Have You Heard a Comment Like This? 

Recently, at an appointment with a valued customer of Alt Media Studios', I had the following exchange when we were sitting in his office talking about how cool AI tools are, like ChatGPT, Co-Pilot and Gemini:

Client: "AI is going to put you out of work soon"

Me (jokingly): "I know, I'm going to have to start putting in my resume and looking for work elsewhere"

While my response was light-hearted, I wasn't entirely joking. I mean, who knows what things will look like in 5-10 years? 

Relax! Where Would AI Be Without Humans? 

Instead of worrying about it though, we can make the best of it and concern ourselves with how things are now. AI tools and machine learning seem to be making advancements on the daily, let alone monthly. It's exciting to see how it can complement your job, no matter what that might be. Have you asked an AI tool to draft up a document for you, or perhaps ask it to help you compose an email that you're stuck on? 

The applications are endless. I find it is very helpful to talk to coworkers, colleagues and friends to see how they're using it in their life. My wife uses it to help her schedule her boss' flight itinerary. My friend uses it to create an outline...from uploading an audio file of a discourse he recently heard. At my 9-5 job, I create a Google Form with about 8 questions to ask them as we get started on creating copy for their new website. With those answers, our project manager uses AI to compose copy for a completely new website. I've also used it to show me how to effectively market to HOA's (condominium complexes) so we can help a startup sell their trash cleaning services to multiple houses on a single run. 

On that last example, the output was amazing. I wanted to target affluent neighborhoods in the area. It not only singled these out for me but also showed me median home price and income. This came in very handy as I will use this when presenting to our client. 

AI Is a Tool. Grow With It and Stay in Control. 

Suffice it to say, AI is a major time saver. It is accurate, but it is nothing without you. Instead of being intimidated by it where you become so overwhelmed by what's out there so you stop before you even start, try it out! Here are some great exercises to try with your favorite AI tool. Don't have a favorite? Start with one and then compare with another. Open up ChatGPT for example, and then open up Gemini and then compare. Here are some exercises you might try. These lend themselves to reiterations so there's not just one prompt from you, but several. This will train you as you use effective prompts in your use of AI: 

1. Ask it to make you a logo (for your business). Don't have one? Use your imagination. 
2. Ask it to draft up an itinerary for your next excursion, day date with your significant other, or your next vacation. 
3. Do you have a doctor visit coming up? Tell AI something you want to make sure and mention to your doctor, and see what results you get. 

These are random, I know. They're just examples. Try anything you want. The idea is to experiment and play with it. 

Two quotes I appreciate from this article which summarize this AI of steering the ship, of you controlling it instead of being intimidated by the tools out there at your disposal: 

"AI transformation is not something that will happen to your organization; it is something that you as the leader will drive, design, and champion." - Marc de Swaan Arons, IRG founder

"AI is now at the core of creativity. Being human is a differentiator." - The Think with Google Editorial Team

The image accompanying this article show top thematic trends across Google Search this summer.