Make AI Your On-Demand Tutor

Ever realize you’re not ready for a question you know is coming? I had a high-stakes meeting coming up and, as I dug into the documentation, I realized I couldn’t speak confidently about one area if questions came up. With such a small window to prepare, I had three options: ignore it, wing it or learn it. I chose the latter. I tried to research the topic, which quickly proved too complex to digest alone. So I recruited AI as my tutor. I provided relevant links, background information and asked for a crash course I could complete in less than an hour, inclusive of questions.

Hire a Tutor Before Your Next Meeting

There is a growing advantage for leaders who treat AI as a learning partner rather than a novelty. The right approach turns AI into a rapid‑response educator that helps you close knowledge gaps. Here are three ways to put AI to work as your personal tutor, all of which fit into a lunch break.

• Build a crash course. The key is specificity. Provide context, constraints and the exact angle to tailor the lesson to your role. Check important claims against credible source material, since AI can deliver confident answers that are incomplete or incorrect. This helps you understand the subject without taking AI’s output at face value, which gives you enough context to speak intelligently without pretending to be an expert.
• Create flash cards. Technical terms, unfamiliar acronyms and complex processes can blur together when you’re learning under pressure. Ask AI to turn the most important concepts into question-and-answer flashcards, which are ideal for reviewing the subject in the elevator, on a walk or in the minutes before the meeting starts.
• Take a practice quiz. Understanding something on the page and defending it in the room are two very different skills. Ask AI to quiz you on the material, one question at a time, and wait for your answer before revealing the solution. Have it identify gaps in your understanding and explain mistakes. You’ll get a better sense of what you know and where you still need work.

Leaders often talk about continuous learning, but few have the hours it takes when a deadline is closing in. AI can help you bridge that gap, turning dense material into a short, personalized lesson. It will not replace expertise, but it will accelerate understanding in moments when you cannot afford to be unprepared. Treat it like a tutor that works on demand, ready to step in when time is short.

Adeline (Addy) Maissonet is a senior advisor on contracting policies and procedures within the Office of the Secretary of War, U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the agency’s representative on the Department’s views on proposed legislation to Congressional members, their staff, and committee staffers. She leads the development and implementation of Department-wide procurement policies for commodities and services, within her portfolio. Prior to her current role, Addy served as a Division Chief and Contracting Officer with unlimited warrant authority for the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, Virginia. Prior to joining the MICC, Addy served as a Branch Head for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC), Norfolk, Virginia, with unlimited warrant authority. She also held other procurement positions with the U.S. Navy. Addy holds an MBA in Management and Contracting Level III Certification under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. She is a graduate from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program and Harvard University’s Business Analytics Certificate Program. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking and overlanding with her family and friends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of War.

Photo Credit: Google DeepMind