Article
Confessions of an AI-anxious marketeer (and how I learned to deal with it)
I’ll be honest: AI gives me anxiety.
Not a dramatic, life-altering kind of anxiety, but more like a quiet tension that shows up whenever I see yet another “must-try AI tool”. The speed at which everything evolves, the endless stream of new tools, the big questions about jobs, ethics, climate impact… it’s a lot. And I know I’m probably not the only one feeling this way.
At the same time, I’m a marketer and a productivity-lover, always on the lookout for ways to boost my work efficacy. I also fully recognize the importance of mastering AI for my job and futureproofing myself. So I’m caught in this weird middle ground: wanting to embrace it but also feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re nodding while reading this, welcome to the AI anxious club! So, I decided to write down the top 5 things that helped me move from anxious to more confident when it comes to using AI.
Nothing fancy. Nothing technical. Just the small steps that made a difference.
1. Get a grip on the basics
One thing that feeds AI anxiety is the feeling that you’re supposed to understand everything: neural networks, machine learning, GPUs, …
You don’t.
But understanding the simple mechanics of large language models (where AI gets its information, how it comes up with answers, what context it needs), gave me some peace. It removes the mystery and replaces it with clarity.
You don’t need a technical background. You just need enough understanding to feel grounded. When you get that, AI stops feeling like magic you can’t trust, and starts feeling more like a tool you can use wisely.
2. Pick one tool and master it
One of my top tips to reduce overwhelm, is this: choose one tool and commit to it.
Not five. Not every new shiny app.
Just one.
For me, it was ChatGPT. For you it might be Copilot, Gemini or something else. It doesn’t matter which, but it matters that you pick one, stick to it, and optimize it (yes, get the pro-version, it’s worth it!).
Use it for your daily tasks. Brainstorm with it. Teach it how you think. Give it examples of your tone. Make sure it knows you and your context, so you can get the best results.
3. Define what you want to test… and what you don’t
A lot of my AI anxiety came from the idea that I needed to do everything, test everything, know everything. That’s not the case. Decide for yourself:
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What feels safe and doable right now?
Maybe it’s summarizing research. Maybe it’s rewriting a social post.
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What feels too big, too technical, or simply not relevant yet?
Maybe that’s automated content at scale, or sensitive data use cases.
Define your own playground to make AI manageable. For me, that meant testing out NotebookLM. I love learning through podcasts, so this seemed like the perfect use case for me.
4. Subscribe to one AI newsletter
It might seem tempting to subscribe to 10 different newsletters to make sure you stay up to date on all updates and new tools, but of course… this will feed into your anxiety.
I decided to subscribe to 1 newsletter (Evolving AI Insights) that gives me a simple and quick overview of the most important AI updates on a weekly basis. It allows me to follow the biggest news, without diving into too many details.
5. Inform yourself on what AI training programs your company offers
And finally, a modular AI training program that takes into account your level of expertise, that explores different tools, … is worth it. Check if your company offers this.
If not, at The House of Marketing we have developed an AI Academy program. It’s a program designed by marketers, for marketers and created for each level expertise (from foundations to advanced to expert).
Reach out if you’re interested to know more.
In conclusion, if AI makes you anxious like me, take small, manageable steps to increase your confidence over time. You’re in the driver’s seat and you know what makes sense for you. We’ve got this!
If this resonates and you’d like to explore AI without the overwhelm 👇
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Alexandra Ceulemans
Senior Consultant