The Core Distinction

Tool Adoption vs. Skill Adoption

Most institutions are treating AI like the wrong kind of technology adoption.

Tool Adoption
A
B
C
=
=
=
Same input → same output
Skill Adoption
A
B
C
+++
++
+
Same tool → different outcomes
Deterministic
Tool Adoption

Learning the interface. Where to click. The tool performs the same regardless of who's using it.

Examples
Email Zoom Blackboard Teams
Operator-Dependent
Skill Adoption

The tool is only as powerful as what the operator brings. Two people produce wildly different outcomes.

Examples
Writing Teaching Excel AI

AI looks like software, so institutions treat it like Zoom. But it functions like writing or teaching. When the tool's value depends on the operator's skill, the investment isn't in the tool — it's in developing the operator.