Are you ready for AI?

Are You Prepared for AI?

We live in an exciting, and to some... terrifying time.

The future of work is filled with uncertainty.

When I’m online, I often see posts, videos, articles and so on of people that are afraid that AI is going to replace them. And while it’s a realistic fear, in this newsletter I’ll share my insights on the topic.

And more importantly:

What can you do to give yourself the edge?

Change is Inevitable

Once upon a time, almost our entire population consisted of farmers.

Then, most lost their jobs when the tractor was invented.

However, this freed people up to now work on other things, creating a wider variety of jobs. The same thing happened with the industrial revolution, computers, the internet and many other inventions.

The only constant is change.

And while a lot of jobs will be replaced, there will also be new opportunities.

You Won’t Be Replace By AI (Yet)

We’re still extremely early in the capabilities of AI.

For the foreseeable future, it’s not AI that going to replace your job.

It’s someone using AI!

Just like the tractor made it so that 1 farmer could do the work of 10, with AI a single worker today can get the same output that used to take multiple people.

Similarly, machines and automation made it so that factories require less manual labour and people to run ever increasing production quantities.

See the pattern?

Farmers became factory workers.
Factories became less labour intense.
Factory workers became knowledge workers.
Knowledge workers become AI-empowered.

Where will this lead in 10, 15 years?

I don’t know.

But what I do know is that for the next couple of years, there is a HUGE opportunity for people who know how to use artificial intelligence to increase their output.

Which leads me to this 1 question:

If multiple people are going to get replace by 1 person using AI effectively, how can you make sure you become that 1 person?

Ideas > Execution

Here’s what we’re currently seeing:

Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini can write pretty decent text. Image generators like Midjourney or Leonardo can create stellar images. And tools like RunwayML can even create video already.

Here’s a (crude) example:

Note:

The video model this was made with is already “outdated” with a new model getting released to the public soon. In 6 months, the output will be 10 times better than this!

Not a single human videomaker will be able to keep up!

However:

What matters most is the idea.

No matter how good the visuals are, if the idea sucks, the entire project sucks! If you want proof of that, look at recent Disney movies. For example their most recent Star Wars Acolyte flop.

That’s where people come in!

Ideas are incredibly valuable!

When you can apply critical, as well as creative thinking to solve problems and come up with creative ideas, you will win! Because as things stand, that is not going to be replaced just yet.

Make AI an Extension of You

Here’s how I see things:

Imagine that someone today doesn’t know how to turn on a computer, is unable to navigate the internet, doesn’t understand email, and so on. That person doesn’t stand a chance in the workplace!

In 5 - 10 years, the same will be true for those who can’t use AI!

So, what can you do?

My recommendation is to start your own project.

What I mean by this is doing something in your spare time where you’re learning how to effectively use artificial intelligence. This way you can learn how to use them, write better prompts, brainstomr and many more things.

Start using AI every day!

In 10-15 years, using AI will be as normal as using the internet.

But, you can get a headstart NOW!

Businesses will take some time before they adopt new technology. And that’s where you get the edge over your competition by learning how to use artificial intelligence now.

So, what kind of projects could you take on?

• Create a YouTube and/or IG on a hobby

• Create an AI Instagram Influencer, run the account

• Write a blog on Medium (or your own site)

• Freelance on sites like Fiverr and Upwork, using AI for your services

In short, find a creative outlet where you can experiment with these tools.

Note:

In the action steps below, I’ll leave some of my favorite AI tools (a lot of which free) that you can start playing around with.

Be More Human

This is the one thing artificial intelligence can never replace.

When the output of work gets more and more automated, the one edge you have is yourself and your charisma. You gain an edge when you lean into your personality and people want to be around you rather than Jake from State Farm.

Here are a few things to think about:

• Start networking with others who share similar values

• Work on your social skills (if you aren’t already)

• Learn how to communicate your ideas concisely and compellingly

• Consider starting a personal brand

Let’s run through them to see why they’re important:

As I’ve shared before, ideas will become more important.

However, even more important than ideas is know how to communicate them.

Love him or hate him, but Andrew Tate blew up because of the ideas he shares and how effectively he communicates them. You need BOTH to be effective as a communicator!

Note:

You don’t need to copy his style of communication.

But, you do need a way of communicating with others that compels people to listen to you. In turn, you should aim to become a better listener as well so that others want to be around you and share their thoughts with you.

Moving on to networking:

In the coming years, work will become more commoditized.

Your edge is in who you know, not in what you know.

And finally:

One of the biggest opportunities that exists today is to build your personal brand online through social media. If 100 people can do the exact same job, we’ll gravitate to the person we know, like and trust.

Building a personal brand helps you do that.

Of course, this isn’t for everyone, but it’s something to consider.

Audio Lesson of the Day

This is the second part about breaking free from the fear of judgment and criticism. These are the steps that I took to go from literally crying whenever people made fun of me to building a bulletproof mindset.

An apology for the audio:

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to record this in my usual setting, meaning that the audio quality isn’t great. This should be better in future newsletter, so check that inbox on Thursday as well! ;)

Wanna Get Started With AI?

The other day, I found the tutorial below.

Since I’m putting my money where my mouth is, I’m following this exact tutorial to hone my skills in AI as well as in video editing. Again, not for everyone but if you have the ambition for a side hustle, this is worth checking out!

Getting Started With Artificial Intelligence

By now, hopefully you’re convinced that it’s important to start learning how to use artificial intelligence. If so, pick something that you’d like to use as your own personal project.

(When in doubt, you can look for something like AI side hustle on YouTube)

Note:

This is not about turning it into a business, but rather this is about learning the skills. Additionally, you could try applying these kinds of tools at your job as well.

That said, here are some of the tools I use:

• ChatGPT (writing/brainstorming)

• Gemini (writing/brainstorming)

• Leonardo.ai (Image Generation)

• Ideogram (image generation)

• Opus.pro (create short-form video)

• RunWayML (video generation)

All of these tools have a free version that you can get started with.