Who's Afraid of Artificial Intelligence?

The discussion of generative AI has been dominating the news and redefining industries, and responses seem to be mixed. However, unlike many others of my generation, I'm not afraid of AI. Instead, I recognize its potential. You might even say that I’ve embraced it.?

Who's afraid of artificial intelligence? Not me.

A few years ago, I made the decision to walk away from the day-to-day operation of my agency without reservation, leaving the reins in my son’s capable hands. In doing so, I separated from dozens of visionary graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, and writers – each of whom has left me speechless with awe and breathless with admiration on many occasions. These brilliant members of my creative team assumed such importance, productively speaking, because they served as extensions of my brain, working with me to bring my vision into sharper focus and shepherd my ideas into existence.??

You could say that I went “solo.” My background in branding strategy followed me as I left, but I found myself missing something that I could not achieve alone: creative collaboration. Since then, I’ve come to think of AIs like ChatGPT and Dall-E as both tools and fellow creatives. Largely, this stems from a major similarity that I noticed between generative AI and our human teams: the output we receive is largely dependent upon what we put into them.?

To begin collaborating effectively with this new creative, you must first learn how to conceive of a project, how to bring it to fruition in your mind before creating it in the real world. It's not a panacea – it cannot answer the question you have not yet thought of.?

Not only can AI not answer questions you have not thought of, but it also cannot answer questions that are not properly articulated. When you create a prompt for an AI, the language in which you deliver the prompt directly impacts its output, much in the way that your framing of a project to a person informs their approach.??

It’s worth noting that AI image generators have not (yet) evolved as much as generative text AIs, so they require much simpler, clearer prompts and leave greater room for interpretation.?

Do: “Act like” + “write a” + “define an objective” + “define your ideal format”?

• Define your creative. Is your AI a ghostwriter? A copy expert? An artist who paints in the style of Picasso??
• Define your use case. Should your AI write, research, paint, sketch, or postulate? On what topic???
• Define your goal. Is your AI creating a proposal? A funny poem? A visual masterpiece? Street art??
• Define specifics. Should your AI use a specific format, tone, number of words, or color palette??

For example, “Act like a {branding expert} who is writing copy for {a flamingo salesman’s unique branding proposition} to achieve {value with consumers aged 25 - 35}.”?

Don't give ambiguous prompts.??

• "Write about a company making a profit,” becomes, "Compose a witty anecdote about a small start-up's unexpected success after creating scissors for left-handed people."?
• "Illustrate a company thinking outside the box,” becomes, "Create digital art featuring a group of employees gathered around an open cardboard box, with creative ideas represented as colorful light bulbs floating out of the box."?

Don't describe vague actions.?

• "Describe a business adapting to change,” becomes, "Write a humorous account of a traditional brick-and-mortar clothing retailer pivoting to online sales, and their journey of embracing TikTok to achieve resonance with younger consumers.”??
• "Draw a person climbing the corporate ladder," becomes, "Paint a watercolor illustration of a businessperson ascending a literal ladder made of ties. The intent is to highlight career progression."?

Don't offer unclear subjects.?

• "Discuss the importance of customer service,” becomes, "Write a satirical dialogue between two customers comparing experiences. The first customer was incredibly pleased with Fake Store’s free lollipops. The second customer was offered no free lollipops and made to wait for hours.”?
• “Create an image of successful teamwork,” becomes "Illustrate a group of diverse employees, each holding a piece of a large jigsaw puzzle.”?

Don't rely on confusing interactions.?

• "Describe a marketing strategy meeting,” becomes, "Write a script depicting a marketing team brainstorming unique promotional ideas, such as offering free skydiving lessons with every purchase or launching a product into space for publicity."?
• "Design a scene of a business negotiation,” becomes "Create an illustration of two people in suits playing a friendly game of chess."?

Don't use imprecise gestures.?

• “Write about improving a company's image,” becomes, "Compose a humorous story about a company that hires a team of eccentric image consultants, who suggest unconventional strategies like sponsoring a competitive knitting championship."?
• "Illustrate a marketing campaign taking off,” becomes "Design a children's book illustration of diverse employees launching a rocket."?

We must understand our envisioned outcome in three dimensions and communicate our requirements clearly because, as strategists, it's our responsibility to articulate the project's scope and goal. We can only capitalize on AI's potential if we design it with the foresight and ambition required for the task at hand.??

It is simply another instrument in the creative toolbox. I focus on understanding what I aim to create or accomplish and then communicate that goal and the parameters in my mind to ensure success. This is how I achieved excellent results with creative professionals throughout my career, and it is how I now approach my work with Chat GPT and AI art generators.?

At the end of the day, everyone is talking about what’s scary about this new tech. I say, who’s afraid of artificial intelligence? Not me.??