AI won’t replace you ... but someone who knows how to use it might
Ethan Mollick opens his book ‘Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI’ with a confronting claim:
"I believe the cost of getting to know AI—really getting to know AI—is at least three sleepless nights."
I reckon he’s right.
Not because AI is frightening, but because once you really understand what it can do, you can’t stop thinking about it ... about the opportunities ... the time saved ... the decisions sharpened ... the thinking clarified ... the work done faster — and often better.
Yet most people I speak with still haven’t crossed that line. They’ve dabbled, asked it to write a paragraph, maybe had a play in a browser window one afternoon, but they haven’t learned how to work with it.
And that’s the difference.
We’re not talking about the future any more
There’s a lot of noise around AI; plenty of breathless predictions, hype, and existential debates. I get it — AI is big, fast-moving, and frankly, overwhelming.
But here’s the thing: AI is already useful ... right now, today.
If you know how to use it well, you can:
- speed up writing and communication tasks
- clarify messy thinking
- prepare for meetings or coaching sessions
- draft plans, summaries, emails — and more
- get a second brain on tap, 24/7.
And if you don’t? You’ll fall behind, quietly, gradually, until someone else is doing the same work faster, clearer, and with more strategic insight — simply because they learned how to collaborate with AI.
AI experts agree - AI won’t replace people. But people who know AI will replace people who don’t.
What’s stopping us?
The two most common reasons I hear:
- “I’m worried about data and privacy.”
- “I don’t know where to start — and I don’t want to use it wrong.”
Let’s be honest — both are fair. Most AI platforms haven’t made it obvious how to use them safely or well. And no one wants to be the person who pastes the wrong thing into ChatGPT or asks a clunky question and gets back a clunky answer.
But here’s the good news:
- You don’t need to be a tech expert to use AI well.
- You don’t need to share sensitive data to get great results.
- And you don’t need to learn alone, by trial and error.
That’s exactly why I created the Ready, Fire, Aim! AI for Business course — to give people a safe, structured, and practical environment in which to explore how AI can help them think, plan, write, and work better.
One of the first things we cover? How to protect your data and your confidence, while still getting real value from AI tools.
The real opportunity? Learning by doing
Which brings me to the heart of this opportunity: learning by doing.
That’s the driving force behind Ready, Fire, Aim! AI for Business — a hands-on, practical course delivered remotely, online over three short sessions.
It’s designed for real people doing real work. No jargon. No coding. No need to be ‘techy’.
We start with the basics (Ready), move fast into real-world application (Fire), and finish by helping you refine your use (Aim) so it sticks. You will leave with repeatable, useful habits and the confidence to keep going.
Time to get your organisation ready
This course is for people who are ready to build AI confidence and capability.
If you’re a leader who wants your people working smarter — and not just watching others leap ahead — then this is the place to start.
To run Ready, Fire, Aim! AI for Business in your organisation, contact the team at ODI.
And maybe, just maybe, lose a little sleep along the way.