POWERED BY AI®
Yesterday, Bitcoin hit the $100,000 mark, momentarily diverting the business news cycle from its usual obsession: AI, AI, AI. This milestone got me wondering—does AI think cryptocurrencies are real money? After all, many people are still debating that very question.
So, I decided to ask AI directly: “Do you think cryptocurrencies are real money?”
I consulted Google’s Bard, ChatGPT, Bing’s Copilot, and Perplexity AI, and their responses shared a curious quirk: they all put “real money” in quotation marks. That little linguistic flourish made me laugh—a healthy reminder that even AI can inadvertently deliver a bit of humor.
But this interaction also got me thinking about all the AI chatter and my own experience working with it in insurance claims. Curious about how AI is being discussed in the industries I serve; I dove into my trade magazines to see what’s trending.
Here’s what I found:
Fleet Owner (trucking industry): 1,790 articles mentioning AI, with 101 published in 2024. No surprises here—trucking is racing to remove drivers from the equation, just as warehouses already use unmanned forklifts to move pallets.
Construction Equipment Magazine: 242 articles, 23 from 2024. The industry’s familiarity with remote-controlled machines might explain the slower uptick; operators are already pushing the limits of what’s possible without stepping into the cab.
Access, Lift & Handlers: 162 results, 23 from 2024.
American Cranes & Transport: 154 results, 22 from 2024.
Demolition & Recycling: 72 articles, 14 from 2024.
The Northern Logger: 0 results—none, nada. In the most dangerous profession, it seems AI isn’t on the immediate horizon.
North American FarmQuip Magazine: 42 total mentions (date sorting unavailable). This surprised me, given the rise of GPS-guided planting and harvesting systems, not to mention advanced equipment for measuring and calculating yields.
What’s the Takeaway?
AI may be evolving rapidly, but not every industry is rushing to embrace it—or trust it. And that’s where my philosophy comes in: POWERED BY AI®.
For me, AI doesn’t just stand for “Artificial Intelligence.” It also stands for Actual Intelligence and Authentic Intelligence—the human expertise and judgment that technology can’t replicate.
As someone who serves companies insuring heavy equipment and commercial trucks, I know the value of applying the right mix of cutting-edge tech and good old-fashioned know-how. Until AI can fully grasp what “real money” means—or fully replace the principles of critical thinking—I’ll continue to lean on the most reliable tool I have: human intelligence.
Tom Fergus handles claims for forestry, farm, construction, and specialty equipment. Service area is all of New England (except Rhode Island), New York: Upstate, Long Island, and Finger Lakes. Desk review on complicated claims outside of my area. Click here to see my mobile office to make handling long-distance claims efficient for my customers.
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