A Lot Can Change in 50 Years!

History has a way of revealing what truly matters. Every day, we’re bombarded with news of global events—conflicts, elections, major sports, and celebrity happenings. While these stories might feel momentous at the time, most fade from memory as the years pass. It’s only with the benefit of hindsight that we can see which moments truly shaped our world.

 

Consider a moment from nearly 50 years ago. In January 1975, *Popular Electronics* magazine featured the Altair 8800 on its cover, introducing the first commercially available personal computer. At the time, it was a niche product for hobbyists, something most people would have overlooked in favor of the more popular trends like Pet Rocks or 8-Track Tape Players. But today, we recognize the Altair 8800 as the spark that ignited the digital revolution, eventually leading to the world of computing that we now take for granted.

 

The Altair’s introduction was a quiet revolution—one that would only be fully understood with the passage of time. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves on the cusp of another technological leap: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Much like the early days of personal computing, AI is still in its formative stages, and it’s hard to predict exactly how it will reshape our lives. But if history teaches us anything, it’s that the technologies we overlook today could be the ones that define tomorrow.

 

As we think about the impact of AI, it’s worth reflecting on how our own community has grown and changed over the years. In 1975, Grimes was a small town with fewer than 1,000 residents. Today, we’re a thriving and rapidly growing community, shaped by the same forces of innovation and change that have transformed the broader world. Just as the Altair 8800 was a seed that grew into something far greater, the advancements we’re seeing now—whether in AI or other fields—will likely have a profound impact on our future.

 

Whether you’re an early adopter of AI or someone who prefers to take a wait-and-see approach, it’s clear that our world is on the brink of significant change. As a community, we have the opportunity to shape how these technologies influence our lives, just as we’ve shaped the growth of Grimes over the past few decades. My hope is that, as with the Altair 8800, the innovations of today will lead to a brighter and more connected future for all of us. And while we may not fully grasp the importance of these developments right now, history will eventually reveal their true significance.