AI Here. AI There. AI, AI Everywhere.
A Beginners Guide to Working with AI
AI has undoubtedly become a ubiquitous term. We use it in our businesses, healthcare systems, homes, and autos. We even use it in our personal lives to respond to uncomfortable emails, create social posts, images, and help us plan our ultimate vacations.
It’s clear that AI can be incredibly helpful. But how do you unlock its full potential? Whether you are using Chat GPT, Bard, or Gemini, the key lies in asking the right AI the right questions to get the best results.
Know Your AI
Who are you?
Just like meeting new colleagues at a networking event, you have to learn about your AI's expertise. Are you dealing with a language maestro like Bard, a data analyst wiz, or a creative content generator? Understanding its strengths helps you effectively frame your questions.
What do you know?
Not all AI instances have access to the same data. Again, this goes back to knowing your AI. A travel AI chatbot probably has no access to dinosaur DNA evolution trends. And, if I’m looking for design trends in 2024, Gemini will provide an answer while Chat GPT 3.5 will fall short.
“I have been trained on a diverse dataset sourced from publicly available information on the internet up to my last update in January 2022. This dataset includes a wide range of text, including books, articles, websites, and other publicly available written material, to generate responses based on the patterns and information present in that data.” –Chat GPT 3.5
Explain yourself.
AI has been known to synthesize information, which we call fabricating facts and sometimes – lying. Yes, AI can lie, or so it seems. Therefore it’s always a good idea to ask your chosen AI for proof with links that reference facts or data.
Also, while some AI responses may be self-explanatory, others might appear opaque. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification and to explain the reasoning for the response. Many AI systems can now explain the logic behind their answers.
Know Yourself
Start with clear objectives.
Before engaging with AI, have clear objectives in mind for your inquiry. Defining your expected outcomes will help AI provide more relevant and actionable insights.
Imagine planning a child’s birthday party. Instead of the generic "Plan my party," ask: "Can you suggest unique party themes for my 11 year old son?"
Provide context and be specific.
When initiating a chat with AI, add as much context and specificity as you are able. This way the it can tailor responses to your needs and challenges. It also can generate suggestions that might usually take several people or many hours/weeks to produce within seconds.
Adding to the previous AI inquiry, “This is a birthday party with about 30 children and 20 parents gathering for an outdoor bbq. Three children have physical disabilities. Recommend party activities everyone can enjoy.”
Have a conversation.
Keep in mind, the first AI response you receive probably will not be the best. Because AI is built to learn, it relies on your feedback so it’s best to think of your interaction as a conversation. The more the AI knows you, the better the results.
Caveat Emptor
AI can generate a wealth of ideas, recommendations, and information, but it's up to you to determine what is most relevant for you. And although AI systems might appear to be the smartest kids in the room, they only “know” what we feed them. So if your AI misbehaves, give yourself a time out.
[Images are Gemini’s AI self-portraits created by Gemini AI using varying criteria and context.]
PJ Baxter, Chief Creative