Source: HOWL by Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff's observation identifies a real competitive advantage in AI's current moment: uncertainty itself. When no one can reliably predict technical capabilities, regulatory paths, or market winners, those with capital and credibility can shape narratives and infrastructure before consensus forms. Early movers gain outsized influence over standards, APIs, and institutional lock-in. The companies positioned to declare how AI works—OpenAI, Anthropic, Google—aren't waiting for industry clarity. They're betting that first-mover definitions of safety, capability, and deployment will calcify into the assumptions everyone else builds on.