AI

This isn't a tutorial on AI -- just in case that is what you were looking for. 😀The main point of this article is to encourage you, for your success in life, to learn and use AI -- to embrace it quickly and use it to your advantage vs. fighting it, ignoring it, avoiding it, or fearing it. 

Why Should You Learn AI?

Embracing AI is so important because , on the job, the person who uses AI will seem to be several times more intelligent and productive than the person who doesn't. You will probably need to, or want to, redirect your career interests based on functions AI can easily do. Also, AI threatens to replace the jobs of many people who have shied away from it. This may sound worrisome to you, but it is inevitable. You can turn this to your advantage -- and I hope that is the mindset you will have toward AI after reading this.

If you don't drive the train or jump on the train, you will be passed by the train or run over by the train. I have witnessed about 80% of the entire history of computer and information systems. AI is the fastest explosion of adoption and advancement into every field of human endeavor that I have ever seen. The PC took ten years before people and companies finally accepted it as mainstream. People drug their feet on the Internet and (much more so) eCommerce for years as well. There were tools very similar to the smartphone in 1984 . AI, relative to all of these other great inventions, is literally exploding!!! In each example cited here, those who fought the technology or hoped that it would go away lost big opportunities -- like Hewlett-Packard losing Steve Jobs and missing the opportunity to be Microsoft or Apple with the PC.

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere and something almost all younger people are going to have to deal with in their careers -- and you will have the opportunity to leverage this powerful set of tools in your personal and professional lives. 

Simple, Easy, Inexpensive and Entertaining Approach

Hopefully, you are already using AI in key areas you are interested in. If so, great! Keep working with it and try to expand your knowledge of the tools every day if possible. Set yourself a goal of at least 30 minutes per week to explore an area that is completely new to you and 30 minutes per week to dig deeper into the use of a tool you are currently using. 

The crazy thing about AI is that you can use it to learn it. Just dive in and start asking the AI tool questions about itself or any other AI tools. Follow your areas of interest and dig in where you need more help or find something really interesting. Regardless of your areas of interest, ask AI how it might apply to your career, college course, personal problems, fitness goals, etc. Even if your career is more "physical" you can use AI to accelerate your success and improve your performance. 

In addition, there are incredible resources available to you on the Internet, of course. Don't forget the usefulness of free YouTube channels, websites, online courses, etc. 

If you need a list of tools to get you started, take a look at the infographic below -- but you can easily just Google for "top AI tools in the _________ area", of course. Each of these will basically teach you how to use it.

Although a lot of this article has leaned toward careers and jobs, you certainly don't want to underestimate or under utilize the power of AI on the personal side. Be very careful, however, to make sure you run the AI "input" past some real human beings for any important questions. You can get some free and good advice and counseling on many issues like finances, job applications, relationships, obstacles, job changes, getting a pet, buying life insurance, investments, etc. If you have an issue, run it past your AI friend. Every important issue! However, make sure you use AI as an additional source -- but not your only source! I hate to add this, but DO NOT use AI responses for unrecoverable and extremely critical life decisions or "moves" without waiting at least three days and consulting professionals to confirm!

Pick a skill or hobby, and let AI advise you! Want to learn a language? Want to become a better gardener? Want to be a better husband, father, student, doctor, etc.? Ask! The Internet was great at this, but AI is greater -- and will unselfishly point you to the resources that made it seem so smart. Use it!

Before you make any major decisions, make it a habit to run it past AI.

Professional AIer?

You can get advice on this from many others (and you should ask around), but, for those who want to go well beyond the user level and into the developer and AI consultant levels to possibly look at AI as a career, take a look at these relatively inexpensive (I like inexpensive when you are just getting into something in case you change your mind after some deeper exposure) courses for starters:

https://skillleap.futurepedia.io/collections?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=skillleap&utm_campaign=25

https://www.udemy.com/course/machinelearning/?couponCode=KEEPLEARNING 

Conclusion

The key point here is that you get started and you use these tools regularly. Don't let AI be something that stands in your way. Drive the AI train or get on the AI train with a positive attitude toward making AI work for you. It may seem odd to have an article focused on a technical subject like AI on a website like this, but I truly believe that learning AI as either a world-class user in your field or a developer/consultant is going to be very important in your career and life. Do it!