Whether it is improving your health, learning a new skill, or better financial planning, there exists an Implementation Gap between the knowledge that is out there and the outcomes you desire in your life. And, whether it is gradual transitions or large step jumps in technology, humans are often cursed with not being able to take advantage of the new time-saving tools that they have access to in a manner that leads to significantly net-positive life outcomes.

How will the current golden age of Generative AI, also called “Gen AI”, help you close the Implementation Gap so that you can live your best life? What will it be unable to do, leaving you with a different Implementation Gap that you still need to close?

Today’s article is purposely curated and co-authored with a set of currently available Gen AI tools that are free of cost.

After a quick description by Gen AI of what Gen AI tools are about, followed by Gen AI’s summary of what I call the Implementation Gap, I ask Gen AI how it could help you and how it will not be able to close the Implementation Gap on its own. I jump in a few times (indicated in this colour) to contribute my opinions and advice for you.

Read through from start to finish, but if you spot a segment listed in the Contents of specific interest, simply jump to it.

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Contents

The Gen AI (free) tools I used today
What are Gen AI tools? (2-line version from Gen AI)
The Implementation Gap (quick summary by Gen AI)
My Prompt to Gen AI
How Gen AI says Gen AI will help
1234Guidance and Support
1234Cognitive Load and Learning
1234Execution and Improvement
Puru’s Opinion on Time-Saving
A Question in the TEDx Talk
Why Gen AI says it will not close the Implementation Gap
1234Information Overload and Illusion of Action
1234Persistent Human Barriers
1234Your Essential Role
Why the Gap Will Persist Even with the Most Advanced AI
Guidelines from Gen AI on Using it to Close Implementation Gaps
Puru’s Perspective
1234Knowledge and Intelligence
1234Wisdom
Take-Home Message
Parting Message

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The Gen AI (free) tools I used today [top]

For this conversation with you today, I was accompanied, in alphabetical order, by the following 7 (text-generating) Gen AI tools:

AI Studio
Chat GPT
Claude
DeepSeek
Grok
Perplexity
Sider

They are all relatively new at the time of my writing this in mid-2025, but the speed at which AI is changing, who knows how many of these Gen AI tools still exist when you are reading this today.

But first, what are Gen AI tools?

What are Gen AI tools? (2-line version) [top]

Here is what Claude or more specifically, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, said when I requested that it tell us what Gen AI tools are “in precisely 2 sentences”:

Generative AI tools leverage neural networks to create new content—including text, images, code, and music—based on patterns learned from vast training datasets. These systems, exemplified by large language models like GPT and image generators like DALL-E, can produce human-like outputs that appear creative and contextually appropriate while requiring only natural language prompts as input.

The Implementation Gap (quick summary) [top]

I first spoke about the Implementation Gap here 4 years ago. Today, I asked DeepSeek to briefly summarise that conversation as if I were speaking to you. I have copied and pasted that summary verbatim, without changing anything that DeepSeek said.

You’ve heard of the gender gap, pay gap, and others—but the most critical gap affecting your life is one nobody talks about enough: the Implementation Gap. It’s the chasm between what we know and what we actually do.

I’ve built my work as a mentor around this gap because, while Google can give us endless knowledge, it can’t bridge this divide. You can.

It’s not about policy failures or corporate inefficiencies—it’s personal. We live in an age where information is free, yet we still struggle with health, happiness, skill mastery, and success. Why? Because knowledge alone doesn’t create results—execution does.

Spotting and closing Implementation Gaps is the key to real change. Whether in health, wealth, or happiness, execution separates winners from dreamers.

If this feels overwhelming, guidance helps. That’s why I mentor—to turn knowledge into actionable results.

(End of DeepSeek’s text)

My Prompt to Gen AI [top]

I asked each of the Gen AI tools, other than AI Studio, the following question.

How will Closing the Implementation Gap change in the age of Generative AI?

Their responses included ways in which Gen AI would help and ways in which it would not help you close the Implementation Gap. In addition, they automatically included guidance for you on how to use Gen AI as a tool so that you can close the Implementation Gap. Because I agreed with most of what they said, I allowed them to coauthor with me today. You might say, I used them in “Co-Pilot” mode.

How Gen AI says Gen AI will help [top]

Each of the Gen AI tools reported ways in which Gen AI would help close the Implementation Gap. So, I asked AI Studio to summarise the combined responses of the other 6 tools. I specifically requested it to “structure the summary to have 3 sections”, and I have pasted that, verbatim, below.

1. Personalized Guidance and Actionable Support for You
AI can transform how you approach tasks by offering highly personalized and immediately actionable guidance, moving far beyond generic information. It excels at breaking down your complex implementations into manageable, individualized steps, acting like a 24/7 virtual mentor that provides you with ongoing feedback and adjustments during your execution process. This includes delivering “just-in-time” knowledge, ensuring you receive the right information precisely when you need it, thus preventing overwhelm and making guidance more relevant to your situation. [top]

2. Reducing Your Cognitive Load and Accelerating Your Learning
By adeptly handling information organization, retrieval, and even automating routine or complex tasks, AI significantly reduces your cognitive load. This frees up your mental resources, allowing you to focus on practical implementation and higher-level activities. This cognitive offloading, combined with AI’s ability to tailor learning experiences, adapt explanations to your style, and democratize access to expertise, accelerates your meta-learning, skill acquisition, and conceptual clarity, enabling you to apply knowledge faster. [top]

3. Enhancing Your Execution and Driving Improvement
AI directly boosts your execution by enabling faster action loops—allowing you to rapidly brainstorm, plan, get feedback, and revise—and by providing automated accountability tools like trackers and reminders to help you combat procrastination. It aids your decision-making through simulations and predictive models, assisting you in overcoming psychological barriers to action and addressing systemic inefficiencies. This comprehensive support helps you foster a culture of continuous improvement, enabling you to close the implementation gap more effectively. [top]

Puru’s Opinion on Time-Saving [top]

Until recently, we could not imagine life without being able to Google Search. However, being able to Google Search information did not close the Implementation Gap – all the Googlers were still not becoming super-fit, super-happy, super-rich. Within a span of just the last few months, many of us are barely using Google any longer to search because the free Gen AI tools that are now available save us time by, first doing a knowledge search in the background, and then almost immediately “cleverly summarizing” the knowledge from the internet as their response to our specific prompt.

If the search results from Google narrowed the “knowledge gap” that existed earlier, the Gen AI tools today are doing most of the additional summarising work we would have had to do after gathering the “free knowledge” that we were once so excited about. Remember, Amazon is not successful because it sells cheaper products, but because we love the convenience. The Gen AI tools are tantalizingly convenient because they are highly effective at saving time when we need summarised knowledge (or even scientifically reasoned advice) within seconds.

Time-saving has always been a key driver of innovation. Someone translates an invention into something that is manufactured, that we purchase with money we earned from the time we invested in the past, to save more time in the future. Whether an aircraft that shortens travel time or instant messaging that short-circuits communication time – we save time when we use them.

A Question in the TEDx Talk [top]

OK, so you have saved time using technology. In my TEDx Talk, I pointed out that your time is like currency, and you can use the currency saved for something else. More importantly, I asked what kind of time? It is chronological time that you saved by routinely taking the elevator up to your 3rd-floor apartment instead of taking the stairs. But, by how much are you reducing the future healthy time you might have had if you had taken the stairs more often? Future healthy time during which you could have enjoyed more pleasure. Remember, it is not time but healthy time that forms the currency that bridges your external wealth to your internal wealth.

Why Gen AI will not close the Implementation Gap [top]

Each of the Gen AI tools also reported ways in which Gen AI would not help close the Implementation Gap. So, I asked AI Studio to summarise the combined responses of the other 6 tools. I specifically requested it to “structure the summary to have 3 sections”, and I have pasted that, verbatim, below.

1. The New AI Challenge: Information Overload and the Illusion of Action
While AI like LLMs gives you unprecedented access to organized knowledge and guidance, the core challenge of turning that knowledge into action remains firmly on your shoulders. Be wary of new pitfalls, such as “AI solution hopping”—constantly seeking new AI-generated solutions without implementing any—or developing a false sense of progress simply by collecting AI-generated plans. The ease of generating answers can create an illusion of productivity, where you feel like you’re accomplishing tasks without actually taking the necessary steps, and the sheer volume of AI-generated options can paradoxically lead you to decision paralysis. [top]

2. Your Persistent Human Barriers and the Limits of AI
AI, for all its power, doesn’t magically resolve your inherent psychological barriers like pain avoidance, pleasure-seeking, and energy conservation (the “unholy trinity“). Your motivation, habit formation, and resistance to change are fundamentally human challenges that AI cannot directly fix. Over-relying on AI for planning and decision-making also risks weakening your own cognitive skills, critical thinking, and resilience, as AI can highlight issues but cannot instill the drive you need to act or overcome your personal emotional hurdles. [top]

3. Your Essential Role in Effective Implementation
To truly benefit from AI, you must remember it’s a tool, not a substitute for your own effort, judgment, and initiative. The quality of AI’s advice often depends on the clarity of your prompts, as vague requests can lead to generic or even flawed strategies that don’t fit your specific circumstances or risk profile. You still need to filter through the “noise” of AI-generated options, apply critical thinking, and take ownership of the execution, as AI cannot navigate complex real-world dynamics, enforce discipline, or address nuanced, qualitative goals on your behalf. [top]

Why the Gap Will Persist Even with the Most Advanced AI [top]

At a fundamental level, the critical leg in the multiple steps from “have a problem” to “enjoying the outcome of executing a solution” will be your action as a human being. As deeply ingrained as it is in all living creatures, the Unholy Trinity will always present itself as an opposing force. No matter how much we collapse the knowledge and analysis gap, the Implementation Gap will remain for only you to close. You could, romantically, call it “free will”, but whatever you call it, your lifepath is determined by it.

Consider the most basic action of any animal – eating! Even if an AI-designed, AI-manufactured, AI-programmed robot were to order and receive the ingredients to make you the perfect breakfast, it is still up to you to not hit the snooze button on your alarm, get out of bed, and eat it.

Consider the more evolved desire of a human – gaining knowledge! Instantaneous access to the documented knowledge of the universe does not transfer directly into knowledge in your head. It did not happen with Google Search, and it will not happen with AI. Detailed or summarised knowledge about how to close the Implementation Gap does not get transferred into the knowledge bank in your brain. Specifically, closing the Implementation Gap is something you achieve by doing, much like philosophy, music, language learning, mathematics, and computer programming – they have their theoretical aspects, but their benefits will come to you when you apply them.

Guidelines from Gen AI on Using it to Closer Your Implementation Gap [top]

Each of the Gen AI tools also reported guidelines for humans using Gen AI to help close the Implementation Gap. This time, I asked DeepSeek to summarise their combined responses. I specifically requested it to “summarise in precisely 11 sentences with a punchy tone” and I have pasted that, verbatim, below.

Alright, to truly conquer the Implementation Gap using Generative AI, understand this: your action is the absolute key. First, you must pinpoint that gap yourself; AI won’t wave a flag. Next, step up as the Clarifier: define what truly drives you and lock in your precise goals. Then, as the Selector, you must strategically choose the right AI tools, the smartest paths, and the sharpest insights AI uncovers. Become the Executor: forge unwavering habits, execute the plan with precision, and relentlessly take those critical steps forward. Embrace being the Reflector: track your progress fiercely, learn from every misstep, and adapt your game plan on the fly. Never let AI override your critical judgment; rigorously verify its plans against trusted expertise. Supercharge AI’s capabilities by pairing it with human accountability to keep your motivation ablaze. Laser-focus on those AI-identified “micro-actions”—these small, consistent victories fuel massive momentum. You must actively master these AI tools, not just passively consume what they produce. Ultimately, AI hands you the most advanced toolkit ever, but only your fierce discipline and relentless action will truly bridge that Implementation Gap.

Puru’s Perspective [top]

You may not realise it, but if you use a smartphone, you have already been interacting with AI. I guarantee that you will use AI to help you close many Implementation Gaps in your life. Stepping back, what broad guidance should you bear in mind? Let us consider what I call my Holy Trinity – knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom.

Knowledge and Intelligence [top]

Being intelligent is about asking the right questions. For that, you will need adequate base knowledge and critical thinking to formulate the questions to ask. A wonderful part about Gen AI is that it is interactive, so you can start with approximately no knowledge and have a conversation like a child would with their parent. With the entire knowledge base of humankind, AI can share information with you in easily digestible bite-sized pieces if that is what you request for your consumption. You are the one who has the freedom to make the choice and take the action to be on the continuous cycle of asking a question, reading the entire answer, perhaps repeatedly so that you can understand it, store relevant parts in your own short-term memory, analyze what you have understood and then ask a follow-on question based on your final goal. Your actions in the many parts of each iteration are still work for you to do. If you are mentally lazy, even AI can only help you so much. And, having done the interactive querying, if the final goal needs some action that Gen AI has broken into tiny doable steps, it is still your responsibility to walk those steps, to take that action.

Wisdom [top]

A further threat to be aware of at an individual level is the following. The use of calculators in the West has left many without the ability to do practical mental arithmetic. The use of Google Maps has left many without the ability to read, memorise and follow a map from memory. Similarly, using AI without appropriate verification leaves you at the mercy of slowly becoming a slave to AI. So many of all ages, not just youngsters, have become slaves of social media without realising it. This happened because they were not groomed appropriately to grow their internal wealth before they were given the powerful tool called “the internet” on their phones.

The knife, Google Search, Gen AI – these tools are available – but a tool is useful only if you use it, and use it wisely.

Take-Home Message [top]

I asked Grok to “summarise all the above into a take-home message” for you that I have pasted verbatim below.

Generative AI can narrow the Implementation Gap by providing personalized guidance, reducing cognitive load, and enhancing execution through actionable steps and accountability tools. However, it cannot overcome human barriers like motivation or procrastination, leaving the critical action step—your execution — to you, as only your discipline and initiative can truly bridge the gap.

Parting Message [top]

Living in an age where you have the power of almost immediate access to many external resources, it becomes your responsibility to use them in a way that nourishes your internal resources. As much as you might be amazed by the latest technology that humankind creates, you must never forget that the most amazing technology that you must access resides within you.

If everything you do is consistent with your core beliefs and desires, then a long and healthy life of joy is pretty much guaranteed to be yours. If you want to be guided in detail, you know how to reach me, and if you found this useful, please do share it with others.

Puru

Dr Purnendu Nath spends his waking hours focusing on helping individuals and organizations reach their goals, to make the world a better place. He speaks, writes and advises on topics such as finance, investment management, discipline, education, self-improvement, exercise, nutrition, health and fitness, leadership and parenting.