How to Use AI in Your Life (Lessons from WWII Tank Doctrines)

History Can Teach Us How to Think About New Technology

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) can feel like a tidal wave.

Worried about picking the right tools, keeping up, or even losing your job? You're not alone.

A 2023 Pew Research survey found that 52% of Americans feel anxious about AI’s impact. But history can offer clarity.

By looking at how WWII armies handled tanks—a game-changing tech of their time—we can find ways to bring AI into our daily lives with more strategy and less stress.

WWII leaders had to choose how boldly to use tanks. The results—both successes and failures—tell us a lot about mindset, adaptability, and where to take smart risks.

We'll use that lens to break down how you can apply AI in real life: automating tasks, making decisions faster, and experimenting until you find what works.

Tank Doctrines in WWII and Their Battlefield Effects

Tanks changed the way wars were fought. But just building tanks wasn't enough.

How each country chose to use them made all the difference.

Germany pushed the limits. They built Panzer divisions that acted independently, combining tanks, infantry, artillery, and air support. The strategy was to move fast and strike where enemies were weak. It worked—at first. Their blitz through France in 1940 shocked the world. But they later ran into problems: stretched supply lines and weak industrial output made long wars harder to sustain.

France, still shaped by the horrors of WWI, took a more cautious route. Their tanks—like the Char B1—were strong on paper. But they were used only to back up infantry, moved slowly, and couldn't coordinate well. Germany’s fast-moving units easily outmaneuvered them. The result? France fell in six weeks.

The Soviet Union started off with chaos. Poor coordination and massive losses in 1941. But by 1943, they had adjusted. Their deep battle strategy—massing T-34s, infantry, and air power—paid off at places like Kursk. They scaled their production, learned from mistakes, and turned tanks into a real advantage.

Each approach reflected a different mindset.

Germany saw tanks as a leading force.

France treated them like backup.

The Soviets made early errors but adjusted fast.

What worked? Strategic use, the willingness to take smart risks, and the ability to adapt.

Those same traits matter when bringing AI into your life.

How to Use AI in Your Life

Just like armies had to choose how to use tanks, you get to decide how to bring AI into your life.

The biggest shift?

Stop thinking of AI as a search engine. Start treating it like a junior teammate who can handle real tasks—with your oversight.

Use AI as a Task Partner

Move AI up from “answer tool” to actual helper.

Instead of just asking ChatGPT for ideas, have it draft your emails, summarize your reports, or build a rough outline of your next proposal.

Example: a marketer drops campaign goals into Claude and gets a week’s worth of ad copy options. That’s time back and decisions made faster.

Germany’s doctrine worked early because they let tanks lead. Do the same with AI on tasks where it can make a big difference.

Automate with AI Agents

You don’t need to be a developer to reduce your workload.

AI agents can now string tasks together for you. Think of these like behind-the-scenes helpers that get things done without supervision.

A freelancer might connect email and accounting tools using Zapier so when a client approves a job, it automatically generates and sends an invoice.

Or a parent could use AnyList to track groceries, plan meals, and even reorder items online—without lifting a finger.

Treat these tools like the motorized infantry that backed up German tanks. They’re not the stars, but they keep everything moving.

Outsource Small Decisions

Your brain has limited focus. AI can help save it for what really matters.

Use AI for routing and prioritization. Think: Google Maps deciding your route. Or Notion AI sorting your inbox.

Small business owners use QuickBooks AI to surface cost-saving opportunities. That’s bandwidth they can now use on strategy, not spreadsheets.

This approach is closer to what the Soviets eventually figured out: stack AI where it counts, and keep your energy for what only you can do.

Keep AI in the Right Role

AI should assist—not lead.

A writer uses Grammarly to fix typos but doesn’t let it touch story tone. A manager uses data summaries but still handles promotions face-to-face.

This avoids the burnout that hit Germany’s Panzers when they were stretched too thin.

Use AI where speed, consistency, or number-crunching matters. Use human judgment for anything that needs creativity, trust, or nuance.

Handle AI Risks the Way You’d Handle Any Risk

There’s no such thing as risk-free tech.

So don’t just trust AI by default.

Choose tools with strong privacy standards. Double-check important outputs. If it’s giving you a budget or health advice, verify the results.

That’s how the Soviets eventually turned chaos into effectiveness. They didn’t quit after early mistakes—they got smarter.

You can too.

Think Strategically

AI works best when you match it to its strengths: speed, pattern recognition, automation.

Use it where it wins. That means skipping the cautious “let’s just use it for summaries” approach and aiming it at things that drain your time or energy.

And don’t wait for the perfect tool. Try things. See what sticks. That’s how the Soviets got better: by testing ideas under pressure and keeping what worked.

Conclusion

You don’t need to master AI overnight.

What matters is making space to test.

Set a time budget—say, 5 hours a week—and pick a few tools to try. Try Copilot for coding or Jasper for content. Log what saves time or helps you think faster.

Maybe you use AI to schedule your week. Then look back and ask: did it help?

France’s mistake was hesitating.

Germany and the Soviet Union each went bold—just in different ways.

Do the same.

Pick one task—like summarizing a report with ChatGPT—and run with it for a month. Track what works. Drop what doesn’t. Scale the wins.

This isn’t about chasing every trend. It’s about using what helps.

Treat AI like a junior partner. Give it tasks. Let it handle the busywork.

And keep your focus on what matters: big decisions, creative thinking, and long-term goals.

History proves that how you adopt new tools matters more than the tools themselves.

Use AI with purpose—not panic. And you’ll be ready for what’s next.