Quick take: AI education is severely lacking There's a huge disconnect between flashy AI demos and practical, real-world applications. Especially outside the AI Twitter bubble. As someone who writes a daily AI newsletter to over 650,000 readers, I've noticed that even among early adopters, there's a lack of understanding about how to *actually* apply AI tools in their work Proper education will be essential to driving the next billion users to AI. We need more educators focusing on: 1. Real-world, applicable use cases of AI tools 2. Potential risks (like hallucinations) 3. Emerging trends and capabilities Regular people don’t care about new models, flashy context windows, or open-source vs. closed-source. They care about: - Practical use cases (e.g., using ChatGPT for content - creation or Claude for data analysis) - Step-by-step guides on tool usage (hand-holding) - Ways to integrate AI into their existing workflows If you're reading this and you're using AI tools every day, you're still a huge early adopter. It's up to you and me to educate the next wave of users. I also want to clarify that in the past — traditional AI education meant you had to learn machine learning, technical terms, etc. But the next billion people learning how to use ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Zapier, AI agents, etc., don’t need to know how an LLM works. The AI tools themselves have become so capable that they're creating a huge industry on their own, that will only get bigger. Knowing (and teaching) how to use these tools effectively will create millions of jobs.
Well said, Rowan Cheung! Your point about the need for practical use cases, step-by-step guides, and integration into existing workflows is spot on. We must move beyond the fascination with new models and focus on tangible benefits that AI can bring to everyday tasks. Proper education and hands-on experience are key to bridging the gap between flashy demos and meaningful, real-world applications. Real-world, applicable use cases of AI tools will be crucial to get widespread AI adoption across all industries. It will also help spark creative thoughts for individuals to come up with their own use cases that satisfy their needs. When holding workshops, it’s crucial to get to that “AHA” moment, allowing participants to experience that click of understanding. This is essential because, without the AHA moment, AI tools just remain tools that no one really knows how to use effectively. Once this happens, people will be able to come up with their own innovative applications. Let's work together to educate and inspire the next wave of AI users.
you are seeing what many of us are seeing. I just traveleded the globe to tech conferences and the world is about to have AI food it like a tsunami. Without firm grounding in ethics and logic, many will be washed away. this is not a .com bubble. this is a real human challenge we must meet. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/thelmsdoctor_delegativeai-ethicalai-aifuture-activity-7212471901984632832-fdn3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Brian Piper
3w
So true, Rowan! As part of the Marcom AI Committee I helped launch at our institution, we focused initially on creating recommendations for usage guidelines and long term/short term roadmaps and now we’re getting into the awareness and education portion which is all about communicating risks and real world use cases!
Agree, we need to improve our selves more to use real life solutions, actually we are still enjoying on our bubbles playing with the tools which is not bad things, but what you will do if you don’t place this creativity in its correct position. So now we need to find ways and pain points and provide solutions can play properly in our daily routine We have the tools but we need to place them in their correct position. Thanks again 🙏✨
Chris Guido
3w
The point about regular people not caring about the technical jargon is so true. We need to meet people where they are and show them how AI can solve their specific problems.
Knowing how to use these tools effectively will create millions of jobs indeed. 🙌
Steve Litzow
3w
Rowan Cheung - well put. we are past the "here-is-how-a-computer-works" stage and moving rapidly into "how-do-I-use-it-to-make-my-life-better" stage.
Very informative. Effective use of AI tools can significantly impact job creation by automating routine tasks, thereby freeing up human workers to focus on more strategic and creative roles.
Advanced Call Automation with Voice AI| Growth @ AI Rudder | GTM Leader | Cansbridge Fellow
3wWell-put. Demos show theoretical capabilities at the limit, this is their job. The problem is most definitely education; it’s knowing what it takes to get from zero to “flashy demo” level-solutions: - Prompt engineering, ancillary tools, data pipeline, readiness of their stack/workflow Just like any new technology, the early adopters and educators are focused on the technology itself. It’s too broad and too removed from applications and who they impact. Soon, we’ll see an explosion of vertical tools and niche educators who focus on the implementation of these tools while speaking the language that matters to their audience. Their audience won’t be AI enthusiasts; it’ll be marketers, accountants, gardeners etc. seeking to level up. It’s a massive opportunity.