The fear of being replaced by AI is understandable. Living and working here in Silicon Valley, I have seen firsthand how technology has historically displaced jobs. However, we’re still in the early stages of AI adoption, and there’s a lot more to it than just plugging in a system and watching it take over. Companies and people are quickly discovering that AI isn’t the plug-and-play replacement that people seem to think. Adding or using AI requires a significant amount of experimentation and a shift in mindset to integrate it effectively, something similar to what I’ve faced in my Agile journey.

I hear a lot of people thinking and saying that AI is a replacement. At this early point in AI history, I can’t entirely agree with this, and I am more in the camp of AI as a helper and not a replacement (for now). When used correctly, AI can make you more productive, cutting the time it takes to complete tasks by half (or more, in some cases). I’ve experienced this firsthand in multiple aspects of my life and work.

How I’ve Been Using AI

As a foodie who loves to cook and experiment, I often find myself standing in front of my fridge, wondering what to do with a random assortment of ingredients that I’ve used in the past. Instead of spending time Googling and scrolling through recipe sites, I ask AI now for suggestions. I asked AI recently what I could make with a can of tomato paste, some leftover knobs of ginger, and some chicken breast that wasn’t pasta or Italian. Lo and behold, one of the suggestions was a Moroccan tagine. Sufficiently intrigued, I peppered AI with follow-up questions, and in the end, it came up with a recipe for me. And guess what? The tagine turned out to be a delicious and unexpected meal. The end recipe is by no means perfect – the foodie in me now has more ideas on how to iterate on it and make it even better and more delicious. The process didn’t just save me time; it also introduced me to new culinary possibilities.

I found another use of AI in photography, another passion of mine. I’m a Fuji fanboy, and I use my Fujifilm cameras (yes, plural) to create film simulations. These film simulations allow me to take photos and use them straight out of the camera. I find myself using photo editing software less and less with my Fuji. Inspired by one of my all-time favorite movies, Wong Kar Wai’sIn the Mood for Love, I asked AI to create a film simulation recipe that could emulate the movie’s distinct, dreamy atmosphere. The AI-generated recipe served as a fantastic starting point, and through a series of shoots and tweaks, I ended up with a film simulation that beautifully captures the essence of the movie.

Beyond my creative endeavors, AI has become an indispensable tool in my professional life. I’m using it to accelerate my learning of Python, Django, and React. Not many people know, but I started as an engineer writing software and debugging hardware for Sun Microsystems (yes, I was a C/C++ jockey, and dbx was my friend). However, when I got into management, I had to let go and stop developing full-time for more than 20 years. A part of me always missed it, and now, with AI’s help, I find myself enjoying development once again. This rapid upskilling has led my friend and me to explore the potential of turning our idea into a startup. AI isn’t just helping me learn faster; it’s opening up new opportunities for a new chapter in my career for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Two Key Pieces of Advice Adopting AI

To avoid being left behind, you need to start experimenting with AI now. It’s similar to adopting an Agile mindset—be open to experimentation and continuous improvement. Ask yourself, “How might AI assist me in the work I do?” The more you experiment, the more you’ll discover creative ways to use AI as a tool in your arsenal.

Advice #1: Be a Micromanager to AI

The first piece of advice that I can give from my AI adoption journey is to learn how to ask the right questions when you interact with AI. You may have heard of the term Prompt Engineering, the cornerstone for effectively using AI. The better you get at instructing AI, the better it can assist you. In a way, think of yourself as a micromanager—give your AI detailed instructions, and it will deliver more precise and helpful results. The more you micromanage your AI, the more it will feel like an extension of your capabilities rather than a replacement.

Advice #2: Still Do the Work Yourself

As I said at the beginning of this blog post, AI isn’t here to replace you. You still have to do the work of iterating, refining, and polishing what AI spits out to you. I used AI to create a draft of this article. I gave it starting points of what I wanted to talk about and past copies of my previous blog posts. I asked it to search for links that I can use as reference material to support the points I wanted to make.

But this article that you are reading right now is all me. AI still can’t completely mimic the key points that are in my brain or my tone as I write, and it definitely can’t convey the humor that is uniquely my style. What AI has done for me is cut down the time I usually would take to write one up. I finished this blog post in an hour and a half, and not the usual half a day to a day that I normally need.

So, I urge you – don’t wait for AI to become something it’s not. Start experimenting today. The immediate future of work isn’t about replacing people with machines—it’s about augmenting our skills with AI to reach new heights of productivity and creativity.