Learning AI #2

Learning AI

Many of us are not sure how to use AI. This series of posts is intended to show you the different ways AI can improve your intellectual capabilities. Whether it’s a simple question (like this week’s post) or a more complex challenge, we will test AI and see how it can work to give you a problem-solving advantage.

A diverse set of topics will be covered, but most importantly, we will publish the actual AI dialogue so you can see how it all works.

Each week, we will select two of the AI engines and pose a question or a problem, summarize the findings in our own words, and include the interactions with the AI for your review.

Is learning AI necessary for my career?

We put this question to ChatGPT and Grok and here is what we learned.

The most interesting finding was that AI should be treated like other big workplace technologies that have been implemented in the past. Some of the core technologies in previous waves were Excel, email, and the Internet.

Recall individuals you've known who resisted the Internet or the productivity benefits of email (and hope you are not thinking of yourself). In the last 20 years, I don’t know if an applicant could get an interview for a business job if she were not conversant in Excel.

So, you say, “that’s awesome marketing babble George, but how about an example or something I can understand?”

Fair enough. Think about creating a business presentation. You have a couple of pages of notes, diagrams, and other materials and now face the daunting task of putting together the 10-minute presentation to impress the bosses.

Take all your thinking and knowledge contained in the notes and upload it to the AI and ask the AI to:

Create a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation that will highlight the most relevant data to senior management. And for good measure, use the company’s Columbia Blue and Black color scheme.

In this process, you are asking the AI to augment your capabilities. Most of us can compile information and notes but creating a snappy, professional-looking presentation that properly synthesizes the data? No way, especially for me.

I have used AI to create many presentations and the first-draft presentation created by the AI is usually pretty good and with a little work, I can get to a finished product quickly.

So, let’s get back to the question of whether AI is necessary for your career. If you and a colleague (probably somebody you hate) each get 10-minute slots in front of the bosses, do you think the bosses care if you use AI?

When you say, “Together with my team of four, we did all of this on our own.” You say this with pride even though you used Google search, Microsoft Word spell and grammar check, and that feature in Excel that creates fancy-looking tables. But you did it on your own with no AI. Yeah, right.

When the colleague (the one you want to kill) says, “I compiled and synthesized the raw data and let the AI create the presentation.”

The bosses might laugh you out the room and then fire you and your cherished team since what you do is not the optimal way to get things done anymore. On top of that, you all cost a lot to keep on payroll.

If you have no notes or knowledge base to work off, AI may be able to whip something up, but that would not be your work and, without your guidance, there is no guarantee that AI did things correctly. In other words, you can trust AI as long as you are guiding it.

One gem from the AI results was a quote (read it slowly):

The future is not about AI replacing humans, but about humans who use AI replacing those that don’t.

Another interesting finding from the AI engines was that LinkedIn designated “AI Literacy” as the fastest-growing skill in demand in 2025 and 2026. I did some homework for you and found the following basic AI Literacy classes:

Google AI Essentials

Digital Education Council

There are plenty of other courses out there, if you look around. Or ask one of the AI engines to find one for you.

So, why bother with all of this? Well, remember that guy who resisted email or did not want to learn the basics of Excel? Where is he now?

Technology is moving our world at a breakneck pace. Becoming AI-literate is not a political decision. You are not casting a vote for one side or the other.

Embracing AI (even if a little bit) will help your skills keep up with your ambition and provide you with career choices, unlike the no-email guy who was proud to take a stand and is probably out of a job.

Things I think about

Every hundred hours, the world’s population grows by one million people.

Response from ChatGPT

Is Learning AI necessary for my career?

Short answer? Yeah—learning AI is becoming necessary for most careers.
Long answer (the useful one): it depends on how deep you need to go—and that part is way less scary than people make it sound.

The honest career reality (2026 version)

AI is turning into what Excel, email, and the internet were in earlier eras:

• You don’t need to build AI…

• …but you do need to work with it.

People who don’t will increasingly feel like:

That gap is already showing up.

What “learning AI” actually means (spoiler: not coding)

For 90% of professionals, learning AI means:

✅ Understanding what AI is good at

• Drafting, summarizing, analyzing, pattern-finding

• Research, scenario modeling, decision support

✅ Knowing what AI is bad at

• Blind trust, moral judgment, accountability

• Edge cases, incomplete data, organizational politics

✅ Using it daily as a force multiplier

• Writing faster

• Thinking clearer

• Stress-testing ideas before meetings

• Automating low-value work

That’s it. No Python. No math degree. No hoodie required.

If you’re in leadership / management / knowledge work

AI literacy is quickly becoming table stakes.

Why?

• Your team will use AI (whether you approve or not)

• You’ll be expected to evaluate AI-driven outputs

• Strategy, finance, operations, marketing, and HR are already AI-augmented

Leaders who don’t understand AI will:

• Misjudge risk

• Overpay vendors

• Miss efficiency gains

• Lose credibility with high performers

That’s not hype—that’s already happening.

If you’re NOT in a “tech” role

Even then, AI still matters because it:

• Compresses time (what took hours takes minutes)

• Raises expectations (“Why didn’t you analyze this?”)

• Changes job definitions quietly, not loudly

Jobs don’t disappear overnight.

They evolve until the old version quietly stops being hired.

The real dividing line (this matters)

The future isn’t:

AI replacing humans

It’s:

Humans who use AI replacing humans who don’t

That’s the uncomfortable truth.

How much AI do you need to learn?

Here’s a clean rule of thumb:

• Individual contributor → AI user

• Manager / executive → AI decision-maker

• Founder / strategist → AI leverage architect

Different depth. Same direction.

Bottom line

You don’t need to become an AI expert.
You do need to become AI-literate.

Think of it like:

• Financial literacy

• Digital literacy

• Data literacy

Not optional anymore—just unevenly adopted.

If you want, I can:

• Map AI skills to your specific role

• Show a 30–60 day, no-BS learning path

• Or help you decide what not to waste time learning

Just tell me what stage of your career you’re in 👊

Response from Grok

Is Learning AI necessary for my career?

No, learning AI is not strictly necessary for every career, but in 2026, familiarity with AI is becoming increasingly important—and in many cases, a significant advantage—for staying competitive and future-proofing your professional path.

It depends heavily on your field

• Tech, data, engineering, finance, marketing, healthcare, and many knowledge-based roles — AI skills are now often essential or highly expected. Job postings mentioning AI are growing even as overall hiring slows in some areas. Roles like software engineering, data analysis, and even creative fields are evolving to include AI tools as standard.

  • For example, LinkedIn's 2025–2026 data shows AI literacy as the fastest-growing skill in demand.

  • The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 indicates that AI will transform 86% of businesses by 2030, with high demand for AI/machine learning specialists, data experts, and people who can use AI effectively.

• Hands-on trades, healthcare (e.g., nursing, therapy), education, creative arts, leadership, and roles requiring high emotional intelligence or physical presence — AI is less likely to fully replace these, and deep technical AI knowledge may not be required. However, even here, basic AI familiarity (e.g., using tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or automation software) can boost productivity and make you stand out.

Why learning at least some AI is smart in 2026

• Job market trends show AI-related jobs growing rapidly (e.g., AI engineers top many "fastest-growing roles" lists).

• AI is augmenting most jobs rather than replacing them outright—workers who can leverage AI tools are becoming more valuable, not less.

• Employers expect adaptability — even non-tech roles increasingly value people who can use AI for efficiency, analysis, or innovation.

• Not knowing AI is becoming a career risk in many fields, similar to how not knowing Excel or basic digital tools became a disadvantage years ago.

What level of AI learning makes sense?

• Basic to intermediate — Learn to use generative AI tools effectively (prompt engineering), understand core concepts (what large language models are, how bias works), and apply AI in your daily work. This is achievable in weeks/months and pays off quickly.

• Advanced — Only if you're in or aiming for AI-heavy roles (e.g., machine learning engineer, data scientist).

Bottom line

If your career is in a field already being transformed by AI (most white-collar and knowledge work), yes, invest time in learning AI basics now—it's one of the best ways to future-proof your career in 2026 and beyond.

If your work is highly human-centered or physical, you have more flexibility, but even basic AI fluency can give you an edge.

What field are you in or considering? I can give more tailored advice!

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