DeepSummary
The podcast episode discusses the impact of AI on creativity and problem-solving. Jeremy Utley and Kian Gohar share findings from their research study where teams were tasked with solving real-world problems, with half having access to ChatGPT and the other half working without AI assistance.
The study revealed that teams who effectively utilized AI as a 'conversation partner' were able to generate better ideas and solutions compared to non-AI teams. However, these AI-assisted teams paradoxically felt worse about their work due to the effort required in adjusting their workflow to incorporate AI.
Utley and Gohar outline their 'FIXIT' methodology, a five-step process to enhance collaboration with AI. They also provide practical advice on improving conversations with AI, such as using audio prompts, exploring different language models, and treating AI as a copilot rather than an oracle.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Treat generative AI like a 'conversation partner' rather than an oracle to unlock its full potential for creativity and problem-solving.
- Teams that successfully integrate AI into their workflow may initially feel worse about their work due to the effort required in adjusting their processes.
- Follow the 'FIXIT' methodology (Focus, Ideate individually, provide Context, Interactive conversation, and Team incubation) to enhance collaboration with AI.
- Explore different large language models and interact with them through audio prompts and voice messages for a more natural conversational experience.
- Approach AI with curiosity, ask follow-up questions, and provide context to receive more relevant and high-quality responses.
- Start by asking AI for advice on personal decisions to experience its potential and gradually incorporate it into professional workflows.
- Combining human ideation with AI assistance can lead to more creative and effective problem-solving.
- Continuously iterate and refine prompts based on AI's responses to improve the quality of outputs.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Despite the potential to dramatically outperform, most teams leave the vast majority of their innovation potential on the table when they use AI.“ by Jeremy Utley
- “If you want to get world class results and outperform, you can't approach it like an oracle. You need to instead approach AI like a conversation partner.“ by Jeremy Utley
- “It's like going to the gym after not having exercised for a long time. It really sucks, and you don't particularly enjoy it at first, but it has long term benefits.“ by Kian Gohar
- “Unless you have this conversational back and forth with it, like you would with a colleague or a friend to push it and to give it context, you're just going to get average answers and average ideas, and that's really not good enough.“ by Kian Gohar
- “If every single listener will do that one simple activity, they're going to have what we call a personal epiphany that's going to have cascading impact.“ by Jeremy Utley
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Episode Information
Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Stanford GSB
3/19/24
Leveraging AI to unlock new levels of creativity and communication innovation
Join Matt Abrahams with creativity and innovation experts Jeremy Utley and Kian Gohar to explore the transformative potential of AI in the realms of creativity and problem-solving.
If you treat artificial intelligence like an oracle, you’ll likely be disappointed. But if you treat it like a teammate, Utley and Gohar say you’ll be surprised just how helpful a collaborator it can be.
Utley, an adjunct professor at the Stanford d.school, and Gohar, a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and futurist, have researched how teams can integrate AI into existing workflows to generate more creative ideas and streamline problem-solving. As they’ve found, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT can be powerful tools for innovation. But without knowing how to implement them, “Most teams leave the vast majority of their innovation potential on the table,” Utley says. In a new white paper, he and Gohar illuminate the path teams can take to use generative AI as a “conversation partner” and transform their brainstorming efforts as a result.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Utley and Gohar discuss how innovators can stop viewing AI as a magic 8-ball, and start treating it as a companion — one ready to roll up its sleeves and dig deep for new ideas.
Think Fast, Talk Smart is a podcast produced by Stanford Graduate School of Business. Each episode provides concrete, easy-to-implement tools and techniques to help you hone and enhance your communication skills.
Episode Reference Links:
- Jeremy Utley: Website
- Jeremy's book: Ideaflow
- Kian Gohar: Website + Geolab
- Kian's book: Competing In The New World Of Work
- FIXIT
- HBR article by Jeremy and Kian: Don’t Let Gen AI Limit Your Team’s Creativity
- Ep.70 - Keep ’Em Coming: Why Your First Ideas Aren’t Always the Best: YouTube / Website
- Ep.77 - Quick Thinks: AI Has Entered the Chat: YouTube / Website
- Communicators Kian admires:
- Peggy Noonan + Declarations at The Wall Street Journal
- Sam Horn + Tongue Fu!: How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict
Connect:
- Email Questions & Feedback >>> thinkfast@stanford.edu
- Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
- Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
- Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn Page, Instagram, YouTube
- Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn
- Stanford GSB >>> LinkedIn & Twitter
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction to Utley & Gohar
Matt Abrahams introduces guests Jeremy Utley and Kian Gohar, and their respective books.
(00:01:02) Motivation Behind the Study on AI's Impact
AI's impact on creativity and problem-solving, including an experiment involving human ideation with and without AI assistance.
(00:03:32) Research Findings on AI and Innovation
Specific practices to effectively use AI in teams for idea generation and the counterintuitive feelings associated with AI-assisted work.
(00:04:37) The Counterintuitive Nature of AI Assistance
Why teams that used AI effectively felt worse about their work, and the importance of adjusting work processes to incorporate AI as a collaborative tool.
(00:07:59) The FIXIT Methodology for AI Collaboration
The FIXIT methodology, a five-step process to enhance collaboration with AI.
(00:12:29) Enhancing Conversations with AI
Improving conversations with AI, including using audio messages for interaction and exploring different large language models for varied inputs.
(00:17:45) The Final Three Questions
Jeremy Utley offers a starting point for individuals new to ChatGPT, and Kian Gohar shares two communicators he admires and his three ingredients for successful communication.
(00:22:57) Conclusion
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