Using AI: From writing faster to thinking better

Many of us are starting to use AI in our daily work - mostly to draft emails, summarize documents, or tidy up presentations. These are helpful, no doubt. But I’ve come to realise that the real value of AI is not in writing faster - it’s in thinking better.

Over time, I’ve developed a simple way of using AI in my day-to-day work. I sometimes think of it as a quiet “second brain” - not replacing my judgment, but helping me sharpen it.

My day usually begins with a quick reset. I list out what’s on my plate and ask: what really matters today? AI helps me narrow this down to a few key priorities, while also pointing out risks or dependencies I might miss when things get busy. It’s a small habit, but it keeps me from drifting into reactive mode.

Before meetings, I use it to organise my thoughts. Instead of going in with scattered ideas, I walk in with a few clear points - a strategic angle, a possible risk, and one suggestion on the way forward. It doesn’t make me smarter, but it helps me show up more prepared and focused.

During the day, AI quietly supports my communication. Whether it’s a quick message, a follow-up, or a slightly sensitive conversation, it helps me get the tone right - clear, respectful, and purposeful. In a system where coordination is not always easy, this makes a real difference.

Where I find it especially useful is when I feel stuck. Sometimes an issue just doesn’t move. At those moments, I use AI to explore a few possible ways forward - including ideas I may not have thought of. It doesn’t give “the answer,” but it opens up thinking. And often, that’s all we need to move ahead.

It also helps bring in a broader perspective. When working on policy issues - whether related to land, infrastructure, or development - I can quickly look at global experiences and reflect on what might apply to Bhutan. This adds a bit more depth and confidence to the decisions we make.

Of course, much of our work involves writing - notes, messages, reflections. AI has been very helpful in making these clearer and simpler. Not more complicated - just easier to understand.

Every now and then, I also use it to step back and ask a bigger question: Are we really aligned with where we want to go? Whether it’s the Diamond Strategy, the 10X vision, or our ongoing work, it helps to pause and reconnect daily efforts with long-term purpose.

And at the end of the day, a few minutes of reflection - what worked, what didn’t, what I could do differently - goes a long way. AI helps structure that reflection, but the learning is still very personal.

For me, the biggest takeaway is this: AI is not just a tool for efficiency. It’s a thinking companion. It helps bring a bit more clarity, a bit more structure, and sometimes a bit more honesty to how we work.

In a world that is getting more complex by the day, that matters.

So perhaps the real question is not whether we are using AI - but whether we are using it to think better, lead better, and serve better.