Working with AI in A/E/C

I’d like to introduce to you one of the newest tools entering the A/E/C industries, ChatGPT. I’m the facilitator in this conversation, but the message I intended has been communicated clearly and without error–in a matter of seconds, not minutes–thanks to ChatGPT.

I begin by typing a prompt into my chat window…

Me: How can ChatGPT help me write?

ChatGPT: “ChatGPT can assist you in writing by providing suggestions, offering feedback, and generating text based on your input. Here are a few ways ChatGPT can help you with your writing:

1. Idea generation: If you're stuck and need inspiration for a story, essay, or any other type of writing, you can describe your topic or provide some context, and ChatGPT can generate ideas or brainstorm with you.
2. Outlining and structuring: You can share your writing plan or rough outline with ChatGPT, and it can provide suggestions on organizing your thoughts, creating an effective structure, and identifying any missing elements.
3. Improving sentence structure and grammar: If you have a specific sentence or paragraph that you want to improve, you can share it with ChatGPT, and it can suggest rephrasing, offer alternative word choices, or point out any grammatical errors.
4. Proofreading and editing: ChatGPT can help you proofread and edit your work by identifying spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and awkward phrasing. It can also suggest ways to improve clarity, coherence, and overall readability.
5. Creative writing assistance: Whether you're working on a short story, poem, or script, you can collaborate with ChatGPT to develop characters, plotlines, dialogue, or descriptive passages. You can provide prompts or specific details, and ChatGPT can generate text to enhance your creative writing.

Remember that while ChatGPT can provide valuable suggestions and ideas, it's always important to review and revise the generated text to ensure it aligns with your intended message and style. Additionally, since ChatGPT is an AI language model, it may occasionally produce inaccurate or nonsensical responses, so it's essential to use your judgment and critically evaluate the suggestions it provides.”

"Jobs that require social interaction, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and adaptability are less likely to be fully replaced by AI."

Me: Will AI replace human employees?

Chat GPT: “The potential for AI to replace human employees in certain tasks and industries is a topic of ongoing debate and speculation. While AI has the ability to automate repetitive and routine tasks, improve efficiency, and analyze vast amounts of data, there are still many areas where human workers excel and are necessary.

It is likely that AI will continue to impact the workforce and lead to changes in the job market. Some job roles may become automated, especially those that involve manual labor or routine cognitive tasks. However, AI is also expected to create new job opportunities and augment human capabilities in various fields.

[I removed repetitive AI content here. Robots can ramble on too.]

There are certain domains where human skills such as empathy, creativity, critical thinking, and complex problem-solving are highly valued and difficult to replicate with AI. Jobs that require social interaction, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and adaptability are less likely to be fully replaced by AI.

Overall, while AI has the potential to automate specific tasks and impact the job market, the complete replacement of human employees by AI across all industries is unlikely in the foreseeable future. Instead, it is more probable that AI will be integrated into workplaces to complement and augment human capabilities, leading to a redefinition of job roles and the need for reskilling and upskilling of the workforce.”

My Human Opinion

To echo ChatGPT’s point, the automation of accurately composed prompts is helpful to idea generation and overall writing for the A/E/C industry. Creative ideas with accurate sentence structure are quickly generated, which is beneficial when creating content for website, proposals, or other publications. AI-generated works are currently not protected by copyright law, but that does not excuse unprofessional behavior as an author of published or unpublished works–integrity is still a value we hold in high regard.

Personally, I do not feel threatened by the advancements in AI. On the contrary, I’m appreciative of the time and money saved in the production process. If I need a quick brainstorm on any topic, I can easily ask my computer rather than disrupting a co-worker. The true advantage of this progressive technology seems to be learning it well and allowing it to help improve our deliverables.

First appeared in SMPS MARKETER, 50th Anniversary Edition.