You get it. You're reading about AI, experimenting with tools, maybe even using GPT-5 already. But when you bring up AI education at the board meeting, you might notice something: not everyone shares your sense of urgency. Some colleagues still think of AI as that "ChatGPT thing from 2022."
Here's the challenge: while you understand AI's current capabilities and impact, many people around you—including your board, staff, and members—are operating with outdated information. They don't realize how much AI has evolved. And every day this knowledge gap persists, someone else is positioning themselves as the AI authority for your profession.
Here's what's happening inside many associations right now: Board members whose last AI interaction was with early ChatGPT. Staff who understandably worry about job security. Leadership teams planning for the future based on their last touchpoint with AI technology.
If you're staying current with AI developments, it's easy to forget that most people aren't immersed in this world. That board member who seems skeptical might have tried ChatGPT two years ago, got an underwhelming response, and hasn't revisited it since. They simply don't know that today's AI can build functioning apps without coding experience, conduct research in minutes that would take humans days, create complex data visualizations from spreadsheets, or draft detailed professional documents that actually understand context and nuance.
This knowledge gap creates a cascade effect. It's challenging to champion AI education for members when your own leadership hasn't seen the latest capabilities. It's hard to allocate resources when half your organization is operating with information from two years ago—a lifetime in AI development.
While your organization finds its footing, here's what your members are doing: They're asking ChatGPT for professional advice. They're discovering AI tools through Google searches. They're forming habits and workflows without any guidance from their professional association.
When they have questions about using AI ethically in their work, they're searching online. When they wonder about data privacy with AI tools, they're relying on generic advice. When they need to understand AI's limitations in their specific field, they're turning to YouTube, LinkedIn posts, or tech blogs—sources that don't understand your profession's unique needs.
You might be inadvertently creating an authority vacuum, and others are filling it—people who don't understand your profession's nuances, ethics, or standards.
Your members need to understand AI in the context of their actual work. They need guidance from people who understand their professional standards, their ethical obligations, their specific challenges.
This is your natural advantage. Tech companies can build tools, but they can't provide professional context. Generic AI courses can teach prompting, but they can't address profession-specific applications. Only you can bridge that gap.
The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) recognized this opportunity early. Rather than waiting for perfect clarity, they positioned themselves as the AI authority for medical coders. They even acquired an AI company, Semantic Health, to ensure their members got profession-specific guidance from trusted sources. Now their 250,000 members turn to them first, not Google.
>> Related: The Association That Bought the Future: AAPC's Bold AI Move
Dr. Nicola Sahar, who co-founded Semantic Health and joined AAPC through their acquisition, shared a three-part approach to AI education that cuts through the confusion:
First, teach what AI actually is—not what people assume it is. It's a sophisticated pattern-matching system, not a reasoning engine. It's statistical prediction, not magic. This foundational understanding shapes everything else.
Second, address real capabilities and constraints for your specific profession. Generic AI training discusses limitations in abstract terms. Professional AI training shows exactly how those limitations manifest in your field—what to watch for, when to verify, where human judgment remains essential.
Third, show the evolution path. Members need to see how their roles enhance with AI rather than diminish. The medical coder using AI isn't replaced; they're empowered. They can review more cases, catch more details, and focus on complex decisions rather than routine tasks. The same applies to every profession, but someone needs to illustrate that future clearly.
You can't educate members effectively while your organization operates with different levels of AI understanding. This requires thoughtful internal alignment.
Start by meeting people where they are. Your board members are busy leading the organization and may not have had time to explore recent AI developments. Create opportunities for low-pressure learning. Share success stories from peer associations. Demonstrate with simple, relevant examples how AI has evolved since their last interaction.
Help your staff see AI as a tool for member empowerment, not a threat to relevance. Show them how AI amplifies their expertise: instead of answering the same basic question 50 times, they can create an AI assistant trained on their knowledge, then focus on complex member challenges. Or demonstrate how AI helps them analyze member data to spot trends and create more targeted programs. When staff see AI as their assistant rather than their replacement, resistance transforms into enthusiasm.
Even with the best intentions, you'll likely encounter some common objections. Here's how to address them:
"AI is just a trend like blockchain or the metaverse"
While those technologies have their place and purpose, AI is different in one crucial way: your members are already using it daily. They're writing with it, researching with it, solving problems with it. This isn't about future potential—it's about current reality. The calculator didn't disappear after the hype died—neither will AI.
"We're not AI experts"
You don't need to be. You're domain experts, which is what actually matters. AAPC wasn't an AI company, yet they're now leading AI education for medical coders. Your value isn't in understanding neural networks—it's in understanding how AI applies to your specific profession.
"Our members don't want this"
They're already using it. The question isn't whether they want AI education, but whether they'll get it from you or from random internet sources. When members understand you're helping them use tools they're already exploring, resistance disappears.
"It's too technical for us"
If medical coders, lawyers, and accountants can learn practical AI applications, any profession can. You're not teaching programming—you're teaching professionals how to use AI in their daily work. It's about application, not architecture.
"We should wait until it stabilizes"
That's like waiting for the internet to "stabilize" in 1999. AI is evolving rapidly, but core principles remain constant: understanding what it is, where it helps, and how to use it responsibly. The stability comes from setting professional standards now, not waiting for technology to stop advancing.
Every day, your members are forming AI habits—with or without your guidance. They're choosing tools based on Google searches. They're developing workflows without professional standards. They're looking for trusted guidance.
Other organizations are eager to fill this role. Tech companies are creating "AI for [Your Profession]" courses. Competing associations might move first. The collective wisdom of social media is always ready with advice—just not necessarily good advice for your specific profession.
The question isn't whether your members will learn about AI. It's whether they'll learn from you—their trusted professional association—or from sources that don't understand their unique needs.
The path forward is straightforward. Start with one conversation—maybe with an interested colleague or a curious board member. Share specific examples of how AI has evolved. Demonstrate the gap between current capabilities and common perceptions. Make it relevant with profession-specific scenarios.
Then take one step toward member education. Maybe it's an article addressing AI use in your field. Maybe it's a lunch-and-learn for interested members. Maybe it's partnering with an AI education provider who understands association needs. Sidecar offers AI training programs designed specifically for association members.
The format matters less than the message: your association is here to help members navigate AI professionally and ethically.
The AI transformation is happening rapidly. The only question is whether your association will help guide it or struggle to catch up later. Your members need trusted guidance. They're looking to you to provide it.
Think about it this way: If your members are going to use AI anyway—and they are—wouldn't you rather they learn best practices from you? If they're going to form habits and workflows, shouldn't those align with professional standards? If someone's going to be the AI authority for your profession, why not your association?
The time to become your profession's AI authority is now. Not because it's trendy, but because your members deserve guidance from people who understand their work. The authority they need is you.