AI: Your Adept Intern

Scott William Foley

AI is a polarizing topic. Some believe it will destroy the world, while others trust it will solve every imaginable problem. Neither is likely.

To be clear: AI is a tool. Like a hammer, it can be used to build up or to tear down. If used correctly, a hammer can save you a tremendous amount of time. AI is no different.  

You’ll see immediate results from AI with communication, content and confidence—the “three c’s.” Need help writing an email? AI can assist with that. Want to create a presentation with speaker notes on a topic that has 25 subtopics? AI can help with that, too. As you use AI to draft these things, your confidence grows. It learns from you, but you also learn from it.

To get started, try one of the following: OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot. All have robust free tiers, apps and online access. Be warned, though. There are many imitators out there, so be sure to confirm the developer.

Once you’ve selected your preferred AI platform, start typing in prompts. Simply ask it questions to get an idea of how it works. For instance, you might type “What are the benefits of using CRM software?” to learn about customer relationship management tools. As you feel more comfortable, have a little fun. Tell it to write you a sonnet in the style of Shakespeare, or write a four-minute song Dolly Parton might sing or even create a 500-word short story similar to Stephen King. You’ll be amazed at what it can do. And if you don’t like its response, tell it to do it again, and clarify what you want done differently. In that regard, AI is similar to an adept intern. It needs clear direction, but AI will consistently complete its task.

Precision and protection

After gaining basic familiarity with the tool, it’s time to make AI work for you.

Determine the problem you want it to solve, give it the necessary details and then watch it do in seconds what might take you hours or even days. Learning how to say what you want is key with AI, so the better your instructions, the better the output. Need specialized expertise from it? Tell it that it is a skilled marketer, or an experienced promoter or a tenured economics professor. When you give it a lens through which to speak, it narrows down all of the other possibilities it would otherwise consider.

Finally, avoid giving it anything confidential, personal or proprietary. Protecting data of any sort is paramount. Use common sense—if you wouldn’t say it in public, don’t give it to AI. Finally, double-check everything it produces. AI will sometimes inadvertently provide misinformation. It’s not trying to be mischievous; it simply does not know what it’s saying.

Most AI platforms you’ll use are Large Language Models (LLMs). They analyze extensive datasets from various text sources in order to build a coherent response. It’s a remarkable technology. Nonetheless, always consider its output as a first draft that needs evaluation. At this stage of AI, in order to ensure both accuracy and appropriateness, the human element must not be removed.

Remember, you are the expert. AI is your tool. Let’s get to work.