It's Okay to NOT Be an AI Expert
When the printing press was invented, nobody rushed to become typesetters.
When the internet exploded, most people didn’t sit down to learn TCP/IP.
Yet here we are, in 2025, feeling like everyone thinks they have to be AI experts just to stay relevant.
Let’s be clear: you don’t.
The real opportunity isn’t in mastering every techy detail of AI.
It’s in tapping the value AI creates in your industry.
So…
• Farmers aren’t building neural networks, but they’re using AI-driven soil sensors to double crop yields without doubling effort.
• Small-town librarians aren’t studying deep learning, but they’re deploying AI recommendation engines to boost circulation and community engagement.
• Event organizers aren’t coding LLMs from scratch, but they’re using AI agents t to design floor plans, optimize staffing, and personalize attendee experiences—in hours, not months.
None of these make splashy headlines. But they’re the edges that turn industries upside down—or breathe new life into them.
Why Everyone Wants to Be an “Expert” (And Why That’s Dangerous)
Status-seeking: Expertise signals authority—and authority gets rewarded.
Fear of exclusion: Not knowing AI feels like risking being left out of the next big thing.
Control bias: In uncertainty, mastery feels like protection.
Social contagion: Seeing peers post hot takes about AI pressures you to jump in—even when you have nothing real to add.
AI is exciting and full of promise, but the urge to look like an expert can turn you into just another voice in the LinkedIn echo chamber.
The Hidden Power of Not Being an Expert
Approach AI as a skilled user, not a “wannabe-expert”:
Map unmet needs: Ask colleagues where they hit friction—and pick one spot for AI to add instant value.
Translate possibilities: Help non-technical teams grasp what today’s tools can—and can’t—do.
Pilot & personalize: Run real-world experiments, tweak them for your context, and document what works.
Curate signal: Skip empty thought leadership—share practical lists of AI tools, prompts, or workflows your network can actually use.
Orchestrate human+AI teaming: Master hybrid teams that outshine all-human or all-AI efforts.
That’s how you lead: not by shouting louder, but by solving smarter.
Expertise is optional. Strategic application is mandatory.
- The PSN Editorial Team