Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage: “Productivity inflation.” (The crowd does not go wild.) 😩
Everyone is focused on AI taking jobs, not realizing the immediate threat is that “A players” can now do much more with just an AI subscription for $20.
I’m just going to come out and say it: The days of being average and just getting by are officially over. 😖
Once upon a time, a team was structured like this:
- 1x senior level
- 4x mid level
- 8x junior level
But that’s rapidly shifting to something more like this:
- 1x senior level
- 4x mid level
- AI agents
But here’s the thing
AI hasn’t taken the junior-level jobs directly. Instead, what’s really happening is that mid-level employees have become dramatically more productive by eliminating mundane, repetitive, or tedious tasks. Thanks to AI, mid-level workers get 13 hours of productivity out of a standard 8-hour day. 😮
Technically, AI didn’t take the job, as there is still a human in the loop, and AI, in most cases, isn’t operating autonomously.
In this article, we’ll explore how productivity standards are rapidly changing today and share actionable tips and strategies you can use immediately to stay ahead.
Also: 10 key reasons AI went mainstream overnight – and what happens next
If you’re new to my work, I’m Lester, but feel free to call me Les. 👋 I stay pretty busy, so I use AI daily to help me work faster and smarter. If you’re looking for practical and helpful AI tips and tricks, feel free to sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what’s working in the world of business, along with marketing insights and trends I’m seeing. 🎯
But enough about me; let’s get into why the days of average are officially over.
Bringing more to the table
According to Nielsen Norman Group, customer support agents using AI handled 13.8% more customer inquiries per hour, business professionals produced 59% more documents per hour, and programmers completed 126% more projects per week. On average, generative AI increased users’ throughput by 66% while performing realistic tasks. 🤯
Also: 25 AI tips to boost your programming productivity with ChatGPT
These productivity gains are massive, but here’s the real insight I see: Those who embrace AI as a tool to augment their skills are pulling ahead, leaving behind those who cling to outdated methods. The gap between the average worker and the high performer, the “A player,” is widening.
This shift is reshaping what it means to be competitive in today’s workforce. The person hired to manage these AI tools must be exceptional — a true subject matter expert — just to land an interview. 😵💫
A common misconception about the future is that we can coast along, avoid growth, and let AI handle all the heavy lifting. The people operating AI will need to be exceptional to get the most out of AI, but they’ll also be critical in spotting when AI goes off track.
It’s no longer enough to show up and do the job; you need to bring more to the table: efficiency, creativity, and adaptability. Based on current evidence, being average and simply leaving things to AI is a bigger threat than AI itself.
Also: I’ve tested a lot of AI tools for work. These 4 actually help me get more done every day
As we move forward, the question isn’t whether AI will change how we work — it already has. The real question is: Will you harness its power to thrive, or will you be left behind in a world where productivity standards are rewritten daily? 🤔
Embrace AI
The question now becomes: What do you do? The obvious answer is to embrace AI. Look, I believe some of the hype around AI, but definitely not all of it. That doesn’t mean it’s not helpful, though.
Here’s the less obvious part: I’m actively working on my craft, whether improving my writing or sharpening my marketing skills. 🚀
Besides honing my skills, I’m using specific tools that have turned me into a savage.
- 🤖 ChatGPT is my creative assistant to help me generate ideas.
- 🦾 Perplexity has replaced Google in my research workflow.
- 👨💻 Grammarly is kinda my editor. (Hates when I use words like “kinda” 🤷♂️.)
These tools haven’t just improved my productivity; they’ve elevated my work quality.
Combining human creativity with AI efficiency has turned ya boy into a savage!
I’ll leave you with this: AI isn’t a tool to do less — it’s a tool to do more. 🤓☝️
Also: 15 ways AI saved me time at work in 2024 – and how I plan to use it in 2025
To stand out in this new era, you’ve got to pair AI tools with your continuous growth. Being average is off the table because the bar for performance just got raised permanently.
Right now, I don’t buy into all the Big Tech hype. Yes, some jobs will disappear, and new ones will pop up. ❤️
But what I do believe, and can already see happening, is that pairing AI with top talent creates a real competitive threat.
I don’t see AI as a tool that replaces the human in the loop, leaving everything up to AI. I don’t think that will ever be possible, regardless of the marketing rhetoric. Humans bring intangibles like understanding context, life experience, and that good old-fashioned gut feeling. 💪
So, yeah, AI probably means more work for us A players. Efficient work, but work is work, am I right?
Also: Generative AI is now a must-have tool for technology professionals
😇 Hope this helps. I’m rooting for you.
P.S. If you want more easy and helpful AI tips and tricks, sign up for my free newsletter: No Fluff Just Facts.
Want more stories about AI? Sign up for Innovation, ZDNET’s weekly newsletter.
Leave a Reply