How To Cross The Tech and AI Fear Gap

Strategies to move from confused to confident

Author

Ross Stevenson
March 18th, 2025

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 TODAY’S THOUGHTS ☠️

Hey there 👋,

Everyone loves talking about technology disruption, but few take the time to understand the emotional challenges it brings.

I’m not talking about AI alone here.

Any new technology category and tool deployed into a workplace brings a challenge of both skill and emotions. We’re watching this play out in real-time with AI today.

Some are excited, others confused and a number are paralysed by fear.

Fear and misunderstanding are huge barriers to the adoption of anything. I’ve spent my career watching people not reach their career potential because, in their words, they’re “not good with tech”. I don’t believe that’s true.

What’s actually happening is fear of the unknown.

While we might get super excited about releasing a new learning platform, most employees are busy thinking:

  • What does this mean for me?

  • How will this impact my work?

  • What happens if I don’t use this?

Today, we’re exploring How To Cross The Fear Gap with Tech, AI and anything Digital.

Get your tea or beverage of choice ready, 🍵.

We've got lots to discuss!

 TL;DR 📰

  • Why Fear Gaps can destroy change and transformation work

  • How learning unlocks fear of the unknown

  • Choosing the best AI model for your task

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 THE BIG THOUGHT 👀

How To Cross The Tech and AI Fear Gap

Don’t worry, you can do it!

How do you cross the Fear Gap?

A topic which doesn’t get nearly enough coverage despite its importance.

I first heard this phrase used by Andrew Huberman on his podcast with Tim Ferriss, in which he described how he approaches learning new skills and staying ahead of trends.

This got my old neurons firing all over the place. 

We all experience the ‘Fear Gap’. 

You may not always be conscious of it, but it’s always happening.

The Fear Gap Explained

It’s the process of when you don’t know enough about something, typically have doomsday-type thoughts about the thing and then eventually have a more balanced outlook once you understand what that thing is.

In other words:

Your lack of knowledge leads to an incomplete viewpoint, which for us as humans (not you AI), often makes us fearful.

The reason I moved into L&D tech was because of the fear I saw in many HR and L&D teams with modern digital technology.

This is still present, maybe even more so, as you read this. We have AI spinning our heads right now, yet most people I meet can hardly use their LMS/LXP.

Everyone experiences fear gaps.

So, it makes sense to know how to move yourself from terrified and confused to confident. 

Let’s pull at that thread ↓

Fear, Confusion and AI

An on-trend example of this (as I write these words) is generative artificial intelligence.

You’re either in the camp of “Judgement day is coming and we’ll be enslaved by the machines” or “There’s so much opportunity and I can’t wait to join the Matrix”.

Our media consumption fuels more of the doomsday perspective because we know, from a psychological perspective, that our brains are wired for survival. 

We search out threats before opportunities.

Look, I’m not blind to the valid concerns we all know about AI either. While you might not imagine it, I constantly grapple with applications and adoption of AI from an ethical and ‘tech for good’ perspective. 

But I can’t deny the ability for it to enhance work and create new opportunities in the right hands.

Basically, we have to balance caution with curiosity.

For us to reach the land of a balanced viewpoint to understand opportunities, not just risks. We have to cross THE FEAR GAP.

It’s easier said than done (isn’t everything). 

But if fear is stopping you from building the skills to navigate our modern world, we have a problem to solve. The time of proclaiming “I’m not good with tech” is dead.

We live in a world of code, algorithms and constant digital connectivity.

Obviously, AI is part of that.

So, if you’re in the camp of fear, confusion or just not knowing how to help yourself learn about the latest and emerging tech for learning, this is for you. FYI, you can substitute ‘AI’ for whatever topic or skill is causing you nightmares.

The 5-Step Process To Cross The AI Fear Gap

I’m using AI as an example here.

However, you can use this framework as a template for crossing any fear of topics and skill acquisition.

1️⃣ Embrace your curiosity

Yes, that thing which most schools try to kill – unleash it. 

Approach the topic with a beginner’s mindset of natural curiosity. Leading with fear will just get you to that conclusion - fear of AI. Instead, ask questions, and seek points of view from both builders and consumers.

Here’s some quick resources to help:

2️⃣ Break it down

Don’t go crazy like some conspiracy theorist munching on all the counterculture content they can get. 

Consider the framework to best improve your knowledge. 

This could be the classic what, why and how structure, which for AI discovery, looks like:

  1. What is AI and Generative AI?

  2. Why should I use AI for L&D (or whatever industry you’re in)?

  3. When and where is AI most helpful to me?

  4. How can I apply AI in a meaningful way across my work?

3️⃣ Research and learn

Gather information from reputable sources (so not your mate Tim who is so far down the TikTok rabbit hole that short videos are life). 

The big publications and those who actually work in the field of the thing you’re trying to understand are your best bet. When it comes to AI for work, L&D or the industry you’re in, my advice is to find builders.

When I say builders, I don’t mean those building multi-million pound tools.

I’m referring to industry practitioners who are building with tools, so in the AI realm, those who can build custom assistants, create simple agents and show you how to do the same.

Avoid the armchair experts at all costs.

You know what I’m talking about. Those who could barely explain what an API was a month ago but they’re now “AI Strategists for ‘x’”. 

Of course, seek diverse perspectives to gain a holistic understanding. That means the good, bad and ugly. But much like feedback, who you get that from and if they’re actually credible to give it matters…a lot. 

Look for case studies, tutorials, and examples of real-world applications rather than just theoretical discussions.

My last piece of advice on this one - Always be the chess player, not the chess piece.

→ Being a chess player means being in control, understanding the tools, and making strategic decisions. 

→ A chess piece is passively moved or controlled by technology (and social media-hype merchants).

Here’s my list of trusted sources in the AI space:

  • Deeplearning.ai by Andrew Ng (Computer Scientist, Coursera Co-founder and former Head of AI @ Google)

4️⃣ Practice, experiment and explore

They say practice makes perfect, right?

With skills, engaging in practical activities related to the skill is going to help you, obviously. With different topics (outside the skill-building realm), it’s wise to experience this thing in whatever form that is.

Ultimately, experiment, apply your knowledge, and learn from your own experiences.

The best way to do that with AI, or any tech, is to get your hands dirty.

You don’t have to spend a dollar either. Many tools are free to use (just be mindful of your data, especially at work 😉). A few recommendations for ease and support, check out:

Experiments to try:

  • Try asking ChatGPT to summarize a complex article, generate a lesson plan, or brainstorm ideas for a project, and use my prompt templates to help you.

  • Use Sana AI to explore different concepts for a new resource and compare best practices vs previous work.

  • Experiment with Claude as a thought partner on an idea or share a piece of work to review together.

Once you go beyond the basics, you might want to experiment with more developer-focused tools to understand the potential of large language models.

There are a few ways to do this.

For L&D folks, you can check out my AI crash course, and I’m debating whether to open my once a year AI for work boot camp very soon (probs late spring) to take another group of humans through tools, strategies and how to upskill your company.

If that sounds like your thing, drop your email here.

5️⃣ Reflect and adapt

After spending some time on this, you'll have a much clearer picture. of the topic and skills in the AI world that once filled you with such fear.

What’s next?

Simple - keep building on these basics.

Reflect and adapt based on the knowledge you absorb. Tech moves fast. You don’t need to know everything about everything. Just focus on how it impacts your work.

This is the secret, which is really not a secret, to move from fear to confidence with not just AI, but any topic.

Final Thoughts

The Fear Gap is a big part of transformation and change projects.

Forgetting this can lead to huge barriers to adoption, but you can recognise this and use the framework shared today to win hearts, minds and emotions.

→ If you’ve found this helpful, please consider sharing it wherever you hang out online, tag me in and share your thoughts.

👀 ICYMI (In case you missed it!)

Till next time, you stay classy, learning friend!

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So please leave a comment with:

  1. Ideas you’d like covered in future editions

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 TECH THOUGHTS 💾

Which AI model should I use?

That's the question we're answering today.

We're drowning in AI models and tools. I just want to know which model is best for my tasks. This led me to answer my own question, and now I'm sharing the answer with you.

In this video, I break down a simple framework to help you pick the right AI model based on what you're looking to achieve.

Plus, I’ll show you how to combine multiple AI models to get the best results.

📌 What You’ll Learn:

  1. The 3 main types of AI models and what they’re best for

  2. How to choose the right AI model based on your task

  3. How to combine different AI models to collaborate on big tasks

Note:

  • AI models and AI tools are different things

  • You can use several AI models to support one task

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