The AI Proof Skill Stack

How to become the person with unlimited opportunities in an ever changing world.

Everyone is incredibly stressed about AI. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Fortune 500 CEO or an entry-level worker. It seems like everyone is impacted by this technology and will only be more so as it progresses.

I personally feel the timelines for all of this are a bit exaggerated, and I believe that human beings will have jobs for a very long time. I just think, like with any technological innovation, there will be a great deal of change, and those who are slow to adapt will not do well.

So I want to provide people who are concerned about AI with what I feel will be the AI-proof skill stack to make you endlessly employable in an ever-changing world. And if you want to be an entrepreneur, these skills will still be equally relevant. I personally think you should try to be an entrepreneur if you’ve ever had the inclination, because it’s never been easier with the tools of AI in your hands.

The first skill is simply giving a shit. This sounds incredibly obvious, but if you’ve worked for any amount of time, you’ve come across far more people who don’t than those who do. And it’s always incredibly easy to spot almost instantaneously. If you aren’t the person who truly gives a shit about everything you touch and everything you work on, AI is only going to make you more impactfully bad at your job.

Almost unanimously, the people I see complaining about AI the most are those who are incredibly mediocre at what they do and just want to get paid for basically doing nothing. That was fine in the last era of work, especially if you were in a large company. But I personally see companies getting smaller and smaller by the day, meaning you’re going to be more important by the day. You cannot hide.

The second skill is becoming an endless learner. The people who get excited by the temporary discomfort that education creates will be big winners in this next era. Throw away the labels of what your previous job experience says you can and can’t do — those are completely out the window.

I don’t care what your degree was. I don’t care what you’ve done in the past. I care about your work ethic, your enthusiasm, and your ability to learn. And just like anything else, whatever you do a lot, you get good at.

Now you have the opportunity to learn almost endlessly. The more you do it, the faster you’ll get at it, and the more valuable you will become. I refer to AI as the anti-stuck machine because, for most people, I feel like that is the most valuable use case.

Especially if you’re a little older or not tech-native, people used to get stuck trying to learn new tools and software to get the outcome they wanted. You now have a 24/7 support staff with you that you can send screenshots to and explain your exact problem to in real time. As someone who has been paid to consult and teach these very things, I can explain firsthand how valuable that really is. Take advantage.

The third skill may be a little counterintuitive, but it’s becoming someone who can control their emotional state — be patient, calm, collected, and make rational decisions.

When the world around you is moving a mile a minute, your ability to slow things down, decompress, and see things for what they really are (rather than what the hype cycle tells you) becomes incredibly valuable.

The hype and fear around AI make for exceptional TV. I know this firsthand — my client was one of the largest AI podcasts on the planet. But understand the incentives of both these companies and the media companies covering them. Sensationalization and hyperbole are near necessities to maintain viewership and keep funding flowing.

Groupthink is a powerful thing. Just because the loudest people closest to it are saying the craziest things doesn’t necessarily mean they’re true. I do believe many of the predictions will eventually come true — I just believe the timelines are dramatically exaggerated.

So you should still be making long-term decisions in an ever-changing world. That’s becoming increasingly difficult as people simply quit because they feel like it’s already over. It’s not — but that attitude will certainly make it that way for you.

The fourth skill is one that’s already pretty prevalent among entrepreneurs, but I feel it’s becoming necessary for anyone touching any line of work. And that’s belief in yourself and in a bigger mission behind what you’re working on.

I’m certainly a dreamer — I have been since I was a child. But now, everything I always tried to convince others was possible is now absurdly true and achievable for just about anyone willing to put in the time and effort.

That means anyone with a negative attitude, or someone who’s difficult to work with or be around, becomes a cancer that can stop something great from happening. If you want to be employed, you can’t be that person.

The fifth and final skill is simply being a builder. Adopt the philosophy: “See a problem, fix a problem” in everything you touch.

You no longer have the excuse of needing to speak to a certain person or jump through endless hoops. Basically, anything you could possibly want to ask, you can get an answer to right away.

Teach yourself how to think critically. Reverse engineer your desired outcome from the problem, and you’ll become incredibly good at solving problems.

That’s really all builders are — problem solvers. They spot the problem that matters most and solve it in the most creative or efficient way possible. With these tools in your hands, you really don’t have an excuse not to learn that skill. And if you don’t, you won’t be employable.

I urge you to shift from a state of fear to a state of curiosity and excitement. I’m certain that whatever you’re doing right now isn’t exactly what you wanted to do.

I’m sure you’ve had a dream for a YouTube channel, a podcast, or a business that you didn’t start because you didn’t have the time or resources. Those are no longer valid excuses.

Go back to the drawing board. Be curious. Bet on yourself. Work hard and believe you can do anything — because you pretty much can.

It’s very easy to be negative, and negative content sells. That’s why it’s everywhere. It’s easy. But don’t fall into that trap. Seek out positive things, people, and resources, and your life can become exactly what you want it to be if you believe it can.

Happy building. Love you lots.

And I’ll see you next time.

Ben ✌️❤️

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