The word “visionary” has gone hand-in-hand with tech CEOs for decades. I can’t say who was the first to earn this moniker, but I’m betting it was either Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.
Perhaps these gentlemen truly did see things differently. Both of them certainly left a massive imprint on our daily lives. I’m writing this on a Windows-powered PC, after all. There are also a few used iPads lying around.
As often happens, the term became overused. The media has labeled every tech CEO with an idea or hit product as such. Whether you’re selling GPUs, AI bots, or web hosting, you apparently see the future more than anyone else.
I think it all goes back to the honeymoon days of tech. That’s when computers first became home appliances and the web became mainstream. Everything was new and exciting.
A much younger me worshiped those chosen ones as the leaders we needed. It didn’t quite work out that way.
Tech Isn’t the Panacea We Envisioned
My biggest takeaway from the past 30 years of following technology: it’s just another industry.
A tech CEO isn’t much different than their counterparts in energy, retail, or manufacturing. The goals are to make money and fuel perpetual growth.
The challenges are also similar. Companies want to avoid any regulations that eat into their revenue. They pay lobbyists big bucks to ensure it doesn’t happen. They use their influence to shape public policy.
The human and environmental toll of their products and services is merely the cost of doing business. Maybe they mean no intentional harm. Some may take steps to improve in those areas. However, profits and investor happiness will always come first.
For example, MIT recently studied the energy usage of AI models. The results are alarming. Apparently, these visionaries see a future with a stressed power grid and a depleted water supply. On the bright side, maybe Elon Musk can mine those resources from Mars. How dystopian!
The difference is all in the window dressing. Tech companies are great at telling us how they’re going to make our lives easier and help us get what we want faster. And who wouldn’t want that?
The sad part is that technology has the potential to make things better. It can improve everything from health care to public safety. It can ensure we’re using fewer resources and help to solve longstanding problems like poverty and homelessness.
The opportunities for tech to do good are everywhere. Yet, it has become just another industry. Its leaders are just that. The term “visionary” only applies if you’re reaping the financial benefits (which some are).
So, the next time you see that term in a headline, ask yourself: What, exactly, are they envisioning?