Start Using AI Now - 0. Announcing My New Article Series on Getting Started with AI

At the Tech at the Gap 2024 conference, I had the privilege of speaking about how AI is disrupting the business world and reshaping the workforce. Afterward, numerous attendees shared how they walked in feeling uncertain about AI, but left with a new sense of hope and motivation. That’s the power of understanding—AI doesn’t have to be something to fear; it can be a tool for empowerment.

This kind of mindset doesn’t happen overnight, though. It’s something we have to cultivate, and that’s a lesson I work hard to teach my kids.

Recently, one of my children came to me with a tough school relationship situation. As a parent, it’s tempting to rush in and fix everything, but I know that this does not help them long-term. I also reminded them that in our family, we don’t resort to violence or tearing people down when we’re in conflict. I’ve always believed that negativity just ends up circling back to you, and I want to break that cycle for my family. Instead, we focus on growing tougher, stronger, and wiser.

So when my child told me about their struggle, I asked them, “What are you going to do about it?” I shared my own story from my school days when being a tech nerd didn’t always make life easy. I wasn’t unpopular, but I wasn’t the most popular either. I had my share of rough moments, but I learned that strength and wisdom are what get you through tough times—not violence or tearing others down.

I was incredibly proud of how they handled the situation. My child could have waited for me to step in and fix things, but I chose not to intervene because I want them to learn how to navigate challenges and grow as an individual. Later, they came back and said something I’ll never forget: “Life is going to be tough, so we have to learn to get stronger, be wiser, and try our best to love others.”

That’s the mindset I’ve carried throughout my own career, especially when it comes to disruptive change—like the rise of AI. With AI, I’m realizing more and more that regulation likely isn’t coming anytime soon, and I do not believe the delay is to make us tougher and stronger. Instead of waiting on it, I’m telling those around me to skill up, NOW. We need to prepare ourselves, grow stronger, and be ready to adapt.

The Opportunity of AI Mastery

One of the greatest opportunities in times of massive change is that those who can accelerate their learning and mastery of AI can achieve extraordinary things. Earlier this year, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, predicted that in the future, we will see billion-dollar companies run by just one person who knows how to use AI well. When I heard that, I thought to myself, that could be me.

Why? Because I’ve been researching AI for over a decade. Alongside my full-time job as a research professor and AI architect at the University of Pittsburgh, I’ve started a small business with a tight-knit team. Our goal is to leverage AI to grow revenue while keeping the business small and manageable. To be honest, if I wasn’t using AI, I could never balance this business with my full-time job and stay fully committed to both. AI allows me to fit everything into the windows of time I have each week, making it possible to handle both roles effectively. It’s been a wild journey so far, and I want to share the lessons and tips I’ve learned along the way.

At the conference, several people approached me with stories of how they’ve started side businesses or projects, all powered by AI. It’s remarkable to see, and I truly believe this is going to be a huge trend moving forward. People who can tap into AI’s potential are going to be able to do things that were once thought impossible for a small team—or even a single individual.

The Time to Start is Now

We’re at the beginning of something massive. AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a tool that can transform how we work, innovate, and even run businesses. And the people who lean into this change, who commit to learning and growing, are going to be the ones who thrive.

That’s why I’m excited to announce my upcoming article series: “Start Using AI Now.” In this series, I’m not looking to give you prompt engineering hacks or quick tips that might change in weeks or months. Instead, I want to dive into higher-level wisdom principles around AI—ideas that will stand the test of time and provide you with a deeper framework for thinking about AI. This isn’t a “how-to” guide—it’s about shaping how you should be thinking as you learn to do. I’ll break down practical ways you can incorporate AI into your work and life, whether you’re running a business, starting a side gig, or simply looking to future-proof your career. I also strongly encourage readers to provide their tips as comments to each article or add them directly to the section. We need to help each other.

AI is here to stay, and the real magic happens when we stop being afraid of it and start embracing it. Let’s get ready to grow stronger, wiser, and more prepared for the future, together. Stay tuned!

Author’s Note:

The ideas and content in these articles come directly from me, but I do engage in conversations with AI to get feedback on my thoughts before producing the final pieces. While AI helps me refine the structure and flow, all the insights and ideas are my own. These articles are NOT robo-generated.