How to Think Like an AI (Even If You’ve Only Used It Once!)

AI is everywhere, and you’ve probably heard people talking about "AI skills"—but what does that actually mean? Do you need to be a tech expert? A coding whiz? Someone who understands all the ins and outs of AI models?

Not at all.

The truth is, AI skills aren’t about technology—they’re about how you think. You don’t need to understand how AI works on the inside; you just need to know how to work with it effectively.

In this newsletter, we’ll break down:
✅ What AI skills actually are
✅ Why people struggle to use AI well
✅ How to shift your mindset to get real results

Let’s dive in.

AI Skills Aren’t About AI

Most people assume that getting good at AI means learning the perfect prompts or understanding how AI models work behind the scenes. But here’s the secret:

💡 AI skills are actually the same as great management skills.

Think about it—if you had an assistant working for you, how would you get the best results? You wouldn’t just throw vague requests at them and hope for the best. You’d:

✔️ Delegate tasks clearly – Instead of saying “help with marketing,” you’d say, “write a social media post about dog grooming tips.”
✔️ Explain what you want – The more details you give, the better the result.
✔️ Understand strengths & weaknesses – AI is great for brainstorming and writing but can make mistakes.
✔️ Give feedback & refine – AI can improve when you tweak its outputs and ask for revisions.

Working with AI is about giving it the right instructions and adjusting along the way—just like working with a human assistant!

Why Do We Struggle with AI?

If AI is so helpful, why do so many people find it frustrating or confusing?

The problem isn’t AI itself—it’s how our brains are wired.

For years, we’ve been trained to use computers in a very specific way:
➡️ Type something into Google, get an answer.
➡️ Click a button, see what happens.
➡️ Follow a step-by-step guide to learn new software.

AI doesn’t work like that.

It’s not a search engine that gives one answer. It’s a conversation partner that helps you think, write, and plan—but only if you talk to it the right way.

We’re used to command-response interactions, but AI needs something different:

❌ Bad approach: “Write me a marketing plan.”
✅ Better approach: “I run a small pet grooming business. I need a simple marketing plan focused on social media. Can you outline a strategy for Facebook and Instagram with three content ideas per week?”

See the difference? The second request gives context, details, and a clear goal—which helps AI generate useful results.

How to Shift Your Mindset

So how can you start thinking more like an AI expert (even if you’ve only used AI once)?

The key is to stop thinking about what AI can do and start thinking about what you need help with.

🔹 Instead of wondering, “What can AI do?”, ask:
➡️ “What do I spend too much time on?”
➡️ “What tasks do I struggle with?”
➡️ “What’s something I wish I had help with?”

🔹 Then, think about how you’d explain that task to a person:
➡️ What’s the goal? (e.g., "I want a social media post about dog training.")
➡️ What details matter? (e.g., "It should be fun, helpful, and 100 words long.")
➡️ What examples could help? (e.g., "Write it like a friendly pet trainer.")

Making AI Work for You

Using AI effectively isn’t about learning a bunch of prompts or becoming an AI expert. It’s about changing how you approach problems.

Think of AI like a toolbox—it won’t build a house for you, but it can make the work easier and faster.

🛠 Start with your own tasks. Instead of learning AI for AI’s sake, use it to solve a real problem you have today.

💡 Think of AI as a collaborator. The best results come from working with AI, not just expecting it to do everything perfectly on the first try.

🎯 Practice giving clear instructions. AI works best when it knows exactly what you want. Give details, refine your requests, and tweak the results.

🚀 Want to learn more? Check out Ethan Mollick’s full article on Thinking Like an AI.

Final Thought: AI is Here to Help—You Just Have to Guide It

You don’t need to be a tech expert to use AI. You just need to:
✔️ Think of it like an assistant, not a search engine.
✔️ Give clear instructions and adjust when needed.
✔️ Use AI to support your real-world tasks.

The more you practice, the more natural it becomes.

So, next time you’re stuck on something, try asking AI for help—but ask like a manager, not like a Google search.

💬 What’s one task you could use AI for today? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear your thoughts!