Dive into the World of Generative AI: A Guide for the Curious

(AI-Enhanced Version)

It seems we have a new kid on the block! Generative AI has been garnering significant attention lately. However, as a relatively new topic, many people are diving into the learning process simultaneously. Understanding what generative AI is, its capabilities, how it impacts both the professional and personal spheres, and its disruptive potential remains uncertain. With a whirlwind of excitement, fear, and hype surrounding this fast-paced and ambiguous field, knowing where to begin can be overwhelming.

But fear not! Your curiosity is your most powerful ally in this brave new world of AI. In this article, I'll provide practical steps and resources to help you harness your curiosity and explore generative AI.

Before we delve into the content, I'd like to highlight that there are two versions of this article available. One is the original, authored solely by me (link to the human version ), while this version you're currently reading has been refined and polished with the assistance of ChatGPT (The Human-AI Collaboration version ??). I would greatly appreciate your feedback on which version resonates with you the most! Also, feel free to share any resources that have helped you learn about generative AI in the comments below!

Embark on a Voyage through the Seven Seas of Curiosity

Curiosity is an excellent starting point, but how can you best apply it to reap maximum benefits? While researching for the book The Curious Advantage with Paul Ashcroft and Garrick Jones , we devised a process to channel curiosity, encapsulated in the '7Cs model'. This model offers a framework for nurturing curiosity, and generative AI presents an opportune case study for applying it to maximize its potential. In this article, I'll discuss how I've been using the model myself and share valuable resources I've discovered along the way.

Begin with Context

To truly satisfy our curiosity, we must first grasp the context surrounding generative AI. What is it, and what are its benefits and risks? What does the jargon entail? Large language models, transformers, reinforcement learning with human feedback, and prompt engineering are just a few terms to comprehend and master.

Here are a few places to learn the basics and the terminology:

??Read:

ChatGPT101 What is generative AI (and how to use it)? ( Coursera )

What is Generative AI? An AI explains ( World Economic Forum )

What is Generative AI ( 麦肯锡 )

Generative AI ( 波士顿谘询公司 )

How AI Is Disrupting The HR Tech Marketplace , EdTech is going crazy for AI ( Josh Bersin )

A Framework for Picking the Right Generative AI Project , ( Harvard Business Review , Marc Steven Ramos , Marc Zao-Sanders )

???Listen:

Lex Fridman talks to Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO (podcast) - the pro for AI

Lex Fridman talks to Eleizer Yudkowsky, Researcher (podcast) - the risks of AI and need for alignment

Why you (and your company) need to experiment with ChatGPT now (HBR Ideacast Podcast)

??Learn:

Generative AI for Leaders & How to Research and Write using Generative AI Tools ( LinkedIn for Learning )

ChatGPT Teach Out ( 密西根大学 , Coursera)

???Watch:

TED Talk by Greg Brockman OpenAI Founder on latest features and potential of ChatGPT

The AI Dilemma - The case for pausing AI releases

Next, Engage with the Community

Once you've familiarized yourself with the basics and the jargon, it's time to immerse yourself in the community and supercharge your information flow. The community consists of individuals with varying roles: companions who join you on this learning journey, the knowledgeable who possess valuable information, gatekeepers who provide access to new resources or people, and experts who share their expertise in different fields. Some of these individuals may be friends, colleagues, or team members, while others may be strangers who become part of your community.

Seek out ways to connect with them. Are there existing MS Teams sites, Yammer groups, or communities in your workplace you can explore, or could you initiate a new community by posting something?

LinkedIn, Twitter, GitHub, newsfeeds, and even the r/ChatGPT subreddit (currently boasting 1.2 million members) offer continuous streams of information tailored to your preferences and focus.

Here are some recommendations for people, companies, and communities to follow in the general AI field or specifically related to generative AI for HR and learning. As you explore these, consider whom to follow or connect with, which resources to bookmark or note, and which to disregard:

GenerativeAI on LinkedIn

OpenAI , Microsoft , Google ,

The ChatGPT report (podcast)

ChatGPT (podcast)

Superhuman (email feed)

r/ChatGPT on Reddit

Josh Bersin , Donald Clark , Michael Vaughan , Marc Zao Sanders , John Hagel , JJ Delgado , Zain Kahn , Sal Khan , Dave Birss (also his Recent mini-workshop on ChatGPT101)

Time to Curate Your Focus

At this point, you might feel overwhelmed by the deluge of AI information. The next step, curation, involves sifting through the noise to concentrate on what matters most. From your learnings and connections, identify what has piqued your curiosity and what is most relevant to your area of interest. Which topics do you want to explore further, and which can you ignore?

Curate the aspects most valuable to you, such as generative AI tools, business models, image generators, programming tools, AI agents, or AI in learning.

For me, the focus is twofold: understanding how generative AI impacts large global companies across R&D, commercial, manufacturing, or support services, and exploring its influence on the HR & learning fields.

Now, Unleash Your Creativity??

In the first three steps, you've begun to comprehend the context of generative AI, its related terms, and potential use cases. You've identified a community of experts to follow and engaged with colleagues or team members who share your curiosity. Then, you've curated your discoveries to hone in on the areas that matter most to you. The next step is to apply your creativity. How could generative AI be applied to your situation, and what questions do you have that demand answers? It's time to direct your curiosity and creativity toward the future.

Set a goal ?? or consider an experiment you could conduct. It could involve drafting an article, generating an AI image, brainstorming a business idea, or even creating a webpage using ChatGPT's coding capabilities (see my article on my experiments with coding and scripting our podcast as an example). Formulate a question, establish a goal, or design an experiment that will facilitate your learning.

Time for Construction

After formulating your question, experiment, or goal, it's time to take action and bring your ideas to life! Mere contemplation isn't enough; we need to dive into hands-on experiences. If you haven't already, start exploring tools like ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Midjourney, or others to see their capabilities.

?? A quick note of caution: Ensure you're aware of your employer's policy regarding usage, as many companies exercise caution with proprietary data in prompts. ??

Hands-on experience is one of the fastest ways to learn and truly understand what you've encountered so far. It can also be the most intimidating step, as it requires stepping out of our comfort zones and trying something new!

Here are a few tips for experimenting with ChatGPT specifically:

Leverage ChatGPT for assistance - paste this prompt to receive guidance on crafting effective prompts: "Create a beginner's guide to using ChatGPT. Topics should include prompts, guides, and personas. Include examples where necessary. The guide should be no longer than 500 words."

Use CRISP prompts (ChatGPT helped me create this one!):

• Clear: Make your prompt straightforward, e.g., "How to create a marketing plan?"
• Relevant: Provide context for relevance, e.g., "Considering target audience and goals, explain creating a marketing plan."
• Instruct: Offer guidelines and instructions for the response, e.g., "Outline a 5-step process for developing a successful marketing plan."
• Specific: Define your request precisely, including anything to exclude, e.g., "Explain the importance of identifying target audience and setting SMART goals in a marketing plan."
• Persona: Assign a role or characteristics, e.g., "As a marketing expert, can you guide me through the process of creating an effective marketing plan?"

Explore these 30 free to try tools curated by Fast Company when deciding which tools to experiment with.

Here are 100 useful prompts to maximize your ChatGPT experience.

The Importance of Criticality

Having experimented and put your ideas and questions into action, you've generated answers and produced tangible results from your curious journey!

The sixth step is to apply criticality. This step is increasingly vital in the context of generative AI, as one of its major criticisms is accuracy or its propensity to fabricate information. Examining your results critically is crucial to ensure their accuracy. Look for ways to cross-verify the information. Tools like Bing provide references that you can consult to validate your findings.

Be mindful that ChatGPT, while convincing, may not always be accurate! When I asked it to outline the 7Cs model we're using, it confidently provided seven steps beginning with C and descriptions for each, but only Context and Creativity were correct!

Another aspect of criticality involves examining your own biases and those potentially inherent in the AI tools you use. There have been numerous instances of tools displaying biases originating from the datasets they were trained on.

Applying a critical lens to our overall use of generative AI is also essential. While I'm enthusiastic about the benefits it will bring and its potential to transform various roles and address major challenges like climate change and curing cancer, I'm also concerned about managing its societal impact and ensuring proper safeguards and alignment. Personally, I support government intervention to slow down public releases of next-generation models like GPT-5. This video from Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin presents a compelling case, and there are additional arguments surrounding Moloch (and game-theoretic forces) against developing super AI until we're sure we can control it. This is an area I need to reflect on further and won't delve deeper into here.

Cultivating Confidence

The final C in our 7Cs model is confidence. By following these steps, you'll find that your confidence has grown. You now possess foundational knowledge of generative AI and understand its context. You've connected with a community, hopefully finding friends or colleagues to learn with or from, and you've curated relevant information. You've employed creativity to ask questions and conduct experiments, which you've put into action through construction. Lastly, you've applied criticality by analyzing the results of your efforts. Regardless of your experiment's success, you'll have increased confidence to explore further, ask bolder questions, and experiment more.

So, now you know what to do!

The 7Cs offer a framework for applying curiosity with purpose, ensuring you make the most of it. In this article, I've linked the 7Cs with resources that have been helpful in my journey, hoping to provide a valuable way to expand your knowledge in the realm of generative AI. I believe this technology will yield tremendous benefits, but I also anticipate significant disruption to many familiar aspects of our lives. Exciting times indeed!

? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this article. Please share other resources you've found helpful in the comments! Who do you follow, what articles have you read, and which podcasts have been useful? Your input is greatly appreciated!

Also as a reminder, there are two versions of this article. This one was written by leveraging ChatGPT-4 and asking it to improve on the original. The original human version without AI editing is here !

If you want to learn more about the 7Cs Curiosity model then follow our Curious Advantage podcast on Spotify , Apple , Audiobook , or your favourite podcast provider.

The Curious Advantage Book is available from Amazon and all good book retailers and is available on Kindle, paperback, hardback and audiobook.

The Curious Advantage Learning Programs are also just launched - learn how to be a curious leader, about curious talent and curious technology.

We also have an enterprise curiosity diagnostic available in partnership with Hult Ashridge Executive Education , if you are interested in assessing your company's curiosity level.