Lately, I’ve been having more and more conversations with people I respect. Colleagues. Creators. Academics. Builders. And no matter where we start—whether it’s education, work, or tech—we almost always find ourselves here:
Artificial Intelligence.
And not in the cute way people say “I asked ChatGPT to write my essay lol.” No.
I mean in the real, uncomfortable, paradigm-shifting way. The kind that makes you rethink your entire model. Your company. Your value. Your career. The world.
Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI tweeted something that resonated with a lot, but also brought a lot of discomfort for most:
As I prepare to enroll in my EdD in Leadership and Innovation, I’ve decided—very deliberately—that my problem of practice will center around AI.
Not just how it’s changing what we teach, but how it’s transforming how we teach. Why we teach. Who we’re teaching for.
Because here’s the thing: it’s no longer about “keeping up.” That window is closed.
Now it’s about catching up—or being left behind entirely.
This Isn’t Theory for Me. It’s Personal.
I’ve been in a season of stillness.
No noise. Just my home. My thoughts. My AI.
For the past few months, I’ve spent time training and interacting with large language models. Not for a job. Not for content. Just… for the sake of learning.
To see what it could do. To see what I could become with it.
And the more I tested it, the more I realized something:
AI is not here to help you cheat. It’s here to show you who you are.
It magnifies everything. Your laziness. Your brilliance. Your structure. Your doubt.
Micha (CEO of Fivver) Said It
A few days ago, Micha Kaufman—the CEO of Fiverr—sent a company-wide memo that is presently circulating, and he also shared on his personal social media. This was (obviously) my favorite line:
“AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it’s coming for my job too.”
It is a level of honesty I mirror, and deeply respect. It is something I have continued to reiterate over the past few months.
A lot of leaders are still sugarcoating this shift. Still whispering. Still debating.
But Micha said it plainly:
“Google is dead. LLMs and GenAI are the new basics. If you’re not using them as experts, your value will decrease before you know what hit you.”
That’s not alarmism. That’s precision.
And for someone like me—someone who’s running ventures across industries, from edtech to agtech to gaming—that message doesn’t scare me.
It confirms what I’ve already known.
Think Entrepreneurship
At the Kwathu Kollective, our mission is to prepare Africa’s talent for the future. Not just to be employed. But to be relevant.
And I’ll say this now: anyone still waiting for a training workshop or a nice PowerPoint to help them “transition into AI” is already behind.
At Digital Skills for Africa, we’ve already started pivoting.
We’re not just teaching people how to use tools anymore.
We’re teaching them how to prompt. How to fine-tune. How to co-create.
How to think with machines.
Because in a few months—and yes, I mean months—prompt engineering will be a basic skill.
Like typing. Like googling.
And if you can’t speak AI, you won’t be in the room.
When I started Bien Corporation, we were doing digital storytelling—mostly for travel and lifestyle brands. I was a content creator.
Then a strategist. Then a business owner.
Today? We’re evolving again.
Now, my teams works with AI—on brand development, visual identity, even campaign ideation.
Not to replace people. But to challenge them.
To get the ideas flowing faster. Sharper. With more range.
I’m watching AI make average people obsolete and extraordinary people unignorable.
And I say this with no fear in my chest—only clarity.
You Can’t Lead What You Don’t Understand
This was inevitable: I’m going back to school. Again.
In 2024, the New York University invited me to explore their Education Doctorate in Leadership and Innovation.
I was keen to enroll this year, but my admissions advisor felt that I focus on the first year of my MBA, first, before choosing to juggle two degrees at once (again).
For me, continued education from hereon is more than just researching theory or writing papers. I want to challenge institutions. To rethink how we define learning. Value. Leadership.
Because education as we know it is not built for this speed.
And let me be clear: AI is not the enemy. Mediocrity is.
The systems we’ve spent decades building—schools, businesses, policy frameworks—were not designed for this moment.
But those of us who’ve always had to be adaptive? Those of us who come from scarcity? From systems that never worked for us anyway?
We’ll figure it out.
So… What Now?
Borrowing again from Micha Kaufman, here are a few truths we must embrace:
- Stop waiting to be invited. Pitch. Lead. Build. The future won’t ask for permission.
- Master the AI tools in your field. Not just play with them. Master them. Make them work for you, at scale, with precision.
- Time is no longer your friend. If you’re working like it’s 2024, you’re already late.
- Learn to engineer prompts. It’s no longer about googling better—it’s about communicating with intelligence that learns as you do.
- Become indispensable by becoming adaptable. The one constant now is change.
This Is the Mirror: Your AI and You
AI is not the end. It is a new normal.
Your AI going to reflect everything you feed it. Your fear. Your laziness. Your courage. Your systems.
So, if you’re going to feed it anything—
Feed it your discipline.
Your clarity.
Your vision.
All the best on this new normal—with your AI and you.
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