Is AI Coming For Your Job?

Faark I Don’t Know (Probably). I’m No Expert But...

Author

Alan Barnes
May 31, 2025

Faark I Don’t Know (Probably). I’m No Expert But…

Let’s get real upfront: I’m no AI bot wrangleing expert. Hell, I second-guessed writing this, what with a swarm of people cleverer than me churning out AI hot takes and newsletters like the world’s about to end (again). But you know what? Sometimes you need the honest perspective from someone whose just a few steps a head on the same path.

The Future Is Here, But Good Luck Finding It In Your Office

You can’t sit on the sidelines with AI, not unless “become instantly obsolete” is your midlife pivot plan. Not getting involved isn’t a clever act of rebellion: it’s just like refusing to believe in climate change because you miss skiing. It’s not Santa Claus. It’s here, it’s real, and, neurosis or not, that faint hum is the sound of change coming for your job.

Try this:

At your next coffee break, jot down three simple ways you could use AI in your current work. No technical wizardry needed. Just… where could you use a little less busywork?

“While you’re ignoring it, someone else is having a play and stumbling into ways it’s already useful.”

Help! But I Tried ChatGPT 6 Months Ago and It Was Rubbish

Look, in AI, six months is basically a decade. If your only experiment was a clumsy go at ChatGPT back in 2023 and all you got was 1980s chatbot vibes… try again. AI isn’t just one chatty robot, it’s a whole gallery of clever tools.

A quick reality check:

  • ChatGPT? Not the only bot in town.

  • New models drop every month; some sound eerily like your favourite podcaster.

  • Most do more than answer weird questions, think: summarise contracts, rewrite emails, even help you learn skills you secretly wish you had.

“This space moves so fast—by the time you click ‘undo’, there’s probably a new update.”

Here’s Some AI You Can Play With (For Free)

I get it. Who wants to pay for another subscription? Fortunately, you don’t have to. Here’s a few free tools worth poking at:

  • ChatGPT Free – (yes, again, but it’s constantly improving).

  • Google Gemini – Google’s answer to AI, in your browser.

  • Perplexity AI – feels like an AI-powered search genie.

  • Claude – friendly, smart, and surprisingly useful for longer bits of text

I use Kortex as a writing tool and within my Kortex subscription I can use multiple Ai tools. This is great when I want to use it for different tasks.

Check it out here Kortex.co

You can also try out a bunch of models in the one place at Poe.com

Try this:

Pick one tool.
Give it a real work dilemma.
Ask it to summarise your last client call, draft a tricky email, or brainstorm taglines for that thing you might sell one day. Perfect? No. Useful? Often.

A Couple of Easy Experiments

Want to dip a toe without drowning? Try these:

  • Have AI draft your next LinkedIn update (feed it your bullet points, ask for a punchy rewrite).

  • Ask for a summary of a 20-page report you’ve been ignoring.

  • Brainstorm 10 headline ideas for that blog you never finish.

  • Play “Devil’s Advocate” on a decision: ask AI to make the case against your current plan.

  • Use it to script follow-up questions for an interview or tricky meeting.

“You don’t need to be a tech bro. You just need to let curiosity lead you.

What Does It Mean For You and Me?

Look, I’m repeating myself but here’s the punchline: mastery won’t be in how well you do the mindless stuff. AI is fantastic at repetitive, mechanical, mind-numbing work. But your unique value? Creativity, judgement, originality, taste and trust.

Let the bots carry the administrative bricks. You take charge of the architecture.

This is how you become “AI-native”, a person who leverages technology without being steamrolled by it. People will still pay for insight, wisdom, style, and brands they trust.

Try this:

Next time you find yourself stuck on tedious work, ask: “Could AI do this faster? If yes, how do I up my game, so I’m not left holding the bag?” Share your best experiment (or worst fail) with a friend, or, hell, reply to this email and tell me.

“Mastering AI is less about beating the bots and more about partnering with them, so you can spend your effort on the stuff that actually matters.”

The Wrap

You don’t need to become an AI expert. You just need to stop pretending it’s not your problem. Steal shamelessly from the smart people, try things, screw up, try again.

Faark, it’s not too late. But it sure as hell isn’t getting any earlier.

(PS: If you want to sink your teeth in deeper, check out Dan Ko’s excellent YouTube breakdown on AI and the one-person business.)