Why We Fear The Very Tech We Build (And How To Fix It)

Posted on August 07, 2025 by Anastasia Paruntseva, One of Thousands of Entrepreneurship Coaches on Noomii.

I was working in innovation tech “before the chicken was an egg”—or at least before AI was called AI. Back then, it was all machine learning, robotic process automation (RPA) and acronyms so long you needed a glossary.

And while the engineers built the bots, I ran the business behind them—leading global tech expansions, launching innovation ventures across continents and heading international teams of brilliant (mostly male) minds who made robots walk, talk and sometimes even deliver coffee.

So, no, I’m not a coder—I’m a businesswoman who’s spent years scaling innovation across 50+ markets, bridging the gap between human habits and machine intelligence. And I’ve come to a conclusion: We’re terrified of the very tech we build. But here’s the twist: That fear is not irrational, it’s human.

The Psychology Of Panic
AI doesn’t just disrupt industries; it disrupts identities. I believe that people don’t just fear automation because they don’t understand it, but because it threatens their comfort of competence. Suddenly, the report you used to write, the process you used to own or the analysis you prided yourself on is handled better, faster and cheaper by something that doesn’t even take lunch breaks. And that’s deeply uncomfortable.

From Queen Victoria’s train invention panic to today’s AI anxiety, the cycle is ancient: Tech changes, humans panic, the market evolves, new roles emerge. Rinse and repeat.

The issue isn’t that AI is too smart. It’s that humans aren’t emotionally prepared for what that means.

Not Just Sci-Fi: Real Resistance In Real Offices
In one of my global roles, we implemented RPA bots to streamline hiring. Overnight, scheduling interviews and sending invites were handled 10x faster—by a bot. The result? My team had more time for strategy.

But not everyone celebrated. Some were visibly nervous. Others asked if this meant layoffs. Spoiler: It didn’t. It just meant they’d finally stop drowning in admin.

In another case, we rolled out AI-driven reporting. The data was sharper, cleaner, faster. And yet, managers ignored the tool. Why? Because accepting it meant letting go of their old ways, even if those ways were painfully inefficient.

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How To Lead Through The Fear
After years of building and scaling robotic and automation solutions globally, here’s what I’ve learned:

Automate outcomes, not egos.
People don’t want to feel replaceable. Frame automation as enhancement, not elimination. “This AI will make your job easier” lands better than “This AI will do your job.”

Normalize the awkward phase.
Every new tech comes with confusion. Make space for it. Humor helps. Training helps more.

Use data, but lead with empathy.
Show results (time saved, accuracy boosted) but address fears honestly. Don’t sugarcoat. People respect transparency.

Reinforce human value.
AI can process data. It can’t build relationships, inspire teams or make moral decisions. Remind your people of what only they can do.

AI Isn’t Just Code; It’s A Culture Shift
Automation isn’t about software. It’s about human adaptation.

Tech is only as strong as the culture it enters. If your team resents it, delays it or secretly disables it (yes, that’s happened), you don’t have a tech problem; you have a trust problem.

Leading innovation means rewriting comfort zones. It means being the kind of leader who says, “Yes, this will change things and, yes, I’ll guide you through it.”

Because let’s be honest: Real innovation doesn’t come from lines of code. It comes from the leaders bold enough to reprogram human resistance into readiness. The future isn’t human or machine. It’s human with machine, powered by those brave enough to lead through fear, friction and the unknown.