Will AI leave us behind? We spent decades trying to learn excel, but AI did it in seconds

I sense that folk will be worried about not being able to get started using AI, let alone master it.

Many of us still use digital tools as beginners, picking things up incrementally as we need to complete tasks. Those of us who have been in work for a while, are not always comfortable with properly utilising systems that we rely on every day.

Take excel. Complex formulas, automation, macros, and advanced data manipulation are mainly still for the rare specialist user. This is not because we lack capability to learn but because workplace technology has often evolved faster than training.

Now that AI is stepping in, that pace of change will only increase. 

Do we risk a huge portion of the workforce being left behind due to their current low baseline of digital skills? Or could it mean that we will finally start to bridge the skills gap by allowing AI to do a lot of the work for us? 

Are we skipping ahead without properly building our abilities? 

The ICT skills gap is real and persistent

It is well-documented that digital skills gaps exist across industries, and they are often more pronounced in the older workforce. 

Organisations such as the Rand Corporation and World Economic Forum have cited the level of skills gaps in digital and ICT. They highlight the growing gap between demand for ICT roles and the corresponding supply. 

This gap could not just be about technical expertise but about mindset. Many professionals have developed deep expertise in their fields but have not had the opportunity or need to fully engage with evolving tech. 

Even for professionals, many of us have seen organisations historically deprioritising digital upskilling and leaving it to individuals to gain competence. 

AI as a bridge not just an efficiency tool

Most conversations about AI in the workplace focus on efficiency, automation, reducing workload, and creating productivity. There is a deeper structural shift happening, as AI will help compensate for this skills deficit.

Take someone who has never learned to use pivot tables in Excel. 

They can now simply ask an AI bot to analyze their data and produce insights. A non-coder can generate scripts that automate repetitive tasks without ever learning a programming language. Those who have historically relied on gut instinct or manual processes can now pull on sophisticated analytics without data science training.

The risks of skipping the learning process

There are risks in relying too heavily on it without grasping underlying principles. 

If our use of tech outpaces out understanding, will we spot errors? A wrong formula, a bad assumption, or a biased dataset can lead to costly mistakes.

Without the journey of building skills, will we also lose critical thinking? AI can process data, but it doesn’t understand context the way us humble humans do. People still need to question results and make decisions based on more than numbers.

This is why organizations need to take a balanced approach. AI should be seen as a tool for empowerment, not a replacement for critical thinking or foundational digital literacy. 

Just as the rise of calculators did not remove the need to understand basic arithmetic, the rise of AI does not remove the need to understand how systems and processes work.

What organisations can do next for digital and AI skills 

Employers have a responsibility to shape this transition in a way that maximises benefits while minimising risks. Organisations could consider the following:

• Train people to use AI well – Instead of replacing learning, AI should be part of it. Workers should understand how to check and improve AI-generated work.
• Keep teaching core skills – AI can help, but people still need to know how things work. Understanding data, logic, and problem-solving will always matter.
• Measure skills differently – Instead of testing manual Excel skills, businesses should check if workers can use AI responsibly and spot errors.
• Build a learning culture – AI is changing fast. Companies should make sure workers are always improving, not just relying on tools.

Ultimately, AI is not just a tool for increasing efficiency, but a way to bridge the long-standing digital skills gap. For those of us who have found ourselves limited by technical capabilities, AI offers an opportunity to catch up and move forward.

This is not a silver bullet. 

The ability to use AI effectively requires critical thinking, digital literacy, and a willingness to adapt. Organizations that embrace AI as part of a broader learning strategy will see the greatest benefits. Those that rely on it as a crutch without investing in deeper skills development may find themselves creating new vulnerabilities even as they close old gaps.

The future of work will not be defined by who can code or who can master complex software, but by those who can think, adapt, and make the most of the tools at their disposal. 

AI is giving more people the opportunity to do just that.