#219 | How To Boost Your Productivity With AI Tools Dave Birss

AI is moving fast. Blink and there’s a new platform, a new feature, a new “this changes everything” headline. It’s exciting. It’s also exhausting. If you’re feeling a little AI whiplash, you’re not behind you’re human. In one conversation, we joked that in an AI apocalypse Twinkies would outlast us all, cockroaches tapping away at our old devices, snacking on sponge cake while chatting with AI. Ridiculous? Absolutely. But it makes a point. Technology changes overnight. Some things like Twinkies and the human brain, are surprisingly durable. The real question isn’t “Which tool should I use next?” It’s “How do I use this well?”

First, let’s talk about the hype cycle. Every week introduces a new model, shinier, faster, supposedly smarter. It’s tempting to chase them all. But that’s platform focus, not problem focus. It’s like running into a pharmacy and buying everything on the shelves without knowing what you’re treating. Bigger isn’t automatically better. The better question is: What problem am I actually solving? If a tool doesn’t clearly improve your workflow or address a real need, it’s just noise. Clarity beats novelty every time.

Second, your skills matter more than the software. A sharp thinker using a two-year-old model with strong prompts will outperform someone casually poking at the newest release. AI amplifies whatever you bring to it. If your thinking is messy, your output will be messy, just faster. Before you automate everything, look at your processes. Where are the “corporate barnacles” as Dave calls them? The outdated steps, duplicated efforts, clunky approvals? If you layer AI onto a broken system, it won’t fix it. It will scale the chaos. Clean up first. Then optimize. And treat AI like a very bright intern: capable, quick, but in need of direction, feedback, and context.

Finally, remember this: the human brain hasn’t structurally changed in roughly 40,000 years. While AI models change every few months, your cognitive architecture is ancient and extraordinary. Technology can predict the next word. It cannot replicate lived experience, moral judgment, humor, empathy, or true strategic thinking. That’s your lane. Which means the work now is strengthening discernment, creativity, and emotional intelligence alongside your technical skills. Sometimes that even means slowing down. Using AI for quality instead of speed. Collaborating with it instead of outsourcing your brain to it.

Here’s the bottom line: AI is a multiplier. It will amplify your clarity or your confusion, your strategy or your shortcuts. Twinkies may survive the apocalypse, but thriving in this moment isn’t about shelf life it’s about skill. Invest in your judgment. Tighten your processes. Strengthen your thinking. Experiment thoughtfully. The future isn’t humans versus AI. It’s humans who know how to use AI well.

Timestamps:

05:21 The practical approach to using AI

09:57 The truth about choosing AI platforms

14:28 The four levels of intelligence and which one we’re missing most

19:26 Rethinking Productivity with AI

26:05 Dave’s take on how to use AI correctly

31:31 What AI tool is best to use for presentations

37:45 The Future of AI and Human Skills

46:42 The hard truth about prompting

54:47 Homework – AI and human related

Links:

Dave’s Website

Learning how to boost your productivity with AI tools

More of Dave’s courses

LinkedIn talent velocity report

AI Tools:

Gemini image generator – Nano Banana

Google’s video generation tool – Veel

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