AI isn’t the threat. The real risk is people choosing not to embrace it.

AI has quietly taken over my daily life. It’s woven itself into my routines so seamlessly that I barely noticed - until I realised how much I rely on it. Getting a mobile phone was the last time a new technology has had such a transformational effect on me. Fast forward to today: I’m on a plane to Geneva, writing this on an iPhone that’s more powerful than any tool I’ve ever owned. I didn’t even bring a laptop and looking around neither did anybody else on the flight.

Now, like the mobile phone AI is following the same path - quietly embedding itself into everything I do. Every search, idea, email, and document are touched by it. Tomorrow, I’ll share this blog after AI tidies it up for me.

These tools have become second nature. I use them almost without thinking. Soon, AI might write this for me and simply ask for sign-off, freeing me to focus on something else.

But what is the something else? The answer feels simple: time to think, innovate, ideate, connect… time to be me.

The truth is, AI has empowered me. According to the Insights assessment, I’d be “Red” - action-driven, extroverted, with all the pros and cons. But that label misses something: I’ve spent years shaping myself to overcome challenges.

My written English isn’t perfect, and I struggle with long documents - traits that might be diagnosed today as ADHD or dyslexia. Over the years I’ve developed workarounds. However now, AI helps me totally overcome those barriers. For the first time, I feel confident sharing my thoughts with the world. I can structure ideas, summarise documents, and express myself clearly. It’s releasing me to be me.

Remember our core strength is that we’re human. Creative. Collaborative. Communicative. Ask Copilot what it means to be human, and you’ll get a definition - but ask yourself what you love doing. For me, it’s problem-solving and creating.

Technology makes life easier, yet often it feels like it complicates things. How many times have I wished for someone to take notes, bounce ideas around, do research, or make my poor PowerPoint look better? Technology created many of these challenges, and now, AI is solving them. It’s my personal assistant, living in the most useful device I own: my phone.

Mediazoo recently launched our new podcast, Generating... In the first episode, I joined Ed Monk, CEO of the Learning Performance Institute, to explore the impact of AI on L&D. We discussed job risks, opportunities, and the future of work.

But what struck me most was this: AI isn’t the threat. The real risk is people choosing not to embrace it.

In 2023, Khan Academy launched Khanmigo, an AI-powered tutor and teaching assistant built on GPT-4. It wasn’t just another chatbot, it was a bold step toward personalised learning at scale. Khanmigo could guide students through math problems, help them write essays, debate historical figures, and even assist teachers with lesson planning. It didn’t just give answers - it coached, questioned, and encouraged deeper understanding.

Students began asking more questions, engaging more deeply, and learning in ways that felt tailored to them. Khan Academy didn’t just adopt AI, they reimagined what learning could be.

We are now seeing AI step into education not as a replacement, but as a partner. It’s guiding students through complex problems, adapting to their pace, and offering personal feedback. It’s helping teachers identify struggling learners earlier, and freeing up time to focus on what matters most: connection, curiosity, and creativity.

Imagine a future where every learner has access to a personalised mentor. Where learning is no longer confined to classrooms or curriculums, but happens continuously, fluidly, and intuitively. Where AI doesn’t just deliver content, but helps us ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and explore ideas we hadn’t considered.

We’re moving from standardised education to intelligent learning ecosystems. The goal isn’t just to teach, it’s to unlock potential.

AI becomes more embedded in how we learn, it’s also changing what we need to learn.

The pace of change is relentless. Emerging technologies, shifting job roles, and evolving industries mean that learning can’t stop at graduation.

Adaptability is now key. Those who keep learning stay relevant and curiosity is now the competitive advantage. Self-driven learning - through podcasts, online courses, or AI tutors - is becoming the norm.

As one study put it: “You should not be the same version of yourself a year from now as you are today.” That’s the mindset we need.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report doesn’t list coding or data science at the top of its skills outlook. Instead, it highlights behavioral and cognitive skills - the very traits that make us human.

These aren’t just “soft skills” - they’re human skills. They reflect our creative origins, our ability to adapt, connect, and lead and AI can help bring all of these skills into the open.

As we look ahead, one truth becomes clear: skills development isn’t just a business priority, it’s a national imperative.

The UK faces a paradox. Despite growing awareness of the need for upskilling, L&D investment has declined over the past decade. At the same time, organisations are spending more on generic, off-the-shelf content - quick to deploy, but often lacking the depth, relevance, and alignment needed to drive real change.

This shift has created a gap. Businesses are investing in learning, but not always in learning that moves the needle.

To unlock growth, we need to move beyond one-size-fits-all training. The future lies in personalised, contextualised learning that AI provides - content that reflects the unique goals, culture, and challenges of each organisation.

Custom learning improves retention, drives greater competency gains, and enables employees to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios. It aligns learning with business strategy - turning training from a cost centre into a growth driver.

The UK’s growth is being held back by skills mismatches and underinvestment in training. Research reveals that gaps in career transitions - from education to employment - are costing the UK billions annually. That includes delays in moving from education into work, disruption from automation, and reskilling gaps. Scarily, over a million young people are not in either education, employment, or training.

These figures aren’t just statistics - they’re a call to action.

To build a resilient workforce, we must bridge the gap between education and employment. That means embedding real-world skills into curricula, supporting educators with tools and time to focus on curiosity, critical thinking, and adaptability, and creating flexible pathways that allow learners to move seamlessly from school to work.

This transition isn’t just a policy challenge, it’s a cultural one. We need to use AI to allow us to reimagine learning as a lifelong journey, not a one-time event.

For businesses, this is a moment to lead. By investing in developing AI skills, not just content, we can build more agile, innovative teams, attract and retain top talent, and drive measurable impact aligned to strategic goals.

For the UK, it’s a chance to unlock growth, widen opportunity, and future-proof the workforce.

So the question isn’t whether we can afford to invest in AI. It’s whether we can afford not to.