Bought on a Whim: What a Holiday Airport Read Taught Me About AI, Life and Marketing

You know those airport impulse buys? The ones that sit next to the bottled water and the Percy Pigs? That’s where I found How AI Will Change Your Life by Patrick Dixon — nestled between two thrillers and a celebrity memoir I’d never admit to reading. I picked it up at Prestwick Airport, clutching a large gin and boarding pass to Portugal, thinking I’d flick through a chapter or two between queuing, boarding, and eating those over-priced Twiglets that I’d just bought for in-flight snacks.

Dear Reader, I devoured it.

From take off to touchdown (and back again), I was completely absorbed. It’s rare these days — what with client deadlines, family admin, and the mental gymnastics of balancing freelance life — that I get to read something non-fictional and non-SEO-related. But this book hit differently.

Patrick Dixon doesn’t write dry tech jargon for Silicon Valley bros. He writes for real people — and this real person, a 40-something freelance marketer with a child, horses, dogs and cats to keep alive, a business to run, and a deep craving for useful insight, came away from it feeling oddly energised.

Here are five takeaways that stuck with me — and might just help you too, whether you’re building a business, raising a family, or figuring out what AI means for your life beyond ChatGPT-generated meal plans.

1. AI won’t steal your job — but someone using it might

Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

Dixon makes a sharp point early on: AI isn’t your enemy, but ignoring it might be. For us marketers and creatives, the real danger is sticking our heads in the sand while the world automates around us. Whether it’s writing smarter, analysing data faster, or even planning campaigns using predictive tools, the person who knows how to use AI is always going to have the upper hand.

My takeaway: Treat AI like Canva. You don’t need to know how to code it — you just need to know how to use it to make your work faster, better and more efficient.

2. Human empathy is the new superpower

Here’s the good news: while AI can generate, it can’t genuinely care. It can’t understand a teary bride trying to book flowers, or a burnt-out business owner panicking over website traffic. And it definitely doesn’t get the nuance of a Scottish mum trying to juggle a school run with a product launch.

Dixon reminds us that emotional intelligence, active listening, humour and gut instinct are the things that will matter even more in the age of AI. We don’t need to compete with robots. We need to out-human them.

My takeaway: Double down on the skills that make me me — intuition, empathy, wit. That’s the stuff AI can’t replicate.

3. Data is the new oil, but trust is the new gold

AI runs on data like toddlers run on snacks. But what Dixon really hammers home is that if we abuse or mishandle that data, the whole thing crumbles.

As a freelance marketer, I handle customer info, email lists, tracking data — and I’m now even more aware that being responsible with it isn’t just ethical, it’s essential. Clients and audiences won’t trust you if they think you’re playing fast and loose with privacy.

My takeaway: Transparency is powerful. Be clear, honest, and trustworthy — because trust builds loyalty, and loyalty builds businesses.

4. Get ready for AI fatigue

Oh, the irony. Dixon predicts a backlash against AI overhype — and you can already see it. Everyone’s promising AI-powered miracles: better skin, smarter kids, 10x business growth in 2 hours. Eventually, we’ll all just roll our eyes and go “ugh, not another AI app.”

This means brands (like yours, mine, and those we work with) need to get smarter. We’ll need to cut through the noise — not just by saying “powered by AI,” but by actually showing how it helps. Relevance over razzle-dazzle.

My takeaway: Don’t just jump on the AI bandwagon — make it meaningful. Tell stories. Show the results. Speak human.

5. The future is flexible — and so are we

One of the more surprising points? Dixon talks about how AI will enable more people to work flexibly — not fewer. From automating admin to enabling smarter scheduling, AI could actually help parents, carers and part-time entrepreneurs carve out better balance. That vision of working four days a week and still smashing goals? It’s not a fantasy — it’s a (data-assisted) possibility.

My takeaway: I don’t need to burn out to succeed. I need to work smarter, not longer — and tech can help me do just that.

Final thoughts from 30,000 feet

This book reminded me that you don’t have to be a tech nerd in a hoodie to engage with AI. You can be a mum, squinting at a paperback over a gin and tonic on a budget flight, and still come away thinking, yeah, I get it now.

The world is changing. And instead of being scared, I’m choosing to feel curious. Because in the end, AI isn’t just about tools or trends — it’s about how we use them to make real life a bit easier, better, and maybe even a little more fun.

And if you ever need a book recommendation at Prestwick Airport — I’ve got you.