Believe it or not, there was a time when people thought the internet was a fad.

Seriously. Back in the mid-90s, it was this mysterious, slightly intimidating thing called “cyberspace.” It was the realm of hackers, dial-up screeches, and weird chat rooms. Some folks swore it was just for techies. Others insisted it was dangerous or unnecessary. Sound familiar?

That's where we are with AI right now.

If you're still on the fence about learning how to use AI in your work—whether you're an employee, a manager, or a business owner—I'm here to tell you something:

not only is AI not a fad, it's on track to become as fundamental to your job as MS Word, email, and the smartphone in your pocket.

And if you don’t get comfortable with it soon, someone else will—someone who’s faster, more efficient, and, frankly, more valuable.

AI isn’t this separate, mysterious tech that's “coming.” It’s already here. And it’s creating huge bottom-line results for companies willing to embrace it—not in the future, but now.

Real AI. Real Profits.

According to an article in Reuters, Verizon—yes, the same company that sends you mobile bills—is seeing a 40% increase in sales across its 28,000-person service team since rolling out a new AI system powered by Google’s Gemini model. This AI assistant helps customer reps answer questions faster and more accurately, which frees them up to do what humans are great at: building rapport and selling.

In other words,