The Gaziza Lens | Issue No. 1 The Real AI Threat (It's Not What You Think)
Hey,
Most knowledge workers I talk to are watching AI with a mix of fascination and dread.
They see ChatGPT writing better emails. They see AI agents booking meetings, analyzing data, and drafting reports. They see their most valuable skills becoming… commoditized.
And there's this quiet anxiety underneath everything:
"How long until I'm redundant?"
Persistent, uncomfortable question that won't go away.
Here's what's actually happening:
You're still employed. Still performing well. But you're watching AI automate the exact things you spent years mastering. And you're wondering: What's my value if machines can do this faster and cheaper?
This creates a very specific trap:
Not urgent enough to force action. Too present to ignore.
You know you should be "doing something" about AI. But what, exactly?
Why the Standard Advice Misses the Mark.
When people express AI anxiety, they usually get one of two responses:
"AI is just a tool! Learn to use it, and you'll be fine!"
This assumes the solution is just… using more AI tools. It doesn't address the deeper question: What happens when AI can use those tools better than you can?
"Don't worry, AI will create new jobs we can't imagine yet."
This might be true historically. But it doesn't help you today when your specific skills are being automated right now.
Both responses avoid the real tension.
The question isn't "Will AI take my job?"
The real question: "What becomes more valuable as AI becomes more capable?"
The answer could be: “Most people don't need to panic. They need to reposition strategically.”
A Better Framework: Build What AI Can't Replicate
In the last few years, it’s pretty obvious how AI is reshaping industries.
Some people freeze with anxiety. And others quietly build leverage.
Here's what I've learned:
The people thriving aren't ignoring AI. And they're not just "learning AI tools."
They're asking a different question:
Not "How do I compete with AI?" But "What becomes scarce and valuable when AI makes everything else abundant?"
This reframe changes everything.
You stop trying to outperform machines. You start building what machines can't replicate.
Three Strategic Moves for the AI Era
Here are three patterns I see working for people navigating AI disruption:
Shift from Execution to Curation + Judgment
AI is exceptional at execution (with the right context).
It's terrible at knowing what's worth executing.
Your value shifts from doing the work to:
Knowing which problems are worth solving
Making judgment calls, AI can't make
Connecting disparate ideas into novel insights
Understanding context and political dynamics
In practice:
Let AI draft the analysis—you decide what questions to ask
Let AI generate options—you choose based on organizational context
Let AI handle repetitive work—you focus on strategy and relationships
Position yourself as the editor, not the writer
The filter matters more than the content now.
Build Reputation in Public
AI can do your job. It can't be You.
Your unique combination of experience, perspective, and voice is the one thing AI fundamentally cannot replicate.
Examples:
Write about lessons from your industry (builds authority AI can't fake)
Share contrarian takes based on real experience (AI optimizes for consensus)
Document your decision-making process (reveals judgment, not just outputs)
Build relationships through authentic engagement (AI can't replicate trust)
This creates "unforkable" value—leverage that's tied to you specifically, not just your skillset.
You're no longer competing on "who can do the task." You're competing on "who do people trust to make the call."
Accumulate Scarce Leverage, Not Commoditized Skills
In a world where AI can code, write, analyze, and design, what becomes valuable?
The ability to:
Make high-stakes decisions with incomplete information
Navigate organizational politics and human dynamics
Build and maintain key relationships
Understand what customers actually want
These aren't skills you "learn." They're forms of leverage you accumulate through:
Human and interpersonal skills
Domain-specific pattern recognition
Trust networks that take years to build
Contextual understanding AI can't scrape
Ask yourself:
Am I building leverage that compounds, or skills that depreciate?
Am I creating scarcity, or competing in abundance?
Would I hire AI to do what I'm doing—and if so, what should I be doing instead?
Key Takeaway
AI anxiety isn't irrational. But paralysis is.
The future doesn't belong to people who ignore AI or people who simply "use AI tools better."
It belongs to people who ask: ✓ What becomes scarce when AI makes everything abundant? ✓ What leverage am I building that AI can't replicate? ✓ Where am I creating value through judgment, curation, and relationships?
You don't need to have it figured out. You just need to start repositioning.
The transition isn't about learning to prompt better. It's about building leverage machines can't copy.
I'm writing The Gaziza Lens to think through this transition—between the world where credentials mattered and the world where judgment matters more.
If this resonates, hit reply and tell me: What leverage are you building that AI can't replicate?
I read every message.
– Gaziza