We’ve always known there’s a difference between an A+ player and a B player. An A+ player might be 25% more productive, more creative, more resourceful, or more impactful. But with AI, that gap can become much bigger. That 25% difference can quickly become 50% — or more — because the best employees aren’t just using AI. They’re figuring out how to make AI work for them. They know how to ask better questions. They know when the answer is useful and when it’s nonsense. They know how to experiment, refine, challenge, and improve the output. A less motivated employee won’t suddenly become exceptional because they have access to AI. If they lack curiosity, tenacity, decision-making ability, or taste, the tool may not help much at all. But someone who wants to learn? Someone who is creative about solving problems? Someone who can spot when AI is making things up? That person becomes dramatically more effective. That’s why hiring well matters more than ever. As AI becomes part of everyday work, companies can’t afford to settle for good-enough. The employees who are curious, adaptable, and driven to keep learning will create outsized value. The future won’t just belong to companies with the best AI tools. It will belong to companies with the best people using them.
I see the same in QA: curious engineers using AI amplify their impact, others just generate more noise faster.
Truth! AI won't take your job; someone who can use AI will.