Over the past six months, I’ve prioritised a huge chunk of my time to diving head-first into Artificial Intelligence.

Not because I had to. Not because I was bored.

But because I knew how imperative it is to remain not only relevant, but ahead of the curve.

Since then, I’ve been consuming information like a sponge — podcasts, tutorials, webinars — and more importantly, putting things into practice in real time.

I’ve tested tools, built workflows, and experimented with ideas to see how they actually land.

It hasn’t been a passive interest.

It’s been an active apprenticeship.

And while I often hear concerns about “brain elasticity” — that if you just offload everything to ChatGPT you’ll lose the ability to think for yourself — I disagree.

I consider it a friend or a mentor to bounce ideas off, to help me organise my thoughts.

Firstly, this preserves actual friendships, minimising the risk of “listening to Sam’s crazy ideas” burnout.

Secondly, you don’t have to be worried about offending AI if you don’t adopt all of its feedback.

While I always use manners, I argue with it, correct it, and always have the last word.

AI for me is more than a tool, it’s the ultimate assistant that I am incredibly grateful for.

Seriously, I love it. I’m not afraid of AI. I’m excited by it.

That will sound strange to many of you I’m sure, given almost every conversation around AI seems to include the remark: “It’s scary.”

I don’t agree. Yes, of course, doors will be opened and some scary things may come through.

History has shown that every wave of new technology disrupts life as we know it — the industrial age, internet, smartphones, social media.

AI will be no different.

It will radically change the way we work, live, and interact.

But I believe the good by far outweighs the bad.

The difference, I think, is how you choose to meet it.

I’ve always believed in approaching things that feel a little unnerving with curiosity and an open mind.

Curiosity turns fear into learning.

It shifts the focus from “what if this destroys everything?” to “what could this make possible?”

That’s the attitude I’ve carried into AI.

And what I’ve found is that, for every role that may be made redundant, there are countless new opportunities waiting for those willing to jump on a board and start paddling.

New industries, new skills, new ways of creating and connecting, and ultimately, more freedom.

We don’t get to choose whether change comes. We only get to choose how we respond.

And when a wave builds, you’ve really only got two options:

I mean sure, you can duck under it, but ultimately, you’re going to have to make a move at some point or you’ll just end up bobbing around out at sea.

For me, the choice was simple.

I paddled hard to make it, and I’m having a ball surfing it.

The thing that excites me most about AI isn’t the technology itself.

It’s what it frees us up to do.

It strips away so much of the time-consuming mundane work, the overwhelm, the hours lost to admin, and gives us time back.

Time to focus on the deeply human parts of life and business — creativity, relationships, storytelling, community.

That’s the part people often miss.

AI isn’t about replacing us.

It’s about supporting us to work smarter, so we can double down on the things that make us irreplaceable.

But here’s the problem: most small business owners and entrepreneurs don’t have the luxury of time to figure all of this out.

They’re already wearing a dozen hats. They don’t want jargon.

They don’t want to sit through another overwhelming webinar.

They just want someone to show them what works, set it up, and walk beside them while they get comfortable with it.

That’s where I help small businesses, operators, and visionaries integrate AI in practical, human-first ways.

No hype. No fearmongering.

Just simple systems that save time, create impact, and free people up to focus on what they do best.

Because while others are standing on the shore, wondering if this wave is too scary to ride — I’ve chosen to paddle out with curiosity, and I’m already catching it.

There’s plenty of room on this tsunami of a wave, be brave and start paddling, fast.

Cobram Courier Google News Panels

Sunday, 13th November 2022

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