How Ordinary People Can Still Benefit From the AI Boom, Practical Ways
The AI revolution is not something in the distant future. It is already here, and the wealth it creates is already being distributed.
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| The AI revolution is already here |
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| the Nasdaq-100 Index |
The impact is also visible in the semiconductor industry. South Korean memory-chip maker SK hynix has reported exceptionally strong performance, and media reports suggested that average employee bonuses for 2025 exceeded approximately US$400,000 per person, with some analysts projecting even higher payouts for 2026—potentially approaching US$850,000 on average if current results continue.
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| the semiconductor industry |
AI is reshaping nearly every industry. For many people, the job they hold today may turn out to be the last version of that role as we know it.
A friend of mine, an entrepreneur, recently told me that his company is hiring designers very differently now. Tasks that once required a traditional designer can often be handled by AI. What employers increasingly want are people who know how to work with AI and direct it effectively.
I have felt this change firsthand. Over the past year, while running my one-person company in Japan, I used AI to help me complete annual filings, tax paperwork, and visa-renewal procedures on my own. Tasks that once required outside specialists are becoming more accessible with the right AI tools.
History shows that during every major technological shift—the Industrial Revolution, the internet era, even the rise of cryptocurrencies—many people do not realize what is happening until they have already fallen behind. It is better to engage with change than to resist it.
For ordinary people, there are two practical ways to share in the benefits of AI.
First, consider building long-term investments.
Regularly investing spare cash in broad U.S. stock market index funds allows you to benefit from the work of some of the world’s most innovative companies and talented people.
For many, this is a more sustainable path than rushing into entrepreneurship, which remains difficult and stress even with AI tools.
From what I have seen, some of the earliest AI-enabled solo businesses have already shut down, and many others are struggling. AI can improve efficiency, but it cannot create customers or demand out of thin air.
Second, make AI part of your daily life.
You do not need to build the next groundbreaking startup. AI can be a thoughtful partner in ordinary life if you weave it into your routines and decision-making.
Recently, for example, AI helped me solve a frustrating problem with a Japanese banking app that I could not access.
Living abroad with limited language skills can often feel like navigating a black box. In those moments, AI has become a patient and capable companion.
The goal is to bring AI from something you merely watch from the sidelines into something you can influence and use directly in your own life.
The real opportunity is not to compete against AI, but to learn to live and work alongside it. For many of us—including digital nomads—that may be the most practical way to thrive in the years ahead.
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