Am I Wasting Time Learning Skills AI Will Beat
Am I just wasting my time improving skills that AI (Artificial Intelligence) will outperform anyway?
The thought sneaks in late at night, doesn’t it? When you’re knee-deep in a course, grinding through another practice session, trying—really trying—to stay ahead. But it’s there, whispering. A little louder every time another headline pops up about AI breaking records, replacing jobs, and outperforming humans. You close your laptop a little harder than necessary and wonder: Is this all just a losing game?
If you’re feeling that way, you’re not alone. And honestly? You’re not crazy for thinking it.
This weird era we’re living in, where machines seem to evolve faster than we can blink, makes it incredibly easy to feel… well, a little pointless. Like you’re building a sandcastle with the tide coming in. You know it’s beautiful, you know it matters, but part of you wonders if it’s already too late.
It’s easy to get stuck here. To stall out before you even really begin. But maybe — just maybe — there’s another way to look at it.
Let’s dig a little deeper together.
The Race We Didn’t Know We Were Running
You know that feeling when you’re halfway through a project and suddenly realize… the rules changed? That’s what living with Artificial Intelligence feels like most days. It’s like signing up for a marathon, only to find out at mile 13 that now it’s a triathlon. And oh, by the way, your competitors don’t need to sleep.
How are we supposed to keep up with that?
Here’s the raw truth: if we define success only by how fast we can perform tasks, memorize data, or follow procedures, then yeah — AI is going to win. It already does. It’s better, faster, cheaper. And it’s not even breaking a sweat.
But you and I… we’re not machines.
The real question isn’t “Can I do it faster than AI?” It’s “Can I do it more meaningfully than AI?”
Because that — messy, flawed, heart-driven meaning — is still ours. And it matters more than you might realize.
Skills That Aren’t Wasted — They’re Transformed
Imagine for a second you’re learning to play the piano. Now, sure, there’s AI that can compose symphonies in under a minute. But does that make your late-night, slightly off-key, aching-fingered rendition of “Clair de Lune” meaningless?
Of course not.
Because skills aren’t just about the end product. They’re about the process. The journey. The invisible growth that happens inside you as you struggle, fall, get back up, and learn again.
Artificial Intelligence might outperform, but it can’t out-experience.
When you’re improving your skills — whether it’s coding, designing, writing, teaching, or any other craft — you’re not just learning a technical output. You’re cultivating resilience. Adaptability. Creativity. Judgment. Empathy.
All the things that don’t show up on a resume quite the same way, but shape the soul of your work.
And these things? They’re not so easily replaced.
No matter how shiny the machines get.
Learning Isn’t Just About Keeping Up — It’s About Staying Alive
Let’s be real: part of why we chase skill-building is survival. We need to work. We need to stay relevant. That pressure is real and deserves respect.
But there’s a second, quieter reason we learn that’s just as important: we need to feel alive.
Stretching your brain. Tackling something hard. Seeing the dots connect after days of confusion.
It reminds you that you’re capable. That you’re growing. That you’re human.
AI might know a lot, but it doesn’t learn like we do. It doesn’t feel the thrill of breakthrough after struggle. It doesn’t feel the pride of mastery hard-won.
You do.
So even if the marketplace changes, even if job titles vanish and new ones appear, your journey with learning isn’t wasted.
It’s feeding your mind, your confidence, your story.
And no algorithm gets to take that from you.
The Trap of Perfection and the Freedom of Being Human
One of the sneakiest lies about living in the AI era is that you have to be perfect — or you’re irrelevant.
If you can’t do it flawlessly, instantly, endlessly… you’re out.
But here’s the messy, beautiful, almost rebellious truth: people don’t connect with perfection.
They connect with realness. With mistakes. With the beautiful flaws that remind them they’re not alone.
You think you’re wasting your time improving your skills because you can’t be faster, sharper, bigger than Artificial Intelligence.
But what if your very imperfections are what make you irreplaceable?
Maybe it’s your unique approach to problem-solving.
Maybe it’s the offbeat ideas you toss out when everyone else is playing it safe.
Maybe it’s the way you mentor someone, pulling from not just knowledge but experience, grit, and compassion.
None of that is wasted.
None of that is obsolete.
Leaning In Instead of Checking Out
If you’ve been feeling that slow, heavy pull of “what’s the point?”, you’re standing at a crossroads.
You could step back. Numb out. Let the wave pass over you.
Or you could lean in. Learn anyway. Create anyway. Show up anyway.
Not because you’ll always beat AI at its own game.
But because it’s your game you’re playing.
What’s built into you — your humor, your tenacity, your intuition — can’t be mass-produced or machine-learned.
And when you approach skill-building not as a desperate race against extinction, but as a deepening of your own humanity, you win in a way AI never can.
It’s not about doing what the machines can’t.
It’s about doing what only you can.
So, keep learning. Keep reaching.
Even if it feels a little hopeless sometimes. Even if progress comes slower than you want.
Because every time you sharpen a skill, you’re not just preparing for an unpredictable future.
You’re proving to yourself — and the world — that human brilliance is far from finished.
And you?
You’re just getting started.
Can I really use AI to find out how to get leads by using AI. Or am I just setting myself up for disappointment?