Why People Fear AI — And Why They’ll Eventually Trust It

I recently read the PC Gamer article about Mustafa Suleyman’s views on AI skepticism. As a software developer and systems analyst with over a decade of experience, I sympathize with him—but I also understand why people are afraid.

People imagine AI making life-or-death decisions, like pulling the plug in a hospital bed. They see strange outputs—AI joking about stealing piggy banks, or failing to understand accents in speech-to-text. Vision systems still stumble in scenarios humans handle effortlessly. These gaps fuel distrust.

Yet I believe AI will eventually earn trust. Why? Because when it proves it can extend our lives, people will listen. Imagine real-time health insights: “That cheeseburger costs 30 minutes of life, but 30 minutes of exercise adds six hours.” If AI can reliably remind us of these trade-offs, skepticism will fade. People already follow questionable health advice; they’ll follow AI once it’s proven accurate.

Skepticism is healthy. But dismissing AI while blindly trusting conspiracy theories or the first thing you hear is dangerous. Independent thinking matters—and AI, when transparent and reliable, can help cultivate it.

In short: AI’s quirks are real, but its potential is greater. Once it consistently demonstrates accuracy and usefulness, it will reshape how we live, think, and create.

For the full extended letter with all details, see the longer version here Extended Letter to Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI