I want to begin with a confession: I used an AI tool to research three of the facts in the first paragraph of this opinion piece. I did it instinctively, without thinking. Then I caught myself, and I thought: this is exactly the problem.

We talk about artificial intelligence as though it is a force approaching from the horizon. Policy papers speak of preparing for AI's impact. Governments promise regulatory frameworks "before it is too late." But it is already too late for that framing to be useful. AI is not coming. It is here.

In Every Profession

A radiologist told me that AI diagnostic tools now catch abnormalities she would have missed at 2 AM. A law firm partner said junior associates spend 30% less time on document review. A teacher said her students' essays have improved dramatically since ChatGPT — she just cannot be sure how much of that improvement is theirs.

What We Must Do

The answer is not to slow AI down — that is neither feasible nor desirable. The answer is to dramatically accelerate the pace at which our institutions adapt: redesign education for a world where AI is a collaborator, redesign work so human creativity is amplified, and design AI governance structures that can iterate in months, not decades.