Dr. Kumud R. Jha · Singapore · Doctorate in AI · US Patent Holder View LinkedIn Profile
AI literacy for professionals has never been more urgent — or more tangled in noise. Dr. Kumud R. Jha cuts through it. He has a doctorate in AI, builds AI systems, and advises organisations on AI strategy at EY Parthenon. What follows is the launch of his 30-day #AIWithoutFear challenge — thirty days of honest, jargon-free answers to the fears that real people carry about this technology. His words, unedited.
AI Lteracy for Professionals
I have a doctorate in AI. I build AI systems. I advise organisations on AI strategy.
And the question I get asked most often — by executives, educators, parents, and professionals — is still: “Should I be scared?”
That question is the reason I’m launching this challenge today.
Starting tomorrow, for 30 consecutive days, I will publish one post demystifying AI for everyday people — no jargon, no hype, no doomsday predictions. Just honest, grounded answers to the fears that real people carry about this technology.
Why am I doing this?
I’ve spent years at the intersection of AI research, practice, and policy. I’ve seen AI deliver genuine breakthroughs — in diagnostics, in education, in operational efficiency. I’ve also seen the fear that surrounds it grow faster than the understanding of it.
We are, as I argue in my forthcoming article AI’s Interwar Moment, living through a period that mirrors the 1920s: a technology of extraordinary power arriving before our institutions, our language, and our mental models are ready for it. The last time this happened, it took decades of turbulence — and immense human cost — before societies found their footing.
We cannot afford to wait that long again.
Who is this challenge for?
For the HR manager wondering whether to upskill or panic. For the teacher unsure what to tell students asking about AI. For the professional who feels left behind every time a new tool launches. For anyone who has ever closed a news article about AI feeling more anxious than informed.
You don’t need a technical background. You need curiosity — and 2 minutes a day.
What we’ll cover
Over 30 days, we’ll tackle the five fears I hear most: job loss and automation, privacy and surveillance, AI bias and fairness, the existential fear of AI “taking over,” and the threat of deepfakes and misinformation. Each post will give you something concrete — a reframe, a fact, a question to ask, or an action you can take.
My goal is not to tell you AI is harmless. It isn’t. My goal is to replace vague fear with clear-eyed understanding — because understanding is where agency begins.
The central argument
AI’s impact on society will not be determined by the technology. It will be determined by the institutions, policies, and choices we make around it. That means this conversation — the one happening in your office, your school, your family — matters more than most people realise.
So let’s have it properly.
Follow along. Share with someone who needs it. And if you have a fear about AI you’d like me to address — drop it in the comments. I’ll work it into the series.
Day 1 starts tomorrow. See you then.
