Notice how many people feel stuck when it comes to AI? In one of my previous LinkedIn post, I talked about how today’s AI tools are still complicated, even though things like prompting are slowly getting easier. But honestly, I’m concerned the AI knowledge gap might get worse before it gets better.
In my role advising GTM executives and teams on responsible AI adoption, I’ve noticed a clear divide. Some people quickly adopt AI, while others struggle and feel left behind.
It reminds me of the early days of smartphones, initially complicated, but eventually simple enough for anyone to use. AI might follow the same path, but right now the gap feels wider and tougher to close.
While my experience gives me insights into current AI adoption, I genuinely don’t know exactly what the future holds, especially with AI like ChatGPT 5 and beyond, as big AI companies race toward AGI/ASI. So, I tested my thinking by asking two advanced AIs (ChatGPT 4.5 and Claude Sonnet 3.7).
Here’s what they said:
► 1-2 years – The gap expands because AI moves faster than most people can comfortably follow. Tools might even become more complex initially.
► 3-5 years – The gap starts shrinking. Tools get simpler and become a normal part of daily work.
► 5+ years – The gap becomes very small. AI gets easy enough that no special skills are needed.
Claude added some helpful points:
► Economic disruption might be greater than expected during the early widening phase.
► Third-party companies, not just big AI providers, will likely lead in simplifying AI interfaces.
► Psychological barriers like trust and mindset could slow people down more than technical challenges.
AI might eventually become the tool that closes the gap it creates. But we need to prepare now. The next few years might be hard before things get easier.
I’ll be sharing practical strategies to close this gap and manage job disruption in my newsletter on Thu, Mar 20. Subscribe here so you don’t miss it:
I’m curious about your thoughts on this. Let’s talk.
#AILiteracy #AIKnowledgeGap #AITraining #FutureOfWork #CrossingTheChasm
