Catalin Costea

Challenge the ordinary. Redefine the possible.

AI – Tool or a Skill, Mastery Will Make the Difference Either Way

When personal computers first appeared, they were not “personal” at all. They lived in research labs and military facilities, massive machines running calculations for scientists and defence analysts. In the 1970s, they started appearing in large businesses, reshaping accounting, logistics, and operations. By the 1980s, they reached offices and schools. In the 1990s, they moved into homes. By the mid-2000s, the power of those machines was compressed into laptops, and within a decade, they landed in everyone’s pockets as smartphones — devices that are more powerful than the supercomputers of the 1980s and 1990s.

This transformation took roughly 40 years from lab to the palm of your hand. The hardware was expensive at first, the software was limited, and adoption followed a steady curve driven by cost reductions, infrastructure build-out, and consumer familiarity.

PCs changed the nature of work. Spreadsheets replaced paper ledgers. Email replaced memos. Design work moved from drafting tables to CAD software. Customer records, supply chains, and marketing campaigns all went digital. The speed and scale of business accelerated.

PCs also changed personal life. Communication went from letters to instant messaging. Shopping moved from the high street to the web. Home entertainment evolved from television and VHS tapes to streaming on demand. Travel planning shifted from brochures and phone calls to online booking systems. They didn’t just improve old tasks — they created entirely new habits, skills, and industries.

AI has followed a similar beginning — born in research labs, tested in academic and experimental settings, and now deployed by the military and large enterprises. The infrastructure for large-scale AI is still being built, but there is one major difference from the PC era: AI has already reached critical mass with consumers. There is no need for a new device, no need for specialised hardware on your desk, no five-year wait for costs to drop. The device you are holding right now can run some of the most advanced AI models ever created. Many of them are free, and the rest are priced for mass adoption.

The speculation — if PCs transformed both work and personal life over decades, AI will do the same in years. In work, AI will likely take over repetitive analysis, manage entire workflows, and act as an always-available strategist and assistant. Personal productivity could be amplified with AI organising schedules, managing finances, and acting as a personal tutor, travel agent, and creative partner. Information will no longer just be searchable — it will be contextual, conversational, and customised to you.

If the PC era was a steady climb, AI is an exponential leap. Every month, new capabilities emerge that make last quarter’s breakthroughs look dated. What took decades for personal computers to achieve is happening for AI in a fraction of the time. The exponent is bigger, the acceleration sharper, and the disruption deeper.

If you are like most people, you are already behind. You are somewhere between level 2 and level 4 on this mastery scale.

The levels below are not a guide. They are a snapshot of where people stand and what moving forward looks like. Treat it as an observation or treat it as a warning. Either way, mastery is what will make the difference. AI itself will not take your job. Someone using AI will.

Level 1 – The Oblivious

Where you are: You have heard of AI but never used it. You may believe it is only for geeks, technical people, experts or big companies.
Steps to advance:

  1. Watch a short, plain-language introduction to AI.
  2. Ask an AI tool a question you actually care about in your daily life.
  3. Explore some at home or at work tasks and see if AI can help.

Level 2 – The Casual Observer

Where you are: You have tried AI once or twice but it is not part of your routine.
Steps to advance:

  1. Use AI for one everyday task, like planning a trip, finding a recipe or drafting a tricky email.
  2. Follow one credible AI news source so you know what is changing.
  3. Compare AI results to your own work or personal output and see where it does better.

Level 3 – The Dabbling User

Where you are: You use AI occasionally for convenience but without consistency.
Steps to advance:

  1. Fully hand over one recurring task, such as budgeting, scheduling, writing summaries or managing reminders.
  2. Learn to write prompts that get exactly the answers or results you want.
  3. Track the time saved in a week and see what that gives you back in both work and free time.

Level 4 – The Casual User

Where you are: AI is part of your toolkit for certain things, but you only scratch the surface of what it can do.
Steps to advance:

  1. Apply AI in a completely new area, such as learning a new language, creating a workout plan, designing a gift or planning an event.
  2. Test at least two different AI tools for the same task and compare results.
  3. Share your three best AI uses so far with friends or colleagues to spark new ideas.

Level 5 – The Integrator

Where you are: You use AI in multiple parts of your life, but each use is separate.
Steps to advance:

  1. Connect AI tools with automation platforms to remove repetitive work.
  2. Link AI to your own notes, emails, or files so it works with your personal context.
  3. Create one process that runs automatically, such as managing a weekly budget, monitoring subscriptions or preparing reports.

Level 6 – The Augmented Professional

Where you are: You design both your personal and professional routines with AI at the centre.
Steps to advance:

  1. Train AI on your own documents, plans, and past projects.
  2. Fully delegate three tasks that AI does better, from processing data to handling household admin.
  3. Measure AI’s results for accuracy, speed, and quality so you know its real value.

Level 7 – The Process Re-Designer

Where you are: You rebuild workflows from the ground up with AI in mind from the start.
Steps to advance:

  1. Map your daily, weekly, and monthly routines, marking where AI can replace or enhance tasks.
  2. Test AI-first approaches for both personal and work projects, such as managing a renovation or running a marketing campaign.
  3. Share redesigned processes to encourage adoption in your workplace or network.

Level 8 – The Innovator

Where you are: You create products, services or projects that only exist because of AI.
Steps to advance:

  1. Combine multiple AI systems for more advanced results, such as pairing design tools with code generation or speech tools with translation.
  2. Launch one AI-native idea, whether it is a side business, an app or a community project.
  3. Partner with others who are building AI-driven work in your industry or area of interest.

Level 9 – The Strategic Architect

Where you are: You coordinate AI across teams, systems, and personal projects for a sustained advantage.
Steps to advance:

  1. Develop a clear AI strategy for both your career and your personal growth.
  2. Put rules in place for safe and ethical AI use in your teams and personal networks.
  3. Align AI projects with long-term goals that matter to you.

Level 10 – The Ecosystem Builder

Where you are: You design AI systems that connect, adapt, and influence entire industries or communities.
Steps to advance:

  1. Build AI networks that link personal tools, work systems, and shared platforms.
  2. Use models that improve automatically without constant input.
  3. Help shape the direction of AI policy and standards in your sector or field of interest.

Final thought: AI will be just another tool for some and a mastered skill for others. The tool users will keep pace. The masters will set it. The rest will be left wondering when they fell behind.