#13 Build With Intention | The 3 Levels of AI Adoption

Hello Reader,

Everyone's talking about AI.

But here's what I've noticed, most people are using it the same way they were a year ago. Copy. Paste. Prompt. Repeat.

It works. But it doesn't scale.

So I've been thinking about this a lot, and I've started to see a pattern ~ three levels of AI adoption. Most founders, creators, and builders are stuck on Level 1.

Let me break it down.

Intention

Level 1: AI as a Tool

This is where most people are. You open ChatGPT. Ask a question. Get an answer. Maybe copy it into a doc. Move on.

It's useful. But you're still doing all the work around it, the context-switching, the copy-pasting, the stitching things together.

AI helps, but you're still the orchestrator.

Level 2: AI as a Workflow

Here, things get more interesting.

You start chaining prompts. Building templates. Connecting AI to your tools ~ Notion, Zapier, your CRM. Now AI isn't just answering questions. It's embedded in how you work.

You're saving time. But you're still designing every step.

Level 3: AI as a System

This is where it shifts.

You're not managing AI anymore. You're building systems where AI manages itself. Multiple agents. Each with a role. Passing context to each other. Working together.

You show up with the idea. The system does the rest ~ research, strategy, drafts, options.

This is what I'm building right now with something called Akashik. It's early. But it's already changing how I work. And I think this is where things are going.

Insight

Here's the honest truth:

Most people will stay at Level 1 for a long time. Not because they can't move up ~ but because they don't realise there's anywhere to go.

They think "using AI" means prompting ChatGPT.

But the founders and builders who pull ahead will be the ones who stop using AI like a tool, and start building it into systems that compound.

The question isn't "How do I use AI better?"

It's "How do I design systems where AI works for me even when I'm not there?"

Action

Here's a quick self-assessment:

• Level 1: You prompt AI manually, one task at a time.
• Level 2: You've built workflows ~ templates, automations, integrations.
• Level 3: You're designing systems where AI coordinates itself.

Where are you today?

And more importantly, what would it take to move up one level?

That's the work worth doing.

📚 This Week's Reading

Still with 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy:

Moving from Level 1 to Level 3 isn't just about learning new tools. It's about letting go of old ways of working.

📖 Grab the book here. This is an affiliate link — if you purchase through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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What are you building with intention this week?

Build well.
~ Sahil