Note #4 to Sookie: Volunteer as an AI Champion!
Dear Sookie,
You don’t have to be an AI technology expert to become an AI champion for your company! Volunteer today!
How is your Google prompt-engineering course going? Or did you just dive into experimenting after watching the video summary? Either way, I hope things are progressing well.
As I continue to work with business leaders navigating the transformation of their businesses into AI-enabled entities, we frequently discuss change management for their employees. Essentially, they are finding it hard to encourage their staff to adopt AI, largely due to the fear of job displacement.
In my previous message to you, I explained that while AI will undoubtedly reshape jobs, I don’t believe it will entirely eliminate them. Many of the business leaders I work with have told me they are looking for individuals within their companies who will step up and become AI champions, helping to drive their AI initiatives forward.
Sookie, you should volunteer to be an AI champion at your company!
You’ve mentioned before that you don’t consider yourself a technology expert and therefore feel unqualified to be an AI champion.
Let me ask you this: “Do you know how TCP/IP works for the internet connection you are using right now?” I suspect the answer is “no.” But does that prevent you from using the internet to perform the highly valued and recognized work you do for your company? Absolutely not.
You don’t need to be an AI technology expert to utilize AI in your job. In fact, a deep understanding of your job is more crucial than extensive AI knowledge.
As you learn more about AI, start applying it to your work. How? Here’s a practical starting point:
Map out your daily workflow and identify the specific tasks you perform repeatedly – drafting emails, summarizing reports, data cleanup, researching background information, etc. Choose one straightforward yet high-impact task and begin experimenting with how generative AI could help you accomplish it more quickly.
Just ensure the task meets these criteria:
It’s a task you spend a significant amount of time on, so if generative AI can accelerate it, your efficiency will increase considerably.
It’s a task where the output doesn’t carry high risk if it requires adjustments, as generative AI can sometimes produce inaccurate information (remember hallucinations).
For instance, I use generative AI daily to gather descriptive details about companies I’m looking to analyze. Even for privately held companies, a generative AI reasoning model can provide a reasonably good initial overview. I’m not seeking 100% accuracy but rather a general understanding of the company, which saves me a significant amount of time compared to manual internet searches.
Let’s sing it together, like Freddie Mercury!
“We are the AI champions… of the world!!!”
Sincerely,
Dr. Joe, Your AI Doctor
These notes are for 'Ken' and 'Sookie,' the American names my young Korean immigrant parents adopted while navigating profound change as they moved to the US in the 1970’s. In the notes within this blog, I imagine them as young adults again, but now encountering change and uncertainty from today's AI shifts – Sookie with potential job uncertainty, Ken with business disruption.
Drawing inspiration from their historical resilience as young immigrants facing the unknown, I'm compelled to write with empathy and offer truly helpful thoughts for anyone navigating AI's rapid evolution. Remember, this isn't financial or direct strategic advice, but a perspective to encourage your own thoughtful consideration. I do not identify myself as their son in these notes, but in reality, I write with a son’s heart.
My notes to Sookie will always be free, as I understand employees often navigate workplace changes with fewer resources and support systems. My notes to Ken will be offered at an accessible price point designed to be a worthwhile investment for businesses of any size looking to adapt to AI changes.