How to Start Using AI at Work Before Your Colleagues Do
A few weeks ago, an essay called “Something Big Is Happening” started quietly spreading across the internet. Then it went everywhere — 50 million views and counting. In it, a tech entrepreneur named Matt Shumer described being genuinely shocked by how much of his own job AI could now handle. Not the boring parts. The actual work. The thinking work. His message to everyone else: don’t wait until you have no choice.
Whether or not you agree with every word of that essay, here’s the thing — millions of people read it, shared it, and then quietly typed something into Google wondering where to even start. If that’s you, this guide is your answer. No jargon. No expensive tools. Just a practical starting point.
What Is “Using AI at Work,” Really?
When people say “use AI at work,” they don’t mean building robots or writing code. They mean using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — all free or low-cost — to help with the everyday tasks that eat up your time.
Things like:
- Drafting that email you’ve been putting off for an hour
- Summarizing a long document in 30 seconds
- Brainstorming ideas when you’re stuck
- Preparing talking points before a meeting
- Turning messy notes into a clean write-up
You already do all of these things. AI just makes them faster. Think of it less like hiring a robot and more like having a very patient, well-read assistant who never gets tired and doesn’t judge your rough drafts.
How Does It Work?
The simplest way to think about it: AI chatbots are like autocomplete, but for your entire thought.
You know how your phone suggests the next word when you’re texting? AI works on the same basic idea, just scaled up enormously. It’s been trained on vast amounts of text — books, articles, websites, manuals — and learned to predict what a useful, coherent response looks like for almost any question or task.
You don’t need to understand how it does this to use it well. You just need to know what to ask.
How to Try It Yourself
Here’s a simple exercise to get started with a real work task. We’ll use ChatGPT (free at chat.openai.com) or Claude (free at claude.ai) — both work great.
Step 1: Open the tool and start a new conversation.
No account setup needed for the basic version of ChatGPT. Claude.ai takes 30 seconds to sign up with your email.
Step 2: Think of one task you do at work that involves writing or organizing information.
Good examples:
- Writing a response to a difficult email
- Summarizing notes from a meeting
- Drafting a project update for your team
Step 3: Describe it like you’re explaining to a smart colleague.
Instead of just typing “write an email,” try this format:
“I need to write an email to a client who’s frustrated that their order arrived late. I want to apologize sincerely, explain that it was a shipping delay, and offer a 10% discount on their next order. Keep the tone warm and professional, and keep it under 150 words.”
Step 4: Read the result — then refine.
The first response is rarely perfect. But it’s almost always a useful starting point. Try asking:
“Make it a little warmer at the beginning” or “Can you shorten this by 30 words?”
You’re having a conversation, not filling out a form. That’s the part most people miss at first.
Tips to Get Better Results
Give it a role. Starting your prompt with “You are a [type of expert]” gets you sharper results. Try “You are an experienced HR professional” before asking for help with a performance review.
Be specific about the format. Want a bullet list? Say so. Want it under 100 words? Say that too. AI will match whatever structure you request.
Use it for brainstorming, not just writing. Stuck on how to approach a problem? Describe the situation and ask: “What are three different ways I could handle this?” You don’t have to use any of the answers — sometimes just seeing options unsticks your thinking.
Don’t paste sensitive information. Keep your prompts free of confidential client data, personal information, or anything you wouldn’t want outside your company. Use placeholder names if needed.
Save prompts that work. When you find a prompt that reliably gets you a great result for a recurring task — save it in a notes app. Over time, you’ll build a personal library of prompts that make you genuinely faster at your job.
Closing Thought
The honest truth about Matt Shumer’s viral essay isn’t the scary parts — it’s this: people who learn to work alongside AI right now will have a real advantage over those who wait. Not because AI replaces thinking, but because it removes friction. The thinking is still yours. The judgment is still yours. AI just gets the blank page filled in faster, so you can spend your energy on the parts that actually require you.
You don’t need to overhaul your whole workflow tomorrow. Pick one task. Try it today. Even if the first result isn’t perfect, you’ll have learned something about how to ask better — and that’s how every useful skill starts.