Remember the Shift
Picture the mid – late 90s. Offices were buzzing with a new machine, the personal computer, and it was changing everything. At first, plenty of people thought they could get by without it. They’d built careers without typing into a screen, so why start now?
But it didn’t take long before employers stopped asking if you had PC skills. They started assuming you did. By 2001, over half of U.S. workers were already using a computer on the job. Even applying for a role had gone digital. Newspaper classifieds gave way to online job boards, and the government was warning that access to digital tools was now “critical to finding a job”.
The people who kept waiting? They got left behind.
The Lesson
The PC revolution taught us something every professional needs burned into memory: once a tool proves its value in business, it shifts from optional to essential.
PC skills went from a “bonus” to a baseline almost overnight. Those who leaned in unlocked higher wages, faster promotions, and a bigger range of opportunities. Those who didn’t? They became a risk.
In the moment however, most people didn’t realise how fast it was happening. It only looks obvious when you look back.
Why It Matters Now
History doesn’t just rhyme. It repeats. Today, it’s AI sitting in the same chair PCs did in the 90s. Still new. Still optional, for now. But already paying off for the people using it.
Across millions of job postings, AI skills are commanding almost 30% higher salaries. Mentions of AI in job ads are climbing every quarter. Microsoft and LinkedIn are already calling it out: AI isn’t a “bonus” anymore — it’s raising the bar for what employers expect in everyday roles.
But there’s another side to this story, and it’s the one that makes AI even more urgent than PCs ever were…
The Risk Landscape for Businesses
Here’s the big difference between PCs in the 90s and AI today: back then, the risk of hiring someone without computer skills was mostly about time. How long would it take to train them up? Could they get to baseline fast enough to be useful?
With AI, the risk runs deeper. Three-quarters of employees say they’re already using AI at work, and most of them are doing it with their own tools, not ones provided by the business. That means managers aren’t just worrying about whether staff have AI skills—they’re worrying about what kind of damage untrained use could cause. Data leaks. Bad advice to customers. Decisions made without oversight.
So when employers start asking for AI skills, it’s not just about improving productivity. It’s about reducing risk. Businesses want people who can prove they know how to use AI safely, effectively, and in a way that aligns with company values.
And that’s the opportunity for you: the more you can demonstrate AI skills, the more valuable—and less risky—you become.
Closing Thought
The PC revolution taught us the cost of waiting: once digital skills became essential, late adopters were locked out. AI is following the same curve — but faster, and with higher stakes.
This time, the risk isn’t only about falling behind. It’s about whether employers see you as someone who creates opportunities with AI, or someone who creates problems with it.
The choice is clear: upskill now, prove your value, and position yourself as an asset in the AI era. Because when technology shifts from optional to essential, there are only two types of people — the ones who get ahead, and the ones who get left behind.
Cheers,
Adam Walsh
Founder – Bizualize