Use AI or Else
Instead of fearing that AI will replace you, fear that you may be replaced by someone who knows how to use AI. It will behoove you to embrace this new technology before it’s too late. Best to be enthusiastic about learning and adopting of AI or you risk being labeled untrainable or having a markdown on your performance review.
Large companies such as Amazon, Accenture, Target, IBM and others have announced layoffs related to the use of AI and other tech enhancements.
While your company may offer training on how to use the tool, it looks like its up to you, in many cases, to figure out what to use it for. You’ll need to think creatively about how to make money or save time. Stay ahead of co-workers so you avoid being a late adopter with consequential results. Why not ask your AI tool, how it can help you find way to improve what you do?
“A recent Gallup survey found that more than 40% of U.S. workers who don’t use AI say the main reason is they don’t believe it can help their work. A smaller share, 11%, said their primary driver was that they did not want to change how they worked. While AI adoption has grown in the past year, working Americans are about three times as likely to say they aren’t prepared at all for AI as opposed to “very prepared,” Gallup found. ”
The article mentions sometimes harsh workforce reductions. Even high level executives who initially favored AI and then later considered slowing down adoption were let go by their employers. The message… no one is truly safe. Best bet is to learn what is offered by your employer and try to fit it in your job. Ask co-workers how they are utilizing it. The technology and its application are still a moving target.
LinkedIn reports that AI literacy skill expanded by 70% in the 12 months ending last July.
Here’s an illustration. “Annie Hamburgen, 28, of Incline Village, Nev., left her marketing job in March to travel in South America. When she came back and began looking for new work this summer, prospective employers kept asking her about AI. “I’ve been trying to demonstrate my openness to learning while making it clear that I’m not going to blindly type things in and accept whatever result comes out,” she said. Hamburgen recently got hired for a role leading integrated marketing and starts on Monday. In conversations with her future boss, it’s been clear that she should be using AI to synthesize information. A common refrain: “Type it into Grok!” ”
Personal note: don’t wait for training if it’s not immediately available. There are a number of ways to get started. Look on YouTube. See Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, MOOG or other free or low costs ways to learn. If you wait, you’ll be late!
Excerpt from WSJ, November 7, 2025 by Lindsay Ellis