Most People Are Using AI at the Wrong Level

Like everyone, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to how people are actually using AI over the last few years.

The tone has changed some.

For starters, tt comes up constantly in conversations now. What people are trying, what they’ve built, what seems to be working, what isn’t.

At this point, it’s pretty clear that AI is useful. Most people have already crossed that threshold.

They’re using it for writing, research, planning, and a handful of internal workflows.

That part isn’t really the interesting question anymore.

What I keep noticing is something else.

Most people aren’t struggling with whether to use AI. They’re struggling with how they’re using it.

And more specifically, they’re using it at the wrong level.

They’re using it to move faster. To get more done. To save time on things they were already doing.

But they’re not really using it to improve how the business itself runs.

So on the surface, it feels like progress. Output is up. Things are quicker. There’s a sense that they’re “keeping up.”

But underneath that, the leverage isn’t really changing.

And that gap is starting to matter more.

Quick note before I get into this.

If you want to see a range of practical AI use cases across lead generation, sales, support, and operations, this checklist is one of the better breakdowns I’ve come across.

Most of the AI usage I see right now lives at the task level.

People are using it to help them do things faster.

Write a LinkedIn post.
Summarize a document.
Brainstorm ideas.
Clean up some copy.

And to be clear, that’s all useful.

It saves time. It makes certain parts of the work easier. It gives you a starting point instead of a blank page.

But that’s also where most people stop.

They treat AI like a better tool for the same tasks they were already doing.

And in the process, they start handing over more and more of the thinking.

They don’t really pressure test the outputs. They don’t refine it with context. They don’t plug it into a larger system.

So what you end up with is work that looks fine on the surface…

…but doesn’t actually move anything forward.

Content that sounds right, but doesn’t convert.
Ideas that feel complete, but aren’t really thought through.
Outputs that are technically correct, but strategically off.

And after a while, people start to feel like AI isn’t as powerful as they expected.

Not because the technology isn’t useful.

But because they’re using a business-shaping tool at a surface level.

The part that gets interesting is when you zoom out a level.

Instead of using AI to help you complete tasks, you start using it inside the systems that actually drive the business.

Not just writing content…

…but influencing how leads are captured, how conversations are handled, how follow-up happens, how decisions get made.

That’s a very different use case.

For example, instead of using AI to write a post, you might use it to qualify inbound leads before they ever hit your calendar.

Instead of using it to brainstorm ideas, you might use it to structure custom follow-up across your pipeline so nothing slips through.

Instead of using it to summarize information, you might use it to support sales conversations in real time or route opportunities based on intent.

Same technology.

Completely different level of impact.

And this is the part most people haven’t really explored yet.

Not because it’s impossible.

But because it requires thinking in terms of systems instead of individual tasks.

The easiest way to think about this is in three levels.

Most people are operating at the first.
Some are starting to move into the second.
Very few are really thinking at the third.

1. Task Level
This is where most usage lives right now.

Using AI to write, research, summarize, brainstorm, or clean things up. It helps you execute faster, but it does not really change how the business operates.

2. Workflow Level
This is where AI starts getting integrated into processes.

Organizing information. Automating steps. Routing things between tools. Supporting internal decision making.

You are no longer just completing tasks faster. You are reducing friction across how work gets done.

3. Business Level
This is where it starts to actually impact outcomes.

Lead generation. Qualification. Sales support. Follow up. Customer experience. Operations.

AI becomes part of the system that drives revenue and handles core parts of the business, not just something you use occasionally to help with execution.

Most of the frustration people have with AI comes from expecting business level results while only using it at the task level.

I think this is where some of the disconnect is coming from right now.

A lot of people have tried using AI, and their experience has been… fine.

Helpful in spots.
Faster in certain areas.
But not nearly as impactful as it was made out to be.

So the conclusion becomes that the technology is a little overhyped.

That it is useful, but not really transformative.

In most cases, that is not actually the issue.

The issue is how it is being applied.

If you use AI at the task level, you get task level results.

You save some time. You move a little faster. You make parts of the work easier.

But you do not fundamentally change how anything operates.

The leverage shows up when it is applied at the workflow and business level.

When it is connected to how leads are handled.
How follow up happens.
How decisions are supported.
How the overall system runs.

That is where it starts to feel different.

And that is the gap most people are still sitting in.

If you are feeling a little behind on this, you are not alone.

Most people are.

The pace of change is fast, and it is not always obvious how this actually applies to your business beyond basic usage.

If you want a way to get caught up quickly, this is probably one of the better places to start.

There is a webinar put together by the team at BotBuilders that walks through how AI is being used across different parts of a business.

Lead generation.
Sales.
Follow up.
Support.
Operations.

I went through a version of it last week and it is genuinely well done.

I recommend signing up and watching it.

What I like about it is that it is not pushing one specific tool or one rigid way of doing things.

It gives you a range of real examples so you can start to see what is actually possible.

From there, you can step back, look at your own business, and figure out where this might actually fit.

Because this is not one size fits all.

The goal is not to copy what someone else is doing.

It is to understand the landscape well enough to make better decisions about how to apply it.

And for most people, that is the missing piece right now.

If you want a faster way to get your head around how this is actually being used beyond the basics, I would recommend checking it out here.

I covered a lot in this one, so let me simplify it.

At this point, AI itself is not really the interesting part anymore. Most people are already using it in some way. Writing, research, planning, internal tasks. That part is clear.

The gap is in how it is being used.

Most usage is still happening at the task level. It helps you move faster, but it does not really change how the business runs. That is why a lot of people feel like it is useful, but not as impactful as they expected.

The leverage shows up when you move beyond that and start applying it to how the business actually operates. How leads are handled. How follow up happens. How decisions get made.

That is a different level of thinking. And it is also where things start to compound.

The challenge is that there is no single way to do this. No universal playbook. It depends on how your business is structured, where your bottlenecks are, and what actually needs to be improved.

Which is why just learning more tools is not enough. You need a better understanding of what is possible so you can make better decisions about where to apply it.

Going to this training is a decent start if you’re looking for one.

That is really the point of this.

Appreciate you reading.

Onward,
Ryan Farrell

Owner | Poppin Consulting
Marketing Systems Consultant

If you know someone trying to balance AI and real growth this year, this might be useful to send their way.

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