I’m Not Chasing AI Tools. I’m Building AI Fluency.
We're surrounded by exhausting hot takes on AI.
“Automate everything.”
“Learn to code or get left behind.”
“Master these 57 AI tools before lunch.”
And the most annoying one: “Using the em dash (--) is the tell tale sign you're using AI to write." Great.
It’s noisy out there.
But what I'm not hearing much of is: how learning something new, especially something as elusive as AI, is supposed to feel confusing, messy, and frustrating.
That's not a bug in the system. It is the system.
Let me explain.
Back in grad school, when we were in the thick of learning, my professor Steve Safier, urged us to stay with the confusion and pain. He would say: “That’s where the learning begins”.
And now, every time I'm utterly confused, frustrated that I'm not learning "quick enough", I'm reminded of his very important message.
That wall you’re hitting? That’s not a stop sign. That’s a starting line.
Right now, I’m deep in learning how AI impacts our work by:
Actively participating in AI communities
Attending live demos, workshops + masterclasses
Building low-risk Ai agents to simplify business operations
Auditing client workflows for automation potential
Meeting with technology companies that are actively building in this space
Following experts who build in public
Reading up on AI sand ethics (right now I am enjoying "Scaling Responsible AI" by Noelle Russell
Learning not just what’s happening, but how we can responsibly shape what’s next.
Some days I’m lost. Some days I’m fired up. Most days it’s both.
But I’m not quitting because I know I'm actively building real competence.
Einstein put it best: “It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the problems much longer.”
And for my friends and peers who are deeply skeptical and outright against AI, the environment toll, the impacts on jobs, relationships, society at large I get it. I'm right there with you. I share many of your concerns.
And so does Chris Anderson (the head of TED) if you haven't seen his interview with Sam Altman, OpenAi's CEO, you'll be gifted with an interview that doesn't hold back and covers everything from IP theft, safety challenges, the need for new economic models for creative content, consent, accountability and OpenAI's evolution, + way more than I can fit in here.
You can still learn, stay informed, and contribute to the growing movement of people who are advocating and focused on responsibly shaping what’s next.
In my latest instagram post, I highlight some brilliant leaders who are expanding the conversation, and they need thoughtful people like you in the room.
We can't afford for anyone to sit this one out.
It’s been just over two years since ChatGPT launched, and the momentum hasn’t let up. It now sees over 500 million weekly active users, on just that app alone.
We’re not watching a trend. We’re in the middle of industry-wide shifts.
For those who want to learn more, this is a solid report by McKinsey titled Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI's full potential.
It’s crucial we understand what’s at stake. This isn’t just about productivity gains.
It’s about shaping how we work, build, and make decisions for years to come.
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It’s about shaping how we work, build, and make decisions for years to come. 〰️
As you learn new things, how can you build an ecosystem that supports both your learning and your action?
Because growth requires more than just consuming information. It requires application. Relationships. Play. Practice. Curiosity.
Will it feel messy? Yes. I promise it will.
But that’s how you know you’re on the edge of something great.
If AI is on your radar (I hope it is), here is a non-exhaustive list of some tools that are worth exploring:
Perplexity.ai - nice research companion. It’s like Google, but gives you cited answers, summaries, and deep dives in seconds
Replit / Lovable.dev / Cursor - if you want to build tools or apps, even if you’re not an engineer
MindStudio / Zapier / n8n - automations, AI agents
ChatGPT + Custom GPTs - I use custom GPTs to support with work I do on my podcast, content development, brainstorming, and workflows
Claude.ai / Mistral - if you want something more structured than ChatGPT to summarize long documents or generate thoughtful, high-context ideas
HeyGen - multilingual dubbing, lip-syncing, and voice cloning
I’m not chasing tools. I’m building fluency.
Because the goal isn’t “more.”
It’s smarter, simpler, more human work.
*Also, I have a strong desire to share more on how I’m integrating my knowledge into my work with business owners, so more to come.
What’s the one skill or space you want to lean into this quarter?
Reply and let me know. I’d love to hear where you are in your learning curve.
And if this resonated, send it to a friend who’s figuring out how to learn in a world that won’t slow down.