I tell this story all the time… When I do AI trainings at conferences, and stick around for the rest of the program, I get the same joke over and over. We’ll be in a meeting, and someone will say, “We need to do X, Y and Z.” Without fail, someone next to me will slap my arm and say, “We should see if AI can do that.” To which I smile and nod politely.
Because it can.
“Is that a formal request?” has become my go-to comeback.
But here’s the thing… That lighthearted comment opens the door to a real conversation about how AI isn’t just a shiny gadget; it’s a tool that changes the way we do business.
And it boils down to three key approaches:
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ChatGPT (or other platform)
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GPTs (bots)
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Programming
All of those three things involve humans.
HUMANS AND TECH
With your personal desktop or app Generative AI platform, you are the human, and you are in complete control of the input – your AI’s output is the direct result of your input.
If you create a bot (GPT) and share it, you’re giving other humans the opportunity to use it well, or poorly.
And, when you program something that many humans will have the opportunity to use (presumably, the purpose of your program is to automate a process with others’ input), potentially tapping into data sources you don’t control, you really open the door for humans to, well, screw it up.
We hear it all the time – there’s even a phrase for it, that has made it outside of tech: “User Error.”
“My [technology, tool or gadget] doesn’t work. I’m sure it’s user error.”
With any technology, the more you cede control to other humans and resources, the bigger the chance of diminishing the potential of your intent.
How does this all translate to real life?
WHAT DO BRAKE PADS HAVE TO DO WITH AI?
Let’s use a quick metaphor: Brake pads on your car.
In real life, brake pads are engineered to last around 40,000 miles.
But, if the user, the human, “rides the brake”, meaning, keeps their foot on the brake and the accelerator at the same time, the brake pads will last for nowhere near 40,000 miles.
The tool is created to do a certain thing – IF the user uses it the way it’s intended.
That’s a simple, but perfect, example.
Let’s get back to AI.
AI FOR SAVING TIME, OR TO DO BETTER?
A great example of this is in Generative AI is with newsletters.
I hear all the time that folks are using AI to write their newsletters – many even have subscribed to a service that does it for them.
I hate to break this to you… Most are pretty bad.
Why?
Because of the goal that people are setting, which is…
To make it easier and less time-consuming to write newsletters.
What should be the goal of using AI to write newsletters?
To make a stronger, better, more effective newsletter that drives engagement – hopefully saving some time in the process.
One thing I hear often is people want to create a newsletter that just pulls from a source, and auto-sends every day, or once-a-week, et. al.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Get content out to your customers without having to lift a finger?
But, here’s the problem: Once you’ve turned that automation over, you no longer control what the AI is going to pull and create for you.
EVERYONE involved in the creation and curation of content, start to finish, needs to be on-board with the mission, vision and purpose of your AI-generated newsletter.
CHALLENGES WITH AUTOMATED NEWSLETTERS
In many cases, people want to pull any articles about a certain topic and share them… Let’s use workforce development, as an example.
Here are the concerns:
(1) The human on the other end of the content may not share your lingo, and choose to use the keyword “hiring” or “training” instead of “workforce development”, and unless you’ve been wildly comprehensive on your end, your AI could miss important content that you, as the human, would likely flag;
(2) The AI won’t necessarily differentiate between the good and the bad (from your perspective)… What if someone writes an op-ed diametrically opposed to your position on workforce development, and suddenly your time-saving AI newsletter writer is pushing that out to your constituents?;
(3) People are getting more and more savvy… While, personally, you can train your own AI to sound more and more like your writing as it learns, it’s not difficult to spot an AI-generated newsletter anymore, that doesn’t have the personal voice behind it. That’s not a deal-breaker, but you do have to decide if people saying, “Ah, that was written with AI,” gels with your brand – corporate or personal.
AI AND HUMANS
Now, none of this is to say that AI automation is bad… It’s actually quite wonderful at times.
But, it’s important, going in, to make a strategy for what you’re about to do, including:
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What’s the purpose of the exercise?
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How will my AI automation interact with users, and what will it take to make sure they use it effectively (e.g. training, instructions)?
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How will my AI automation be perceived by my audience?
Remember, just because you’re using AI on a daily basis at a certain level doesn’t not mean that everyone else is, too.
WHAT KIND OF GENERATIVE AI USER ARE YOU?
When we started doing AI trainings over two years ago, we would start our sessions by asking who’s using AI on a daily basis.
Maybe 3-4 people would raise their hands.
The world has changed… Today, maybe just 3-4 people don’t raise their hands.
Interestingly enough, as I push further, I find out that 95% of the folks raising their hands are using AI for copywriting.
Which is great… It’s a huge time-saver, and a viable way to overcome the “blank page.”
As a result, we’ve continued to update and recast our AI training to stay in line with the people we’re training.
That means not spending as much time on copywriting, and more on the vast array of other things that AI can do – from strategy to analysis to audit.
My favorite feedback is always, “I use AI every day, but I didn’t know it could do that!”
YOUR AI RESULTS CAN BE BETTER, STRONGER AND FASTER
Using AI on the surface level is good, as more and more people are learning every day.
Using AI to its true potential is better – and the key is understanding the real-world intent and impact of what you’re doing.
Like I said above, are you using AI to save time, or are you using AI to enhance the real-world work you’re doing.
Here are two prompts… Which one sounds like you?
Draft me a blog on airplanes.
Or…
You are an expert in aviation, and a skilled communicator in explaining aircraft technology to various layman audiences. Draft a 500-word blog on advancement in aircraft technology, aimed at a chamber of commerce, small business audience – this is a guest column requested by the chamber for their newsletter. The audience is busy professionals, so keep the content spirited and fun, including technical expertise for “wow factor”, but not overwhelming. Identify and include strong SEO keywords. The chamber’s goal is to drive traffic to the blog. My goal is to invite people to visit our facility near the airport.
Do you want your AI efforts to be “good enough,” or really good?
WE GOT YOU
Join us on December 11 for AI for Small Business: Use AI to GROW Your Business in 2025.
In this session, we’ll go way beyond basic copywriting to explore practical, day-to-day solutions for small businesses, including tools like strategy, analysis and audit. We’ll teach you how to maximize AI’s potential to drive growth and achieve your goals in 2025.
What You’ll Get:
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Advanced AI techniques tailored to small businesses
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Practical prompts you can use immediately
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Strategies to incorporate AI into your operations effectively
See you there?
For Chambers of Commerce and Associations
Note to our chamber of commerce friends: Have you done AI trainings for your members yet? You need to. It’s too important. If you need an easy solution to do so, please feel free to use our December 11 session – let us know you’re interested, and we’ll (1) put your chamber name in a drop-down menu on the registration page; (2) send you promotional copy; and (3) send you half of the registration fees from any company you refer to the program. Contact us if you’re interested!