Please Don’t Call on Me: What Learning to Read Late Taught Me About Learning AI

I didn’t learn to read until fourth grade.

Not “struggled with reading.” I mean I literally couldn’t read.

I knew it. I hid it. I faked it. I was passed along, slipped through the cracks, and prayed no one would call on me to read out loud.

That feeling of falling behind, being ashamed, and pretending is what I see in a lot of smart, capable professionals right now when it comes to AI.

They nod along in meetings.

They avoid eye contact when AI comes up.

They’re hoping not to get called on.

You don’t need to be an expert to get started. You just need a little help. A coach. A path. Permission to ask the awkward questions.

You too can learn to read. And now, I love reading. Like, really love it. I’ve read every Pulitzer-winning novel since Toni Morrison’s Beloved won the prize. Reading is how I become someone new, again and again.