If You’re Too Busy to Learn AI, This Is for You
Here’s how I actually catch up — and now you can too!
Every week or two, I share actionable career tips, mindset shifts to quiet self-doubt, and practical AI strategies to help you grow with clarity and confidence, own your uniqueness, and thrive in a fast-changing world. 💌
🙈 AI is moving fast. And a lot of people I know (yes, even the engineers) are feeling behind.
The fear isn’t just about “Will AI replace my job?”
It’s about not being needed anymore, and quietly wondering:
“Am I already too late to start?”
Every day there’s a new buzzword, another tool, a shiny use case.
Some people seem to just get it. 🥲
And the rest of us? We’re overwhelmed. We don’t even know where to start.
A 2025 Gallup study found that the number of U.S. employees using AI even just a few times a year nearly doubled — from 21% to 40% in 2 years, while only 19% use it frequently (a few times per week or more).
So here’s the good news, you don’t need to be top 1% tech genius.
You just need to be one of the people actually applying AI to your work and life to stay competitive.
Many people mistakenly think that taking a course is the only way to get started with AI.
But how many actually finish them? And more importantly — how many apply what they learn? 🫣
Or worst, they tell themselves
“AI isn’t for people like me.” ☹️
💡Here’s a trick: stop thinking AI is the mysterious advantage, start seeing it just the internet.
We are in the era of transformation, and AI is here to reshape how we live and work.
Getting ahead in AI doesn’t mean going back to school or signing up for every certification.
It means learning just enough to choose the right tools for your goals — and making them part of how you work.
So if you’ve ever thought: “I’m too busy to learn AI” — this is for you.
👉 Here’s how I actually catch up — and how you can too:
1/ Don’t try to learn everything — just look up one thing now
If you hear a term like “RAG pipeline” or “agents” or “embeddings,” don’t overthink it.
Google it. Ask ChatGPT. Skim one article.
That’s it.
The key isn’t learning everything.
It’s building a habit of curiosity in the moment.
When we feel overwhelmed, we procrastinate.
And that’s where people get stuck — in avoidance mode.
No pressure. No “perfect time.” Just 5 minutes of exploration.
2/ Actively look for use cases that solve your real problems
You don’t need a 30-hour roadmap to start using AI.
You just need 3 minutes and a willingness to experiment.
🙋🏻♀️ Here’s what to do:
Notice what drains you (summarizing meetings, content planning, setting up calendar etc)
Search “AI tool for [that task]”
Try it on your own today, not someday
When you are actively testing, learning, and reflecting, you feel more in control.
That’s exactly how you build the confidence and clarity to grow in this new era.
3/ Focus on growing the skills that AI can’t do (yet)
One of my takeaways from Operator’s Handbook’s article is:
If you let AI handle everything, your strategy quickly becomes playbook-same.
Great teams don’t automate their strategy — they use AI to support their insights.
That means your competitive edge isn’t just using AI — it’s in knowing yourself and growing the strengths that AI cant replace.
Here are a few of those areas:
Your context — the nuance, team dynamics, and “unspoken stuff” you navigate at work
Your voice — how you connect, influence, sell yourself, and build trust
Your judgment — your ability to make decisions on what actually matters
So no, AI won’t make you irrelevant.
But ignoring your growth? It will.
Personal growth doesn’t just happen on its own. And once you’re done with your formal education, you must take complete ownership of the growth process, because nobody else will do it for you. — The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
Growth doesn’t just happen. It requires deliberate planning and action to move forward in a meaningful way.
Without a clear, intentional growth strategy, it’s easy to feel like you’re trying everything — except what actually moves the needle.
4/ Stay informed
A lot of people who talk about AI regularly — whether in content or at work — aren’t necessarily reading every research paper.
So… how do they stay ahead of the trend?
They build systems that make it easier to keep up:
They use tools like notebook LLMs or AI agents to summarize key points to help them explore faster
They follow newsletters, podcasts, and trusted curators who break things down. I’ve been following the rundown AI, Superhuman AI, TLDR AI, Import AI.
They stay just informed enough to connect the dots and speak confidently about what matters
🥰 If you have a favorite AI newsletter or podcast, reply and share! I’m always on the lookout for bite-sized learning too.
💭 Final Thoughts
You don’t need to become an AI wizard, but if you care about your career, influence, and future, you should be using tools to sharpen your impact and grow intentionally.
Even just one habit like this puts you among professionals who may feel behind, but keep on moving. 🌱
I’m excited to kick off my new series, “Thriving with AI”, where I share practical ways to stay ahead in the AI era without overwhelm. From my perspective as both a data scientist and career coach, I’ll show you how to catch up fast, apply what matters, and grow the skills AI can’t replace.
Xoxo,
Kessie 🧚♀️