Of all the items on the worry list of how artificial intelligence will disrupt American society, perhaps the most troublesome is its impact on old men.

Google and YouTube have already cut deeply into our usefulness as advisors to younger generations. I fear AI will finish us off.

All of the how-to knowledge we've gleaned from decades of working under car hoods and kitchen sinks is now stored on supercomputers ready to be spit-out with a few keystrokes, and with step-by-step videos included.

I spent my years growing up in the garage with my dad and in the barn with my uncle. Between the two of them, they knew how to do just about everything that could be done with their hands.

Dad and I replaced an engine and transmission in a 1965 Ford Fairlane when I was in high school. And sure, we had a bucket of extra parts left over when we finished, but it ran just fine. "Must not have needed them," he concluded.

The do-it-yourself movement is gaining a resurgence. When I asked AI why that is, it cited "two main trends: the booming interest in personal projects (home repair, crafting) and a political/economic idea called DIY Economics, favoring individual action over government."

I've never viewed keeping my basement crammed full of tools as a political statement. But apparently it is. AI describes it as "an ideology emphasizing individual responsibility, free markets, minimal regulation, and self-reliance, contrasting with large government programs."

The theory, it says, is that "people can solve problems better themselves than bureaucrats."

That's pretty high-brow stuff. I've always been my own handyman largely because I was fundamentally opposed to paying someone else to do something I could (or thought I could) do myself. And if I couldn't, I could call on my late father-in-law to help.

This DIY revival ought to be creating a booming market for old guys who know how to do stuff. But AI goes on to explain the reason that's not happening is because of "online communities sharing skills."

And that's the nutshell. One do-it-yourselfer demonstrating step-by-step how to rewire an electrical outlet via a TikTok video replaces thousands of dads and grandpas who could do the same thing. The TikTok guy will even teach you how to use the tools required for the job. And he never loses his temper. Why put up with a grumpy old know-it-all when you can get the same tips from an internet expert without the wisecracks?

There's nothing AI doesn't know. When my grandson shot a deer on our recent hunting trip, the first thing he did was search Google for a video on how to gut it. The smartphone has become the most important tool in the toolbox.

Working together on home improvement projects was never just about saving money. There was a considerable amount of bonding involved, and some quality time with each other.

That's disappearing, and so, like a lot of other old guys, I'm sitting on a store of information gleaned from countless trial-and-error experiences, and AI has made me obsolete.

But at least I still have a pick-up truck, making me essential for toting drywall and other bulky material from the Home Depot. AI hasn't figured out how to do that. Yet.

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