AI Has Changed What It Means to Be an Expert
The old “3-Book Rule” suggested that if you read three good books on a subject, each written by a different author, you would know more than 99% of people. For years, it was a useful shortcut. Books gave you access to established ideas, expert thinking and years of accumulated knowledge. But when it comes to artificial intelligence, that rule no longer works. The three books you read today may already be outdated by the time you finish them. AI is not a static topic that can be studied once and considered mastered. The models are improving, the tools are changing and entirely new ways of working are emerging faster than traditional publishing can keep up.
Reading three books about AI may make you historically informed, but it will not necessarily make you capable of using it effectively in your business.
Knowledge Is No Longer Enough
The definition of expertise is changing. In the past, an expert was often the person who had accumulated the most knowledge. They had read the research, understood the theory and could explain how something worked. That still matters, but AI has added another requirement: the ability to apply that knowledge quickly. Someone can understand artificial intelligence in theory and still have no idea how to use it effectively in a real business. Meanwhile, another owner may have read far less but spent six months testing AI across administration, research, document preparation, client communication and internal systems. They know where it saves time, where it creates risk and where human judgement remains essential. That practical experience is increasingly what separates genuine expertise from surface-level familiarity. AI is now something you learn by using, not simply by reading about it.
The Real Advantage Is More Time for People
For brokers and other relationship-based professionals, the goal is not to become a software engineer or adopt every tool that appears. It is to understand the technology well enough to recognise where it can make the business more efficient, responsive and valuable.
A broker who uses AI effectively may spend less time drafting routine emails, summarising documents, organising notes, researching industries and completing repetitive administrative tasks. That is not only about saving time. It frees up mental space and creates more opportunities to speak with clients, understand their concerns and build stronger relationships. Clients do not choose a broker because they can produce the fastest summary or reformat a document in seconds. They choose a broker because they believe that person understands their business, appreciates what is at stake and can guide them through a complex decision. AI can support that relationship by reducing the lower-value work surrounding it. Used properly, it allows professionals to spend more time listening, advising and building trust. The technology may make work faster, but the real advantage is often more human contact—not less.
Stop Trying to Master Every Tool
There are now hundreds of AI models, platforms, assistants and agents competing for attention. Trying to understand all of them is unrealistic and unnecessary. The better approach is to begin with one real business problem. Choose a repetitive or time-consuming task. It might be preparing meeting notes, summarising a long document, drafting a client communication or researching an unfamiliar industry. Select one appropriate tool and test it on that task. Review the result carefully, identify where it saved time, note where it made mistakes and decide what still required professional judgement. Document what worked, discard what did not and improve the process before moving on to another use case. This is how practical capability develops—not through endlessly comparing tools, but by testing them in the context of real work. The brokers gaining the greatest advantage are not necessarily those who know the most theory. They are the ones who experiment responsibly, improve their processes and learn faster than those around them.
Expertise Now Requires Adaptability
AI is changing what clients, employees and business owners expect from professional services firms. Faster communication, stronger systems and more efficient delivery are increasingly becoming part of the standard rather than an optional extra.
That does not mean every business needs to chase each new development. Constantly switching platforms can create more confusion than value. However, ignoring the technology until it feels settled is not a realistic strategy either. AI will continue changing, and there may never be a point at which it feels complete, predictable or entirely comfortable. The modern expert is not the person who claims to know everything. It is the person who can assess new information, test new tools, recognise their limitations and decide where they genuinely add value. Experience, industry knowledge, judgement and strong relationships remain essential. AI does not replace those advantages—it can strengthen them when used thoughtfully.
Start Before You Feel Ready
AI is no longer simply an interesting technology trend. It is becoming an operational advantage. Businesses are already using it to improve workflows, reduce administrative pressure, support research and give staff more time for higher-value work.
You do not need to feel completely ready before you begin. In reality, you probably never will. The technology will continue developing faster than most people’s comfort zones. Start small. Choose one tool, apply it to one real task and measure the result. The old path to expertise was to study until you felt knowledgeable enough to act. In the age of AI, the better approach may be the reverse: start using it, keep learning and allow experience to build your expertise.
If you want to know more feel free to reach out. Contact us for personalised assistance and expert guidance.
Regards,
Tony Arena