Other Language Version: [Korean]
Now begins ‘The Great Evangelist Era’
When you wake up in the morning, a new AI service has come into the world, and by lunchtime, YouTube and SNS (Social Network Service) are already plastered with review videos about it.
“This feature is insane,” “You’ll regret it if you don’t learn this now,” “OOO is now obsolete.”
It’s reminiscent of the 15th-17th century ‘Age of Discovery’, when European powers were desperately racing to plant their flags in the New World. I want to call today’s phenomenon ‘The Great Evangelist Era’.
Evangelist originally refers to a religious preacher, but in the IT industry, it means a ‘technology evangelist.’ Today, not only corporate experts but countless YouTubers and bloggers have become voluntary evangelists, spreading the gospel of cutting-edge AI technologies.
I’ve examined this massive movement in depth from five perspectives: positive, negative, financial, psychological, and knowledge sharing.
1. Psychological Aspect: “I Discovered It First” (Need for Recognition and Showing Off)
At the very foundation of this phenomenon lies humanity’s primal desire, namely the ‘Desire for Recognition’.
- The Badge of Early Adopters: The very fact of encountering and mastering new technology before others becomes a powerful means of ‘intellectual showing off.’ It’s a psychological need to imprint on the public the image of “I am a trendy person who doesn’t fall behind the times.”
- Modern Columbus Complex: Being the first to upload a review video is like being the first to set foot on a new continent. By planting the flag of information first, one feels a sense of superiority and accomplishment that “I am the source of this information.”
- Acquiring Authority: By being the first to interpret complex technology, they want to acquire the status of ‘pioneer’ or ‘expert’ among the masses. This is a manifestation of the desire to become an influential person, not just to convey information.
2. Positive Aspect: The ‘Kind Interpreter’ Breaking Down Technology Barriers
Of course, their activities serve a great positive function in society. This is because they ‘interpret’ complicated and rigid technology into the language of the masses.
- Accessibility Revolution: They summarize content that would otherwise require reading developer documentation or complex papers into easy-to-understand videos and brief articles. Thanks to this, even ordinary people can now approach AI without fear.
- Curation Function: They act as a filter that screens through the dozens of AI services pouring out every day, determining what’s useful and what should be discarded. Users can save time.
- Expansion of Creativity: Going beyond simply explaining features, they propose imaginative use cases, such as “Try applying this to your work this way.” This stimulates the public’s imagination.
3. Negative Aspect: FOMO and the Spread of Shallow Knowledge
Where there is intense light, there are deep shadows. The overheated race for speed is producing various side effects.
- Inducing FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): Threatening thumbnails saying things like “If you don’t know this, you’ll be left behind” instill unnecessary fear in the public. Technology is merely a tool, yet they exaggerate it as a matter of survival, inciting anxiety.
- Information Pollution and Absence of Fact-Checking: In the rush to capture views first, information is spread without sufficient verification, leading to AI-generated hallucinations being presented as facts, or incorrect usage methods spreading as if they were standard practice.
- Accumulation of Fatigue: Even innovation becomes routine when repeated daily. The public now feels fatigue rather than wonder at the cry that “a revolution happens every day.”
4. Financial Aspect: The ‘Jean Sellers’ of the Gold Rush
Just as the purpose of the Age of Discovery was gold and treasure, the powerful driving force of The Great Evangelist Era is ‘monetization.’
- Views and Ad Revenue: The explosive traffic from securing hot keywords first translates directly into advertising revenue. AI is currently one of the highest-priced keywords.
- Derivative Product Sales: After gathering people with free information, they sell paid courses or PDF materials like “Making $XXX a Month with AI” or “Prompt Engineering E-books.”
- Referral Marketing: Affiliate marketing, where they introduce specific AI services and earn commissions by encouraging sign-ups, is a massive pillar sustaining this ecosystem. History is repeating itself from the Gold Rush era, when those who sold jeans and pickaxes became wealthier than those who panned for gold.
5. Knowledge Sharing: Evolving into Collective Intelligence
Nevertheless, the reason this phenomenon cannot be viewed solely in a negative light is that a massive ‘learning community’ is being formed.
- Real-time Feedback Loop: YouTubers’ sharp reviews provide the fastest, most reliable feedback for AI developers, accelerating service improvements.
- Inheritance of Open Source Spirit: In the comment sections, collective intelligence is demonstrated as people point out errors in videos or share better prompts.
- Upward Leveling of Knowledge: Know-how that was once passed down only through expert apprenticeship is now shared in real time worldwide through YouTube, raising the overall level of technical understanding.
In Closing: How to Enjoy Surfing Without Being Swept Away by the Waves
‘The Great Evangelist Era’ is both a blessing and a challenge for us. While information overflows, the wisdom to distinguish the true gems from within it ultimately rests with us.
We need the wisdom to understand the psychology of people who ‘want to step forward,’ to take advantage of the useful information they provide, while not being swayed by the anxiety (FOMO) they incite. In this moment when rough waves of information are crashing down, will we become shipwrecks swept away and adrift, or will we become captains who ride those waves and sail magnificently?
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