What the AI Gap is Costing You

This Week

• Junior employees are falling behind on AI

• A success framework for AI and people

• How marketers can prepare for an AI future

• The content you should be creating for social (and the tools to use)

• Apple notifications: are they brilliant or just bizarre?

Junior Employees Are Falling Behind on AI

Section surveyed over 5,000 knowledge workers across the US, UK, and Canada, revealing a striking gap in AI proficiency. Senior employees (directors and above) significantly outperformed their junior counterparts, with 12% categorized as AI Experts compared to just 5% of individual contributors (ICs). In comparison, 16% of ICs were labeled AI Skeptics—three times the rate of senior staff.

Here’s why that matters: ICs often handle repetitive and manual tasks, the kind that AI excels at automating. But skepticism and lack of training mean many companies are leaving value on the table. By moving just half of their junior employees from Novice to Experimenter proficiency, organizations would see their AI ROI double.

AI isn’t just for leadership. It’s time to bring everyone up to speed.

Get all the stats from the Section report here.

Stop Wasting Money on AI Tools Your Team Won’t Use

Throwing AI tools at your team without a clear plan is like giving them a Ferrari and expecting them to hit the racetrack without lessons. To get real impact from AI, your workforce needs the skills and confidence to use it effectively.

Jonathan M. Kvarfordt, Founder of GTM AI Academy, shares a framework that gets results by focusing on people as much as technology. 

He has four steps for making this happen:

1. Build the Environment for Success

• Define AI’s Role: Make it clear how tools will simplify tasks. For example, tools like Momentum.io can automate data entry.

• Integrate tools and provide resources like prompt libraries for ChatGPT to reduce the learning curve.

• Celebrate wins (like a team member who shortens response times using AI). Recognition drives momentum.

2. Empower Your Team with Champions

• Pilot teams are your secret weapon. Share their workflows and successes to inspire confidence.

• Tailor training to specific roles. Sales teams can focus on lead scoring, while support teams optimize customer interactions.

• Use low-code or user-friendly tools for non-technical roles, ensuring a smooth adoption process.

3. Commit to Continuous Learning

• Use pilot team insights to improve workflows and address gaps.

• Create a resource library with best practices, prompts, and FAQs that evolves with team contributions.

• Let tiger team champions host sessions to demystify AI and showcase real-world impact.

4. Enable in Real Time

• Offer instant help through Slack channels or dedicated support desks.

• Use custom GPT models or tools like NotebookLM to create job-specific resources that lighten the learning load.

• Equip employees with quick-reference guides for common AI challenges.

AI’s real power lies in your team’s ability to use it well. With the right support, training, and peer-led learning, you’re creating a workforce ready to harness AI for real impact.

Why Marketers Feel Unprepared for the Future

Feeling behind? You’re not the only one: 90% of marketers admit they need better AI skills.

Marketers are embracing the reality that AI isn’t just a trend—it’s a transformative force. A staggering 86% believe AI will change how work is done in their industry, with B2B marketers (50%) feeling the impact more strongly than their B2C counterparts (36%).

AI’s potential to enhance creativity (76%) and improve knowledge (67%) is undeniable, but there are hurdles. The biggest concerns include accuracy and reliability (80%), copyright and ownership issues (71%), and data security (67%). These are significant challenges, yet only 32% of marketers worry about AI displacing jobs, with B2B marketers slightly more anxious than B2C.

One area where marketers agree? They need to catch up. A full 90% say they need to improve their generative AI skills, with many citing automation, data analysis, and content creation as priorities.

For marketing teams, this means two things:
1️⃣ Upskilling is critical. Without strong AI literacy, marketers will struggle to leverage tools effectively or navigate their pitfalls.
2️⃣ Confidence in AI’s potential must be balanced with caution. Addressing accuracy, ethical implications, and security concerns will determine whether AI adoption leads to sustainable success.

The future of marketing is AI-enabled, but it’s clear we have work to do before we’re truly ready to make the most of this technology.

To access the full report, head over to Social Media Examiner.

Are You Wasting Your Time Creating Social Content?

Too many marketers and brands are stuck on the social media hamster wheel, churning out content without seeing real results. The problem? They’re playing it safe with generic posts instead of delivering the kind of fresh, valuable insights audiences actually care about.

This is where AI comes in. Tools like Ubersuggest and Answer the Public can help you tap into the questions your audience is already asking. By using AI to analyze trends and uncover opportunities, you can craft content that hits home.

Video content, in particular, continues to dominate for a reason—it grabs attention, conveys emotion, and drives engagement better than most other formats. Whether it’s short-form clips for Instagram Reels or in-depth explainers on LinkedIn, video creates a powerful connection with your audience. 

AI tools like Pictory or Descript (which I particularly like) make it easier than ever to produce high-quality videos that stand out, even on a tight budget or timeline.

It’s not about posting more; it’s about posting smarter. When you let AI guide your strategy and prioritize what works (like video), you’re not just saving time—you’re making your efforts count.

Neil Patel has a lot more advice: find it on his blog.  

Apple’s AI Notifications: Brillant or Bizzare?

Apple’s new AI-powered notification summaries are definitely catching attention—not just for being handy, but for the moments that leave you thinking, “Wait, what?”

Apple’s new AI is trying its hand at summarizing your notifications, making it easier to skim through updates. The problem? It doesn’t always get the context right—and the results can be hilariously off.

Notifications to “call Mom” are showing up as a “family crisis alert,” and “quarterly earnings” meetings are being rebranded as “financial anxiety ahead.”

These AI-powered notifications are meant to simplify life, but sometimes, they’re just delivering comedy gold.

Here are a few of the best. Enjoy!