Hello {{first_name | Reader}},
Most people think "getting good at AI" is a vague, fuzzy goal — somewhere between "use ChatGPT more" and "become a data scientist." It isn't. There's a clear ladder, and most professionals are stuck on the bottom two rungs without realising it.
🪜Where are you on the AI ladder?
In this week's post, I break down the levels of AI proficiency — from "I've typed a few prompts" to "I've built workflows that run without me." Most people overestimate where they sit, because using AI occasionally feels like progress. It isn't the same as using it well.
The post walks through what separates each level, what tends to keep people stuck, and the specific shift that moves you up — including two tools I now use weekly that most professionals haven't touched yet.
📰 Story worth watching
PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer landed this week, and the numbers are stark. Workers with advanced AI skills earn 56% more than peers in the same roles without those skills. Jobs requiring specific AI skills are growing roughly eight times as fast as the overall jobs market.
The more interesting finding is about judgement. AI is removing some of the routine work that once acted as an apprenticeship, while increasing demand for judgement, leadership and adaptability much earlier in careers.
In other words: AI isn't replacing the need for experience — it's compressing the timeline for needing it. The professionals climbing the ladder fastest are the ones treating AI fluency as a core skill, not a side curiosity.
That's it for this week.
If you found this useful, forward it to a colleague trying to figure out how AI agents work.
Connect with me on LinkedIn or reply to this email — I read everything.
See you next Tuesday, Linda