The AI Tipping Point: Why Standing Still is the Biggest Risk MSPs Face Right Now

I’ve been in the trenches of the IT and MSP world for over two decades. I’ve built companies from the ground up, steered them through market upheavals, and witnessed tech shifts that rewrote entire industries.

And I’ll tell you this: I’ve never seen a change move as fast—or as relentlessly—as the wave of AI we’re facing today.

We’ve Been Here Before… Sort Of

Some folks say, “This AI thing feels overhyped. Remember when the cloud was going to replace everything overnight?”

Yeah. I remember.

In the early 2000s, I heard MSP owners swear on their kids’ names that they’d never trust cloud services. Servers were sacred. Data needed to be under their roofs. Fast-forward a few years, and many of those same leaders were building multi-million-dollar businesses powered by the very thing they resisted.

But here’s the difference:

☁ Cloud was evolution. AI is acceleration.

Cloud gave us new ways to deliver familiar services. AI, though, is redefining how we work, what we can deliver, and who can do it. And it’s happening faster than any tech cycle I’ve ever witnessed.

The Dangerous Middle

When tech revolutions hit, there’s always a “Danger Zone” where you’re too far along to ignore the shift—but not far enough in to reap the benefits. That’s where most MSPs are right now.

→ You’ve heard about AI tools that summarize meetings, generate content, analyze logs, and write scripts.

→ You’ve maybe dabbled with ChatGPT for fun.

→ You’re curious, but cautious.

And I get it. Because here’s what’s in your head:

• “What if I waste time and money?”

• “What if it’s not secure enough for my clients?”

• “What if my team refuses to adopt it?”

Fair concerns. But here’s the harsh truth: Standing still is the riskiest move of all.

AI Won’t Replace You—But People Who Use AI Might

Let’s get something straight. AI isn’t coming for your job tomorrow. It’s not here to vaporize your technicians or eliminate your value overnight.

But…

It absolutely will give your competitors the ability to do what you do—faster, cheaper, and possibly better.

Here’s how I see it:

• Sales & Marketing: AI generates marketing copy, social posts, and video scripts while you’re still outlining your next newsletter.

• Support: AI tools analyze logs and suggest solutions in seconds, slashing ticket resolution times.

• Operations: RPA bots handle mundane admin work, freeing your best people for higher-value tasks.

• Security: AI models detect anomalies that humans simply can’t spot at scale.

This isn’t science fiction. It’s happening right now.

I recently saw an MSP generate a proposal for a complex client project—in 30 minutes flat—instead of spending four hours building it manually. That’s time back for sales calls, client meetings, or just getting home for dinner.

The Cost of Refusing to Learn

Think about other professionals:

• A mechanic who refuses to learn diagnostics on modern vehicles.

• A photographer stuck in the film era.

• A taxi driver who won’t use GPS.

How long would those professionals survive today?

The same question now applies to us.

Start Small. Start Now.

Look, I’m not saying you need to dump your PSA and rebuild your entire service stack around AI tomorrow.

But I am saying you’d be crazy not to start experimenting.

Here’s how to dip your toe in without drowning:

1. Identify One Pain Point

Ask yourself: “What task in my MSP drives me insane because it’s repetitive, manual, or time-consuming?”

Examples:

• Writing marketing emails

• Documenting tickets

• Drafting SOPs

• Pulling reports from disparate tool

Pick one.

2. Test AI Tools on Low-Stakes Tasks

Try free or low-cost AI tools on non-client-facing work first. See how they handle drafting emails, summarizing meeting notes, or parsing log files.

Will it be perfect? No.

Will it save time and spark ideas? Absolutely.

3. Talk to Your Team

Don’t keep this exploration secret. Your techs, account managers, and ops staff might already be tinkering with AI behind the scenes.

• Ask what they’ve tried.

• Share wins and failures openly.

• Build a culture that sees AI as a partner, not a threat.

4. Think About Policy

If your team uses AI tools, start defining boundaries:

• What data is safe to feed into an AI model?

• Which tools are authorized?

• How do you audit AI outputs for accuracy?

This is where MSPs have a big advantage: We’re wired to think about governance, risk, and security. Lean into that mindset.

5. Keep Learning

AI changes fast. Podcasts, blogs, vendor webinars—they’re everywhere. Block out one hour each week for you and your team to level up your knowledge.

Embrace the Discomfort

Here’s the thing I’ve learned, sometimes the hard way:

Growth always lives on the other side of discomfort.

The first time I sat down with ChatGPT, I felt like an old man staring at a blinking cursor. But five minutes in, I was blown away. Not because it was perfect—but because it was fast. It helped me think differently. It turned rough ideas into structured drafts.

And that’s just the start.

A Call to Courage

I’m not writing this because I’m an AI guru perched on some mountaintop. I’m writing this because I’m in the same fight you are:

• Figuring out how to keep my business relevant.

• Protecting my people and clients from being left behind.

• Balancing innovation with security and trust

If you’re a business leader in the MSP space, I’ll leave you with this:

→ Don’t let fear of looking foolish keep you from exploring AI. The only foolish move is ignoring it.

→ Don’t wait for perfect timing. There isn’t one.

→ Be the leader who chooses curiosity over comfort. That’s how you win the next decade.

We’re not just building MSPs. We’re building the next chapter of how IT services are delivered. And AI will be at the center of it.

Curious how to get started?

At MSP+, we’re already working with partners to figure out how AI fits into their stack—not just someday, but right now. If you’re serious about exploring this (without the fluff or fearmongering), shoot me a message. I’m always up for a real conversation.