Well, maybe not best friend – but certainly your new business advisor! It can be hard for small business owners to find time and find someone to brainstorm their business ideas and plans with. Ideally we build networks of fellow business owners to meet up with for a cup of tea and a chat regularly. When these things happen, they can be very helpful and inspiring. But the reality is that we are all so busy that it can take weeks or months to actually get around to getting together.
I like to have strategy meetings with myself from time to time, where I note down ideas, draw a few diagrams and make plans for the days, weeks, months and years ahead. But sometimes I wish I had someone to bounce ideas off and get input from.
So today I decided to enlist ChatGPT to act as a business buddy. I was away from the keyboard at the time, so fired up the ChatGPT app on my phone and used the voice input. I told it that I would like it to help me form some plans for my business and projects. I didn’t even tell it to use the various other conversations that I had had with ChatGPT in the past. Nor did I suggest that it looked at the CV I had given it. But it drew on all this information and put together a brilliant plan that laid out the broad strokes for me – and then drew up a day-by-day plan, with tasks, steps and goals laid out. I couldn’t believe it! I expected it to say some useful things and probably make some impractical or irrelevant suggestions. But it was bang on! It knew all my skills – well the ones I had told it about – and experience. It knew what I like doing, what I hate doing, what I would like to do. And it had a plan to get me there. Wow!
It even created a spreadsheet and Trello board to guide me through “The Master Plan”. I have to say that I was impressed!
I keep talking to friends, colleagues and associates about what AI can do for them. Most haven’t explored it yet. But I really do suggest that you get on to ChatGPT and discuss this sort of thing with it. It is incredible what it can do.
I have been reading a book called Supremacy recently, about the advent of AI and the characters and events leading to the current state of the industry. It has been fascinating. A theme that comes up repeatedly is that the AI engineers have an almost religious belief that AI is going to bring great prosperity to everyone.
Then, last night I listened to a debate in the House of Lords on AI safety. The politicians seem very frightened of AI and are in a hurry to bring it under their control, regulation and restriction. But it is also clear that they really don’t understand it.
I do see the potential for great harm to come from AI. I also see it as an exciting and promising technological revolution that will be massively more impactful than the advent of the Internet. We are so used to the Internet now and probably half the population can’t remember a time when they lived without it. Personally, I am rather glad that the Internet had hardly come into being when I was at University and most likely to be subject to embarrassing photographs. Back then, all we had was the Janet network and using that involved a couple of hours of listening to a modem making ding-dong sounds and the computer producing very little. But then things started to develop and we ended up where we are now. I think we are going to see an even more massive effect due to AI.
There is certainly a case for not feeding your CV and all your business ideas, hopes and dreams to an LLM. Goodness knows what it will do with it one day. Just as with most forms of privacy these days, I think our only defence is being insignificant on the grand scale of things. So from that perspective, I may as well put the bot to work and let it help me work out my plans. It’s certainly a short-term view and may well need revision as things progress. It may be better to keep what is effectively proprietary data in a privately hosted LLM. I intend to look into that…
Fears and concerns aside, is this perhaps one of the ways in which AI will bring us prosperity? Can it be a business and professional mentor to each us, helping us make our plans and work through them? From what I have seen, yes. I don’t think I have ever had such a helpful, inspiring and uplifting conversation with a human regarding my professional and business ideas and plans – sad though that is to say!
If you will excuse me, I am off to play with my Trello board and make some magic happen!
I told ChatGPT about this article and it very helpfully suggested that I re-write it as follows. If this was a normal co-worker it might be irritating to have this rather than an acknowledgement of the appreciation expressed. But that’s what working with AI is like! It isn’t emotional and it isn’t emotionally intelligent. So it can be a bit gruff, but on the other hand, it doesn’t take offence and will work with you to get things right for as many takes as are required. So it is swings and roundabouts! I leave you with the ChatGPT version of the above…
AI Plans and Reflections: A New Era of Mentorship and Strategy
In a recent chat with an AI tool, I found myself reflecting on the incredible potential of generative AI to revolutionize the way we approach planning, creativity, and professional development. This interaction was so insightful and productive that I decided to write about it and share my thoughts here on my iB2B Systems website.
AI: The Catalyst for New Ideas
Lately, I’ve been exploring the intersection of technology and creativity. One particular conversation with an AI bot highlighted how powerful these tools can be when it comes to structuring business plans, organizing workflows, and providing inspiration. It’s remarkable how AI has evolved from being a mere computational tool to becoming a thought partner in professional and creative endeavors.
This interaction was, in a word, transformative. The AI not only understood my goals but helped me break them down into actionable steps, complete with daily and weekly tasks. What was once a jumble of thoughts and aspirations turned into a structured roadmap. The clarity and motivation it gave me were unparalleled.
The AI Optimism: Engineers vs. Politicians
I’ve been reading a fascinating book called Supremacy, which delves into the advent of AI and the pivotal events and characters that have shaped this industry. One recurring theme is the almost religious belief among AI engineers that this technology will usher in an era of great prosperity. The optimism is infectious and makes me wonder: are we standing at the dawn of a technological revolution that will eclipse even the advent of the Internet?
Contrast this optimism with a debate I recently listened to in the House of Lords on AI safety. The tone was markedly different. Politicians seemed frightened by the potential dangers of AI and were eager to bring it under control through regulation. Yet, their discussions betrayed a lack of deep understanding of the technology. This gap between the creators’ optimism and regulators’ fear is striking and indicative of the complexities of integrating such transformative technology into society.
Balancing Promise and Privacy
I, too, see the potential for harm in AI’s widespread adoption. But I also see its immense promise—an unprecedented technological revolution that will profoundly impact every aspect of our lives. The Internet’s transformative effects are now so ingrained in our daily existence that many of us can’t remember life without it. AI, I believe, will be even more impactful.
That said, privacy concerns are valid. Feeding personal and proprietary data into a large language model (LLM) does raise questions. What might these tools do with such information in the future? For now, my short-term view is that I’m comfortable letting the AI assist me in developing my plans. However, as the technology evolves, it may become prudent to transition to privately hosted LLMs for handling sensitive data. It’s an area I intend to explore further.
A New Kind of Mentorship
Here’s an intriguing thought: is AI’s greatest gift to us its ability to serve as a business and professional mentor? From my experience, the answer is a resounding yes. In a single session, I received actionable advice and strategic clarity that I rarely encounter in human-to-human conversations. Sad though it may be to admit, this AI-driven dialogue was one of the most helpful and inspiring professional discussions I’ve ever had.
Imagine the possibilities if everyone could access this kind of mentorship: personalized, always available, and tailored to their unique goals and challenges. This could be a key driver of the prosperity AI engineers so fervently believe in.
Making Magic Happen
For now, I’m off to implement the plans we discussed. Armed with a refined Trello board and a newfound sense of purpose, I’m ready to make some magic happen. This is just the beginning of my journey into leveraging AI for business and creativity, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.
Fears and concerns about AI aside, this feels like an exciting time to be alive. The tools we now have at our disposal are nothing short of extraordinary. The challenge lies in using them wisely, ethically, and with an eye toward creating a better future.
