People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much.

February 22, 2026 - 05:47

The breakneck pace of artificial intelligence development is facing an unexpected hurdle: widespread public ambivalence. Unlike the widespread popular excitement that characterized the dot-com boom, the current AI revolution is being met with significant skepticism and concern from the general populace.

Industry leaders, who have invested billions into AI research and deployment, are now grappling with this underwhelming public enthusiasm. While they envision a world remade by intelligent machines, many people express fears about job displacement, the spread of misinformation, and the ethical implications of autonomous systems. This disconnect is becoming impossible to ignore.

This growing chasm raises critical questions about the sustainability of the current AI investment boom. Can a technological transformation succeed without broad public buy-in? The dot-com era, for all its eventual bust, was fueled by collective belief in a new digital frontier. The AI sector, in contrast, must now navigate a landscape where awe is tempered by apprehension. The industry's next challenge may not be technical, but social—proving its value and safety to a wary world before potential backlash deflates its ambitious bubble. The trajectory of AI may depend less on silicon and code, and more on winning public trust.