Kevin SuraceKevin Surace is an AI pioneer, inventor, author, and human effectiveness authority helping people thrive while AI reshapes work and life.

AI Will Reward The People Who Adapt First

9 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief spoken monologue, Kevin Surace uses an ancient story about the invention of the wheel to illustrate how early adopters of transformative technology gain massive productivity and economic advantages. He contrasts two townspeople: one who sees the wheel as a threat to his livelihood and quits, and another who embraces it, adds a second wheel, and triples his output at lower cost, thereby serving more customers and earning more. Surace draws a direct parallel to artificial intelligence, arguing that those who adopt AI early will similarly dominate, while those who resist will be left behind. He urges listeners to position themselves at the front of the technological parade rather than the back.

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This ancient story perfectly reveals who AI will make successful. Many, many years ago, the wheel shows up. Now I'm the guy in town who was hauling stuff on his back up the hill for the townspeople. And a wheel shows up. And there's 2 of us in town. And one of us goes, oh my goodness, that's it. My life is over. Who needs me? There's a wheel. And goes home, sobs, never makes any more grapes or rice or whatever he was paid in. The other guy goes, huh. This is cool. Buys 2 wheels, puts them on a cart, and now he's carrying 3 times more up the hill and making more money and more productive. And in fact, can carry that stuff up the hill at a lower cost, at a lower cost per pound. And because it's a lower cost per pound, it gives more of the townspeople access to his services. Okay, so the people who embrace technology from the wheel on always win, always win. So you do not want to be at the back of the parade. You want to be at the front of the parade.