Elevators, AI, and the Fear of Change

Culture & Code

Automatic elevators were invented in the 1890s. But it took almost 50 years before people would ride them without an operator. Rei and Tara dive into why humans resist new tech, why AI adoption is breaking records, and how industries from film to law are being reshaped. The conversation ends with two bold ideas: we may be entering a golden age of ideas, and AI is best used not as a tool, but as leverage to become superhuman.

Key Takeaways

The Elevator Story

• Automatic elevators were invented in the 1890s, but adoption lagged half a century.
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• Fear of stepping into a “machine box” without an operator mirrors today’s resistance to AI and autonomous cars.
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AI’s Unprecedented Speed

• ChatGPT hit 100M users in two months (TikTok: 9 months, Instagram: 30 months).
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• Tara’s own usage: 3,800+ AI conversations in 2.5 years or over an hour a day of active collaboration.
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Industries in Flux

• Film & entertainment: democratized tools vs. the enduring value of craft.
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• Retail: e-commerce skeptics proven wrong.
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• Law: AI can draft, review, and advise—but clients still pay firms for liability, not just paperwork.
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Golden Age of Ideas

• Rei argues that as execution costs collapse, ideas and relentless iteration matter more than ever.
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• Tara reframes AI as leverage: the real challenge is building systems that make us superhuman, not just faster.
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About the Hosts

Rei Inamoto

Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore.

Tara Tan

Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage investment group backing the future of computing.

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Culture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture. New episodes every week.

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About the Hosts

Rei Inamoto: Creative entrepreneur and founding partner of I&CO, a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Tokyo, and Singapore.

Follow Rei here:

Rei's LinkedIn

Newsletter "The Intersection"

Tara Tan: Managing partner of Strange Ventures, an early-stage firm investing in the future of computing.

Follow Tara here:

Tara's LinkedIn

Newsletter: The Strange Review

Connect & Subscribe

Culture and Code is a podcast about the biggest shifts in tech, business, and culture—before they go mainstream. New episodes on every Tuesday.