Ever feel like the faster you work, the more behind you get? Like you finally figured out how to use ChatGPT without sounding like a robot — only to find out your competition has already automated their entire sales funnel and trained a digital clone to close deals in their sleep?
Welcome to the Red Queen’s Race.
No, not a new Netflix dystopian series — though give it a week. This one comes from Through the Looking-Glass, where the Red Queen tells Alice:
“It takes all the running you can do, to stay in the same place.”
Sound familiar? That’s AI in 2025. The faster you adapt, the faster the world moves. And if you stop — even for a breath — you’re behind.
Let’s break this down industry by industry, and why your feet better already be moving.
Insurance: From handshake to hyperautomation
Remember when trust and a firm handshake were all you needed? Now it’s heading to AI quoting tools, policy recommendation engines, and bots handling service requests faster than your best CSR can spell “endorsement.”
If you’re not automating intake forms, quote comparisons, or renewal reviews, you’re not “keeping it personal”—you’re just becoming irrelevant with a smile.
Running just to stay in place: Modern agencies aren’t racing to innovate. They’re racing to survive.
Retail & Hospitality: Personal is the new premium
Your competitor doesn’t just know their customers’ names. Their AI knows what they’ll buy next Tuesday at 3:47 p.m.
From automated inventory systems to personalized email flows that feel human (but aren’t), small retailers and bars like mine are competing against billion-dollar algorithms.
We look forward to implementing AI-generated customer notes in our CRM. Why? Because “Hey John, we saved a bottle of that whiskey you liked” feels real — and that feeling wins.
Red Queen check-in: You’re not competing with other small businesses anymore. You’re up against The Algorithm.
Healthcare: Doctors meet data
Radiology AIs will detect tumors faster than seasoned pros. AI scribes listen to appointments and write notes in real-time. Patient portals predict when someone’s about to ghost a follow-up.
This isn’t replacing doctors — it’s replacing time. And in healthcare, that’s the real currency.
Red Queen prognosis: You either treat patients and time like gold, or they’ll find someone (or something) that does.
Education: Your textbook is obsolete by lunchtime
AI tutors adjust to a kid’s learning pace mid-sentence. Automated grading saves hours. Lesson plans are generated in seconds.
Teachers not using AI are stuck on the hamster wheel of administrative burnout while students get used to learning from systems that never get tired, annoyed, or need coffee.
Red Queen lesson plan: Keep learning, or the bots will be holding parent-teacher conferences without you.
Marketing & Content: The bots are writing better than Carl from copy
Need a blog post? Ad headline? Sales funnel? There’s an AI for that — and 7 more that’ll A/B test the results before you’ve even had lunch.
Content isn’t king anymore — velocity is. And if you’re not using AI to speed up ideation, execution, and distribution, you’re not competing. You’re journaling.
Red Queen CTA: The first to post doesn’t win. The first to adapt does.
So What Do You Do When the Treadmill Won’t Stop?
You embrace it. You stop whining about “AI taking over” and start asking:
Where can I get leverage?
What can I automate that doesn’t need me?
What do I do that AI can’t (yet)?
Because here’s the thing: the Red Queen’s Race isn’t optional. It’s not a marathon you can train for. It’s a moving sidewalk — and it’s already on.
You either walk with intention, or you slide backward in style.
Final Thought:
AI won’t take your job. But someone using AI will.
So stop trying to outrun the machine. Learn to ride it. Steer it. Aim it at your competition while you sip whiskey and smile.
Keep running,
Travis
