Konnected Minds Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: Konnected Minds Podcast
Host: Derrick Abaitey
Episode: Accept Disruption or Get Out of the Game: If You're Not Researching AI, You're Already Behind
Date: December 7, 2025

Main Theme

This episode explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting industries, businesses, and everyday life, emphasizing the critical need to accept and adapt to these changes. Derrick Abaitey and his guest discuss the dangers of resisting technological shifts, the inevitability of industry transformation, and what companies and individuals must do to remain relevant and prosper.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Disruption Is Inevitable: Accept or Be Left Behind

• Disruption Has Always Been Part of Progress

  • Derrick draws parallels between today’s AI revolution and past technological leaps like radio, television, and elevators.
  • Quote:

    “Systems accept disruption or get out of the game. It’s as simple as that.” — Derrick [00:17]

  • Resisting progress leads to obsolescence (e.g., horses versus cars, antique TV sets).

• Societal Adaptation to Change

  • Each generation has its own “defining technology” that initially sparks fear and resistance but later becomes commonplace.
  • Quote:

    “Every generation has freaked out on the defining technology of their time until it's nothing.” — Derrick [03:41]

2. AI in Everyday Life — Scope & Impact

• Penetration of Digital and AI Systems
  • From business flyers to lifestyle retreats, digital systems are everywhere.
  • Offline experiences have become a sought-after luxury in the highly connected digital age.
  • Quote:

    “Our world is becoming so digitally charged… soon, and very soon, people would pay to become naturral again. And it’s happening.” — Derrick [02:04]

• AI as an Invisible Assistant
  • AI can automate research, interviewing, editing — even function as a live transcription and summarization tool in places like churches and businesses.

3. Business Transformation & AI Strategy

• Necessity of In-House AI Research
  • All organizations, regardless of sector, must cultivate in-house AI research and development.
  • Quote:

    “Every company needs to have an inside house R&D department plugged in to AI research and development… every single company. I’m talking churches, I’m talking property companies, I’m talking real estate, I’m talking agriculture. I’m talking government.” — Derrick [06:15-06:31]

• New Models of Efficiency
  • Companies must be willing to “cannibalize their core” and disrupt themselves before someone else does.
  • Transitioning from physical infrastructure (antenna, TV) to digital-first models (streaming, apps).
  • Quote:

    “Cannibalize yourself, cannibalize your core… take the very heart of the business and move it into a more efficient system.” — Derrick [10:06]

4. Wealth Creation in the Age of AI

• Direct Audience Access & Monetization
  • AI and digital platforms have removed gatekeepers, allowing direct interaction between creators and audiences.
  • Quote:

    “You couldn’t build an audience without the middlemen of radio and TV and go directly from producer to audience… That is disrupted now.” — Derrick [04:33]

• AI as a Leveler
  • Efficient tools and better systems mean more opportunities for wealth creation for those who adapt.

5. Practical Advice for AI Beginners

• Start with Research
  • Knowledge is the new gold—start by researching how AI is affecting your specific industry.
  • Companies must avoid equating AI only with obvious tools like ChatGPT; the field is much broader.
  • Quote:

    “Where you start from is research… knowledge asymmetry is the gold mine right now.” — Derrick [08:39]

• Embrace Trend Awareness
  • Stay informed, even if you are currently unfamiliar or resistant.
  • “Stop paying attention to the data, stop paying attention to the trends. And… eventually you would have to have some kind of a connection with AI. Start researching.” — Derrick [09:38]

6. Societal, Ethical & Parenting Dimensions

• Unintended Risks
  • New dangers, such as misuse by youths, appear alongside opportunities (e.g., youth asking AI harmful questions).
• Legal & Regulatory Gaps
  • Laws and regulations, still based on physical world assumptions, lag far behind technological realities (e.g., self-driving car liabilities).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On resisting change:

  “You can walk up today and say, you know, to hell with them. I’m not going to drive cars anymore. Give me a horse… When you fight the tools, that becomes the standard order of the day. You will get out of business.” — Derrick [00:36-01:10]

• On offline as luxury:

  “I said about four years ago the new luxury would be offline… people are paying for that. That’s the new luxury.” — Derrick [02:03]

• On redefining business models:

  “Because when people want it, they will not say, because we love you, because you’ve been here for a very long time, we’re just going to roll with you. That’s not going to be the case.” — Derrick [10:49]

• On legal challenges of AI:

  “If a self driving Tesla car gets in an accident, who’s to be blamed? The guy in the passenger seat? The software running Tesla or Tesla itself?” — Derrick [06:46]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:12 | Accepting disruption; analogy with technology and industries | | 01:16 | Evolution and necessity to adapt new tools & standards | | 03:41 | Generational fear of new technologies; historical perspective | | 04:33 | Wealth opportunities, breaking the ‘middleman’ barrier | | 06:07 | Every company needs AI-focused research and development | | 08:39 | How to get started with AI – focus on research and industry fit | | 10:06 | Necessity to “cannibalize your core” and self-disrupt | | 11:26 | The next phase: relentless transition towards digital efficiency |

Summary in the Original Tone

Derrick Abaitey delivers a clear call to action: refuse to engage with technological disruption, especially AI, at your own peril. He underscores the repeating pattern of technological anxiety, charges companies and individuals alike to invest in research and adaptability, and paints a compelling picture of both the dangers and extraordinary opportunities facing anyone bold enough to embrace change.

Bottom line:

• Disruption is here and accelerating.
• Resisting it is a path to irrelevance.
• Success depends on proactive research and internal innovation, not nostalgia or inertia.

This episode is essential listening for business leaders, professionals, and anyone interested in how AI and digital disruption will reshape Africa—and the world—in the coming years.