My generation (Gen X) has witnessed not one, but three seismic leaps in human
potential—each powered by machines: Personal Computing. The Internet. And now,
Artificial Intelligence. These shifts didn’t just change industries—they rewrote the rules
of success for nations, businesses, and individuals alike.
It’s been fascinating to witness how each shift unlocked a new dimension of human
potential: Efficiency, Access, and Creativity.
The first two were relatively easy to embrace, and I gained immensely by being an early
adopter. But this third leap—AI—feels different. It’s more significant than anything
before, and the need to adapt early is no longer optional; it’s essential for survival. It’s
like catching the last train—each moment the carriage fills, the doors begin to close, and
if you’re not on board, the future will speed away without you.
💻 Leap 1: The Personal Computer — The Efficiency Revolution
When I started my career as a Chartered Accountant, computers weren’t part of the picture.
Offices ran on massive A2 and A3-sized ledgers. We signed pages by hand to confirm checks,
used calculators for reconciliations, and typed reports on analog machines. Photocopiers didn’t
scan. There was no Ctrl+Z.
But then I saw a TV with a tower box and keyboard appear in one of our offices. It was a
fascinating sight and it excited me enough to sell my motor bike and buy my first computer. I
taught myself how to use Lotus 1-2-3 and built reusable accounting templates and automated
parts of my audit work. While most peers were flipping pages in ledgers, I was building models
on floppy disks. My demand skyrocketed and I got sent to some of the best and most
sophisticated clients. I was even the choice team member for our first Y2K audit.
That early bet on digital skills gave me opportunities far beyond traditional accounting. I was
hired to build an operating system for a mutual fund. Later, I became Head of Information
Security at ABN AMRO—not because I had the most years of experience, but because I had
something rarer at the time: a functional understanding of how computers worked.
The first leap unlocked the human potential for efficiency, and those who digitized processes
redefined productivity.
🌐 Leap 2: The Internet — The Connectivity Explosion
The second leap came soon after—and it was bigger, faster, and even more transformative.
The Internet connected the world and made information, commerce, and collaboration
boundaryless. Those who adapted early didn’t just thrive—they helped reshape global
economics.
India capitalized on connectivity to become the back office of the world, creating millions of jobs
in IT and BPO sectors.
China harnessed digital infrastructure to emerge as a manufacturing and e-commerce
powerhouse. And the United States redefined influence – not through wars, but through its
dominance of social media. Entirely new industries—e-commerce, digital media, fintech—were
born, and the barrier to entry for innovators dropped dramatically.
For me, the Internet era was a time of bold experimentation.
After completing my training as a Chartered Accountant, I surprised everyone by not taking a
cushy job. Instead, I borrowed money and started a tech firm. We launched funkykarachi.com, a
city portal where people could find restaurants, events, and discounts. Members joined an
exclusive club. We also built websites for companies just entering the online world.
It was a bold move—but it didn’t end the way I hoped. The infrastructure in Pakistan was still
immature, and the dot-com bubble burst just as our pipeline of clients was growing. I ran out of
cash and racked up debt that took years to repay.
And yet, the learning turned out to be priceless.
When companies later looked for savvy professionals to drive technology adoption, I became
their first choice. My understanding of how technology could transform businesses helped me
secure leadership roles in risk and compliance, where I helped deploy data repositories and
automated screening tools, and later in product management, leading innovations in financial
services through use of APIs and blockchain.
This second leap unlocked the human potential for access to markets, and those who leveraged
connectivity became global players.
🤖 Leap 3: Artificial Intelligence — The Cognitive Revolution
Now comes the most powerful leap yet.
AI is moving faster than any previous change. Entire industries are being reimagined in real
time. Doctors are diagnosing diseases with superhuman accuracy. Startups are disrupting supply
chains with AI-powered logistics. Entire films, symphonies, and books are being co-created by
humans and machines.
Solo creators empowered by AI are delivering work at the scale of global agencies—without the
overhead. In classrooms, AI tutors are giving children access to personalized education once
reserved for the elite. Robots can now have a personality, and machines can become our friends,
teachers, and advisors.
Here’s the hard truth: those who learn AI now will outperform those who don’t—regardless of
title, wealth, or network. For once, the tools are cheap—or even free. But they’re only useful if
you invest the time to understand them.
This third leap unlocks human creativity and the automation of knowledge work. Those who
embrace AI will not just keep up—they will redefine what’s possible.
