ChatGPT at Two: The AI-powered Collaboration I Didn’t See Coming

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I’ve been working with a number of cutting edge AI tools for nearly 10 years but it was early December, 2022 when I first realized that generative AI wasn’t just another case of technology roadkill.

I was knee-deep assembling a product strategy presentation, struggling to condense a number of the team’s ideas into a cohesive story, when ChatGPT went from a novelty tool into something… more useful. By refining a series text prompts and acting with a collaborative mindset with ChatGPT, what would have taken hours of mental gymnastics became a more clear narrative that I could work with.

Two years ago, most of us first saw ChatGPT as a novelty – a quirky chatbot that could rework boring meeting notes into the voice of Snoop Dogg, or a workout plan that I would never follow. Fast forward to today, and we’re looking at a technology that’s the subject of thousands of media articles, an equal amount of controversies and is quickly revolutionizing how we work, create, and think.

The initial hype was pure chaos. Only 5 days after launch to a million users, and a 100 million users by January. Educators panicked about academic integrity, businesses wondered if AI would replace entire departments, and creatives feared becoming obsolete. The reality? Forward-thinking people and organizations are starting to settle into a more collaborative relationship with generative AI. But not everyone of course, some organizations are struggling to understand where to start. How to integrate generative AI in a practical and tactical way that creates real business value.

Smart organizations aren’t wholesale replacing humans; they’re working to integrate AI as a sophisticated collaborator, creating efficiencies that enable valued team members to be more effective. Designers and content creators like myself do run the risk of losing out if we don’t embrace generative-AI for the tools that they are. We have to stop thinking about losing control of the creative process to generative-AI and think about ways that we can augment our skillsets with it. Imagine having a brainstorming partner that never gets tired, can accurately draw out key points in vast amounts of data, can generate 50 conceptual variations in minutes, and doesn’t require coffee breaks. Not that there’s anything wrong with coffee breaks with colleagues, but maybe now we can concentrate on the coffee and conversation rather than how we’re going to get things done.

AI can still hallucinate, but here’s the crucial insight: it’s the human’s responsibility to question the output. Just like in any professional relationship, trust can be earned through verification. We can’t take AI-generated information at face value. Instead, we need to probe, ask how the information was derived, cross-reference sources, and maintain a critical lens. It’s not about distrusting the technology, but about developing a collaborative relationship where we’re active participants, not passive consumers. Think of it as working with a brilliant but inexperienced colleague – you appreciate their insights, but you always do your own homework.

The most fascinating transformation hasn’t been technological, but cultural. We’re developing “AI literacy” – a new skill set that’s part technological understanding, part creative collaboration. It’s like learning to dance with a partner who knows every step but occasionally steps on your toes. And what’s a few bruised toes if you’re having fun.

If you’re interested in discussing how generative Ai can be out to work in your organization contact us, we’d love to share our skills and perspective to bring those opportunities to life.