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The Viral AI Essay That Got 51 Million Views: Why Something Big Is Happening | Taha Abbasi
Taha Abbasi··3 min read
A single essay posted on X by AI researcher Matt Shumer has exploded to over 51 million views, and Taha Abbasi believes it captures a pivotal moment in human history. The piece, titled “Something Big Is Happening,” argues that artificial intelligence is about to fundamentally transform cognitive work — and most people aren’t paying attention.
The Core Thesis: AI Is Replacing Cognitive Work
Shumer’s argument is straightforward but profound: we’re witnessing the emergence of AI systems that can perform cognitive tasks previously requiring human intelligence. GPT-5.3’s Codex and Claude Opus 4.6 represent a qualitative leap — these aren’t just chatbots, they’re systems capable of building software, analyzing complex problems, and generating original insights. As Taha Abbasi can attest from running AI-assisted operations daily, the capability gap between AI and human cognitive workers is narrowing at an accelerating rate.
The essay struck a nerve because it articulated what millions of knowledge workers sense but haven’t fully processed: their jobs are about to change fundamentally, and the timeline is years, not decades.
The Meta-Take: Critics Are Proving the Thesis
Perhaps the most interesting development was tech commentator Farzad’s observation about the backlash. Critics immediately attacked the essay, noting that “AI helped write it.” But as Farzad pointed out — and Taha Abbasi agrees — that criticism actually proves the thesis. If AI can help produce content that resonates with 51 million people, that’s precisely the disruption Shumer was warning about.
The critics focused on the wrong question. They asked “Did AI help write this?” when they should have asked “Does it matter?” If the ideas are valuable, if the analysis is sound, if 51 million people found it worth their time — then the origin of the prose matters less than the quality of the thinking.
Self-Building AI: The Real Wake-Up Call
The most alarming part of Shumer’s essay isn’t about content creation — it’s about self-building AI. Current frontier models can write, debug, and deploy software. They can create new AI tools. The logical endpoint is AI systems that improve themselves, build new capabilities, and accelerate their own development. As Taha Abbasi has observed through his work with AI coding assistants, we’re already seeing early signs of this recursive improvement loop.
This doesn’t mean human intelligence becomes irrelevant. It means the value of human intelligence shifts from execution to judgment, creativity, and ethical oversight. The humans who thrive won’t be those who resist AI — they’ll be those who leverage it most effectively.
What This Means for You
Whether you’re a software engineer, writer, analyst, or any other knowledge worker, Taha Abbasi recommends treating this moment with urgency but not panic. Learn to work with AI tools. Understand their capabilities and limitations. Position yourself as someone who amplifies AI output rather than competing with it. The 51 million views on Shumer’s essay prove one thing clearly: the world is waking up.
Sources: Matt Shumer on X, Farzad on X
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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com
Taha Abbasi
Engineer by trade. Builder by instinct. Explorer by choice.
