Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy

Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy

Share this post

Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
The Approaching AI Catastrophe

The Approaching AI Catastrophe

When it all blows up, who will fix it?

Martin Butler's avatar
Martin Butler
Feb 15, 2025
∙ Paid
3

Share this post

Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
The Approaching AI Catastrophe
1
Share

blue plastic robot toy
Photo by Rock'n Roll Monkey on Unsplash

Who is this person about to pour cold water on our new AI utopia? I'll tell you. I founded and ran Europe's largest technology analyst company for 15 years. It was called Butler Group and was sold in 2005. I saw the insanity that is part of the information technology markets at close range, so I would like to make a few observations.

New technologies always follow the same old cycle—excitement, over-expectation, vested interest, unfounded hype, disappointment, and blame. Who got us into this mess? We saw it with the dot-com boom when anyone who had heard the word internet could become an expert. But before I address AI, let me fill you in on the dynamics of technology procurement. It is nicely stated in something called Putt's law. It states:

Those with budget don't know, and those who know don't have budget.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Martin Butler
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share