Something’s happening here, and it’s actually very clear
AI is being adopted in companies faster than anything, ever. It’s time to gear up and get to it.
Like everyone else and their brother, I have my own take on Matt Schumer’s article that is taking the AI world and everyone else by storm. Maybe for all the right reasons or all the wrong reasons.
But he is right: something big is happening and something big has changed in just the past few months. While a lot of his article talks about the doom and gloom scenario of everyone losing their job if you are a white-collar worker, I’m not going to get into that because I don’t think it’s all that helpful. What I do think is important, and I am going to add my voice to the chorus of voices talking about this, is AI is the new skill everyone has to learn.
Full stop.
I’ve written about this before. I’ll probably write about it again, and I’ll probably be talking about it until I’m blue in the face and people put their hands over their ears and go “la la la, I’m not listening anymore.” It’s one of the reasons why I joined Peak Intelligence to offer AI training classes here in Canada—because learning AI is so fundamentally important at this moment.
If you look at the core segments of people who need to be learning AI—people looking for work, people working, and kids in school—each one has their own reasons, and their own path, but each needs to do it—now.
If you’re looking for work and you’re not spending at least a few hours a day learning how to use AI, trying different tools, reading up on what other people are doing—you are quickly falling behind in almost every single job description I’ve seen in the past four months. People want to know you understand this new, amazing, revolutionary technology and you can apply it to your job. Real practical things you can do at work with AI, and there are no shortage of tips. I have a bunch on 30 Plus Days of AI. Go over there, read through the lessons, and if you are looking for work and you want access to the whole premium subscription thing, drop me a line. I just opened up Day 22 Learning with AI for everyone so you can learn how to learn new skills with AI.
The second group of people who need to start really learning AI are the people who are currently working and would like to stay that way. Employers are going to be looking at this more and asking in 2026 performance in yearly reviews: “How are you incorporating AI into your job now?” And if your answer is: “I’m not really, I don’t really understand it, and I don’t see a use for it,” that’s what’s called a “career limiting move.” You might not lose your job right away, but if there are layoffs coming, people who are adept at AI are the people a company would want to keep around. People who are resisting the new technology are probably the ones who could be at the top of the layoff list.
The next group are students from every level, from elementary school all the way up through grad school. Students need to know how to use AI practically, safely, and effectively—not asking ChatGPT to write their paper for them, not taking a picture of their math homework and uploading it and saying, “Do these problems for me.” No, it’s: “I need to research this topic. Can you help me start this research?” Learning how to evaluate the sources that come up. Learning how to ask more questions. Learning how to take that research and use it for all their schoolwork.
My daughter is learning long division right now and want to practice on her own. After asking me for some problems to work on, she asked Gemini to help her learn more, not to give her the answers, to help her work through it. What are the tips and techniques to make it easier? She came into my office with a notebook full of long division problems. She was really excited and proud of what she did. She said “it told me about remainders!” That’s learning. No, the apple has not fallen far from the tree, she’s also an amazing singer which she got from her mom (whew).
Matt Schumer’s article just reiterates the need to learn AI as a fundamental skill. I’m old enough to remember when knowing how to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and email were fundamental skills. When knowing how to use a web browser and knowing how to use Google was a fundamental skill people had to learn and put on their resume. I also remember people slowly being shown the door when they refused to learn how to use computers. The people who resisted every step of the way and became a real drain on productivity.
Using computers was that important then.
AI is that skill now.
But those changes took years to come to fruition. Years. This switch to AI is happening in months. By the end of this year, if you don’t know how to use AI in your job, you’re in trouble. No two ways about it. It is that important. It is moving that fast. It is that fundamental a skill.
Something big is happening here. Learn AI. That’s what he’s saying. Don’t be the person who thought the internet was just going to be a fad or who resisted having a computer on their desk. Be the person who is experimenting with AI now. Take time and find things that connect with you to really make AI come alive for you, because if you don’t—it’s not looking good for you.
