The Difference Between Knowing AI and Using AI

You could explain AI to anyone who asks. You know about large language models. You understand prompt engineering exists. You've read think pieces about the future of work.

And yet, you opened ChatGPT twice last month and both times closed it after five minutes.

This isn't a character flaw. It's a gap between knowing and doing that affects almost everyone.

The Knowledge Trap

We live in an information-rich world. Every day, there's a new AI article, podcast, or LinkedIn post explaining what AI can do. Reading them feels productive. It feels like progress.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: reading about AI and using AI are completely different skills.

Knowing that AI can write emails doesn't help you write better emails with AI. Understanding that AI can analyze data doesn't help you analyze your data with AI.

The gap between knowing and doing has never been wider.

Why Smart People Get Stuck

Executives are especially vulnerable to the knowledge trap. You're used to learning by reading and discussing. That's how you learned strategy, leadership, and most of your professional skills.

But AI is different. It's a practice skill, like playing an instrument. You can read every book about piano and still not be able to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

The executives who actually use AI aren't necessarily smarter. They just spent less time reading and more time experimenting.

Crossing the Gap

The bridge from knowing to using has three parts:

1. Start with a real task. Don't open ChatGPT to "explore." Open it with a specific email to write, decision to make, or document to review. Context makes practice meaningful.

2. Accept terrible first attempts. Your first AI-assisted work won't be good. That's normal. The people who seem naturally good at AI just failed more times than you did. Keep iterating.

3. Build a routine. The executives who use AI daily didn't make a conscious decision each time. They built it into their workflow. Morning review with AI. Weekly planning with AI. The habit matters more than any single session.

The Real Test

Here's how to know if you've crossed the gap:

When someone asks "Do you use AI?", you don't think about it. You just say yes. Because it's true. Because it's how you work now.

That's the goal. Not knowing more about AI. Not having opinions about AI. Just using it, naturally, without thinking about whether you should.

Ready to bridge the gap? Start the conversation and make AI part of how you work.