TL/DR:
- You’re never going to “learn AI” as a subject. It’s too big and moves too fast. Stop trying.
- Instead, learn WITH AI by using it to solve real problems you already have.
- Think problem first, not tool first. Treat AI like a calculator: reach for it when you hit something it could help with.
- You don’t need to be an AI expert to get value from it. Nobody expects you to “master” a calculator either.
- The easiest way to start: next time you’re procrastinating something, ask AI if it could help.
The Whole Shebang:
I’m going to preface this by saying that if you don’t want to use AI, for any number of very good reasons (environmental impact, risk of existential threat, etc.) you can skip this one.
But if you are using AI, or you want to try AI, or you feel left behind or worried because you aren’t using AI, then please read on.
Because I wrote this for you.
I generally have an attitude of “it’ll all work out in the end” for most things. AI disruption included.
(Or it won’t, the sentient robots will takeover and we’ll be living in a post-apocalyptic hellscape doing the bidding of our AI overlords. But I have no control over the doomsday scenario, so what’s the point of worrying about it.)
Look, you aren’t gonna “learn AI”.
It’s impossible.
It’s too big and it’s a moving target.
You won’t get to the “end”.
It’s not the same as learning, say, how to use Microsoft Word, or Photoshop, where indeed, there are a finite number of tools, setting and skill.
AI is different.
AI is so big and moving so fast there’s no way to “get ahead of it” or “figure it all out”.
But never fear. That doesn’t mean you’re not gonna learn.
Here’s what you’re gonna do instead:
- You’re gonna learn WITH it.
- You’re gonna be nimble, flexible and embrace experimentation.
- You’re gonna use it to solve real problems.
- You’re gonna learn by doing.
Instead of trying to “learn AI” as a huge, abstract subject, treat it like a practical tool you use for specific problems.
And because AI is so huge, I want to help lower the pressure.
Because, man oh man, is there pressure to “get on the AI train”.
If you are on social media, on LinkedIn, or read the news in any format, you might already feel like you’re behind when it comes to AI.
In Silicon Valley, engineers are starting to be evaluated on how many “tokens” they use.
Companies are going “AI first” (meaning they want their employees to use AI at the start of any project).
And if you’re feeling this pressure, you might be tempted to take a courses on AI, to read books on AI, etc.
But because AI moves so darn fast, by the time you’ve taken the course or read the book, it’s already outdated.
AI has moved on.
The point isn’t to learn AI, it’s to use AI.
Instead of thinking, “How can I learn enough about AI to start using it?”, just start using it.
Play, experiment, bring it real world problems that you need help solving.
Need some real world ideas?
Here’s a random smattering of things I’ve used AI for (personally and professionally) in the very recent past:
- Analyze the 100 or so screenshots I had saved in a “screenshots to review” folder on my desktop and rename them according to a naming schema I gave it
- Design a workout plan for me, using only equipment I actually own, based on specific goals I have (increase strength and bone density)
- Analyze why one of my plants was dropping leaves, and come up with a care plan
- Troubleshoot a Nespresso machine that had stopped working
- Pitch myself as a podcast guest
- Design a 10 day learning plan for me for a talk I needed to memorize for a client (I’m very insecure about my ability to memorize) in under 10 minutes a day (spoiler: it worked brilliantly!)
Think problem first, not tool first.
You can think about AI the way you think about a calculator.
I’m pretty sure you’re not going about your day trying to figure out ways you can use a calculator.
But every so often, probably even frequently, you encounter a problem that a calculator can help you with (calculating the tip, splitting a bill, etc.).
You don’t sit around pondering “how can I use a calculator in my life?”
You reach for a calculator when you have a math problem you can’t do in your head.
Think of AI this way.
It’s a tool, just like a calculator.
But it’s a bit more general-purpose; you can use it in a lot of situations.
But you only bring it out when you have a problem it could help with.
Will you be an “AI expert”? Unlikely. (There are very few in the world.)
But you also don’t need to be.
And that’s the kind of exciting thing about this tool.
The technology is changing too quickly for most people to “master” in a traditional sense.
And you don’t need to “master” it to use it.
How can you get started?
The next time you’re procrastinating something, or resisting it, ask yourself:
“Could AI help me with this?”
Or better yet, just ask AI.
Literally, explain the thing, whever it is, and ask AI if it can help
Pro-tip: Ask it to interview you, one question at a time, about the problem until it has enough info to perform the task well.
It really is that easy to get started. (If you want to.)
You don’t have to learn about it. You don’t have to master it.
You just have to start using it.