AI Beyond Chatbots? Cool. But Can We Go Beyond Smugness, Too?

The Tech Bro AI Flex That Isn’t One

I saw it again.

Yet another AI “thought leader” dropping some version of:

“AI beyond chatbots.”

It’s meant to sound profound. Like they’re on the bleeding edge of innovation.

But it’s not the flex they think it is.

AI isn’t a hierarchy. And trying to position yourself “above” others in the space? That’s not proving expertise.

It’s just proving insecurity.

If there’s one thing the AI world doesn’t need more of, it’s smugness masquerading as leadership.

Who Gets to Lead in AI?

For years, AI was reserved for coders, engineers, and researchers—the people writing the algorithms, training the models, and making it all work behind the scenes.

Because of their work, AI is now more accessible than ever.

Entrepreneurs. Creatives. Storytellers. People who, five years ago, wouldn’t have even touched AI are now using it in ways that are brilliant, strategic, and deeply human.

But instead of embracing this, some people act like AI is still an exclusive club.

Like the only “real” AI work is happening in research labs, and everyone else is just…playing with chatbots.

But AI isn’t a status symbol. It’s a tool.

And the real innovation isn’t just about who can build the most complex system; it’s about who can use AI with the most clarity, strategy, and intention.

Using AI With Intention

AI is evolving so fast that no one has all the answers. But one thing is clear: how we use AI matters.

It’s the difference between:

🔹 Using AI to amplify human creativity vs. using it to replace it
🔹 Using AI as a strategic tool vs. throwing it at problems just because
🔹 Using AI in ways that align with our work vs. forcing it where it doesn’t belong

AI itself isn’t inherently good or bad. Its impact depends entirely on the intention behind it.

How We Talk About AI Matters, Too

Let’s take it one step further.

Intentionality doesn’t just apply to how we use AI—it applies to how we talk about it, too.

Because the way we talk about AI shapes how others perceive it.

And when people use AI to elevate themselves by diminishing others, they aren’t just making the space smaller for others.

They’re making it smaller for themselves, too.

Instead of:

🚫 Gatekeeping AI as something only “serious” people can use
🚫 Dismissing people who use chatbots as less advanced
🚫 Positioning AI as a hierarchy instead of a conversation

What if we talked about AI in a way that was:

✅ Expansive instead of exclusionary
✅ Curious instead of condescending
✅ Strategic instead of smug

Because the people truly leading in AI?

They aren’t the ones scoffing at chatbots.

They’re the ones thinking critically, pushing boundaries, and applying AI with intention.

So… Where Do We Go From Here?

AI is moving fast. And we get to decide how we move with it.

We can:

🔹 Approach AI with clarity and purpose
🔹 Speak about AI in ways that invite expansion, not exclusion
🔹 Lead in AI without needing to prove we’re “beyond” anyone else

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about where AI is going.

It’s about how we choose to engage with it.

So, are we expanding AI’s potential, or just expanding our egos?