Generative AI Made Easy: Practical Steps to Overcome Hesitation

Over the past 18 months, the corporate world has been buzzing about generative AI like it's the latest must-have gadget. And why not? The promises of innovation, productivity boosts, and personalized experiences are tantalizing. But, let’s be real—the talk around AI has also stirred up a healthy dose of anxiety. Concerns about data privacy, security, AI governance, bias, and ethics have left many of us feeling like we’re being asked to embrace a digital Frankenstein.

Here’s the thing, though: generative AI isn’t going anywhere. It's here to stay, whether we’re ready or not. So, instead of sticking our heads in the sand and hoping this AI storm blows over, or diving headfirst without a life jacket, we need a balanced approach—one that’s both optimistic and cautious.

Now, I’m not saying you need to become the next AI whisperer, but learning to navigate these AI waters is key. I’ve found that my tried-and-true method for dealing with major life changes works just as well here. It’s all about:

• Knowledge
• Education
• Experimentation
• Skills Building

Digital Knowledge: The Foundation

Learning about AI starts with acquiring knowledge, plain and simple. But don’t worry—you don’t need to go back to school for a Ph.D. in computer science. There are so many ways to get up to speed: reading articles, watching videos, taking courses, or just having a good old-fashioned chat with someone who knows their stuff.

For me, this journey began by understanding the digital ecosystem as a whole. I mean, I had some background in AI—enough to sound smart at parties, anyway—but it wasn’t until I became the Chief Learning Officer at Mastercard that I really started to get it. Designing a digital literacy curriculum for employees, I learned that AI isn’t just a fancy buzzword. It’s one piece of a much larger puzzle that includes APIs, blockchain, IoT, cybersecurity, and more. The real magic happens when these elements come together to make life easier, safer, and more efficient.

AI Education: Deepening the Knowledge

Fast forward to 2023, and ChatGPT burst onto the scene like the latest viral dance craze. That’s when I knew I had to get serious about AI. So, I dove headfirst into educating myself—minus the spandex and leg warmers.

I took an intensive online course on AI for executives, then followed it up with a custom course on AI in HR and talent practices. I read every white paper and study I could get my hands on, joined forums, attended conferences, and even got involved with a few AI start-ups. My education wasn’t just about the “wow” factor of AI; it also covered the potential pitfalls. I learned about AI governance, ethics, and how to spot and mitigate bias.

The more I learned, the more confident I felt about taking the next step—experimenting with AI in real-world situations.

ChatGPT Experimentation: Taking the Plunge

After all that learning, it was time to get my hands dirty—or at least my keyboard. I started small, using ChatGPT to help with everyday tasks like editing documents, summarizing meeting notes, and analyzing small datasets. And you know what? It wasn’t half bad!

Of course, not every experiment was a slam dunk. My first attempts were more like “meh” than “wow,” but each time I got a little better. By collaborating with colleagues, I began to see how we could use generative AI to streamline business processes and improve employee experiences.

The thing about experimentation is that it’s all about trial and error—emphasis on the error. But with each iteration, the AI got better at understanding what I wanted, and I got better at knowing how to ask for it. Now, when I use generative AI, I’m usually 85%-90% of the way to my final solution on the first try, with fewer tweaks needed to get it just right.

AI Collaboration Skill Building: Partnering with Technology

Here’s the real kicker: using generative AI isn’t just about knowing how to use the tools—it’s about building a partnership with the technology. And like any good partnership, it requires trust, communication, and a little bit of finesse.

• Prompt Engineering: Think of prompt engineering as the secret sauce that makes AI work for you. It’s about crafting the right questions and inputs to guide AI to the outcome you want. The more complex the task, the more skilled you need to be. But even for simple tasks, learning to ask the right questions can make a big difference.
• Due Diligence: AI is only as good as the data it’s fed, so it’s up to us to make sure that data is accurate, unbiased, and ethically sourced. Think of it as doing your homework before a big test—except in this case, the test is making sure your AI doesn’t turn into a rogue robot.
• Validation: Just because AI can crunch numbers faster than we can doesn’t mean we should take its output at face value. It’s like using a calculator—you trust it to add 2+2, but you still need to make sure you didn’t accidentally punch in 2+3.
• Sense Making: Finally, it’s up to us humans to make sense of the AI’s output. AI can process data and generate insights, but it doesn’t understand context, nuance, or the bigger picture. That’s where we come in, using our human intuition to interpret the results and apply them effectively.

Conclusion: Embrace the Change

Generative AI is here to stay, and it’s time we get comfortable with it. As the saying goes, “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”—but I’d add that life can quickly pass you by if you stay stuck in that comfort zone. To thrive in this new world, we need to embrace AI, learn how to work with it, and build a collaborative relationship with technology.

That doesn’t mean we have to give up the simple joys of life, but it does mean recognizing that technology will play an ever-growing role in our work, education, and personal lives. AI will be woven into the fabric of everything we do, and if we want to remain relevant and productive, we need to learn how to collaborate with it.

So, what do you think? Ready to take the plunge? Let me know in the comments how you’re embracing AI—or what’s holding you back. We’re all in this together, and I’m here to help you navigate this new frontier.