The 7 Ways AI Will Change Your Life in the Next 7 Months
1. Google will stop being a Search Engine and start being a generative AI.
Core Thesis / Change:
Traditional search, as we know it, is dying. Google, long the gateway to the internet, will lose nearly half its search volume by mid-2025 as people increasingly rely on AI embedded in apps and devices to deliver answers directly. Google is no longer just a search engine—it’s transforming into an AI-driven answer machine, a shift that fundamentally changes how we access information.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
By mid-2025, traditional search volume on Google and similar engines may drop by 50%, with a 90% reduction anticipated by 2026 as AI gains traction.
A 30% decline in SEO and digital ad spending is likely as businesses pivot to AI-based content optimization, creating a new $10 billion industry for “AI visibility.”
Supporting Quote: “We’re moving from search engines to answer engines,” says Daniel Levitin, author of The Organized Mind. “When Google stops requiring us to search, we’re effectively being given knowledge without effort—and this changes our relationship with information itself.”
Societal Impact:
When the internet started it was “read only” (Web 1.0) – all content made by few publishers. Web 2.0 (blogs, social media, etc) democratized and decentralized this capability into the hands of all of us – the internet as we know it was created by the collective. Google being used 50% less in the next 7 months will profoundly change our (digital) world and will, once again, shift the onus to create information back to the hands of very few.
Stop and Think:
Imagine a world where you don’t have to “Google it.” Search isn’t just declining; it’s disappearing, taking with it our sense of discovery and effort. This isn’t some incremental change—it’s the end of search as the internet’s operating principle.
2. Widespread Job Loss, Role Augmentation, and a Diminished Sense of Purpose
Core Thesis / Change:
AI will fundamentally alter 30% of U.S. jobs by mid-2025. Roles will shift as automation replaces core tasks, with humans overseeing AI systems rather than actively creating or solving. This will create a “purpose vacuum,” where work becomes less meaningful as people manage algorithms instead of applying their skills.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
Gartner estimates that 70% of managerial tasks could be automated by 2025, indicating a seismic shift in work structures.
25% of the workforce will require new skills to adapt to AI-integrated roles.
Supporting Quote: "It’s not just about machines doing work—it’s about removing purpose from work,” argues Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. “Without purpose, work becomes mechanical, and we risk an epidemic of disengagement.”
Societal Impact:
This evolution could fundamentally redefine the concept of work and meaning for millions. As the structure of the workforce tilts toward AI-driven roles, we may see an urgent demand for re-skilling and mental health support, and debates over universal basic income could become central to our political landscape.
Stop and Think:
This isn’t just AI taking jobs—it’s AI taking meaning out of work itself. If a third of the workforce becomes managers of machines, we’re creating a society where purpose isn’t part of the job description.
3. Hyper-Customization and the Collapse of Serendipity
Core Thesis / Change:
By mid-2025, AI will determine 90% of the content we consume, from music to news to shopping. This hyper-customization will replace serendipity with pre-defined choices, effectively removing spontaneous discovery from our lives.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
90% of digital interactions will be personalized by AI, reducing opportunities for unexpected discoveries.
The likelihood of encountering new, unsought content will decline by 60%, reinforcing user dependence on AI for everyday decisions.
Supporting Quote: “When everything is curated, our minds stop being exposed to the unknown,” says Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows. “Discovery isn’t just an experience; it’s a process of learning who we are.”
Societal Impact:
Living in a world designed by algorithms could diminish our creativity, limit our exposure to differing perspectives, and affect the authenticity of our identities. People may struggle to break free from the algorithmic bubbles that shape their beliefs, preferences, and habits, impacting individual growth and personal development.
Stop and Think:
You are very familiar, already, with recommendation engines – the algorithms that feed you what you want, when you want it – from news, to music, to what products you buy. This dynamic will intensify as you receive answers to questions you haven’t asked yet. When AI will continue to strip serendipity and, indeed, the very processes (trial and error, exploration, etc) that help us shape our identities. Your entire world is already a mirror, reflecting back only the things you already like or believe – imagine those likes or beliefs being supplanted rather than organically formed.
4. Purpose Vacuum and the Rise of an Existential Crisis
Core Thesis / Change:
As jobs are automated and content is curated, people are likely to experience a deep loss of purpose. With effort and discovery removed from daily life, AI will meet our needs without fulfilling our human desire for challenge, growth, and meaning.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
25% of workers in AI-dominated fields are predicted to report disengagement or reduced fulfillment by mid-2025.
An anticipated 20% rise in workplace-related mental health issues will be directly tied to AI-driven, low-engagement job structures.
Supporting Quote: "The fundamental joy of life is in the struggle,” says Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why. “When AI takes away challenge, we lose the journey. Purpose isn’t about ease; it’s about becoming.”
Societal Impact:
This purpose vacuum could lead to widespread mental health challenges as people lose a sense of meaning in work and life. The ripple effect may prompt companies to restructure around purpose-driven roles, redefine work-life balance, and governments to develop policies supporting mental health as we adapt to life in an AI-centric world.
Stop and Think:
AI isn’t just making life easier—it’s removing life’s essential struggle. When AI handles everything we need, we’re left without anything to strive for. What does a life without challenges mean for human fulfillment?
5. Doubling the Rate of Mental Health Issues and (hopefully)AI-Driven Solutions
Core Thesis / Change:
Since 2020, mental health issues have risen by 25-30%. With AI driving further isolation, purpose loss, and manipulation, we could see a similar increase (25-30% worse) in just seven months (or the same rate of decline in 1/5th the timeline). AI may be the cause—and solution—as digital mental health tools become essential for support.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
1 in 5 U.S. adults currently suffers from anxiety or depression, a figure set to rise sharply with AI-driven isolation.
By 2026, AI therapy tools could reach 20% of the population, marking a fundamental shift in how people access mental health support.
Supporting Quote: “AI may be both poison and cure,” suggests Yuval Noah Harari, author of Homo Deus. “While it isolates us, it also provides scalable solutions for the mental health crisis it exacerbates.”
Societal Impact:
As mental health issues rise, demand for AI-based therapy could make digital support mainstream, changing how we approach and manage mental health. Traditional mental health systems may face unprecedented strain, with society increasingly turning to AI for immediate, on-demand therapy.
Stop and Think:
AI is isolating us, but it’s also the therapist we need to cope with that isolation. This isn’t just a trend—it’s a mental health crisis that’s both driven by and dependent on technology.
6. Surge in Demand for Verifiable, Transparent Information
Core Thesis / Change:
As AI-generated content spreads, misinformation will reach a tipping point, pushing a demand for verification standards to distinguish fact from fabrication. “Truth” will become a commodity, and the entire media landscape will need to adapt to survive.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
Currently, 64% of Americans report encountering misinformation; AI could push this to 80% by mid-2025.
A $5 billion verification industry is projected as companies invest in transparency tech to maintain user trust.
Supporting Quote: “AI-generated misinformation could make us doubt everything,” says Scott Galloway, NYU professor. “In a world where nothing is certain, verified truth becomes the most valuable asset.”
Societal Impact:
With trust in content collapsing, people may become increasingly polarized, affecting democratic systems and public stability. Platforms that cannot authenticate content may lose users, while verified content becomes premium. New transparency standards will reshape media, marking a shift from “content is king” to “trust is king.”
Stop and Think:
Imagine not being able to trust what you read, see, or hear. The fight isn’t just against fake news; it’s for the future of shared truth. If truth is a commodity, democracy and public trust are on the line.
7. Expansion of AI-Driven Surveillance and Predictive Policing
Core Thesis / Change:
By mid-2025, AI-driven surveillance and predictive policing will be deployed in at least 15 major U.S. cities. Crime response may become faster, but at the cost of privacy and bias, as AI becomes the new normal in law enforcement.
Data / Statistics to Consider:
Predictive policing tech adoption is increasing by 20% annually, with cities using AI to allocate resources.
Cities using AI surveillance are expected to reduce response times by 25%, raising privacy and ethical concerns.
Supporting Quote: “AI policing is here, but so are privacy risks,” says Edward Snowden, whistleblower. “Our right to be left alone is disappearing, traded for the promise of safety.”
Societal Impact:
The growth of AI surveillance could erode personal freedoms and provoke civil rights debates. Privacy may become a rare commodity as surveillance is normalized, reshaping how society views safety and autonomy. New transparency policies will be critical as the public demands accountability for AI’s role in policing.
Stop and Think:
Imagine being watched every day, every minute. This isn’t about safety—it’s about our right to privacy, slipping away in the name of security. Privacy may soon be a privilege, not a right.
Conclusion
The AI-driven changes outlined here aren’t distant possibilities—they’re imminent, reshaping society in fundamental ways. This transformation demands that we pay attention and act with intention. To prepare, stay tuned for my next article on the seven steps you can take to protect yourself from the negative impacts of these changes and to navigate this new AI-driven landscape with awareness and resilience.