The AI Chasm: Why This Moment Divides Everyone

Commencement season 2026 has a theme: crowds booing anyone who mentions AI on stage.It is a loud moment, and it is worth paying attention to, not because the outrage is right, but because of what it signals to every brand quietly building with AI while everyone else reacts to it.This week’s Field Notes is Dan’s honest assessment of where public opinion on AI actually stands, what savvy brands are about to do in response, and why the brands that go quiet about their AI use are not retreating. They are pulling ahead. The ones who win the argument right now are going to lose the race. This episode explains why and what to do about it, depending on which camp you are in. Get full access to Brand Shepherd at brandshepherd.substack.com/subscribe