> is pushed by powerful and wealthy elite down the throat of society.

Adoption has been exponential. We don't need to be AI to be pushed down the throat. People use it because it works and it's useful to them.

> The debate that we should have had: Is this tech actually mature enough for pervasive use in society.

It's too late for this debate because this tech is already pervasively used, and there's no coming back. It's part of our lives.

What we need to do is understand the risks and adapt, probably regulate, educate. So we can get the best of this tech, and mitigate its risks.