On September 13, 2026, my old friend and fellow Naval Aviator, Pete Peterson, emailed the text of an article, “We Must Pace the Frontier,” by Dario Amodei, September, 2026, with the note: “This is a long read, but it may be the most important thing you will read this year.” Here is the link to Amodei’s article: https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier.

I wrote back: “Thanks, Pete,

It’s going to take some time for me to digest all of this, if indeed I even can! As you know, I am no stranger to computer technology. I wrote my first program in 1962, and that was in assembly language without the benefit of a compiler. I suffered through the pain of trying to convince managers to use exception reporting and old-school accountants to discard their green eyeshades. I linked systems using voice-grade telephone lines. And yes, even today, I keep my friendly AI Copilot close at hand while I am composing to verify facts.

Since the discovery of fire and the wheel, mankind has resisted change. The thing called artificial intelligence is the next iteration. It’s going to be interesting to see how it all shakes out. We probably won’t be around to see the final chapter. So, take a seat and enjoy the show while we last!”

Lash (My old call sign)

Since then, the news media has been filled with the Artificial Intelligence debate. It seems that Amodei’s article has struck a note, and everybody from activists to scientists to politicians to environmentalists to pundits to evangelists to the common man is weighing in. But fear not, from the Stone Age to the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age to the Information Age, mankind has exhibited a remarkable capacity to survive. As Robert Browning said in his 1864 poem Rabbi Ben Ezra: “Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.” https://poets.org/poem/rabbi-ben-ezra

Bob LaRue, 2026