I didn’t learn to read until the fourth grade. That's late, you guys. Growing up in a small mountain town in New Mexico, my little school did what it could, but resources were limited, and at home, there wasn’t much support. My mom, like many parents, assumed that school would handle teaching me how to read. How to sound out syllables. How to spell. What phonetics was. Today, as many parents know, the most successful readers often have guidance and encouragement from a young age. My wife spends at least an hour a day with our 16 month-year-old on letters, sounds and reading.

I knew I did not know how to read. And I knew that I was in trouble. But I was 6, 7, 8 years old! I did not know how to fix my situation, but I did know how to hide. I would sink down in my seat or slink out to the restroom when we would read out loud in class. I was embarrassed. But once I was in second and third grade? Then I was trapped. I had been passed long with D's, keeping me moving to the next grade without the skills I needed. I was petrified someone would find out. So I did not ask for help. I lied. I cheated. I am sad just thinking about my little self, feeling the way she did back then.

It wasn’t until my fourth grade teacher really noticed I was behind. She sat down with me, alone during a recess and told me she wanted to help. That was when things began to change. She took the time to help me catch up, and she helped my mom enroll me in a community center learning lab, ran by a local non-profit that was designed for kids struggling specifically with early reading skills. This additional investment, coaching, patience, and care made all the difference. How would I write cheeky LinkedIn articles if I could not read?

I will always remember the first chapter book that I understood. The first story I could follow, and it opened my eyes to the power of reading comprehension: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. It transported me to another time and place, showing me the profound impact that understanding a story can have. Reading made me more empathetic, curious, creative, and challenged me intellectually.

Now (for the obvious metaphorical connection to AI), I see parallels between my journey with reading and our collective journey with artificial intelligence (AI).

AI: The New Literacy

Just as reading opened up new worlds for me, AI has the potential to unlock unimaginable realms of innovation, creativity, conversation, intellectual discussions, and partnerships. But, like reading, embracing AI requires support, guidance, and a willingness to learn. If you’re feeling like you’re just being passed along, hoping no one notices that you don’t understand or aren’t utilizing AI, it’s time to seek out coaching and support. AI isn’t something to be afraid of, it’s a tool that can enhance our abilities and open doors to new possibilities.

Some rad trends I am excited to see more of in 2025:

Personalized Learning and Development: AI is revolutionizing how we approach education and skill-building both in education (think about those kids like little Jessica who are struggling to read) and in our work environments (think about that executive leader who is embarrassed and keeps hearing about AI).

  • Upskilling and Reskilling: Addressing the growing skills gap created by technological disruption by providing targeted training programs. Imagine... "AI Just Saved me from another Excel-induced breakdown! As someone who used to spend three hours wrestling with nested IF statements. Now, AI explains what the formulas do, and suggests cleaner alternatives. Suddenly, dashboards are getting built, and coworkers are asking ME for help."
  • Generative AI: Redefining how learners and instructors experience corporate training by enabling personalized, interactive, and adaptive learning experiences at scale. Imagine... "Generative AI in Corporate Training. My training buddy doesn’t judge when I forget what an API is... again. An onboarding module powered by AI offers instant answers, simulates real client conversations, and gives blunt-but-helpful feedback like, “Maybe don’t open with ‘So what do you even do here?’ next time.” It’s like a tutor with infinite patience and just enough sass."
  • Personalized Learning Paths: Moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to training, offering tailored content that addresses individual skill gaps, job roles, and career goals. Imagine... "Turns out I learn best with memes and ‘choose your own adventure’ quests! Traditional webinars weren’t cutting it. Now, learning is delivered in Slack with gifs, interactive decision-making stories, and content that feels tailored, not templated. Somehow, it’s exactly what was needed—even if that wasn’t clear at the start."

Enhancing Customer Experience: Enabling hyper-personalization and real-time responsiveness (think anticipation of needs, not just meeting them).

  • Hyper-Personalization: Utilizing AI to create individualized, real-time experiences that anticipate customer needs before they’re even voiced. Imagine... "I didn’t even click ‘search’ yet and somehow, the site knew I needed size 9 boots in waterproof black. A customer logged in to reorder hiking gear. Before they typed a word, the homepage had already rearranged itself—showing preferred brands, in-stock sizes, and new arrivals based on past purchases and recent weather in their area. AI didn’t just personalize—it anticipated."
  • AI-Enhanced Decisioning: Enabling real-time, data-driven optimization of content, functionality, and interactions through continuous feedback loops. Imagine... "The website actually stopped showing me things I kept ignoring. Is this... progress? After weeks of scrolling past the same promotional banner, the site finally got the hint. AI dynamically adjusted what was shown based on click behavior, cart abandonment, and time spent on each page. The result? Fewer eye-rolls, more clicks, and an uncanny feeling of being understood."
  • Conversational AI: Implementing systems that enable human-like interaction using AI, with conversation as the primary modality, enhancing customer engagement. These advancements allow businesses to deliver experiences that are not only efficient but also deeply personalized and engaging. Imagine... "I told the chatbot I was panicking about a delayed flight, and it responded like a calm travel agent instead of a robot from 2005. A traveler typed “I’m stuck and need help fast” into a support chat. Instead of getting a 10-option menu, they got a human-sounding response with their itinerary, rebooking options, and an apology—all in under 30 seconds. It wasn’t just smart; it was emotionally tuned in."

Don't Call on Me

If you’ve been quietly faking your way through AI conversations or sinking down into your seat, or sneaking off to the bathroom... you are not alone. A lot of smart people are stuck in “please don’t call on me” mode when it comes to this stuff. But here’s the truth: just like learning to read, getting good at AI isn’t about being a genius. It’s about getting support, staying curious, and starting somewhere.

You don’t have to become an AI expert overnight. But you do have to stop pretending you’ll figure it out “later.” Later is now. Find a guide. Ask the awkward questions. Play with the tools. Get it wrong. Then get better. Because this next era of work? It’s going to be shaped by the people who leaned in while others were still hiding. Because you might find that you love it. I love reading. I mean, I am an annoying book person (see my previous article about how I do not read business books but have read the entire Pulitzer Prize Novel Winners since Toni Morrison's Beloved won, aka, 1987). Reading is magical and it is a core part of who I am and how I become someone new regularly. AI could do that, if you know how to ask it.

Let’s not just use AI. Let’s learn to read it. Hit me up for AI coaching (yesterday) jessica.ferrell@slalom.com or the little message bubble.