Hi Reader,

Not sure about you, but I've seen a lot of hype around AI. Ultimately though, I think we all need to ask if it's actually helpful or hurtful; is it the painkiller or the vitamin? Or, is it just more pain?

Turns out it's a bit of everything. But, maybe somewhere in between?

I found this great passage around the concept and what a lot of us might be thinking about it right now:

What do you think? Does it make you uncomfortable? Either in deciding to use it or not to use it?

So, does it help us be more creative or is it a slippery slope to us doing nothing or less with our own brains and reducing our intelligence and ability to solve problems through atrophy?

Are we giving up our human cognitive abilities?

Why am I telling you this? I want to ensure that when or if you do decide to use AI, you start with the purpose of it, not just some random-time-wasting activities to "see" if it is right for you. Don't get me wrong, we do need to 'play' with it, but we also need to understand the underlying purpose of why. It can be useful, but we just need to find that sweet spot of introducing and utilizing AI into your business through your strategic thinking.

We can use AI to enhance our own human creativity and strategic thinking, and it doesn't make us lazy or less creative either. And the important part is that the research in this is starting to show us a very clear picture of what it can do.

In some recent studies, it can help us:

1. ​Generate new solutions with a longer shelf-life
2. ​Brainstorm new ideas better
3. ​Enhance creativity

[The links go to 3 current studies being done]

Reading these studies, it seems like there are a few conclusions:

1. AI can generate creative ideas in real-life, practical situations. It can also help people generate better ideas.
2. The ideas AI generates are better than what most people can come up with, but very creative people will beat the AI (at least for now), and may benefit less from using AI to generate ideas
3. There is more underlying similarity in the ideas that the current generation of AIs produce than among ideas generated by a large number of humans

Ultimately it can help with your innovative and strategic thinking and the way that you understand your challenges and problems. You can use it as a pain killer to sort through challenges but also as a vitamin to strengthen your value and articulate and find your remarkable solutions.

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So, what if you could focus all of this into your creativity, curiosity, and strategic thinking with purpose? Can we get focus and "see" what we need to do and prioritize, or better define the problems we are facing so we can find unique and remarkable solutions?

But it's not just about "prompt engineering" either (again, another 'hype' term); while it is helpful at this point, it actually is something that is already being 'solved' by generative AI itself.

We don't need to be a mechanic to drive a car, correct? We don't need to be a programmer to use Google. Do we need to be a carpenter to use a hammer? Do we need to know the chemical composition of paint or the engineering that went into a writing or painting instrument to be an artist? We do need to know how to use the instruments of course, but as humans, we are usually quick learners when it comes to using tools and solving challenges with your mind and translating these to our physical world - the same human principles apply with using AI for your business.

Imagine if we still had to relearn, every single day how to make a stone-tool to chip some meat off a bone, chop some wood to cook that meat off the bone, or what if we had to learn how to light a fire every single day to cook that meat off the bone with that stone tool. Where would we still be if that WAS the case? I'd say still in some caves, somewhere, not at the precipice of a human revolution of how we get better business done. Did these tools make us uncomfortable with the thought of making our existence (somewhat) easier? Probably at first, as we needed to catch up to what was currently available to us.

I've often heard and used the expression myself of "Garbarge in = garbage out" - in other words not inputting the 'right way' of asking a question to an AI chat can produce questionable results, resulting in a poor 'answer'. But, most of us have already figured out the basics, already. See what I mean about stone-chipping tools? :)

I don't mean NOT asking questions either but use frameworks and strategic thinking to help focus your efforts with these tools to create your ultimate vehicle, your business.

AI is a tool, but it is also a vehicle. It's a utility, but also a co-pilot. In fact, it's a combination of all of the things that us humans have created and engineered to get us out of the caves. So yes, it's here to help us re-engineer things, including our business.

Let's give us humans a pat on the back for knowing what we know and using TOOLS to build better businesses every single day, with the capabilities of our very own brains, and engineering vehicles to help us get to our new destinations with ease.

All of these tools "release" us and allow us to see what we couldn't see or do before. This is what you can do with AI, if you apply AI strategically and with your creativity and curiosity. It's using the spark that you already know you have.

As someone who has recently started to use reading glasses (yes, I'm getting older lol), it doesn't make me less of a human, but allows me to be able to see what's really important. Same goes with these new tools, these new "vehicles". Am I "less-wise' by using them? What if I REFUSED to use glasses because they detract from my 'human-ness'?

This is the opportunity that we have, now, in front of us BUT only if you choose it - and if you can 'see' it :). The fact is, it won't "choose" you unless you decide.

Could AI actually be a very useful "vehicle" instead of just a singular tool - a bunch of tools put together to get us to our destination? Perhaps that is the new transformation that we are seeing?

Wouldn't it be better to learn something that helps with your long-term, strategic priorities, while at the same time generating your focal points for your competitive advantage, today?

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So, let me ask you - Do YOU NEED AI?

What do you think? I'm writing a "big" blog around this concept and would love your insights. Do you really need AI and how will it actually help you? Or if you are thinking differently about it right now, what might you lose by using it? Where are you headed with it, either way? We want to integrate it into a true vehicle that will take you to your next destination, your purpose.

Please hit reply and I can add your thoughts to the mix.

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Doyle "New Stone Chipping Tools" Buehler 😂

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PS - I'm getting together a number of people excited about the possibilities of "integrating" AI into the bigger picture of creative problem-solving and curious challenge resolution through strategic thinking. If you're interested, I'm running a quick strategy sprint at the end of August to help line up some of these pieces - please take a look here to see if it might help you.

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