The Keyboard Is Dead. Long Live the Keyboard.

Voice may be the future, but keyboards aren't going anywhere. From Gen Alpha to Boomers, we interact with AI through the rituals we trust — and for many of us, that's still clicking keys.

I was at an intimate investor breakfast yesterday — a Saturday morning meeting of the minds, where smart, curious people traded ideas over strong coffee and stronger opinions about the future.

And sitting in the middle of the table? A device that looks like a BlackBerry, acts like a keyboard, and may just prove everyone wrong.

One of the presenters demoed a new hardware product: a physical keyboard that seamlessly attaches to an iPhone, instantly transforming your touchscreen into something that feels suspiciously like a BlackBerry. (Android version coming soon, they said.)

At one point, someone confidently predicted, “Keyboards will be obsolete in ten years.”

I smiled politely and strongly disagreed.

Yes, we’re racing into the AI age. Interfaces are evolving. But here’s the reality: human behavior doesn’t change just because the technology does.

We still use remote controls to operate our TVs — even when voice control, apps, and gesture-based interfaces are available. Microwave ovens look and function almost identically to the ones our parents used, despite massive advances in robotics. And try getting a REAL ID compliant drivers license online — most DMV offices still issue physical ID cards, even in an era of facial recognition and biometric verification.

We don’t adopt the most advanced technology. We adopt the most familiar, the most trusted, the most convenient.

And that’s why the keyboard — in some form — is here to stay.

Despite more than a decade of Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, most people still use voice assistants for low-stakes tasks: playing music, setting timers, asking about the weather. But when’s the last time someone calmly talked their way through health insurance paperwork, dictated a performance review while unloading the dishwasher, or filed an LLC from their kitchen using nothing but voice commands?

At the breakfast, we debated this across generations. Gen Alpha has grown up with gesture, tap, and swipe. Gen Z leans into voice memos and shorthand typing but still switches to a laptop for resumes. Gen X straddles two worlds — half embracing voice AI, half refusing to give up their keyboards. Boomers still hunt-and-peck like they’re sending a telegram. And yet, all of them type. Every. Single. Day.

Each generation adapts tech in its own way — not always how designers expect. This chart from McCrindle says it all:

Source: McCrindle

Back in the 2010s, I founded the Internet of Things Consortium with the belief that “everything that can be connected, will be connected.”

(Hint: that didn’t happen.)

We connected a lot of things, sure — but not necessarily the right things. People still use light switches. Coffee machines still have buttons. Our behavior has adapted only where it adds value — and doesn’t require a manual the size of a small novel.

The lesson? Culture lags tech. And sometimes, it flat-out resists it.

That’s why tools like the Clicks Creator Keyboard intrigue me. They’re not just nostalgia plays — they acknowledge a truth many innovators overlook:

🔑 Interfaces are rituals.

Typing isn’t just input — it’s how we process, create, and anchor thought. Physical keys are not just buttons; they’re anchors for thought.

We will absolutely see new modes of input in the AI era — multimodal prompts, gesture interfaces, maybe even brain-computer integrations. But don’t bet against the keyboard just yet.

The future isn’t about abandoning the old ways.

It’s about adapting them — one click at a time.

📎 Let’s Connect Beyond the Clicks

At GK Digital Ventures, I work with Fortune 500 leaders, boards, and founders navigating the intersection of AI, behavior, and business strategy. If you’re looking for a speaker, advisor, or just someone who isn’t afraid to challenge conventional wisdom over breakfast — I’m always open to a conversation.

Let’s build smarter, more human tech.

📩 greg@gkdigitalventures.com

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