In 2026, Transform GenAI from a Sometime Tool to a Fulltime Partner
By Ben Udell, Contributor at The Financial Brand
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If you’re a frequent reader of my columns for The Financial Brand, you won’t be surprised that my ChatGPT 2025 “Wrapped” reported that I was in the top 3% of users.
ChatGPT loosely defines usage, but for me it’s 1,041 chats and 8,310 messages last year, and that doesn’t include Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini, my other key AI tools. The overall volume of chats isn’t even the key takeaway — it’s that every time I chat, I have 8 or more interactions, often with a large volume of content. At these levels, ChatGPT is a true partner to me.
Which got me thinking: what does that mean for my professional life? And what could it mean for your professional goals in 2026?
How can GenAI make you a better banking professional in 2026?
I want to help you understand where you’re at in your GenAI journey, provide insights to make 2026 your best year yet, and give you easy to use prompts to jumpstart stronger usage.
A collaborator, not just a tool: GenAI has evolved into a true partner for many professionals, something used to shape ideas, refine thinking, and accelerate decision-making. (And save time for more work or a better work life balance.)
The most useful way to frame this shift is to think in terms of “leverage”. Using GenAI for quick questions, light refinements, or foundational learning saves time. But using it for deeper research, stronger outputs, creative problem-solving, and clearer communication begins to unlock its real value.
Leverage is not about doing more work. It’s about achieving better outcomes with less effort.
But what does that mean for professionals and how do you know where you’re at on your GenAI journey? And how can you commit to truly leveraging GenAI in 2026?
Learn more from Ben Udell at
The Financial Brand Forum 2026.
Don’t miss Ben’s half-day masterclass on Generative AI and his breakout presentation on Next-Gen Onboarding — two sessions loaded with proven strategies and real-world examples you can put to work immediately.
Meet Ben in person live at the Forum 2026, and see why he’s one of our all-time top-rated speakers with sessions that are standing-room-only!
What Your GenAI Usage Says About How You Work
One of the most useful things about ChatGPT’s end-of-year “Wrapped” report is that it provides a reference point, a practical snapshot of how deeply GenAI is currently embedded in your work. Non-ChatGPT users can also use these insights to think critically about their journey, and how they can accelerate growth in 2026.
I triangulated information from ChatGPT’s Wrapped stats with some public research. The table below outlines my recommendations about how to think about your personal GenAI usage in simple terms, and what your usage produces in real results. My goal is to help you reflect how GenAI adoption typically shows up across the workforce today and encourage your 2026 growth.
(Note: “Weekly Leverage Gained” is a combination of time saved and a higher quality of work.
| Usage Level | Approx. % of Users | How GenAI Is Used | Weekly Leverage Gained | How You’d Feel If Access Isn’t Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual Dabbler | ~50% | Occasional questions or experimentation, quick email corrections | < 1 hour | “Oh, that’s fine.” |
| Search Substitute | ~25% | Quick answers, summaries, basic refinements, basic upskilling and learning | 1–3 hours | “That’s annoying, but I’ll just use Google.” |
| Task Assistant | ~15% | Writing, research, planning support with GenAI part of the full process | 3–6 hours | “That’s not great, it’s really going to slow me down.” |
| Creative Collaborator | ~8% | Iterative work across multiple domains, deep research and critical thinking, strong work partner | 6–10 hours | “This is a problem there’s no way I can complete me to do list. Should I find a new job?” |
| Cognitive Outsourcer | ~1–2% | Embedded into thinking and decision-making, a full-time assistant, tutor, mentor, consultant, and expert | 15+ hours | “I’ll find a new job at an organization that’s living in the future.” |
Notice how heavy users accelerate — or leverage — their usage to create time savings and improved work. But here’s a key point, there’s no secret formula or skill set to reach top tier usage levels.
How to break through to next level AI leverage The most important column in this table is “How GenAI Is Used”, because it captures the behavioral shift that drives leverage. Each level represents a change in usage intent, not just activity.
At the lower levels, GenAI is reactive and used when a question comes up or a task needs quick assistance. As usage matures, it becomes proactive and embedded, supporting ongoing work rather than one-off needs.
By the time GenAI is being used as a collaborator or partner it is shaping how work is actually planned, refined, and executed.
This progression explains why two professionals with similar access to GenAI can experience very different outcomes. The value does not come from using GenAI more often, but from using it more deliberately and deeply across the work that matters most.
From here, the key question is straightforward:
What is your leverage level today, and what would it take to move it up in 2026?
Leveling Up GenAI for Greater Success in 2026
At the lower levels of GenAI usage, progress comes from repetition and usage. That may seem obvious, but GenAI is a new habit. Committing to greater usage will drive greater success. The fastest way to understand how GenAI fits into your work is simply to use it more frequently.
Most professionals use GenAI at certain points in a project rather than consistently throughout a project. The following prompts are not advanced techniques. They are practical ways to deepen a chat, expand thinking, and extract more value from each interaction.
1. Upload more context and documents
Low-leverage usage involves simple prompts and questions. Higher-leverage usage begins when GenAI understands your actual materials and you provide greater context. Give your super smart assistant more information to work with.
Prompts:
“Here is a document(s) I’m working from. Read it carefully and use it as the primary context for everything that follows.”
“Do a deep dive to help me ensure I have as much knowledge as possible.”
2. Plan to take every chat three steps deeper
Instead of ending a chat after the first useful response, assume there is always another layer worth exploring.
Prompts:
“This is helpful. What would you refine, clarify, or strengthen to make this higher quality?”
“What am I not thinking about that would strengthen my work”
3. Ask for what you haven’t thought to ask.
One of the fastest ways to improve outcomes is to surface blind spots.
Prompts:
“What am I not considering that someone experienced in this area would flag?”
“Give me critical feedback and three ideas to consider alternative approaches.”
4. Request alternatives before committing
Higher-leverage users rarely accept a single option. In a few seconds, or minutes, you can surface new insights and ideas.
Prompts:
“Give me two alternative approaches, including one that challenges the direction I’m currently leaning.”
“If you were my customer, what would be your positive and negative responses?”
5. Use GenAI to challenge your thinking, not validate it
This is where usage begins to shift from assistance to leverage.
Prompts:
“Challenge my assumptions. Where might my thinking be flawed, incomplete, or overly optimistic?”
“What risks do you see with my approach?”
These are simple prompts that create deeper engagement with GenAI, helping you think more critically about your work. Stack them together for even deeper engagement. Leveling up may look like nothing more than using GenAI more often and staying in the conversation longer. Over time, those habits create insights about when and how to apply this new technology. That’s when leverage begins to compound.
Designing a Better Way to Work in 2026
Professionals who use GenAI in 2026 are already seeing amazing gains in their work. They embed it earlier in their workflows. They stay in conversations longer. They ask better follow-up questions. Over time, those small choices compound into better outcomes, stronger work, and reclaimed time. Bring it deeper into your thinking and let it challenge you. That is where leverage starts to show up.
As you plan for 2026, consider this less as a commitment to technology and more as a commitment to being a better professional.
