How AI Is Making Me a Better Thinker (and Question-Asker)
(Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2025)
Like a lot of you, I’ve gotten curious about AI lately.
I’m not trying to become a machine learning expert. I’m not building a tech company or pivoting into data science.
But I have been spending time with ChatGPT. And to my surprise, it’s teaching me something I wish I’d learned much earlier in my career:
How to ask better questions.
We Think We’re Training AI… But It’s Training Us, Too
The buzz around generative AI has been mostly about how we are training the tools—feeding it data, refining outputs, improving prompts.
But I’d argue there’s something else happening, too:
AI is training us to be better communicators.
If you’ve used ChatGPT, you’ve probably noticed this already: the quality of your question almost always determines the quality of the answer.
A vague prompt? You’ll get a generic response.
But if you ask something specific, thoughtful, and layered? You’ll usually get something useful back—sometimes even insightful.
That feedback loop has made me pause and rethink how I communicate in general.
And it’s reminded me how important it is to slow down, listen, and ask good questions.
What I Wish I’d Learned Sooner
When I was earlier in my career, I was a classic go-getter.
Always prepared. Always ready to answer. Quick to respond, quick to pitch, quick to prove I knew what I was doing.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing—but it came at a cost.
What I wasn’t always good at? Letting things breathe. Asking a thoughtful follow-up. Listening fully before jumping in with a solution.
In hindsight, I missed opportunities—not because I didn’t know the answer, but because I didn’t ask the right question first.
Using AI has been an unexpected training ground for that. It’s forced me to slow down. To clarify my thinking. To practice curiosity again.
It’s Not Just for Work
This goes beyond business.
One of my hobbies is sim racing—a very niche world, full of technical forums, DIY tools, and tons of variables.
I started asking ChatGPT questions about setups, gear ratios, car behavior… and was shocked at how well it could explain things.
Even more surprising? When I tested it out on the sim, the advice held up. And when I cross-checked the answers with trusted sources, they lined up.
That experience reminded me: good input leads to good output—no matter the tool or topic.
It also made learning feel fun again.
A Word of Caution
One quick note for anyone diving into AI at work: be mindful of how you’re using it.
AI tools like Otter, Fathom, and Rewind can automatically record, transcribe, and analyze meetings—but not everyone is comfortable with that, and some companies explicitly ban AI notetakers due to security and compliance.
Always ask for permission. Be transparent. Use common sense.
Just because a tool exists doesn’t mean it should be running in the background.
A Simple Challenge
If you haven’t played around with AI yet—whether it’s ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity—I’d encourage you to try it.
But don’t treat it like a toy.
Use it to train your brain.
Pick a topic that actually matters to you—your career, a passion, a problem you’re stuck on—and spend 30 minutes prompting the AI with real questions.
Then challenge yourself to get better. Reframe. Go deeper. Ask again.
Because the truth is:
- You’ll get smarter about the topic.
- You’ll get better at listening.
- You’ll become more intentional with your words.
And that’s a skill worth building in any career.