Author: James Manning

Unless you’re pursuing the path of training large language models (LLMs) or are hell-bent on learning how to fine-tune a model to craft a sophisticated chatbot, there’s no need for a pricey course. You see, we’re interpreters in this grand scheme. We have an idea, and the AI, believe me, is mighty enough to assist with the execution of those ideas. It’s not about pulling a rabbit out of the hat; it’s about translating what’s brewing in our heads into a language the LLM understands — prompting, in other words.

But let’s not mistake prompting for some simple trick. It’s an art form, a dance, a constant give-and-take. You can think of it like conversing with a sharp but sometimes eccentric buddy. They can provide you with all the information you need, but sometimes you have to ask in just the right way. To master this dance, we need to consider AI as a partner that learns from us with every interaction. As we experiment with different prompts, we also need to consider the AI’s output, adjusting our queries accordingly. This back-and-forth learning allows us to use AI more effectively over time. As we prompt, we are learning about its capabilities and nuances.

But with AI evolving at breakneck speed, our approach to prompting must also be flexible, just like learning. Remember ADDIE, SAM, and the good old principles of deliberate practice and scaffolding? They are all a part of our trusty toolbox when it comes to learning and development.

Similarly, we need a blueprint, a framework to approach AI. Just as ADDIE, SAM, and other tools shape how we learn, we need similar sturdy structures for interacting with AI. It’s a bit like building a house — the materials might change, but you’ll always need a solid foundation, walls, and a roof. It’s critical to understand that these frameworks are not just static methodologies but should evolve with AI technology. As AI becomes more capable and autonomous, our approach needs to reflect these advancements. For instance, as the AI develops an ability to understand more abstract or complex prompts, our framework should incorporate strategies for these types of prompts.

Now, let’s get down to the economics of it. Why would you cough up the dough just for a prompt when your AI assistant can whip one up for you? It’s like asking a master chef to write down a recipe for you. If you want Midjourney to paint you a stunning picture, you need to help it visualize the image first. It’s not about training it to paint but rather teaching it to see.

There may come a time when a course is warranted. That time is not now. We are at the genesis of the AI revolution. There are ample resources online to learn the specifics of an application, and as fast as things are evolving, most of what we understand will be obsolete this time next year.

Here are some youtube Channels All About AI The AI Advantage Quick Start Creative Theoretically Media

Created in Midjourney The marketing calendar is booked months in advance. Emails are scheduled to go out. The latest campaign assets are approved. By all measures, the team is ready to execute their carefully strategized plans. But then the analytics dashboard lights up with alerts — website traffic from the Midwest is unexpectedly spiking. Social sentiment toward a certain product feature is trending negatively. The match between lead profiles and ideal customer segments is declining.

While listening to a recent episode of the Marketing Against the Grain podcast, the hosts’ discussion about the growing role of AI in marketing got me thinking. In today’s dynamic market, even the best-laid marketing plans can go sideways due to sudden shifts in customer behavior. This real-time volatility is why many marketing teams embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to augment their work. With the ability to ingest and analyze data at incredible speeds, AI systems can rapidly spot micro-changes in trends and customer preferences. They enable marketers to optimize campaigns and messaging on-the-fly. Far from an imagined sci-fi future, this AI-powered marketing is already becoming a reality for forward-thinking teams.

The Rapid Pace of Change

The marketing landscape is undergoing seismic shifts thanks to AI and other innovations like machine learning and automation. Consider that:

– Highly personalized and dynamic ad campaigns can be orchestrated in real time based on customer data and behaviors.

– Chatbots powered by natural language processing can have conversational interactions with prospects and customers.

– Predictive analytics identifies the most high-value customers and which ones are most likely to churn.

– AI writing tools can automatically generate content like social posts and emails.

These changes are happening staggeringly, requiring marketers to adapt quickly. The ones who proactively upskill and evolve their tech stack will gain a distinct competitive advantage.

The Rise of Automation

One significant impact of AI on marketing is the automation of certain repetitive or data-heavy tasks. This includes:

– Media buying and bid optimization

– Funnel analysis and reporting

– Sentiment analysis

– A/B testing

– Lead scoring

While this may seem like AI is taking over marketing roles, it’s more akin to an augmentation. AI handles the tedious and analytical tasks, freeing up human marketers to focus on high-level strategy and creative work.

The Brains and the Brawn

Here’s how to think about the AI-marketer relationship:

AI brings the analytical horsepower to crunch numbers, spot patterns, and make data-based recommendations. It excels at scale and consistency.

Human marketers bring creativity, empathy, and intuition. They connect the dots and make judgment calls. They also bring expertise to train AI systems.

Together, they are more powerful than alone. AI technologies shouldn’t be thought of as replacements for marketers but rather as partners that enhance marketing efforts.

The Path Forward

To leverage the full potential of AI, marketers should:

– Stay on top of emerging tech and proactively test it. Don’t resist change; find ways to integrate AI gradually.

– Develop a learning mindset. Be willing to iterate campaigns based on data and AI suggestions.

– Sharpen creative skills. Great storytelling and content will always be invaluable.

– Focus on strategy and critical thinking. AI handles tactics — you focus on the big picture.

The future of marketing will involve hybrid teams of humans and AI working symbiotically. Perhaps one day, we’ll even have AI CMOs! But one thing is sure — winning marketers will embrace this evolution. The possibilities are endless with the power of data and tech combined with human creativity.

My AI Disclaimer

While this blog post was drafted using AI technology, the ideas, perspectives, and editing are my own. The AI is simply used as a tool to assist with content creation, but the authentic authorship remains mine. Please enjoy this post knowing it comes fully from my intellectual spirit and creativity.

Marketing Against the Grain Podcast

Marketing Against the Grain

Envato Elements by DC Studio I was talking with a young engineer at our company picnic. He has just graduated college a year ago. We got into a discussion about AI, and he was wondering if he would have to compete with non-engineers who use AI.

In my view, his most significant competition will be with engineers who are more productive and present more creative solutions with the help of AI.

So what is my recommendation to young engineers? Understand that know-how is the gap between ideas and execution. Most engineers work in the implementation phase. It is time to start thinking about the edges – the beginning and end stages.

On the idea generation side, consider: what problems are your customers looking to solve, and how does your current product roadmap address or fail to address them? What story is the marketing team telling about your products? What story do they want to tell? This is where you innovate and come up with new ideas.

On the execution side, there are many issues – from supply chain logistics, production schedules, safety regulations, training sales and distributors, and creating a comprehensive go-to-market communication strategy, not to mention problems exposed during field testing.

Someone who only has ChatGPT as their tool will not succeed in this arena. But an engineer who starts with just their engineering expertise can thrive if they are willing to expand their skillset outwards.

Shadows twisted across the abandoned subway walls, cast by candles surrounding the twelve figures. Kara pulled her robe tighter against the chill, gooseflesh rising on her arms. Her breath misted in the air, mingling with the acrid smoke wafting from the candles. She scanned the other disciples’ faces, hollow-eyed and gaunt beneath their hoods. Their silence rang out louder than words.

The elder stood within a pentagram etched onto the grimy tiles, hands raised in supplication. His chanting in ancient Sumerian made Kara’s heart thrum against her ribs. She longed to believe his claim that this woman had volunteered, but the wild terror in the woman’s eyes screamed coercion. Her hair matted with blood, body marked by peculiar wounds inflicting meticulous pain.

The disciples’ chant built to a fever pitch as the elder raised a ritual dagger, the handle inlaid with carvings of winged demons feasting on writhing souls. Kara’s mouth went dry, images from her own initiation flooding back. Lying vulnerable as the blade pierced her flesh, promising protection from forces whispered of in scripture. Forces she now understood were not myth, but waiting patiently to be fed.

“Stay strong, child.” The elder’s voice broke her reverie. “Tonight we summon the Chained One to walk among us.”

Kara swallowed bile. As the dagger split flesh, she found herself silently mouthing childhood prayers, fingers tight around the rosary hidden in her pocket. The beads were smooth from years of anxious rubbing, the only lingering tie to a world now lost to her.

The woman’s scream pierced the gag as oily blood flowed across the tiles. A sulfurous cloud coalesced above the altar, billowing down the elder’s eager throat until even the whites of his eyes turned black.

Kara backed against the cold tiles, paralyzed. She had to stop this, but her limbs would not respond. The woman’s body contorted, bones cracking audibly as she vibrated on the precipice between human and…something else.

Kara broke free of her trance. “Brothers, sisters, we must end this madness!” She swatted the dagger from the elder’s grasp. It rang out as it hit the tiles, speckled with blood.

The woman convulsed, back arching obscenely. Her mouth stretched impossibly wide, jaw unhinging as she spewed forth a swirling darkness. The thing that lurched up was no longer woman, but monstrosity. Skin hung in necrotic ribbons over gangrenous limbs. Its baleful shriek pierced the air, hungry and hateful.

It turned to Kara, a mess of gnashing teeth and jagged talons. She stumbled backwards, fumbling numbly with her rosary as prayers withered on her tongue. The creature loomed closer, grinning with anguish and insatiable hunger…

Suddenly the platform flooded with light, the shriek of sirens drowning all else. As heavy boots stormed down, gunshots echoed. The creature wavered, then collapsed in a putrid pool.

Kara trembled, bile scorching her throat. The elder had promised cleansing, but summoned only damnation. As blood-curdling screams echoed from above, the entity’s smile widened in feral triumph.

Time management – a term that can inspire a sense of dread or even panic in professionals in any field, particularly those within the learning and design industries. Balancing multiple projects, ensuring continual learning, and meeting stringent deadlines can become a daunting task. If you find yourself nodding in agreement, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, with the advancement of AI, tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have become indispensable assistants. Using carefully curated prompts, you can utilize ChatGPT to manage your time more effectively and streamline your workflow. Here are six practical ChatGPT prompts that can significantly enhance your time management skills and keep you on top of your game.

1. “ChatGPT, help me prioritize my tasks for the day.”

Start your day by using ChatGPT to help prioritize your tasks. By simply inputting the tasks you have for the day and their respective deadlines, ChatGPT can help sort them based on priority. It takes into account the time required to complete each task and the urgency associated with it, thereby helping you to manage your time effectively.

2. “ChatGPT, provide a breakdown of my project timeline.”

Breaking down a project timeline can be daunting, particularly when it involves numerous tasks and deadlines. Using this prompt, ChatGPT can help break your project into manageable chunks, assigning estimated time to each task and providing a clear overview of your project timeline. It also helps to visualize your project progress, thereby keeping you motivated and on track.

3. “ChatGPT, generate a to-do list for my project.”

A to-do list can be a powerful tool in managing your time. Using this prompt, you can get ChatGPT to generate a comprehensive to-do list for your project. This way, you can keep track of what’s done and what needs to be done, making your work more organized and less stressful.

4. “ChatGPT, set reminders for my deadlines.”

Keeping track of multiple deadlines can be a challenge. With this prompt, ChatGPT can help you set reminders for each of your deadlines, ensuring that you never miss a due date. You can even ask it to remind you a few days in advance, giving you ample time to complete your tasks.

5. “ChatGPT, suggest the best time for learning new skills.”

Learning and growth are continuous processes, and for professionals in the learning and design industries, it’s crucial to keep up with new trends and techniques. With this prompt, ChatGPT can analyze your schedule and suggest the best time slots for learning new skills, ensuring you always stay ahead of the curve.

6. “ChatGPT, help me balance my workload.”

Overworking can lead to burnout, and striking a balance is crucial for sustained productivity. This prompt can be used to ask ChatGPT for advice on how to balance your workload. Based on your input about your tasks, deadlines, and personal capacity, ChatGPT can provide practical tips on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The future of time management looks bright with AI-based tools like ChatGPT. Whether it’s creating a to-do list, setting reminders, or even advising on work-life balance, ChatGPT can help professionals streamline their processes and manage their time effectively. So, next time you feel overwhelmed by your workload, remember that your AI assistant is just a prompt away.

Remember, these are merely a starting point. The power of AI lies in its versatility, and these prompts can be customized to suit your unique needs. So go ahead, start exploring and make the most of your time with the help of ChatGPT.

As an instructional designer, you understand the importance of catering to different learning styles and incorporating various instructional methods. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), leveraging its power to enhance learners’ experiences has become increasingly crucial. One tool that can assist in achieving this goal is ChatGPT Prompts.

What is ChatGPT?

In case you’re not familiar, ChatGPT utilizes a language model developed by OpenAI to generate natural language responses. By providing a prompt to the AI, it can generate relevant and coherent text. OpenAI’s GPT-3 model has been extensively trained on a vast dataset, allowing it to produce high-quality responses across a wide range of topics. With the right prompts, ChatGPT can even perform tasks such as translation, summarization, and question-answering.

The Power of AI in Learning and Design

AI is already reshaping the way we live and work, and the field of learning and design is no exception. AI can be employed to personalize learning by recommending courses or resources tailored to each individual’s needs. For instructional designers, it can facilitate the creation of more effective content by pinpointing knowledge gaps and adapting course materials accordingly.

One effective way to harness AI’s power in instructional design is through the use of prompts. With the assistance of ChatGPT, instructional designers can generate content that is relevant, engaging, and tailored to their learners’ needs.

How ChatGPT can be Utilized in Instructional Design

Let’s explore a few examples of how instructional designers can leverage ChatGPT prompts in their courses:

1. Generating Summaries

Upon completion of a module or section, designers can utilize ChatGPT to generate concise summaries of the key points. By providing a prompt such as “Can you summarize the main points of this section?” the AI can generate a summary that learners can revisit later.

2. Generating FAQs

Instructional designers can employ ChatGPT to create a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) at the end of each module or section. By providing prompts such as “What are some typical questions about this topic?” the AI can generate relevant questions and responses to further enhance learner understanding.

3. Creating Adaptive Content

By providing ChatGPT with information on each learner’s progress, instructional designers can create adaptive content that caters to individual needs. For example, the AI can generate additional resources or offer remedial content for learners who are struggling with a particular topic.

The possibilities are endless, and instructional designers can employ ChatGPT prompts in numerous ways to enhance their courses.

Conclusion

AI possesses the potential to transform the landscape of learning and design, and the integration of ChatGPT prompts represents just one way to leverage its power. By providing relevant prompts, instructional designers can use ChatGPT to generate summaries, FAQs, and adaptive content that engage learners and enhance their overall experience. The future is filled with promise, and the possibilities for AI in instructional design are boundless.

As a Learning and Design professional or an Instructional Designer, you strive to create engaging and effective learning experiences. However, the process of developing a curriculum, creating content, and assessing learner progress can be challenging and time-consuming. That’s where ChatGPT comes in.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) language model that understands and responds to human language. Trained on a vast corpus of text data, ChatGPT has a wide range of knowledge and understanding. This makes it an ideal platform for applications such as chatbots, language translation, and content creation.

ChatGPT uses a deep learning algorithm to process and analyze data. When a user inputs a query, ChatGPT generates a response based on its understanding of natural language. What sets ChatGPT apart is its ability to generate coherent and contextually relevant responses.

For example, if a learner asks ChatGPT about the main features of Adobe Photoshop, it can provide a factually accurate response delivered in a tone and style that matches the learner’s context and level.

Leveraging ChatGPT for Learning and Design

As a Learning and Design professional, ChatGPT offers several applications that can enhance the learning experience:

1. Chatbots

Integrating ChatGPT into a chatbot creates an interactive learning experience. Learners can access information, ask questions, and receive real-time feedback. This leads to a more engaging and effective learning experience, as learners receive on-demand support.

2. Content Creation

ChatGPT can generate discussion prompts, quiz questions, and assessments, saving time for Learning and Design professionals. By automating content creation, professionals can focus on higher-level tasks like curriculum development and learner assessment.

3. Language Translation

ChatGPT’s language translation capabilities make it easier for learners who speak different languages to access educational content. This is especially useful in multicultural learning environments or when working with international learners.

In Conclusion

ChatGPT is a powerful tool for Learning and Design professionals and Instructional Designers. By leveraging ChatGPT, you can streamline your curriculum development process, create personalized learning experiences, and improve learner engagement and retention.

Consider integrating ChatGPT into your learning solutions and discover how it can benefit your organization. With its ability to deliver coherent and contextually relevant responses, ChatGPT is a valuable tool in creating engaging and effective learning experiences.