How to actually use AI
You understand the shift. Now, what do you do about it?
Most people use AI incorrectly.
They treat it like a search engine with a personality, something to consult when stuck, then close the tab to return to "real work." They use it as an occasional helper. A novelty.
This is like having a full-time research team, a senior editor, a data analyst, and a strategist on call 24/7, and only asking them for help once a week when you can't figure something out yourself.
The gap between those thriving and those falling behind isn't access. Everyone has access. The difference is whether AI is your starting point or your last resort.
You are a director now
Here is the mental shift that changes everything: Stop thinking of AI as a tool. Start thinking of yourself as a director.
You now have on-demand access to a team:
- The Researcher: Synthesizes any topic in minutes.
- The Writer: Produces drafts instantly in any tone.
- The Analyst: Finds patterns in data you would miss.
- The Strategist: Pressure-tests your logic.
They are not perfect. They make mistakes, they need clear direction, and they cannot tell when they are hallucinating. But they are fast, cheap, tireless, and always available.
Your job is no longer to play every role yourself. Your job is to direct them, and then use your judgment to decide what is actually good.
Imagine a founder who spends 60% of their time on tasks they are mediocre at: writing copy, designing landing pages, digging through competitor data. Now, suppose AI handles the first pass on all of it. They review, refine, and decide. Their output triples. More importantly, they stop doing the work they are bad at and focus entirely on product vision.
The unlock isn't "AI does my job." It is "AI does the parts of my job that aren't really my job."
First pass, not last resort
This is the habit that separates the winners from the observers:
Before you start any cognitive task, ask: "Can AI do the first pass?"
Not "Can AI do this perfectly?" Not "Should I let AI do the whole thing?" Just: Can it give me a starting point?
The answer is almost always yes.
- Email: Have AI draft the response before you type a word.
- Analysis: Have AI summarize the raw data before you open Excel.
- Planning: Have AI outline the project steps before you start scheduling.
- Research: Have AI synthesize the current state of knowledge before you open Google.
Right now, these are mostly text-based applications. But do not mistake the current limitation for the final state. We are rapidly building the tools to extend this "first pass" capability to every domain: complex codebases, 3D design, video production, and physical logistics. The principle remains the same.
You are not outsourcing your judgment. You are outsourcing the grunt work. You are eliminating the friction of the task itself.
Context is the skill
The difference between useless output and breakthrough output is context.
Most people type a vague request, get a generic response, and conclude AI is hype. They are right, because they gave it nothing to work with.
Think of it like directing actors. "Be sad" gets you a cliché. "You just found out your childhood home is being demolished, and you are standing in the empty living room remembering your father teaching you to dance" gets you a performance.
Compare these two prompts:
Weak: "Write an email to a client."
Strong: "Write an email to Sarah, the CFO at Meridian. We are three weeks behind on the implementation. She is fair but frustrated, she cares about results, not excuses. I need to acknowledge the delay, explain the cause without being defensive, and propose a realistic new timeline. Keep it under 150 words. Professional but warm."
The second prompt takes 30 seconds longer to write. The result is actually usable.
The skill isn't "prompt engineering." It is clarity of thought. It is knowing exactly what you want before you ask for it. It is the exact same skill required to collaborate effectively with another human being.
Iterate, don't evaluate
Do not judge AI on its first output. Judge it on how fast you can iterate toward excellence.
- Too formal? "Make it warmer, keep it sharp."
- Missing nuance? "Add a specific example of the implementation benefits."
- Wrong angle? "Give me three completely different approaches."
You can explore five strategic directions in the time it used to take to write one mediocre draft.
The moment you catch yourself grinding through busywork, stop. Ask: "What part of this can I turn into a prompt?"
Where it breaks
AI will confidently give you garbage if you do not understand its limits.
- It has no experience. It has never walked a factory floor, felt the tension in a boardroom, or navigated office politics. It acquired its intelligence entirely through the world of words. It knows the description of reality, not reality itself. Anything requiring embodied intuition is invisible to it.
- It doesn't know what it doesn't know. It sounds equally confident when it is right and when it is hallucinating. It will not warn you. You must know the territory well enough to spot the map's errors.
- It cannot want. It optimizes for your request, not your goal. It cannot tell you if you are solving the wrong problem. Strategy, values, and priorities remain 100% human.
The rule: Use AI to expand your options, then use your judgment to choose.
The one thing to do this week
Do not try to transform your entire workflow overnight. That is how people fail.
Instead, pick one task you do regularly, something that takes at least 30 minutes and involves processing information. Drafting emails. Meeting prep. Summarizing reports.
For the next week, start that task with AI every single time.
Force yourself through the awkwardness of learning to direct instead of do. Notice when context improves the output. Notice how much faster the work moves when you aren't starting from zero.
By Friday, you will have a new default. Then, pick another task.
This is not about becoming a "tech person." It is about building the habit of starting with leverage instead of friction.
The gap is opening
Two years from now, using AI for knowledge work will be as obvious as using Google. Everyone will do it. The advantage will be gone.
But right now? The gap is wide.
Most people are hesitating. They are waiting for permission or perfection. Meanwhile, a small group is building the muscle memory of the future.
Pick one task. Start with AI. Do it today.