Stop Playing Around and Start Getting Real AI Results

Published July 23, 2026

Some of us are staring down a new flavor of a very old challenge regarding how best to use our time. Do we invest time learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools right now, or wait until they are completely foolproof? Even if you are taking a ‘no AI’ stand for whatever reason, we have all been making these kinds of technological decisions long before AI took center stage.

Even if the choice is to ignore it entirely, that is still a type of decision. Regardless, whenever a transformative technology arrives, we are forced to weigh the trade-off of our time and energy. How much effort and resources are we willing to invest in learning and using a new tool that could radically improve parts of our work, play, and life, versus the real risk of wasting hours today without seeing that return on investment quickly or ever at all?

With a computer degree and four decades of experience, I’ve watched new tech find its way into our lives for better or worse. That experience taught me that many people “check out” as self-proclaimed non-techies. Please don’t. You might not code a custom high school reunion management system next week, but the fact that you now could create something that specific is remarkable.

But I get it. When you’re staring at a steep learning curve, the natural reaction is to just tap the brakes. It takes real effort to learn the ropes, making it awfully tempting to just sit tight and wait until the entrepreneurs make it so simple that anyone can do it. 

Sure, it’s easy to tinker with AI tools without a real goal, churning out stuff just for a quick chuckle or things that are hype-specific and genuinely engaging to you alone. If we’re careful not to get stuck in that mode indefinitely, that can be a valid part of learning the ropes. There’s value in kicking the tires a bit just to get over the fear of the unknown. But if you only treat these systems like a shiny new toy or a super-powered Google search – which is how a lot of folks are using them today – you’re leaving the real, life-changing benefits on the table.

Deciding whether to dive into these tools really boils down to what your day-to-day life actually looks like. If you’re up to your neck in repetitive busy work or wrangling tasks that just plain wear you out, taking the time to learn AI right now is probably a good idea. But here’s the rub: to get that kind of payoff, you’ve got to really zero in on things that save you time and improve things in the real world. Otherwise, AI tinkering will eat your day or even your life.

So, consider yourself warned, even as I encourage you to take the potential good hype seriously. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt regarding AI is really loud now, but let’s get practical. Many of you have not yet confidently asked “review my emails and create a sorted list of all of my subscriptions including costs and deadlines to cancel.”

I recently experienced this shift from frustration to functionality firsthand. The time I invested in the past learning how these tools work – back when it was much harder – paid off recently in two practical projects, proving to me this technology is getting easier to use almost daily.

For one project, I built a custom Windows program to help our family organize and back up our important files. It started with just pictures and videos but quickly blossomed into a system for all our crucial family documents!

The trouble with organizing files is that everyone naturally does it their own way, which can be confusing for everyone else. I wanted a way to easily tag things with helpful details like who is in a photo, when and where it was taken, the file type, and a quick description.

Using AI, I was thrilled to be able to program this system in just a few hours! It is a simple, easy-to-use application that creates clean, searchable files. It looks like it will genuinely transform an overwhelming, chaotic chore into a manageable, standardized routine the whole family will find easy. It might not change the world, but the payoff is nice. The program minimizes family members wondering if they are wasting their time trying to wrangle random photos from 23 years ago.

Another recent project was a non-profit grant report – historically a stressful task with incredibly specific, tricky formatting. Instead of struggling through it manually, I tried the new “work” mode in my AI platform, and the results were thrilling! After simply feeding it the right information, the AI beautifully organized and formatted entire documents. Seeing such a heavy, daunting project reach ninety percent completion in a fraction of the time was a massive relief and a huge win!

These successes highlight an unavoidable reality: getting great results from AI requires us to be incredibly clear about what we want. AI cannot read our minds, and working with it quickly exposes when our own goals or instructions are a bit fuzzy.

While confronting our own lack of clarity can be frustrating, pushing through it is highly rewarding. The real barrier to entry is no longer just technology; it is our own intentionality. If you are bogged down by complex or repetitive tasks, don’t wait. Learn AI, use AI now, and make work easier tomorrow. 

And if you’re a retired control freak with time to spare and a decent computer—brace yourself, because I have the ultimate tool for you. Ready or not, the rewards are already rolling in for those of us willing to clearly outline the problems we need solved. Get that part straight, and it’s time to jump right in.

As we figure out how best to combat and minimize the challenges that come with this new technology, don’t miss the benefits available to you.

And beyond this, let’s see what’s next!

 

J Matt Wallace