AI: An introduction to boosting productivity for managers Part One

If you're a busy manager and haven't yet found the time to start having a play with AI tools then this article is for you

Most of us will have been using AI tools already as organisations increasingly build them into their online content. If you do your grocery shopping online with Woolworths that little 'Olive' assistant is one of a myriad of AI tools we're now encountering. The question for managers is whether AI is a gimmick for tech-savvy nerds, or whether it can actually help boost productivity, save time and make life easier.

The first thing to know is that the world of AI is moving REALLY fast. In fact it's moving so fast that specialist trainers are struggling to keep up. If you check out You-Tube videos on the subject then anything that's 2-3 months old is probably out of date. Almost every week now the main platforms are enhancing capability to stay ahead of what is now a huge competition for pre-eminence.

What are AI tools?

AI tools are software or platforms that use artificial intelligence to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tools leverage machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and other AI technologies to automate, optimize, or enhance various processes. In short, there are a staggering range of AI tools out there providing highly specialist task support in creating videos, translation, programming, data analysis and so on. But for this intro we'll just focus on what's useful for normal people and ignore all the jargon.

Are AI tools just gimmicks?

Six months ago I would have said yes - especially for most of us who are juggling huge workloads and don't have much time to fiddle with unnecessary things. However, with developments this year, and increasing understanding of how to use AI in the real world, I believe we're now at a tipping point where:

• AI can be extremely helpful in saving us time and effort
• AI is absolutely going to be a game-changer in how we work in the very near future - whether we like it or not

For those of us of an age who remember the first PCs coming into workplaces, or still prefer to save things on our computer so we know where they are, this intro article is your wake-up call:  we're on the edge of a mega shift in the use of technology at work and we're going to have to adapt. Or be left behind, working at the equivalent of snail mail vs email.

Take a first step - have a play, it's kind of addictive!

If you're working for an organisation that uses Microsoft Office tools (especially MS 365)  you'll start to see Copilot AI appear in Teams, Word, Powerpoint, Excel etc. over time, if not already. Copilot is in my view going to be THE game-changer daily use tool over time as it is a version of AI that is gradually being interwoven throughout MS Office. But for now, we'll focus on ChatGPT because:

• It's available online to everyone
• Most people have heard of it
• It's really easy to use, and
• It's free - at least for starting off

A note about costs

General AI platforms usually allow you a free daily allowance of their 'brainpower'. If you ask AI to create an image for you (e.g. "Draw a picture of a dog and a cat undertaking an operation on an elephant") this will use a lot of its brainpower and you'll quickly use up your free daily allowance. You'll then have to wait until tomorrow to keep playing, or some platforms will switch to a lower brainpower previous version which is ok for basic tasks (maybe). But if you're asking AI questions or to do simple tasks you can get a lot done in your free day. If you start using it a lot you can take out a monthly subscription. Most platforms charge $20-$30 a month .... definitely not needed when you're starting out.

Getting started

I remember when a family friend bought a ZX Spectrum computer and we were invited round to see it. With great anticipation it was switched on and as I looked at the TV screen I asked "So what does it do?". "Well you have to programme it to do things" came the disappointing response. You may be asking the same when you look at the blank box in ChatGPT - don't worry I'll be helping you with that step by step in following blog posts!

For starters simply:

1. jump onto the internet and search for ChatGPT (produced by Open AI)
2. I'd strongly recommend you sign up (remember it's free) so you have a log-in because ChatGPT will remember and keep everything you've asked it
3. in the text box where it says 'Message Chat GPT' just ask it something and press enter/return or the up arrow on the right hand side. Here's some examples to type in if you need some help getting started:

• Tell me how to prepare for undertaking an employee appraisal for one of my team
• Give me a personal plan to loose 2kg of weight over the next 3 months
• Write me a bedtime story for an 8 year old child about a cat called Twiddles
• Draw me a picture that I can use for a social media post about ....

Prompts

The examples above are what we call 'prompts'. Prompts are simply the question you want answered, or the task you want AI to do for you. The more detail you provide, the better the response you'll get. Think of it as asking a small (but extremely intelligent) child to undertake a task .... explain what you want as simply and clearly as you can.

The key to getting what you want out of AI is using well phrased prompts and I'll provide some great examples that will really help you in future posts.

So, now over to you to give it a go and have a play - enjoy!