).

Meta is building an AI facility “the size of Manhattan” not metaphorically, but literally — to train and host future agents (The Guardian).

This level of scale creates serious risks:

• Grid stress
  
• Geopolitical tensions over semiconductors and power access
  
• Increased fragility in the AI supply chain
  

And yet… spending continues, fueled by the belief that AI is too transformative to fail.

Bubble or backbone?

The AI boom may already be keeping the U.S. out of recession.  At least, that’s what Deutsche Bank just said in a new report.

The catch?

It’s not AI applications driving growth. It’s AI infrastructure spending i.e. data centers, chips, and energy buildouts. Without it, we’d likely be staring down a recession.

Here’s the problem:

• For AI to keep propping up growth, investment would have to grow parabolically (i.e. exponentially) forever.
  
• Bain & Company says by 2030, AI firms will need $2 trillion in revenue just to keep up but they’ll likely fall $800 billion short.
  
• MIT research shows 95% of enterprise AI projects fail to deliver measurable ROI.
  

This feels a lot like the dot-com era. So let’s explore the two possible narratives 

The tale of two possible narratives

 Here is a two-narrative contrast.

One side is the utopian “AI Triumph” story, the other the sobering “AI Fragility” story. Think of it as two lenses on the same $2T revenue scenario that Bain’s research predicts  .

Narrative 1: AI Triumph – “AI Becomes the Word Wide Brain of the 21st Century”

The Internet has become as valuable as electricity. It is now not seen as a luxury but a utility and a necessity. It has also contributed to the rise of AI. 

AI and the large language models have enabled Human intelligence data to be captured globally at scale and feed the machine. 

And here is how it could triumph as it moves from being a novelty to our collaborator and could be seen as an emerging superconsciousness that we can all tap into. 

• Ubiquity: AI assistants, copilots, and agents are as normal as web browsers or smartphones. By 2030, every worker and consumer interacts with AI daily.
  
• Healthcare Revolution: AI drug discovery reduces R&D timelines from 10 years to 3, curing previously untreatable diseases and personalizing treatment at scale.
  
• Productivity Surge: Global GDP growth accelerates as AI absorbs repetitive work, leaving humans focused on creativity, strategy, and relationships.
  
• Broad Ecosystem: Revenue is distributed across many verticals — enterprise, healthcare, robotics, media — reducing risk of overconcentration.
  
• Historical Parallel: Just as railroads + electricity created decades of compounding growth, AI becomes the invisible backbone of economic life.
  

 In this story, the $2T milestone doesn’t just save the economy from recession — it rewires it and humans for abundance.

Narrative 2: “AI Reaches $2T… But at What Cost?”

Technology is agnostic and it always comes with costs and benefits. Nuclear power, Dynamite and even social media are both demons and angels. Here are some of the costs. 

• Concentration of Power: 70% of that $2T funnels into a handful of firms (Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Google). Startups struggle to survive.
  
• Energy Black Hole: AI demand drives global electricity consumption up 15–20%, pushing grids to the limit and fueling geopolitical competition for energy.
  
• Automation Fallout: Millions of mid-skill jobs vanish, but reskilling lags. Wealth and power concentrate in tech hubs, hollowing out communities.
  
• Dependence Risk: Supply chains, healthcare, and finance become so AI-dependent that outages or hacks create systemic shocks.
  
• Historical Parallel: Like the railroads that created monopolies and sparked regulation, AI creates fragility at the heart of modern economies.
  

In this story, $2T looks like triumph on paper, but under the surface it breeds fragility, dependency, and social strain.

Narrative takeaway

The $2T outcome is possible but whether it looks like electricity (shared abundance) or railroad monopolies (concentrated fragility) depends on who captures the value and how society manages the risks.

Possible winners and losers

Here’s a speculative breakdown of who might win, who might lose, and who might survive (or transform) after the projected 2029 AI shakeout. 

Likely winners

These are the organizations best positioned to come through turbulence and anchor the next wave.

NVIDIA / Leading Chip Architects

• Why they win: They hold the core “picks and shovels.” Their GPU/software stack (CUDA, tools, optimizations) is deeply embedded.
  
• Risks & strength: They face geopolitical, export‑control, and cost pressures, but their scale, R&D lead, and customer lock‑in are huge advantages.
  
• Signal: As of 2025, NVIDIA commands ~94% of the AI GPU market. Windows Central
  

Major Hyperscalers (Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Oracle)

• Why they win: They can absorb volatility, subsidize infrastructure, and use AI to enhance existing platforms (cloud, search, productivity).
  
• Oracle is particularly interesting: it’s aggressively pushing into data centers tied to OpenAI deals. But that also carries risk (Moody’s flagged $300B contracts as counterparty risk). Reuters
  
• Microsoft’s deep integration with OpenAI gives it exposure to both upside and downside.
  

Vertical / Domain AI & Agent Platforms

• Why they win: Infrastructure is table stakes. Real growth will be in embedded agents solving finance, health, logistics, law, etc.
  
• Examples: AI copilots in enterprise systems, domain‑specialized agents (clinical, supply chain), and autonomous systems.
  
• These firms tend to have higher switching costs and defensibility than generic AI wrappers.
  

AI Safety, Governance & Trust Tools

• Why they win: As regulation, liability, and public scrutiny grow, tools for auditing, compliance, safety, bias mitigation, provenance, and model governance will become essential.
  
• Risk ratings already show many AI companies are weak on risk/safety. SaferAI ranks top firms poorly. Risk Management Ratings+1
  

Possible losers

These are the types of firms most vulnerable if monetization lags or capital dries up.

“Thin AI” Startups

• The ones that wrap GPT or other models around commodity apps, without defensible IP, vertical depth, or moats. Their value is margin, not architecture.
  

Overleveraged Infrastructure Builders

• Firms that built data centers, networks, or specialty GPU fabs under assumptions that demand would absorb every line — if utilization doesn’t match, these become stranded assets.
  

Mid-tier Chip Vendors Lacking Differentiation

• Those who offer marginal improvements without system-level integration risk being squeezed by both incumbents and innovators.
  

Late Adopters / Consumer Hype Apps

• Consumer-facing AI that depends on trends, virality, or novelty, but lacks sustainable monetization, risk control, or differentiation.
  

Poor Risk / Safety Posture Firms

• Companies that neglect AI safety, governance, transparency, and accountability will likely be subject to regulatory, PR, or legal backlash. SaferAI and FLI studies show wide gaps in risk management among major AI firms.
  

Strategy moves to avoid negative impacts of a bubble

If you are an entrepreneur and an investor then here are some things to consider as you invest or build a company in an AI world. 

• Invest in moats, not hype — betting on firms with defensibility, domain specialization, and deep integration.
  
• Watch risk metrics — particularly unexplained debt, utilization gaps, safety/red‑team posture.
  
• Position for consolidation — many will fail; survivors or acquirers will consolidate value.
  
• Don’t ignore the “back end” bets — safety tooling, governance, efficient hardware can become multibillion niches.
  
• Stay flexible — pivot fast if markets shift or regulation intervenes.
  

Good bubble or bad bubble – 7 key questions you need to ask 

Jeff Bezos recently defended certain “bubbles” as necessary for innovation. “Some bubbles are essential — they build infrastructure that outlasts the hype.”

So how do you tell the difference between a “good bubble” (like the dot-com boom that laid the foundation for Google and Amazon) and a “bad bubble” (like Pets.com or WeWork-style hype with no value)?

Here’s a back-of-the-envelope test — 7 key questions you can ask to distinguish between the two:

1. Does the Bubble Build Useful Infrastructure?

• Good bubble: Leaves behind assets that future winners can build on — like fiber optics, cloud, or AI data centers.
  
• Bad bubble: Creates deadweight — like trendy apps, gimmicky hardware, or overpriced consumer brands.
  

Ask: If the company fails, is the stuff it built still useful to someone else?

2. Is There a Clear Path to Real Productivity or Utility?

• Good bubble: Drives measurable gains (time saved, costs cut, access improved).
  
• Bad bubble: Depends on hype, vibes, or network effects that never arrive.
  

Ask: Is anyone using this to actually do something better, cheaper, faster?

3. Would the Business Survive Without Zero-Interest Capital?

• Good bubble: Has a plausible business model, even if not yet profitable.
  
• Bad bubble: Exists purely because money was free and investors were desperate.
  

Ask: Could this survive if capital tightened tomorrow?

4. Are There Durable Moats or Just a Frenzy of Imitation?

• Good bubble: Moats come from data, distribution, regulation, or technology.
  
• Bad bubble: It’s just a wrapper on ChatGPT, or another play-to-earn game.
  

Ask: What would stop five smart people from copying this in a weekend?

5. Does It Solve an Old Problem with a New Tool — or Invent a Fake Problem?

• Good bubble: Applies new tech to real, painful bottlenecks.
  
• Bad bubble: Solves problems that don’t exist.
  

Ask: What real-world problem is this solving — and for whom?

6. What Happens If the Bubble Pops?

• Good bubble: Leaves behind progress — trained talent, usable tools, physical assets.
  
• Bad bubble: Leaves behind lawsuits, memes, and burned investors.
  

Ask: If this fails, what’s left behind that we can still use or learn from?

7. Would Anyone Still Care About This If You Removed the Buzzwords?

• Good bubble: Still makes sense without AI/crypto/web3/metaverse jargon.
  
• Bad bubble: Vanishes if you strip the hype layer.
  

Ask: If you replaced “AI” with “spreadsheet,” would the pitch still hold water?

A quick rule of thumb:

A “good” bubble produces enduring assets — rails, code, talent, networks. A “bad” bubble just produces noise, branding, and burned cash.

Final words

Is AI in a bubble?

Yes, parts of it. Especially the hyperscale infrastructure bets being made on assumed future demand.

But no, this isn’t another Pets.com moment. If anything, it’s another 2001 overbuilt, overhyped, but foundational.

Just like Cisco didn’t disappear, NVIDIA likely won’t either. But many of its adjacent partners, startups, and moonshots might.

The smartest players will build real value inside the hype and stay alive long enough to see the payoff. But remember “Timing is everything”. 

You can be right about the future and still go broke waiting for it.

The post AI’s $1 Trillion Bet: Is It the Next Internet or the Next Dot-Com Bust? appeared first on jeffbullas.com.

* This article was originally published here

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