--- title: "AI Quick Tips 181: Is AI-literacy still optional?" description: AI skills are becoming essential in the workplace; learn AI tools now to stay competitive and secure your job. image: https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/AI%20Quick%20Tips-1.jpg --- [![Thoughts Brewing Logo](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Thoughts%20Brewing%20Logo_Round_Final_Light%20Blue_Transparent%20Background-1.png?width=200&height=600&name=Thoughts%20Brewing%20Logo_Round_Final_Light%20Blue_Transparent%20Background-1.png "Thoughts Brewing Logo")](https://www.thoughtsbrewing.com/) Search toggle - [Home](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/home) - [About](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/about) About - [About Us](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/about) - [FAQs](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/faqs) - [Blog](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog) Blog - [Blog Subscription](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/blog-subscription) - [Ask A Question](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/ask-us-anything-business-tech) - 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[Home](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/home) - [About](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/about) About - [About Us](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/about) - [FAQs](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/faqs) - [Blog](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog) Blog - [Blog Subscription](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/blog-subscription) - [Ask A Question](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/ask-us-anything-business-tech) - [Blog Home](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog) - [AI Articles](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/ai) - [Articles by Damien](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/author/damien) - [Articles by Danielle](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/author/danielle) - [AI Training/Courses](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/courses) AI Training/Courses - [Next-Level AI Workshops](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/next-level-ai-workshops) - [Free ChatGPT Email Course](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/chatgpt-kickstarter-email-course) - [Request a YouTube Video](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/youtube-video-request-page) - [AI Quick Tips](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/ai-quick-tips) - [Writing Style Guide Template](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/writing-style-guide-template) - [Human + AI Playbook Template](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/human-ai-playbook) - [NotebookLM Masterclass](https://maven.com/thoughts-brewing-llc/learn-notebooklm-in-a-weekend-2-cohort) - [Fractional COO/CTO Services](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/fractional-coo/cto-services) - [Contact](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/contact) What are you looking for? # AI Quick Tips 181: Is AI-literacy still optional? June 10, 2025 ![Picture of Damien Griffin](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/20cb51297a34e5d5d7c3362ec1fae755) [Damien Griffin](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/author/damien) ![AI Quick Tips](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/AI%20Quick%20Tips-1.jpg) You don’t have to like AI, but you might have to be able to use AI.  If not now, then pretty soon. More and more large companies are making it known that AI is not optional for their teams.  In a leaked Shopify memo, the CEO told his teams that before they ask for more human resources, they will have to demonstrate that the task(s) cannot be done using AI tools.   That is a HUGE shift in culture.   And this isn’t the only company.  Not even close.  More and more companies are either explicitly saying their version of “our employees will know AI…” or are implicitly saying it with their responses to others that are saying it.   Depending on which numbers you look at, one-third to one-half of all people still don’t use AI tools.  That position is becoming dangerous if you want to keep your job. My opinion is that within the next 2 years (and that’s generous), AI literacy will become as much a normal job requirement as email literacy or internet literacy.  If you can’t use AI tools, you will either lose your job to someone who can or you will not be able to get a job because you don’t have these skills.  I’m not saying that you have to like it (I’m not saying that I like it…), but it looks like this is where things are headed.  You could argue that we are at that point now in certain industries. We have doubled down on AI.  Both learning for ourselves and teaching others. My strong recommendation is to get to at least an intermediate level with AI chatbots (i.e., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.).  [Work with us](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/next-level-ai-workshops), work with someone else, whatever.  This is more about you learning the skills.   I have been laid off multiple times over the years.  It…is…not…fun Choose your path   ![ChatGPT Kickstarter Page Icon](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ChatGPT%20Kickstarter%20Page%20Icon.png?width=600&height=496&name=ChatGPT%20Kickstarter%20Page%20Icon.png) #### Don't get left behind. Learn ChatGPT now, before it's no longer optional. [Start Now →](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/chatgpt-kickstarter-email-course) ### Share: [Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/ai-quick-tips-181-is-ai-literacy-still-optional&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook) [Share on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/ai-quick-tips-181-is-ai-literacy-still-optional&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin) [Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/ai-quick-tips-181-is-ai-literacy-still-optional&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&url=https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/ai-quick-tips-181-is-ai-literacy-still-optional&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&source=tweetbutton&text=AI%20Quick%20Tips%20181:%20Is%20AI-literacy%20still%20optional) [AI Quick Tips](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/ai-quick-tips), [AI](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/ai), [ChatGPT](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/chatgpt), [Beginner](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/tag/beginner) ## Comments ## Related posts ##### Menu - [Home](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/home) - [About](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/about) - [Blog](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog) - [AI Training/Courses](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/courses) - [Fractional COO/CTO Services](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/fractional-coo/cto-services) - [Contact](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/contact) [Privacy Policy](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/privacy-policy)   |  [Terms of Use](https://thoughtsbrewing.com/en-us/terms-of-use)    |   Herndon, VA   |   703-296-9912   |   ©2022-2026 Copyright Thoughts Brewing, LLC [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/thoughts-brewing-llc) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/@thoughtsbrewingllc) [Find us on Google](https://g.co/kgs/YhpnVFp) [Find us on Yelp](https://www.yelp.com/biz/thoughts-brewing-herndon) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/thoughtsbrewingllc) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Damien Griffin", "url" : "https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/author/damien" }, "dateModified" : "2026-07-03T14:19:21.465Z", "datePublished" : "2025-06-10T12:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "AI Quick Tips 181: Is AI-literacy still optional?", "image" : [ "https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/AI%20Quick%20Tips-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/ai-quick-tips-181-is-ai-literacy-still-optional", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://thoughtsbrewing.com/hubfs/Thoughts%20Brewing%20Logo_Round_Final_Light%20Blue_Transparent%20Background-1.png" }, "name" : "Thoughts Brewing, LLC" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "Organization", "address" : { "@type" : "PostalAddress", "addressCountry" : "United States of America", "addressLocality" : "Herndon", "addressRegion" : "Virginia", "postalCode" : "20170", "streetAddress" : "205 Van Buren Street, Suite 120" }, "email" : "contact@thoughtsbrewing.com", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://24461783.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24461783/Thoughts%20Brewing%20Logo_Round_Final_Light%20Blue_Transparent%20Background-1.png" }, "name" : "Thoughts Brewing, LLC", "telephone" : "703-296-9912", "url" : "thoughtsbrewing.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "abstract" : "AI skills are becoming essential in the workplace; learn AI tools now to stay competitive and secure your job.", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Damien Griffin" }, "dateModified" : "3 Jul 2026, 14:19", "datePublished" : "2025-06-10 12:00:00", "headline" : "AI Quick Tips 181: Is AI-literacy still optional?", "image" : "https://24461783.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24461783/AI%20Quick%20Tips-1.jpg", "inLanguage" : "en", "keywords" : "[AI Quick Tips, AI, ChatGPT, Beginner]", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@type" : "WebPage" }, "name" : "AI Quick Tips 181: Is AI-literacy still optional?", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://24461783.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/24461783/Thoughts%20Brewing%20Logo_Round_Final_Light%20Blue_Transparent%20Background-1.png" }, "name" : "Thoughts Brewing, LLC" }, "text" : "You don’t have to like AI, but you might have to be able to use AI. If not now, then pretty soon. More and more large companies are making it known that AI is not optional for their teams. In a leaked Shopify memo, the CEO told his teams that before they ask for more human resources, they will have to demonstrate that the task(s) cannot be done using AI tools. That is a HUGE shift in culture. And this isn’t the only company. Not even close. More and more companies are either explicitly saying their version of “our employees will know AI…” or are implicitly saying it with their responses to others that are saying it. Depending on which numbers you look at, one-third to one-half of all people still don’t use AI tools. That position is becoming dangerous if you want to keep your job. My opinion is that within the next 2 years (and that’s generous), AI literacy will become as much a normal job requirement as email literacy or internet literacy. If you can’t use AI tools, you will either lose your job to someone who can or you will not be able to get a job because you don’t have these skills. I’m not saying that you have to like it (I’m not saying that I like it…), but it looks like this is where things are headed. You could argue that we are at that point now in certain industries. We have doubled down on AI. Both learning for ourselves and teaching others. My strong recommendation is to get to at least an intermediate level with AI chatbots (i.e., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.). Work with us, work with someone else, whatever. This is more about you learning the skills. I have been laid off multiple times over the years. It…is…not…fun Choose your path Don't get left behind. Learn ChatGPT now, before it's no longer optional. Start Now →", "url" : "https://thoughtsbrewing.com/blog/ai-quick-tips-181-is-ai-literacy-still-optional" } ```