No, AI is NOT a Skill. It’s Just a Tool.

No, AI is NOT a Skill. It’s Just a Tool. 

Just Like a Blender in the Hands of a Michelin Chef.

Knowing how to prompt ChatGPT doesn’t make you a genius any more than owning a spatula makes you Gordon Ramsay.

Introduction: Welcome to the AI Circus

Let me guess. You just used ChatGPT to write an email, whip up a logo, or create a “business plan” that says, and I quote, “Sell things. Make money.” And now you’re out here declaring yourself a tech wizard? Let me stop you right there, Ironman.

I’m a software developer in Singapore who’s been coding since Netscape was a thing, when “AI” meant a chess game that always cheated on level 10. I’ve built apps, software systems, web platforms, and dealt with enough AI-powered clients to know this: AI is not a skill. It’s a tool. A shiny, sexy, very hyped-up tool, but a tool nonetheless.

And tools don’t work magic. People do.

What Even Is a Tool?

Let’s break it down like a LEGO set. A tool is something you use. It helps you do something. It doesn’t do the thing for you — at least not well, not without supervision. Your oven doesn’t cook dinner by itself. Your guitar doesn’t play music on its own. And guess what? ChatGPT doesn’t magically turn you into Shakespeare, unless you already know the difference between a simile and a cinnamon roll.

A skill, on the other hand, is something you know how to do. It’s learned. Practiced. Screwed up and retried. It’s honed through experience and failure and caffeine and existential crises at 2 AM while staring at broken code or blank canvases.

Using AI doesn’t replace learning. It amplifies it — if you already have the foundation.

Throwback Time: Tools We’ve Loved and Misunderstood

Let’s rewind. Remember:

• Microsoft Word? Didn’t make everyone a bestselling novelist.
• Photoshop? Still needed someone with an eye for design.
• GarageBand? Not every user becomes the next Taylor Swift.

I had a friend who bought the most expensive camera money could buy. DSLR, tripod, lenses that probably cost more than a car. His photos? All blurry. Why? Because the skill of composition, lighting, and timing doesn’t come pre-installed with the camera.

Now AI is the new shiny toy. And people are making the same mistake.

My Developer Confession: I Use AI Too

Don’t get me wrong. I use AI. Daily. When I forget syntax in JavaScript (like every 10 minutes), I ask ChatGPT. When I want ideas for an app UI, I throw in a few prompts.

But here’s the thing: I know what I’m looking for. I know how to validate what AI gives me. I debug the garbage. I refactor the nonsense. I don’t copy and paste code and pray it runs.

That’s the difference. AI accelerates me, because I already know the road. But if you’re lost in the jungle with a GPS you don’t know how to read? Good luck.

Real Talk: Creative People, Listen Up

You’re a writer? Great. AI can give you a draft, but it can’t give you your voice. You’re a designer? Awesome. Midjourney can suggest things, but it doesn’t know your style, your quirks, your signature flair.

You still need to:

• Know your craft.
• Spot what’s good.
• Fix what’s bad.
• Add the magic that makes it yours.

Creativity is not pushing buttons. It’s knowing which buttons not to push.

The Blender Analogy (You’re Gonna Love This)

Imagine this:

Someone walks into the kitchen with a blender and says, “Look! I have a Michelin star now.”

You: “Do you even know what mise en place is?”

Them: “No, but this smoothie has a banana AND kale.”

This is the energy I get from people flexing their ChatGPT screenshots like they’re the next Elon Musk.

Just like how a blender can’t make a gourmet meal without a chef, AI can’t produce a masterpiece without someone who knows what they’re doing.

Practical Tips: How to Actually Leverage AI

Want to stand out in this AI-crazy world? Here’s what you do:

1. Learn the real skills first: Copywriting, design, programming, storytelling, you name it.
2. Use AI to enhance, not replace: Let it handle the boring bits. You focus on the creative magic.
3. Fact-check everything: AI lies. A lot. Confidently.
4. Keep improving yourself: The better you are, the more AI helps you shine.

Think of AI like a bicycle. If you don’t know how to pedal, balance, or steer, it’ll just fall over and make you look silly.

But Everyone’s Using It! Shouldn’t I Too?

Yes, you should. But don’t confuse usage with mastery.

If you’re a student, use AI to study smarter. If you’re a business owner, use AI to get ideas and automate routine tasks. If you’re a creative, use AI to brainstorm and accelerate.

But don’t call it a “skill” just because you clicked a few buttons. Otherwise, I’m adding “Fork Operator” to my resume because I know how to eat.

One More Anecdote (Because I’m from Singapore and This Happened IRL)

Client: “Can you build me an AI app that writes books for me so I can become a millionaire author?”

Me: “Do you write books now?”

Client: “No. But with AI, I don’t need to.”

Me: sips kopi o kosong, stares into void

Let me break it to you gently. You still need to know what a good story is. You still need to edit, publish, market. AI is not a genie. It’s a glorified intern that occasionally goes rogue.

Conclusion: So, What’s the Real Skill?

The real skill is knowing your craft. AI is just a tool to help you move faster, iterate quicker, and explore wider.

Don’t stop learning because “AI can do it.” Learn more, because you can do more with AI.

So the next time someone says, “I know AI,” ask them this:

“Cool. But what can you do without it?”

Over to You: Are you someone who’s using AI in a smart way? Or have you met people who think ChatGPT is the new MBA? Drop your stories in the comments. Let’s laugh and learn together. (And if you found this relatable, share it with someone who needs a reality check. You know who.)