am I the only one whose friends are completely divided on AI?

Reddit r/artificial / 5/4/2026

💬 OpinionSignals & Early TrendsIdeas & Deep Analysis

Key Points

  • The author observes a clear divide in their social circle regarding AI, with friends clustering into excited, skeptical, and resistant groups.
  • The “excited” camp tends to be curious and tech-inclined, experimenting with AI tools and finding real value.
  • The “skeptics” appear to face limited access to newer AI tools at work, using older offerings and struggling to see benefits beyond basic chatbot interactions.
  • The “resistant” group includes people worried about job impacts, but the author argues many are actually reluctant to change workflows or learn new tools.
  • The author asks whether others have experienced the same split and whether differences come mainly from access, mindset, or other factors.

been noticing a pretty clear split in my social circle around AI and I'm curious if others are seeing the same.

Roughly three camps:

The excited ones: Mostly people who are naturally curious, into tech, willing to tinker. They're genuinely getting value and it shows. Not because they're smarter, just more willing to experiment.

The skeptics: Interesting group. A lot of them are in corporate jobs where they don't have access to the latest tools. They're using 1 year old tools and can't figure out real value outside from chatting with chatgpt outside their job. Their companies just aren't moving fast enough (and they aren't early adopters).

The resistant ones: Some are afraid of what it means for their jobs. But honestly, a big chunk of this group is technical people who just don't want to change their workflows, learn new tools, or rethink how they work. Which I get, it's uncomfortable, but it reads as anger more than fear.

Im trying to understand if the same thing is happening outside my circle. what's your experience?

Which camp are your people in, and do you think it's mostly about access, mindset, or something else?

submitted by /u/santanah8
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