The No. 1 Skill for the AI Era

We live and work in the age of AI now.

AI is transforming every industry before our eyes, at a pace we can’t comprehend. The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, thinks AI could replace half of all entry-level white-collar jobs and spike unemployment up to 20% in the next five years.

I don’t know if that will happen.

But we are, without a doubt, beginning a titanic shift. It will transform:

• How we work

• What work is valuable

• What skills you need to excel

• What work is done by humans

• What work is done by AI / robots

I believe one of THE most important skills to master in the AI era is the skill of simple writing.

“But won’t AI just do that for me?”

No — and here’s why.

Simple writing is like an iceberg.

The tip is the words people read. The final output.

But 90% of the iceberg is below the surface.

In writing, the 90% nobody sees is the original thinking, analyzing, synthesizing and distilling that makes the final words simple and easy to understand.

Until AI can be physically implanted in our brains and do all of our thinking for us (scary thought), you will not master the skill of simple writing without building the foundational skill yourself.

The people who will be invaluable in the AI era are the people who can:

• Think clearly

• Connect dots

• Communicate simply

• Direct AI like an employee

Simple writing is clear thinking translated in words anyone can understand.

If you’re building your “career skill tool belt” to thrive at work in the AI era, this must be in it.

I am building a Simple Writing education business to help you build this skill and thrive in your career is the AI era.

This week, I announced a beta training cohort I’m running in June, and it filled up in three days.

The next cohort — Simple Writing Team 2 — will be in July and is officially open.

If you’d like to join, reply to this email and I’ll get you in.

Cheers,

Teddy