Your Weekly AI Power-Up : L3 is Human+AI

"AI success is not AI tech & tools! The treasure is giving people a brighter future with AI." - Barry Price

I didn’t join the SimpleAcademy community to build smarter machines - I want to build brighter futures for people. I believe the real ROI of AI isn’t just in saved hours or faster content - it’s in empowering humans to do more of what matters. AI success isn’t about tools. It’s about giving people the confidence to lead, create, and adapt in a world that’s moving fast.

Every time I see someone go from stuck to successful with a single AI-powered insight - it reminds me why I do this. See the HOW I USE AI section for practical DIY prompts that build a brighter future.

If that’s the kind of success you want too, you’re in the right place.

📰 This Week’s Big News - AI, Culture & Changing Work

A curated roundup of the most relevant articles for leaders thinking critically about AI, leadership, and talent.

1. Why Most Companies Shouldn’t Have an AI Strategy

MSN / March 17, 2025 🔗 https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/why-most-companies-shouldn-t-have-an-ai-strategy/ar-AA1AYBUX Most companies are rushing into AI without the technical foundation to support it. This piece makes a bold claim: “Don’t start with an AI strategy—start with your business strategy.” It argues that unless your data is clean, your teams are AI-literate, and your operations are digitized, you’re putting the cart before the horse. Instead of building an AI strategy, companies should focus on solving real problems and let AI emerge where it adds value naturally.

2. “Everybody’s Replaceable”: The New Ways Bosses Talk About Workers

Wall Street Journal / May 12, 2025 🔗 https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/corporate-bosses-workers-culture-changing-cbd19c2c This article explores a sobering shift in leadership rhetoric: employees are hearing more transactional and tech-infused messaging, like “everyone is replaceable” and “AI doesn’t take sick days.” In many firms, this shift reflects rising pressure to cut costs and boost performance—while justifying it through AI and data. The deeper insight? A cultural gap is forming between top-down efficiency goals and human-centric engagement, and organizations must carefully navigate it.

3. Nvidia CEO Rebuts Dire AI Job-Loss Predictions

PYMNTS / June 11, 2025 🔗 https://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2025/nvidia-ceo-rebuts-anthropic-ceos-dire-prediction-of-ai-taking-jobs/ Responding to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s claim that AI could eliminate half of white-collar jobs, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang offers a more optimistic view. He argues that AI is a productivity amplifier—not a replacement force. Huang highlights how AI tools like copilots can help humans work faster and better, not become obsolete. His position underscores the divide between AI doomers and the builders who see augmentation, not annihilation, as the path forward.

4. AI Is Mechanizing Jobs

New York Times / June 11, 2025 🔗 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/technology/ai-mechanize-jobs.html This nuanced deep-dive reveals how AI is reshaping—not eliminating—work. From loan officers to marketing associates, tasks once done manually are being partially handed over to AI systems. The article captures what it feels like to work with AI: simultaneously empowered and de-skilled. It’s a key read for anyone wondering what “automation” looks like in practical, daily job functions—and what employers must do to protect morale and mastery.

5. Reid Hoffman: Gen Z Is Uniquely AI-Ready

Business Insider / June 9, 2025 🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/reid-hoffman-gen-z-enormously-attractive-employers-for-one-reason-2025-6 LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman is bullish on Gen Z—not despite AI, but because of it. He argues that this generation, raised on TikTok algorithms and ChatGPT, is naturally AI-native and thus an ideal workforce for the future. Rather than fearing job loss, Gen Z should lean into their instinctive comfort with tools older workers find daunting. A counterpoint to “AI anxiety” narratives, this perspective reframes youth as a strategic asset in the AI age.

6. Slack Study: AI Enthusiasts vs. the Anxious Majority

AP News / May 29, 2025 🔗 https://apnews.com/article/21764fa052a66a33cf82dcea83a0451a According to Slack’s latest workplace report, about 50% of knowledge workers now use AI tools—but a clear divide is emerging. Some employees are “maximalists,” adopting AI daily for productivity, while others remain hesitant or overwhelmed. Lack of training, unclear policy, and fear of being replaced are fueling this hesitation. Slack researchers emphasize the need for transparent communication and upskilling initiatives to help workers transition from fearful to fluent.

7. Washington Post: Calm Before the AI Storm

Washington Post / May 14, 2025 🔗 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/14/artifical-intelligence-workplace-phoney-war/ This essay warns that the workplace AI transformation we’ve seen so far is just the beginning. What feels like “minor enhancements” today will become full-blown role redefinitions within two to five years. The piece calls this moment a “phony war” phase—similar to early digital transformations—where the visible disruption is minor compared to what’s brewing. Leaders are urged to prepare for a more systemic reshaping of how work gets done.

8. PwC: AI Productivity Boost Outweighs Job Risks

PwC Report / May 2025 🔗 https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2025/global-ai-jobs-barometer-productivity-growth.html PwC’s 2025 AI Jobs Barometer reveals a surprising upside: roles that integrate AI effectively are seeing higher wages and better productivity. Contrary to fears, AI adoption is often linked to enhanced performance—not displacement. The key is how AI is used. Complementary adoption, where AI augments human decision-making rather than replacing it, yields the best outcomes. This research offers valuable insights for executives designing future-proof org charts.

9. FT: 2025’s Emerging Leadership Trends

Financial Times / June 2025 🔗 https://www.ft.com/content/3595f121-24da-41ff-b810-29edb9228aa9 The FT outlines three core leadership shifts for 2025: AI fluency as a baseline skill, empathy as a leadership superpower, and the need for hybrid communication mastery. It suggests that the best leaders aren’t just tech-savvy—they’re emotionally intelligent, adaptable, and culturally attuned. Especially in AI-driven firms, balancing speed with ethics and inclusion is becoming a defining challenge. This is a must-read for future-forward executives.

10. AI Took My Job — Now It’s Helping Me Find the Next One

Forbes / June 12, 2025 🔗 https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewfennell/2025/06/12/ai-took-my-job--now-its-helping-me-find-my-next-one-how-workers-are-using-ai-to-rebuild-careers-in-2025/ This article profiles professionals who lost jobs to AI—then leveraged it to rebuild careers. It highlights tools like résumé generators, career-match AI, and mock interview bots that support career pivots and reignite job search success.

🧠 AI Strategy Is a Human Strategy

Expanding on Last Week: How to Win at Level 3—Human + AI

The takeaway from this week’s top read by Harvard Business Review (via MSN): most companies shouldn’t start with an “AI Strategy.” They need a Human Strategy for an AI world. The article argues that if your data, workflows, and team culture aren’t ready, you’ll burn budget chasing bots. I agree with Human with AI first strategy, and believe generative AI IS already ready to do real work with human guidance.

Last week we spotlighted Level 3 of the AI Insourcing Ladder—Human + AI—as the tipping point for performance. This week, we go deeper: not just why L3 works, but how to operate at L3 every day.

📉 The Cost Case

Here’s what Level 3 looks like on the cost curve:

• L1 (external Consultants) - $100/hour

• L2 (Internal Humans) – $33/hour

• L3 (Human + AI) – $3.33/hour

But cost is just the beginning. There are 5 "Powers" with Human+AI at Level 3. Level 3 is the sweet spot for long-term strategic gain. First, it accelerates velocity—delivering work in seconds instead of days. Second, it increases control, keeping workflows in-house while enabling oversight. Third, it adds elasticity—scale up or down with AI as workload changes. And finally, Level 3 activates learning: every prompt, correction, and output becomes a feedback loop that compounds capability across your team. When humans drive and AI assists, the organization moves faster, smarter, and with more flexibility than ever before.

A 90% drop in unit cost, plus faster velocity, plus a learning loop that gets smarter over time. That’s why Level 3 is so powerful: your best humans stay at the wheel, but now they’re steering with a 10x engine. Productivity jumps. Quality improves, Engagement rises. Talent feels amplified—not replaced.

See "How I Use AI" for real world, DIY prompts, you can use today!

💡 The Productivity & Performance Layer

We’re already seeing strong examples of what Level 3 actually does inside companies:

• Draft board decks in minutes, not hours

• Summarize 30-page PDFs into 4-bullet action plans

• Run customer insights from support chats in seconds

• Spin up custom strategies from templates in one click

• Code web pages in minutes

These are practical, repeatable use cases. The outputs of AI prompts connected to real job goals.

🧭 Countering the Fear: AI Isn’t Taking Jobs—It’s Reshaping Tasks

Anthropic’s CEO predicted this month that AI could erase half of all entry-level white-collar jobs. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang quickly countered: that’s fear-mongering. The real shift? Jobs are staying, but tasks are changing. The NYT backed this up, showing roles like marketers and underwriters are still needed—but AI now drafts first passes, freeing humans to judge, edit, or direct. That's Level 3, Human+AI, work.  Level 3 isn’t replacement. It’s reconfiguration.

🔧 How I Use AI: From Goal to Prompt to Performance

We’re building for L5 autonomy—but Level 3 is where the real work happens right now.

Here’s how I work with AI to produce results. Copy and Paste these prompts into your favorite AI.

🔹 Step 1: Start with a Real Problem & Goal

Prompt:

• I’m trying to GOAL and I’m struggling with OBSTACLE. Ask me any clarifying questions. List 5 top  ways AI can help me.

Example: Let’s say the goal is to shorten sales cycle time by 20%.

🔹 Step 2: Frame a Performance Experiment

Prompt:

• For each way AI can help, clearly indicating how addressing the problem would positively impact the goal. Start with actionable verbs like "increase," "decrease," or "optimize," and identify an expert that can help me solve it, and the strategy they would likely use to do so.

Example: Test whether AI-generated follow-up summaries reduce back-and-forth in client emails.

🔹 Step 3: Create a prompt to guide me through ...

Prompt:

• For EXPERIMENT #x, create a prompt that gives me step by step instructions following the recommendations of the expert. Ask clarifying questions as needed about my environment, capabilities and obstacles. 

🔹 Step 4: Run, Iterate, Log Wins

Run this prompt! Interact with it, ask questions, challenge it's results. Ask for more detail. Journal your engagement - hours saved, errors avoided, insights gained. Learn and have Fun!

🚀 Where SimpleAcademy Comes In

If you’re ready to move from AI curiosity to confident capability, that’s exactly what SimpleAcademy is built for.

SimpleAcademy is your go-to training ground for Human+AI performance. We offer pre-built prompts, guided workflows, and short, practical lessons that help you hit Level 3 fast—without getting stuck in tech overwhelm. Whether you’re a team leader, nonprofit founder, or growth-focused operator, we give you the exact tools and prompts to get real work done with AI today.

Think of it as your AI-insourcing bootcamp—where strategy meets execution. Here's what you'll get inside:

• 🎓 AI MBA — master business fundamentals for the AI era

• 🥋 AI Black Belt Training — advanced prompt engineering + real-world use cases

• 📊 Transformation Journal & ROI Dashboard — log wins, track performance gains

• 🧰 Pre-Built Prompts & Toolkits — get things done faster with proven templates

• 📜 Workflow Certifications — build credibility while building AI fluency

Achieve Level 3 Performance Experiments and dozens of plug-and-play workflows are all included.

👉 Registration is free. Join now and get instant access: https://www.simpleacademy.ai/startsimple

If you want help defining your productivity tasks and performance goal experiments, do the grey belt to get immediate AI help. Here's a link to the productivity exercise you can try now: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cl0uIGaG_P9yx1s6yEYUBV1zoP0A2e_O

🏁 Closing Thoughts

"AI success is not AI tech & tools! The treasure is giving people a brighter future with AI."

This week, try the DIYs prompts above. Measure the minutes saved, share the win, and watch momentum spread.

Level 3 isn’t replacement. It’s reconfiguration. See you next week with more wins.

Barry Price AI Success Advisor Book a Call