What should I watch for when someone compares AI to photography, synthesizers or navigation tools?
Ice-T drew on older technologies to explain how unfamiliar tools become ordinary, and that kind of comparison is a good way to open a conversation about AI. It can also hide differences that matter to your decision, so use it to produce questions for a trial and keep checking.
Start by writing down what the comparison helps explain. Maybe both tools cut out a production step, or both change the skills a beginner needs. Then write down what it leaves untouched, like permission to reuse material or the consequences of an automated decision.
Ask whether the analogy is about a feature, a business model or a social response. A similarity at one level doesn't mean a similarity at every level.
If an older tool changed how work got reviewed, ask what review this new one needs. If it created new specialist work, find out which skills your team might need. Don't predict that the same jobs will show up again.
A comparison is a starting point. Check what the tool can really do and what limits it, and who's affected, before you call the discussion closed.