As exciting as artificial intelligence (AI) may be, its rapid advancement is causing some concern. Recently, the CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, warned that “AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs – and spike unemployment to 10-20% in the next one to five years.” Likewise, Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufmann recently cautioned the company’s employees and freelancers: “AI is coming for your jobs … Heck, it’s coming for my job too.”
It’s a worrisome prediction.
But, rather than focus on the ways AI might negatively affect your workplace and career, consider this a wake-up call. Instead of viewing AI as a threat, look at it as an opportunity.
AI is a new frontier – and one that is changing very rapidly. Currently, it feels like we are at the tip of the AI iceberg, with businesses unsure of how to integrate it and workers unsure of how to utilize it. But these very questions powerfully illustrate how to approach the use of AI in the workplace.
Those who can adapt, experiment, and upskill will not just survive – but thrive. Once AI is widely integrated, success will no longer hinge on having the most technical expertise or the longest resume. Instead, success will be dependent on approaching AI with curiosity so that you can work effectively with it. As long as you’re willing and able to experiment, learn, upskill, and embrace AI, you can future-proof your career.
AI In The Workplace Is Here To Stay
If you don’t already use AI regularly in the workplace, you’ve likely encountered it. It’s been reshaping the way that we work for the past few years with tools like Microsoft Copilot, Grammarly, and Slack’s AI summaries.
In some cases, especially at tech-based companies, employees don’t just have access to AI tools – they are already required to use them. According to a recent report from CNBC, Shopify, Fiverr, and Duolingo expect their employees to integrate AI into their everyday work processes. Co-founder and CEO Tobias Lütke of Shopify, for instance, sent out a company-wide memo in April 2025 that said:
Using AI effectively is now a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify. It’s a tool of all trades today, and will only grow in importance. Frankly, I don’t think it’s feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI in your craft; you are welcome to try, but I want to be honest, I cannot see this working out today, and definitely not tomorrow.
AI offers incredible value to businesses in terms of streamlining processes, improving communication and collaboration, increasing efficiency and productivity, reducing errors, and enhancing decision-making, among its many other possible uses. It can, for example, even optimize office space use by hybrid teams. In short, AI offers a way for businesses to maximize productivity and profit – and businesses are going to embrace that opportunity.
But to embrace AI, companies need teams that are willing to learn and experiment with the software. They need teams that are creative and adaptable. It’s important to recognize that AI isn’t just changing what people work on – it’s transforming how they work too. Daily tasks like manual reporting processes, data visualization, document drafting, and coding suggestions can all be done in mere seconds by AI.
The work that we do, the way we do it, and how we manage our time are all going to change.
How To Start Embracing AI – Right Now
While you may need to be an expert to develop AI tools, you don’t have to be an expert to use them. Learning to use and integrate AI tools into your workflow can usually be done through experimentation, practice, and strategic thought.
Experiment Daily
The best way to learn how to use AI tools and to become comfortable with them is through experimentation. Start by identifying repetitive or time-consuming tasks in your workflow and then try using different AI tools to see if they can improve your efficiency and/or accuracy.
There are several AI tools available for desk-based work. Among the most highly-recommended are:
- ChatGPT for summarizing documents, writing project updates and communications, and brainstorming ideas;
- Claude for more nuanced or in-depth tasks like analyzing contracts or drafting reports; and,
- Notion AI for tracking daily productivity, transcribing meetings, and automating repetitive tasks.
As explained in a piece at Forbes, learning how to create effective prompts for these types of AI tools is a skill that needs to be developed. Try wording prompts in various ways to see how the responses differ based on the prompt wording. Ask it to rephrase its answer for a non-English speaker or someone unfamiliar with your field’s jargon. Conversationally ask the tools questions. Push the limits on what you’re asking to see what they can and can’t do. The more you experiment, the more adept you’ll become at using AI.
Develop A Personal AI Strategy
As you’re identifying ways that AI can help streamline your workflow and testing out ideas with various AI platforms, develop a personal AI strategy – that is, a plan to consistently use AI for certain tasks. To develop that strategy, ask yourself:
- Where are bottlenecks in my workflow?
- What low-value tasks could AI handle for me?
- How can I use AI to enhance the work I do, rather than expecting AI to do the task for me?
You don’t need to embrace AI wholeheartedly from the get-go; you can start small. As you gain expertise and learn about AI’s potential for your role, you can expand your use of the tools. But even a small amount of time saved can be reinvested into creative problem-solving, collaboration, or upskilling.
Combine Your Soft Skills With AI Efficiency
It’s undeniable that AI will reshape the way we work. But, there are some human skills that it just can’t replicate. And, as we learn how to harness the potential of AI, some skills will become more important than ever, including creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and leadership.
AI can analyze data but it can’t inspire a team, navigate ambiguity, or think outside of the box. Your soft skills are what will make you irreplaceable in the workplace. And when you combine those soft skills with the power of AI tools, magic can happen.
Upskill Before You’re Left Behind
AI is evolving very quickly, and businesses are eager to tap into its potential. Taking charge of your own upskilling is a terrific way to ensure that you develop the needed skills and remain competitive.
While you can learn a lot about AI just by experimenting with it, you can also increase your AI fluency through coursework. Many online resources are geared towards people without technical expertise, many are free, and most allow you to work at your own pace. Some of the most highly-regarded training resources include:
- Google AI for Everyone, which provides a beginner-friendly overview of AI use in the workplace;
- AI for Everyone by Andrew Ng, which is offered through Coursera, and covers the basics of AI and its practical applications; and,
- Hundreds of free courses on edX that examine specific uses for AI.
Spending even 30 minutes each week on upskilling can greatly increase your AI fluency. It’s a small amount of time to spend on something that will soon be a core skill for most workers.
What Employers Are Really Looking For
AI is already being implemented in workplaces across all sectors, and employers are already looking for workers who are fluent with AI tools. It will become increasingly important to demonstrate your proficiency with AI, whether in your current role or during job interviews.
While general knowledge of different AI tools is important, companies are looking for employees who have the ability to creatively use AI. In particular, companies want to see employees:
- Proactively suggest new AI-driven workflows;
- Take initiative in reducing costs by using AI to increase their efficiency; and,
- Willingly take on continuous learning with AI tools to leverage them.
Be prepared to speak confidently in interviews and performance reviews about how you’ve learned and implemented AI. Employers will appreciate knowing about specific outcomes achieved through the use of AI tools, such as reducing predicted turnaround by a measurable number of days or increasing your free time by a verifiable number of hours, along with details about how you’ve used that free time.
Conclusion: Don’t Wait – Start Today
The pace of AI development has been truly astonishing. Businesses are quickly learning that harnessing AI tools can have a significant impact on ROI. It’s inevitable that AI will be widely adopted across all sectors.
The fears of AI replacing human workers are likely exaggerated. AI can’t replace people. But it’s possible that your employer will replace you with someone more adept with AI.
To reinforce your value as an employee, it’s important to increase your AI fluency. To harness the power of AI, start:
- Learning, through hands-on practice or free online courses;
- Experimenting, to see what AI can do for you; and,
- Taking ownership of your career trajectory.
Not sure where to begin? Pick one AI tool or course from the lists above and set a goal to start applying it in your work this week.
