You don’t need to be a tech expert—or even particularly tech-savvy—to start using AI. The biggest shift we’re seeing isn’t about replacing jobs. It’s about delegating repetitive or time-consuming tasks to AI tools, so you can focus on what matters most. At the Fox Cities AI Summit, I’ll be talking about a framework I use called YOU/AI, built around this core idea: AI doesn’t replace people—it partners with them. Here are three simple, practical ways anyone can start integrating AI into their workflow—starting now:
- Let AI Take the First Draft: Instead of staring at a blank screen, use tools like ChatGPT or Claude to get an initial draft. Whether it’s an email, press release, grant summary, or meeting agenda, your job becomes editing, not creating from scratch. Prompt tip: “Write a first draft of an outreach email to local business owners, inviting them to a workforce development roundtable. Make it warm, clear, and under 150 words.”
- Summarize Long Documents Fast: Upload PDFs, meeting transcripts, or reports into tools like ChatGPT (with Advanced Data Analysis) or Humata.ai and ask it to extract key takeaways. Prompt tip: “Give me a bullet-point summary of this document’s main findings, plus 3 action items relevant to our HR team.”
- Turn Messy Notes into Professional Docs: Take raw meeting notes, voice memos, or brainstorming bullet points and ask AI to clean them up into polished content. Prompt tip: “Turn these messy meeting notes into a well-formatted project brief for our design team. Keep it concise but organized.”
Bottom Line: You don’t need to wait for a new platform rollout or a consultant to give you permission. You can start experimenting right now—with free or low-cost tools—to automate low-value tasks and make space for deeper, more meaningful work. That’s what YOU/AI is all about. Not tech for tech’s sake—but intentional integration that frees up time, sharpens your message, and increases impact.
By Mike O’Connor, O’Connor & Associates. Mike is a higher education strategist and founder of O’Connor & Associates, a consulting firm helping colleges, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses adapt and grow through operational innovation, workforce analytics, and AI integration.