What Is the Difference Between Those Who Can Use AI and Those Who Can’t? A New Digital Divide Shaped by Daily Usage

Do you want to try using AI, but find yourself thinking, “I don’t know what to ask,” or “I don’t really see how this is any different from a search engine”?

That’s a natural feeling. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are convenient, but if you use them without knowing how, they’ll end up being nothing more than a Q&A tool.

On the other hand, people who use AI effectively incorporate it into small, everyday tasks—such as writing, researching, organizing work, learning, comparing prices, and reviewing household budgets.

In other words, the difference between those who can use AI and those who can’t isn’t a matter of special talent—it’s whether or not they can use AI as a “tool for organizing their thoughts.”

Based on official materials and the perspectives of public institutions, we’ll outline the key factors that will set you apart in the AI era and provide concrete ways to start using AI today.

People Who Can Use AI Treat It Not as a “Machine That Provides Answers,” but as a “Tool for Organizing Thoughts”

The most distinctive trait of people who can use AI is that they don’t simply hand over the task of finding the “right answer” to it. They use AI not as an “entity that makes all decisions for them,” but as a “consultant to help broaden their thinking.”

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has outlined a framework for the use of generative AI in elementary and secondary education, viewing it as a tool that supplements and extends human capabilities. The source of this information is a government document: the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Guidelines on the Use of Generative AI in Elementary and Secondary Education, Ver. 2.0,” published on December 26, Reiwa 6.

The benefit of using AI as a tool for thinking is that it allows you to gain perspectives you might not have noticed on your own. For example, you can quickly create a first draft for blog post outlines, travel plans, product descriptions, or household budget reviews.

On the other hand, there are also drawbacks. If you blindly trust AI’s answers, there is a risk that your ability to think for yourself will weaken, or that you may adopt incorrect information.

The key is not to rely too heavily on AI for decision-making. Especially in fields such as healthcare, law, taxes, investments, and government procedures, it is essential to verify information using official documents or consult with experts.

In practice, people who use AI effectively tend to ask follow-up questions such as “Are there other ways to approach this?” “Can you simplify this for beginners?” or “Can you break this down into actionable steps?” rather than simply asking, “Is this correct?” They don’t stop after the first response; they keep the conversation going.

A concrete step you can take starting today is to ask the AI to “organize” information rather than provide a “answer.” For example, asking, “Organize this issue for me,” “List the pros and cons,” or “Break it down into steps a beginner can follow” will change how you use AI.

People Who Are Skilled at Using AI Ask Specific Questions

The difference between those who are skilled at using AI and those who aren’t lies in the specificity of their questions. If you ask a vague question, the AI’s answer will also be vague. The more specific conditions you include, the closer you’ll get to a practical answer.

In its AI Competency Framework, UNESCO emphasizes that understanding a human-centered approach, ethics, and the fundamentals and applications of AI is crucial for using AI effectively. The source of this information is a document from an international organization; UNESCO’s AI Competency Framework for Students was published in 2024. Additionally, the “AI Competency Framework for Teachers” was also published in 2024.

The benefit of specifying your question is that it makes it easier for the AI to provide suggestions tailored to the situation. For example, instead of simply saying, “Write a blog post,” you’ll get more useful results by specifying, “Write a blog post for beginners, with SEO in mind, in polite Japanese, and with headings.”

The downside is that it takes time to organize the conditions at the outset. However, the more effort you put into this initial step, the less time you’ll spend making revisions later.

One important precaution is to avoid including too much personal or confidential information. When consulting AI, it’s safer not to include addresses, phone numbers, bank account numbers, or other people’s personal information.

Based on my own observations, people who struggle with AI tend to simply type requests like “Make it sound good” or “Make it better.” On the other hand, those who are skilled at using AI specify “who the audience is,” “what the purpose is,” “the target word count,” and “what expressions to avoid.”

A concrete step you can take starting today is to include the “purpose,” “conditions,” “audience,” and “output format” in your questions. For example, simply asking, “Please explain how beginners in their 70s can use AI on their smartphones, in bullet points, including precautions,” will significantly improve the quality of the response.

People Who Use AI Effectively Always Verify the AI’s Answers

People who use AI effectively do not simply take the AI’s answers at face value. While they use it conveniently, they always verify important information.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s guidelines on generative AI state that, since generative AI outputs may contain errors, it is important to adopt an attitude of verifying the accuracy of the information. The source of this information is a government document: the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Guidelines on the Use of Generative AI in Elementary and Secondary Education, Ver. 2.0,” published on December 26, Reiwa 6.

The benefit of verifying information is that it allows you to take advantage of AI’s convenience while minimizing losses caused by errors. This is particularly true when it comes to money, health, contracts, and administrative procedures, where whether or not you verify the information makes a significant difference.

The downside is that verification takes time. However, it is ultimately safer to verify the information first rather than act on incorrect information.

One important point to note is that just because AI-generated text sounds natural doesn’t mean it’s correct. AI can generate text that sounds plausible. You need to be careful not to trust text too easily, especially when it’s written in a way that’s easy to understand.

In practice, while AI is very good at structuring sentences and rephrasing, there are situations where you need to verify the latest fees, policies, dates, and specifications. Since service details and pricing are subject to change, it’s important to get into the habit of checking official websites.

A concrete step you can take starting today is to ask the AI, “If I want to verify this information, which official sources should I consult?” Then, make your final decision by verifying the information on official websites, government documents, materials from public agencies, and official corporate documents.

People Who Use AI Effectively Break Tasks Down into Smaller Steps

People who use AI effectively don’t expect a perfect answer right from the start. They break large tasks down into smaller steps and ask the AI to handle them one step at a time.

The OECD states that while AI has the potential to boost productivity and improve the quality of work in the workplace, there is a need to broaden general AI literacy. The source of this information is a report from an international organization: the OECD’s “Bridging the AI Skills Gap,” published on April 24, 2025.

The advantage of breaking tasks down into smaller parts is that it’s easier to make corrections if something goes wrong. For example, when writing a blog post, instead of having the AI produce the finished text all at once, it’s more reliable to proceed in the following order: first, the reader’s concerns; next, the structure; then, the headings; and finally, the main text.

The downside is that it requires a bit more back-and-forth with the AI. However, this is ultimately more efficient than having the AI generate a rough draft in one go and then having to revise it multiple times.

The key is to distinguish between tasks you delegate to the AI and those requiring your own judgment. While it’s easy to have the AI handle drafting, organizing, comparing, summarizing, and rephrasing, the final decision must be made by a human.

In practice, the more proficient users of AI are the ones who give detailed instructions, such as “Just the headlines first,” “Then just the introduction,” “Make the phrasing more natural,” or “Include the reader’s concerns.” They don’t treat AI as a one-shot solution.

A concrete action you can take starting today is to break your work down into “research” “organizing,” “writing,” “revising,” and “reviewing.” If you ask AI to assist with each of these stages separately, the quality of the final result will improve.

People Who Use AI Effectively Integrate It Into Their Daily Lives

People who use AI effectively don’t just rely on it for special occasions. They use it to tackle small, everyday challenges.

According to the OECD’s “AI and Work,” AI has become a technology that affects not only specialized professionals but also the general workforce, making broad understanding and reskilling essential. The source of this information is a report from an international organization, and the OECD’s official information on “AI and Work” is continuously updated.

The benefit of incorporating AI into daily life is getting used to it. It’s difficult to learn how to use AI just by reading about it; the more you actually use it, the better you’ll become at asking the right questions.

One drawback is that, at first, it’s easy to feel like “I don’t know what to use it for.” Therefore, rather than applying it to your entire workload right away, it’s more practical to start with small tasks.

One important point to keep in mind is not to make using AI an end in itself. What matters is saving time, organizing your thoughts, reducing mistakes, and making it easier to take action.

If you observe people who are skilled at using AI, you’ll see they try it out repeatedly in their daily lives—for things like comparing prices, rephrasing text, writing product descriptions for Mercari, planning trips, checking health management tips, and following smartphone setup instructions.

A concrete step you can take starting today is to consult AI just once a day. Small requests like “Prioritize my tasks for today,” “Make this text sound more natural,” or “Write a product description for this item” are more than enough.

People Who Can’t Use AI Are Overcomplicating It

Many people who don’t use AI assume it’s an advanced technology reserved for a select few. However, just like smartphone search engines or map apps, it becomes an everyday tool once you get used to it.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has compiled guidelines and points to consider for the appropriate use of generative AI in schools. The source of this information is an official government website, and “On the Use of Generative AI in Schools” is official information published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

The benefit of not overcomplicating things is that it makes it easier to get started. You don’t need to memorize perfect prompts or technical jargon from the beginning. It’s enough to ask for help using everyday language and fill in the gaps later.

The downside is that if you use it too casually, you may become lax about verifying information. You need to strike a balance between ease of use and caution.

The key point is not to think, “It’s amazing because I used AI,” but rather to focus on “what improvements were achieved by using AI.” If using it resulted in saving time, making text easier to understand, or making it easier to take action, then that is a success.

In fact, even people who aren’t comfortable with AI will find it easier to understand how to use it if they start with things like Mercari product descriptions, email replies, neighborhood association announcements, or travel packing lists.

A specific action you can take starting today is to always include the phrase “Please explain this for beginners” when asking the AI for help. If you get a complicated explanation in return, simply ask for clarification by saying, “Explain it more simply,” “Explain it so a middle school student could understand,” or “Just give me the steps.”

The Difference Between Those Who Can Use AI and Those Who Can’t Is Not an Information Gap, but an Action Gap

The difference between those who can use AI and those who can’t is not simply a matter of the amount of knowledgeIt’s not about the difference itself. What matters is whether or not these skills are actually being used.

The OECD Skills Outlook 2025 highlights the importance of 21st-century skills such as literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving. The source of this information is a report from an international organization; the OECD Skills Outlook 2025 was published on December 9, 2025.

The benefit of taking action is that you can intuitively understand AI’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ll come to realize that while AI excels at writing and organizing text, you still need to verify the latest information and make expert judgments yourself.

The downside is that, at first, you may not get the answers you expect. However, this does not mean the AI is unusable; rather, it is a stage where you need to adjust how you convey your parameters.

One point to note is that the gap between those who are accustomed to using AI and those who are not may widen even further in the future. While some future predictions—which, it should be noted, lack official confirmation at this time—exist, at the very least, public and international organizations are emphasizing the importance of AI literacy.

Observing users, those who are proficient with AI tend to have the habit of “just asking it a question.” Conversely, those who are not proficient often think, “It’s still too early for me,” and tend to use it less frequently.

A concrete step you can take starting today is to use AI not as a special subject to study, but as a daily notepad or someone to consult with. It’s realistic to start with a small question just once a day.

Summary

The difference between those who can use AI and those who cannot is not a matter of talent.

To summarize the key points, the gap arises in the following areas.

To summarize without using H3 headings, the key is to use AI not as a machine that provides the “correct” answer, but as a tool to organize your thoughts; to ask specific questions; to verify the answers it provides against official sources; to break tasks down into smaller steps; and to incorporate it into your daily life.

Even documents from public and international organizations highlight the importance of treating AI as a tool that supplements and extends human capabilities, as well as the importance of AI literacy. The sources I referenced include government documents from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), as well as documents from international organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD.

If you want to take action right now, you don’t need to start with difficult studies.

Organizing today’s schedule, making your writing easier to understand, comparing shopping options, coming up with blog headlines, or writing product descriptions for Mercari—these small applications are more than enough.

In the AI era, the gap between people will quietly widen not based on whether they know about it, but on whether they try using it just once today.

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