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We’ve been here before

I see the AI shift as a convergence of two previous evolutions: information access evolution and manufacturing automation.

Information Evolution: We went from asking mentors → reading books in libraries → searching Google → now having AI distill and synthesize everything for us. Each step eliminated more grunt work of finding information, forcing us to get better at asking the right questions, innovate, and improve our work.

Generative AI is the next step. It doesn't just output potential solutions and knowledge sources—it distills and synthesizes them and gives you one answer. Think of it as having a research assistant who's read everything but only gives you relevant insights when you know how to ask properly.

Manufacturing Revolution: When machines automated textile production, humans didn't disappear. We moved up the value chain—from operating looms to designing patterns, managing operations, and building brands. The repetitive work migrated to machines. The creative, strategic work became more valuable.

Generative AI is doing exactly the same thing to knowledge work. The pattern is identical: automate the routine, elevate the human.

For me, Gen AI (and AI agents later) simply merges these two aspects for knowledge work. That's why you see the terms "AI & Automation," "AI agents," AI "workflows," etc.

How AI is pushing us toward higher grounds

Everything that's rule-based, repetitive, or can be turned into a standard operating procedure is migrating to AI. And that's fantastic!

Why should you spend 30 minutes writing social media content about something you already explained in a video? Why pre-qualify hundreds of leads manually when AI can do it in seconds? Why copy-paste data from your ERP to Excel for the same analysis you did last week?

Millions of people do these tasks daily. It's still knowledge work, but it's boring, repetitive work that prevents them from doing what only humans can do.

Here are real examples:

Real example: I helped a business executive transform his content workflow. He now repurposes long-form content into 20 authentic social media posts in 1 hour instead of 6. The AI handles formatting and adaptation; he provides strategic direction and authentic insights.

Another example: Instead of generic cold outreach, we use AI to generate personalized emails based on specific business and lead insights. We define the strategy, tone, and desired outcomes. The AI handles the repetitive research and writing. Response rates jumped 3x.

The human input changes: instead of doing the work, you now give strategic directions to the AI.

You think about and write a strategic prompt: "Act as a conversion copywriter. Write a marketing email for [specific audience]. Use this framework: [problem-agitation-solution]. Include these pain points: [specific list]. Make the tone [specific style]. Here are 3 examples of emails that worked: [examples]."

For businesses, I expect AI will drive costs down for services and products. Those who do not adapt won't be able to compete in the coming months and years.

The HUMAN premium: your competitive advantage

Here's something counterintuitive: I believe as AI commoditizes basic tasks, human expertise becomes more valuable, not less. But only specific types of human expertise.

Generic advice? AI can provide that. But understanding why your specific e-commerce business struggles with cart abandonment in the UAE market during Ramadan? That requires cultural insight, business experience, and creative problem-solving that no AI can replicate.

The value is shifting toward:

• Personalized strategy over generic solutions

• Cultural and contextual understanding over broad knowledge

• Creative problem-solving over process execution

• Relationship building over transactional interactions

What to do next?

The question isn't "Will AI take my job?" It's "What uniquely human value can I provide that becomes more important as AI handles the routine work?"

Those who recognize this shift early and consciously migrate their efforts up the value chain will build sustainable competitive advantages. Those who don't will find themselves competing on price against AI-powered alternatives.

Your next steps:

1. Audit your work: List tasks you do repeatedly that follow predictable patterns. I’ve shared two articles on think about it & audit (Assessment framework, Mental model to identify AI implementation opportunity). I can also assist you there.

2. Start small: Pick one low-effort, high-value task where AI can help immediately

3. Define success: Set clear KPIs before you begin (time saved, quality improved, output increased)

4. Test and iterate: Apply AI, measure results, refine your approach until satisfied

5. Scale up: Once you prove ROI, move to higher-value, higher-effort AI implementations

Don't try to transform everything at once. Build momentum with quick wins, then expand.

Until next time! 

Amine

P.S. If you're ready to explore how AI can transform specific processes in your business, let's talk. I help SMBs & professional implement practical AI solutions that deliver measurable results.