Becoming an AI Expert in Your Company or Industry

​Worried you're falling behind on AI while others in your industry are racing ahead? Unsure how to position yourself as the go-to AI resource inside your company—even if you're not a developer?

In this article, you'll discover a step-by-step approach to becoming an AI expert in your organization or niche so you can lead innovation, unlock new career opportunities, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Why Having AI Expertise Matters Now, Today

While 2023 was a year of people playing around with artificial intelligence (AI), and 2024 became a year of discovery, 2025 is shaping up to be the year when companies recognize they must take decisive action on AI implementation. So, it follows that AI expertise has emerged as one of the most valuable skills in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. 

The business impact is undeniable. According to Chris Daigle, a recent study involving Procter & Gamble found that “an employee who has been properly trained in AI will outperform an entire team of employees who are not using AI.” This extraordinary productivity advantage explains why AI-enabled professionals are so highly sought after.

The demand for AI-enabled professionals vastly exceeds the supply, creating unprecedented opportunities for those willing to develop these skills. Daigle notes this gap is widening as businesses realize they need AI expertise. 

AI Fundamentals Mean Job Security in an Evolving Landscape

While many professionals worry that AI might eliminate their jobs, the real threat is being left behind for others who embrace it.

Unlike general AI tools that augment human capabilities, autonomous AI agents will be able to perform complete workflows with minimal supervision. This technological shift is leading to a fundamental reassessment of workforce needs. Businesses won't need as many people as they have in the past.

However, this doesn't spell doom for everyone. Organizations need people who understand their business needs and how AI can address them, and they'll turn to their AI-savvy employees first.

This creates a unique position of job security. 

The value proposition becomes clear: being AI-enabled makes you the bridge between traditional business operations and emerging technologies. While purely execution-focused roles may diminish, the need for employees who can guide AI implementation, interpret results, and align technological capabilities with business objectives will only increase.

This position as an “interpreter” between business and technology creates not just job security but often leads to career advancement opportunities as organizations increasingly recognize the strategic importance of AI expertise.

How to Demonstrate Your AI Expertise to Your Boss in 15 Minutes or Less

Consider this scenario: Your boss discovers you've been learning about AI and asks you to present a deck on how to use AI in Marketing to your team—in just 15 minutes. Here's how an AI-enhanced approach might look with detailed tool insights:

Research and Outline Your Slide Deck Outline (2 minutes)

Instead of using Google, which returns results requiring additional research, use Perplexity, which synthesizes information for you. Ask Perplexity to give you an outline for using AI in marketing. In 60-120 seconds, you'll have a complete research outline.

Create Your Slide Deck (3 minutes)

Copy Perplexity's output and paste it into Gamma. In about two minutes, you'll have a professionally designed presentation you can export in different file formats.

Document the Meeting

Use an AI meeting assistant like Fathom to take notes during the presentation meeting. After the meeting, Fathom can analyze the transcription for action items you or the team should follow up on. Chris says Fathom not only records and transcribes your meeting but also offers specialized analysis filters for different meeting types so you can get analysis tailored to the meeting type with just one click.

Send Post-Presentation Follow-Up (2 minutes) 

After the presentation, upload the transcript from Fathom to ChatGPT or Claude to write follow-up emails you can send to your boss. You can direct it specifically with instructions like: 

I need to create an email for the attendees of this meeting. I want my boss to know that I'm eager to assist the team in growing their AI skills. I'm eager to take a larger role with the organization because of what I'm learning about AI. 

The AI will produce a professional follow-up email you can immediately copy and paste into your email client.

How to Become a Recognized AI Expert

The window of opportunity to establish yourself as an AI expert in your field is wide open, but it won't remain that way indefinitely.

The good news is that getting started requires minimal investment. Most essential AI tools cost $20-30 per month, and many learning resources are free. The bigger investment is your time and willingness to experiment, learn, and share your knowledge.

For most professionals, the path to AI expertise doesn't require technical skills. You don't have to be an AI engineer, a data scientist, or understand programming language. Instead, it demands curiosity, practical application, and a commitment to helping others benefit from these powerful tools.

Start by identifying tasks you dislike doing and aren't particularly good at anyway. These are perfect candidates for AI enhancement. You can use generative AI tools to do them for you or assist you. Marketing and creative departments offer particularly easy wins, as AI tools excel at content creation, editing, and ideation tasks.

Pro Tip: Rather than trying to keep up with every new AI release, Daigle recommends mastering a select few tools in each category. The pace of AI development means that features quickly migrate across competing products, so if the tool you're using doesn't have an emerging feature, it will soon, making deep knowledge of a few tools more valuable than surface-level familiarity with many.

Establish Your Influence Within Your Company

As you discover useful AI tools, applications, and techniques, demonstrate them with your colleagues. This accomplishes two important goals: it helps others while positioning you as a knowledgeable resource. Then, when people get stuck with technology issues, they'll come to you for help.

As you implement AI solutions, track the improvements in productivity, quality, and timelines. When your department starts showing efficiency gains, leadership will naturally ask what's behind the success. The answer will be you, your company's AI expert!

Finally, connect with others on the same journey through online communities, courses, or membership groups. These provide access to collective knowledge, saving you from having to test every new tool yourself.

Expand Your Influence Beyond Your Company

Once you've established credibility within your organization, here are three ways to grow your sphere of influence.

Organize Local Meetups: Host AI-focused gatherings for professionals in your area. You don't need to be the featured speaker, simply organizing the event positions you as a connector and knowledge resource. The event format can be informal and doesn't require extensive planning; it's enough to bring together people who share an interest in AI applications.

Speak at Business Organizations: Local business groups, chambers of commerce, and economic development councils are constantly seeking relevant speakers. When you offer to speak about practical AI applications for business, you'll likely be taken up on your offer on the spot.

Create Content Around Your AI Learning Journey: As you gain confidence, consider creating content that documents your exploration of AI. Start with written posts on social media platforms like LinkedIn, then potentially expand to video content or podcasts.

You don't need to position yourself as the ultimate authority—simply asking good questions and facilitating learning can establish you as a valuable resource. Daigle's podcast, Using AI at Work, began as a way for him to learn from others.

Pursue Formal Recognition

While practical experience is essential, formal credentials can help differentiate you in business settings. Consider pursuing certifications or completing courses that provide credentials you can display on your resume or LinkedIn profile. These provide external validation that you have followed a set process to become an expert or master at using AI in a particular way.

Other Notes From This Episode

• Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Facebook and @Mike_Stelzner on X.
• Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.

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