If you’ve been scrolling online lately, or even talked to your friends and family, it’s obvious that the subject of AI is suddenly becoming very mainstream.

Every niche problem now has an AI software product. The marketing machines are running on full speed. All your favorite tools are becoming “AI-first”.

LinkedIn gurus with crystal balls are spreading fear with superficial headlines.

Some think it’s going to replace entire humans, and that we should brace ourselves for mass unemployment. Others look away, denying its existence and thinking it will soon pass.

Neither of them see AI for what it really is.

A big part of the problem is the fragmented nature of the conversation. Someone says a thing. Another one says an opposing thing. Amidst all of this fear mongering and quarreling, it becomes to hard to see what AI truly is.

Our brains are overloaded with opinions and possibilities to the point where we simply cannot make sense of it all. A mental fog is obstructing the clear path.

Will AI replace creative careers? Or will it soon pass? Do I have to hop on the train? Will I get left behind if I don’t start automating every part of my craft?

There are simply too many questions to answer.

With our minds clouded by conflicting information, influenced by fearful marketing and superficial conversations - answering those questions becomes an impossible task.

But how do you escape?

Seeing AI for what it really is

One might call what is happening with AI incredibly complex and unique. Never seen before.

While that is true, it is also true for other inventions.

For example:

When the steam engine was breaking through somewhere at the end of the 18th century, many craftspeople were afraid to lose their jobs. Weavers, for example, were at the brink of being replaced by steam-powered weaving machines.

While many weavers had to look for another job, others became machine operators, tailors or technicians. Those who could see a few steps further even became the ones building and operating factories.

The invention of the power loom automated tasks that were previously done by hand. But it didn't eliminate the need for humans with expertise in weaving, machine making, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, and so forward.

Just like weavers, creatives may find themselves in a similar situation. As an innovation, AI is now automating tasks that were previously executed by hand or with software such as video editing, summarizing, research, manipulating images, color grading and more.

Tasks that used to require incredible practical experience are now a commodity.

You see, history doesn’t exactly repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.

At the end of the day, weaving was just one task in a web of action required to go from sheep's wool to clothing. Just like AI is automating parts of digital communication.

If we want to detach ourselves from the chaos that is being cultivated, we can’t afford to see AI as a complete human replacement, because it isn't.

What we need is clarity. A mental framework that allows us to put the concept of AI onto a clearly labeled shelf in our minds, so that it becomes easy to understand.

One that allows us to embrace this innovation and use it to our advantage.

And we just so happen to have a shelf that fits.

It’s called: a tool.

You are more than a tool

You are more than just one single task.

Future-proof jobs consist of many tasks and require orchestration of these varying tasks on longer timeframes in order to be uniquely useful.

They combine multiple ideas and require collaboration between tools & humans, focused in a certain direction.

In the rare case that your job is just about repeating a single task over and over again without creativity or direction, chances are that it can be fully automated.

Just like the weaver, the choice is yours. Will you embrace change and master the very tools that will automate these tasks? Or will you grow into a bigger role, orchestrating multiple tasks, tools and humans?

Your unique ability to combine skills, manage relationships, be creative, lead others, take up physical space and think long-term are, in fact, unique.

This is the key to embracing new technology.

You must shift away from limiting yourself to a single task and expand into a role where you orchestrate tools, humans, relationships and ideas. That is real value.

Suddenly, the tool isn't that threatening anymore.

Convincing value to clients

Convincing clients of your value can feel challenging and sometimes even impossible, especially when they are convinced that they can do everything themselves with AI.

Why?

Because you are too focused on selling the process, the tools, not the outcome.

The reality is that most clients don’t care about the process. They just want a video. A design. An article. A photo. They don’t even care about which tools you use.

They care about solving their problem in the best possible way.

So we don’t try to convince them of all the tools, work and skills that go into creating a solution. Even if they took years to master. We simply:

  1. get to the bottom of the problem that prompted the client to look for a solution
  2. communicate what happens to those problems if there is no one to orchestrate the solution, such as misalignment, poor performance or lack of results
  3. articulate a clear plan on how you will orchestrate all tasks and stakeholders in order to achieve the solution

Understand the client. Make them aware of the stakes. Put forward a plan.

This is how you convey value to clients.

Staying in control

Since AI is automating tasks that were previously believed to be uniquely human, it can feel overwhelming to stay in control.

Luckily, you don’t have to integrate them all at once. That’s a sure way to lose yourself in the tools and miss the bigger picture.

Treat them for what they are, a tool, and become their master.

Look at the tasks you absolutely hate. Subtitling videos. Creating article outlines. Converting illustrations into SVG. Labeling rushes. Plowing through hundreds of articles. Doing repetitive research. Whatever it is, rank them from most to least painful and start tackling them one by one.

One thing to understand is the infinite amount of possible ways in which tools can be used. There is no point in understanding all of the combinations.

Instead, you need focus. Your unique path. A proprietary process that works for you. A unique combination of tools, processes and ideas.

Don't panic or get distracted, let chaos exist. Trust your own perspective.

The unique way in which you navigate the complex web of possibilities is your unfair advantage.

Find the path that matters to you. Ignore the rest.

That is the secret to staying in control.

How not to lose yourself

The quickest way to lose yourself is to be overly dependent on other people's ideas.

You have to be in the drivers' seat. Become the orchestrator of things.

Orchestrators admit that their role as a creator is fluid and requires flexibility. They see themselves as something bigger than just the executor of a single task.

They develop vision, have opinions, facilitate relationships and work on actively developing a mental map that turns chaos into clarity.

This path is yours to carve, but here are four things you can do immediately:

  1. Limit the amount of information and opinions you consume by setting guardrails. For example: limit social media usage to 30 minutes per day. This ensures a clear mind.
  2. Don't wait for permission or clarity to experiment with AI. Meaning often follows action, not the other way around. Once you understand this, action becomes easy.
  3. Acknowledge that there is no single path forward. Rather, an infinite amount of possibilities. Start experimenting with AI for simple tasks and gradually expand from there.
  4. Treat AI like a tool that is under your control, not one that controls you. Don't use it to outsource your thinking. Instead, use it to sharpen your thinking, make yourself more efficient and solve more problems.

The path may not be clear right now.

But by taking many small steps, the path may eventually reveal itself.