Maybe you don’t use AI today.

Maybe you don’t use it because of what you heard about how the growing need for building and powering data centers may impact the environment, ground water, or what you pay for electricity. Perhaps it’s because of privacy concerns – which are well founded, and why I wrote this AI privacy guide – and not wanting to give OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, Elon Musk, or Jeff Bezos any more of your data than they already have.

All valid concerns.

However I have used AI for more than three years because I am absolutely certain the future will be powered by this transformational technology.

But that’s not a popular belief right now. In fact, AI has a bit of an image crisis at the moment. I think it could play a role in this fall’s election campaigns.

And that scares me because, the longer people wait to learn how to leverage AI, the further behind they’ll be once public opinion swings.

How Low Can AI Go?

Right now, in the middle of March 2026, we are less than eight months away from the most intense election cycle ever. The battle for control of the U.S. House and Senate will determine who writes the story of America’s next two years.

To prepare for this campaign season, political parties are searching for wedge issues. A “wedge issue” is something a politician can use to move voters to support them.

On a recent episode of The Artificial Intelligence Show, Paul Roetzer highlighted an alarming NBC News poll. One key finding makes me think politicians may have a perfect wedge issue in AI based on what U.S. adults think right now.

The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters in late February and early March and included the following question:

Now, (I’m going to read you the/please read the following) names of several terms, public figures, places, and groups and (PHONE: I’d like you to) rate your feelings toward each one as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. If you don’t know the name, please just (say so/indicate that)

Respondents then heard, in random order, the names of public figures and organizations including the President, the Pope, both political parties, ICE, and AI. When positive and negative impressions are compared, “AI, that is artificial intelligence” scored a -20 sentiment.

For context, ICE, the federal immigration enforcement agency, scored a -18.

When I heard Roetzer say American voters are more negative right now about AI than a federal agency whose masked officers are stopping people on the streets of U.S. cities asking to see their papers, I almost drove off the road. For me, a person who uses AI to learn new skills, research topics, create new products, and accelerate every process I can think of, knowing that people I live and work alongside today view the technology this way stunned me.

And I knew I needed to do everything I could to try to help more people improve their AI skillsets in case politicians successfully leverage the wedge.

One Possible Outcome

It is not a stretch to imagine that American society’s negative view of AI will be leveraged for political gain.

We’re already seeing opposition to zoning changes related to data center construction. It’s not far fetched to think that a political candidate could tar their opponent either about how they use AI, invest in AI companies, or receive sizeable donations from them. The Pro-AI Candidate will be painted as a Bad Person who loves robots more than humans and is not worthy of voter’s support.

That demonization of AI comfort people not using the technology. It may even delay foundation model development for a time.

But after using it for three years, I know AI is too powerful and too transformative to disappear. It catalyzes too many productivity gains, and facilitates too many breakthroughs for it to go away.

AI is here to stay. And, thankfully, you still have time to prepare.

Get Ready To Succeed

There are many ways to position yourself for success with AI.

First, think about things which are difficult for you right now. Have you struggled to understand a confusing concept, or is there a financial challenge you haven’t been able to solve.

Then sit down with either Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot, and have a conversation. Tell it what is hard for you and engage it like you would a trusted friend.

Do this with something real that resonates with you right now. Here are two examples:

• I have been in my home for 20 years. Thirty-year mortgage interest rates are now at 6.9%. I am married, employed in a job which pays me $50,000 a year, and have $20,000 in the bank. Ask me one question at a time to help me figure out what I need to do to retire in seven years.
• I want to spend more time with my adult children, but we are always so busy. They’re close by, but we just never seem to get together as often as I would like. Ask me one question at a time to help me find a way to enjoy more time with the people I love.

Notice how these do not ask AI to solve anything for you. Neither one expects the chatbot to spit out a perfect answer. Instead, they enable AI to be a thinking partner and to come alongside you. Through a series of questions, it will help you think through a nettlesome issue you haven’t solved alone.

The “ask me one question at a time” angle is one of my favorite approaches to use with AI. It avoids a model’s tendency to overwhelm with six or eight bullet points and helps me consider just one thing. I find that type of mindful approach often yields better results.

If you prefer working with a person you know and trust, here are two ways I can assist:

1. Book a free 15-minute call with me about you and AI. I’ll listen and suggest one or two approaches for you.
2. If you know you need to upskill and want to dive deep, schedule a free 30-minute consultation call now to get started with my AI Trainer service. We’ll discuss where you are with the technology and what your goals are. Then I’ll craft a bespoke plan to get you there in four one-hour sessions over four weeks.

Don’t wait until the AI political attacks start. Invest in yourself now, and you’ll be ready no matter what lies ahead.