Hey {{first_name}}

I don’t have to look far to see another AI headline or another article about jobs disappearing.

And I get this familiar feeling: “I should probably be doing something about this.”

If that's you too, I know this week's episode is exactly what you need

Because it was exactly what I needed!

I sat down with my good friend Lou Compagnone, Director of Artificial Intelligence at Datacom, to talk about what's actually happening in AI right now, and what it means for your career.

If you've been feeling uneasy reading the headlines… you're not alone.

Change is happening, but fear doesn't help you; context does, and so does ACTION.

That's why I wanted this conversation to be practical, not doomsday.

You don't need to know everything about AI.

You just need to know what to pay attention to… (the signals) and how to stay ready and relevant as the world shifts.

Lou said something that landed with me:

There's a lot of scepticism, a lot of fear, and a lot of AI theatre happening right now, and when the noise gets loud, it's easy to fall into one of two camps:

Or:

Neither one helps you.

The better move is to become the architect of your own future.

Not by panicking. By learning how to use the tools well, and positioning yourself around the skills companies are actually hiring for.

Lou is big on signals, and one of the strongest ones she called out is language.

Words that were obscure 12 months ago are now everyday conversation:

ChatGPT. Agents. "AI slop". Productivity. Automation.

And one phrase I want you to remember from this conversation,

Cognitive debt.

That's what happens when we outsource too much thinking to AI, and slowly lose the ability to synthesise, connect ideas, and think critically.

This is the part that's easy to miss.

AI will make you faster… but your career advantage still comes from your judgement.

Your ability to:

That's what makes you valuable.

Lou gave a really clear perspective on who is most exposed in this transition.

She sees risk for roles that are:

But she also said something important,

That same area is also where people can level up the fastest.

She shared an example of someone who needed market signals for a keynote, couldn't get time from a research team, and used Perplexity instead, and the results were so good that it shocked everyone.

And here’s what I'm seeing:

AI can take the heavy lifting off your plate… so you can become the person who's known for insight.

That's the shift.

One of my favourite parts of this episode was how Lou and I discussed how we both use AI.

We do the thinking first.

Lou uses Miro like a “chaotic brain-dump board.”

I prefer to shut everything down and use a massive sheet of paper, pen

Then we bring AI in after:

That's the balance.

AI supports your thinking. It doesn't replace it.

When I asked Lou what she believes companies will look for as we move toward 2030, her answer was simple and powerful:

Because roles aren't staying rigid anymore. Even job descriptions are changing mid-hire.

Here’s a recent example. At CH Solutions, we recently recruited for a Head of Product role, and the job changed three times in two weeks based on what they learned during interviews.

Yes - 3 TIMES IN 2 WEEKS

That's the new world.

You're not hired for your title. You're hired for the problems you can solve.

Lou gave the most realistic advice for busy people, especially those juggling work, family, and a full life:

1) Choose ONE task to start with

Pick something boring, repetitive, or time-consuming in your role. Start experimenting with AI there.

(do it within your company's guidelines, of course)

2) Learn in a way you enjoy

Don't try to learn all of AI. You can't.

Choose one area you care about and one learning method you'll actually stick with.

Lou's favourite tools right now:

And she made a point I loved, there isn't a "right" way to prompt, use natural language and refine as you go.

I want to keep you updated on what I'm building behind the scenes, because it's directly connected to everything we talked about in this episode.

Over the next few weeks, I'm leaning into two things:

Because I couldn't watch the headlines… and not take action, and I want to bring you with me.

If you haven't listened yet, this conversation is one of the most practical "AI + career" episodes I've recorded.

🎧 Listen here: The AI Wake-Up Call: Why Mid-Career Professionals Are Most at Risk (And What to Do About It) | Lou Compagnone, Director of AI at Datacom

Reply and tell me this.

What's ONE thing you're going to start using AI for this week?

A task. A workflow. A boring admin thing you want off your plate.

With confidence,

Georgie 💜