Stop chasing AI experts

Nike doesn't need to hire NBA players for its marketing team to succeed, just as companies don't need to hire extreme AI talent for efficiency gains. Instead, employees across the organization need to understand how AI applies to their specific roles. AI skills are categorized into three types: AI literacy for everyone, AI integration for technical professionals, and AI creation for specialists. AI literacy involves understanding AI's capabilities and limitations to prevent common failures like over-trusting outputs. AI tool fluency is role-specific, requiring different tools for different job functions. Equipping thousands of employees with generative AI tools, as IKEA did, empowers them to apply AI to their daily tasks across various departments. AI integration, like installing GPS into a car, is for engineering teams and involves prompt design and system evaluation. Salesforce's Thoughtluck Thursdays exemplify this by showcasing practical AI integrations and sharing reusable patterns. AI creation, the development and training of models, is a specialized skill not required company-wide unless AI is central to product strategy. External hiring of AI experts is necessary for AI creation needs but shouldn't be the primary path for literacy and integration. Reskilling existing employees who understand the business offers greater returns than teaching AI to new hires. HR should lead the talent development aspect, focusing on training, role evolution, and performance measurement. A practical approach involves piloting AI with an eager team, providing resources and training, and then sharing company-wide results to inform a scalable AI strategy. This iterative process, starting where work happens, is more effective than large hires or top-down mandates.