TL;DR: For two years, Hong Kong has been drowning in AI courses. Everyone is "learning," but almost no one is improving. Why? Because most courses sell you a performance of knowledge, not actual capability. Stop memorizing prompts like Harry Potter spells. In the AI era, Experience (getting your hands dirty) is the only metric that matters.
James here, CEO of Mercury Technology Solutions. Taipei - January 29, 2026
If you open YouTube or LinkedIn today, Hong Kong looks like one giant "AI Education Center." From ChatGPT email writing to building Agentic Workflows, the slogans are always the same: "Learn this in one day, increase efficiency by 10x."
So, you pay the HK$5,000. You sit in the class. You feel like Iron Man for 6 hours. Then you go back to the office, open your laptop, and... you still only use AI to check your grammar. You know the buzzwords—RAG, Fine-tuning, Agents—but your actual productivity hasn't moved an inch.
Why? Because you have fallen into the trap of "Learning" instead of "Experiencing."
The "Knowledge Performance" Trap
Let me be brutal: 90% of AI courses are just "Knowledge Theater." (i.e. rubbish) They sell you the feeling of control. The reason you fail isn't because the system is hard. It's because AI in 2026 isn't a Chatbot; it's a Logic Amplifier.
- If your mind is clear, AI amplifies your clarity.
- If your mind is messy, AI amplifies your chaos by 10x.
Giving a legendary sword to a person who doesn't know kung fu doesn't make them a warrior; it just means they'll likely cut their own fingers off. You fail because you have one of these three toxic mindsets.
1. The Harry Potter Syndrome (The Prompt Collector)
You think AI is magic. You believe if you just find the "Perfect Prompt" (the spell), the genie will grant your wish. You hoard thousands of prompts in your Notion. The Reality: Prompts are not magic; they are communication. AI today is smart enough to guess what you want. You don't need a spell; you need Logic. If you can't articulate your current state and your goal clearly, no prompt will save you.
2. The "Lazy Boss" Delusion (The One-Click Dream)
You think you can buy an "AI Agent," fire your staff, and drink coffee. When you realize you have to feed it data, set rules, and debug errors, you throw a tantrum. "It's so much trouble! I could do it faster myself!" The Reality: AI is a Super-Intern. It is fast, but it has no common sense. If you cannot define your own Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the AI cannot execute it. Automating a mess just gives you an Automated Disaster.
3. The Certificate Hoarder (The Tool Collector)
You learn Python, then No-code, then Midjourney. You are a walking encyclopedia of tools. But if I ask you to "Design a solution to increase sales conversion," you freeze. The Reality: You learned how to hold a hammer, but you never learned how to build a house. Tools change every month. Strategy is eternal.
The Solution: Experience > Learning
So, how do you actually win? Stop "Learning." Start "Building."
1. Shift from "Memorizing" to "Decomposing" (that is why systemic design is important)
Don't learn prompts. Learn Computational Thinking. Can you take a massive task (e.g., "Organize an Exhibition") and break it down into 20 tiny, atomic tasks that an AI can handle?
- Task 1: Generate poster concepts.
- Task 2: Draft invitation letters.
- Task 3: Map crowd flow. The value isn't in pushing the button; it's in designing the flowchart.
2. Build a "Digital Moat" (Your Data)
Stop using the public version of ChatGPT. Start building your own Knowledge Base. Feed the AI your company's last 10 years of case studies, your personal notes, your unique data. When AI eats your data, it becomes your exclusive clone. That is your competitive advantage—not the tool, but the Feed.
3. Be the Traffic Cop, Not the Driver
Stop thinking "How do I do this task?" Start thinking "How do I design a system so AI does this task forever?" Upgrade yourself from "Driver" to "Traffic Cop." You don't need to steer the wheel; you need to direct the flow.
Conclusion: Your Brain is the Algorithm
An AI system is like a Formula 1 car. To a pro, it's a championship-winning machine. To an amateur, it's an expensive coffin.
Don't fool yourself with certificates. In 2026, the only thing that makes you stand out is not the tools you use, but whether you have a brain clear enough for the AI to understand.
Your brain is the ultimate algorithm. Now get your hands dirty and train it.
Mercury Technology Solutions: Accelerate Digitality.
