Most of the people talking about AI make it sound mysterious and complicated. They get away with it because previous technologies required deep pockets and PhD-level understanding to use them. One of my biggest frustrations is that this combination of factors increases confusion and slows our ability to understand and realize the benefits of this revolutionary technology.
That frustration resurfaced last week.
I admit it. I have bar ears.
I can’t hear my bride in a quiet place when she’s three feet away, but put me in a crowded public space and my biology changes in a way that I hear interesting conversations across the room.
It happened again this week – this time while meeting a friend for breakfast in one of those family-run restaurants in a small town. We were busy catching up and eating when two of the regulars walked in – two men, probably about 70 and retired. They sat down at a table across the room.
“How are you using AI?” one of them asked.
“Oh, I use Claude to search the internet and plan trips for Mary and me. You?”
“I just discovered how to use it to create cool pictures. My grandkids think it’s funny.”
I listened for a while longer and heard the two seniors describe a half-dozen ways they use AI to explore and to make their lives easier. They started, they learned, and now AI is an important part of their world.
It got me thinking about the people still sitting on the sidelines and making excuses for not using AI – specifically the manufacturers struggling with day-to-day routines that an afternoon of AI work could automate. Our numbers suggest more than half of Wisconsin companies are falling behind. If two septuagenarians can find a way to make use of these new tools, the rest of us can certainly take the plunge.
Relatively small investments of time and effort can unlock great returns around AI. We can experiment with the models available and build phenomenal tools to understand the world and help us with our daily lives.
In many cases, the experts don’t help. They need to keep AI complicated to preserve their positions and their business models. If you can do it yourself, you don’t need them.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you set up an AI agent to manage your money, run your factory floor, or take on the core of your job as a first project – that will come. Instead, nibble around the edges by downloading – and paying for – a model, learning the basic skills, and experimenting with simple tasks. Write a memo. Create a picture. Analyze a spreadsheet. Try AI on any bothersome task where you can learn what’s possible.
If you want to remain relevant, start now! Remember, AI won’t take your job. It will be someone who knows how to use AI to do your job. Be that person!
You can still ride the first wave of this technology – but the window won’t stay open forever. Invest time now to learn, practice, and apply. That investment puts you in position to make AI work for you rather than against you.
AI will disrupt your life. That disruption will bring aggravation, but it will also bring opportunity. Put yourself in position to take advantage of that opportunity.
If the guys in the restaurant can do it, so can you!
