This podcast episode is sponsored by ChiefAIOfficer.com, offering training and certification through the International Association of Chief AI Officers. Interested in a new career or leveling up your value in the marketplace? ChiefaiOfficer.com can help. So this is kind of a wild episode. If you've been paying attention to AI news over the past couple of weeks, you've probably heard of Notebook LM from Google. And people are actually making podcast episodes that, you know, I'll let you judge it. They sound pretty good. What you're about to hear is not me and not human. It is purely synthetic. However, the subject matter, the concept of thinking in AI, is something that we talk a lot about here at Chief AI Officer. And it's a concept that I think is very important for people to understand, but I haven't done an episode on it yet. And I thought this would be a perfect chance to do two things. Introduce you, the audience, to this concept of thinking in AI, and a great demonstration of how AI technology just continues to get better and better. So with that, enjoyed the episode. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And with that, let's begin. Welcome to Using AI at Work. I'm your host, Chris Dagle. Each week, we'll be learning how today's business owners, entrepreneurs, and ambitious professionals are getting more done with smart use of tomorrow's tech. Let's get started.
SPEAKER_02All right, so imagine this. You're uh you're a marketing guru, right? Trying to craft that next award-winning campaign. But instead of just relying on, you know, gut feeling and what worked last year, you've got this AI partner right there with you saying, Hey, um, did you notice this? There's this whole segment of customers we haven't even considered. And they're they're basically asking for this type of product.
SPEAKER_00It really is incredible, isn't it? The way AI can Well, it's like it sees things we don't, connects those dots, like having a sixth sense for data.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell It's like those chess computers, you know? Uh-huh. The ones that went from like barely beating a beginner to practically mapping out every move, predicting the whole game. Only this time it's not chess pieces we're talking about. Yeah. It's well, it's your entire business strategy.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell And the amazing thing is you're not playing checkers while AI plays chess, right? You're not being replaced. It's more like AI takes your game, your expertise, and elevates it. It's exactly what Chris Dagle was saying back in 24. This is a total paradigm shift. We're not just using AI, it's changing how we think about business, period.
SPEAKER_02So not replacing our intuition, but like enhancing it, supercharging it with data-driven insights.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Exactly. Think of this deep dive as our crash course and thinking in AI. And one of the most fundamental principles here is integration. It's not about robots taking over, it's about making AI a natural part of how we already work, weaving it into our workflows.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell So, like in our marketing example, it's not a separate AI giving us reports, it's built into the CRM, the analytics dashboards, giving those aha moments right when we need them.
SPEAKER_00Right. And that ties into the next principle, collaboration. This is where it gets exciting. We're not talking about AI replacing marketers. We're talking about AI as their partner, helping them refine their campaigns, personalize messaging, uncover those hidden customer groups we were talking about, like having a brainstorming buddy who can process millions of data points at once.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so we've got AI woven into our processes, we're collaborating with it. What's next on the Thinking in AI playbook?
SPEAKER_00Adaptability. Because it's not enough to just integrate AI, you have to be ready to change your approach based on what it shows you. Think of it this way AI is constantly learning, evolving, which means we need to as well.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell So it's like the AI is saying, hey, I know we normally target this group with this message, but get just found a way better approach. Yeah. We gotta be ready to shift gears, right?
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Yeah, exactly. And that leads us right into continuous improvement. Thinking in AI, it's not about getting it perfect on the first try. It's about constantly testing, analyzing, and adapting based on the data.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell It's like having a business partner who not only sees the big picture, but they're also picking up on those little like those little details, those nuances that could make all the difference.
SPEAKER_00And here's the thing thinking in AI, it's not just for the tech giants or the data science gurus. This is relevant across the board. Every industry, every department.
SPEAKER_02That's what I love about this blog post. It it really brings it home. It connects these big you know AI concepts to the actual work we're all doing. Finance, HR, operations, even creative. Thinking in AI, it can level up like everyone's game.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Say you're in sales, right? Imagine having a CRM, but it's not just tracking leads, it's AI powered. It actually helps you figure out the best way to talk to each person. Oh, interesting. It's like having, remember that chess master we were talking about, whispering in your ear, okay, this particular customer, they're showing these buying signals. So here are the three best ways to connect with them right now.
SPEAKER_01If you're enjoying this episode and want to learn more about how to start using AI at work, we've made it easy for you. For just one dollar, you can have full access to the Chief AI Officer community, which will give you additional training, custom software, daily training calls on AI tools, using AI automations, getting more from your Chat GBT sessions, and the business of being an AI consultant. Simply go to ChiefaiOfficer.com forward slash insiders to accelerate your AI journey. Now, back to the episode.
SPEAKER_02So we're not just automating tasks, we're using AI to make those human interactions even better, more impactful. No more generic cold calls, it's all like laser-focused, personalized outreach. Man, I'd be excited if I was in sales right now.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Right. And it's not just about getting better at what we already do. Sometimes thinking in AI, it leads to these aha moments where you uncover something completely unexpected.
SPEAKER_02Give us an example. What's one of those aha moments from the blog post that really like blew your mind?
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Well, they talked about this company, they were analyzing customer data, they wanted to improve their recommendation engine, right? Pretty standard stuff. But what the AI found, it was mind-blowing. They discovered this correlation, a strong correlation, between what kind of music someone listened to and the odds of them buying a specific product.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell Whoa. Seriously. See, I never would have like put those two things together. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00Right. But that's the beauty of this way of thinking. It can spot those connections, those nonlinear relationships that honestly we probably wouldn't even consider.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell It's like the AI saying, hey, you might think these two things are totally random, but trust me on this, there's something there. And that can spark all sorts of new ideas, new approaches.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Absolutely. Entirely new product lines, marketing campaigns that truly resonate, even like these hyper-personalized customer experiences that feel almost magical.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell This is already making me rethink how I approach my work. But I'm guessing some people listening might be thinking, okay, all this AI stuff sounds amazing, but what about, you know, what about me? If the AI is doing all the thinking, what's my role?
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell That's a great question. And a perfect segue into the next part of our deep dive where we'll explore, you know, the human side of thinking in AI.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell It's like we're standing at the foot of this AI mountain, and it's easy to get overwhelmed thinking about all the technical stuff, the algorithms, all that. Aaron Ross Powell Right.
SPEAKER_00It can seem like a lot.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Ross Powell But the question I keep coming back to is okay, but what about me? What skills do I need to actually thrive in this AI-powered future? Like, do I need to go back to school and get a like a PhD in machine learning?
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell That's a common concern, and it makes sense. But but here's the thing thinking in AI, it's not about suddenly becoming some kind of tech genius. The blog post really drives this home. It's more about adapting your mindset, you know, developing a new way of approaching problems.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell So instead of trying to outsmart the AI, we're learning to think with it.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. It's almost like like learning a new language or maybe a new way of seeing the world. And and the blog post does a great job of breaking down some of the core skills that are really valuable here. And these aren't like super technical, they're transferable. Anyone can develop them.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell Okay. So like what skills are we talking about here? Give us the rundown.
SPEAKER_00Well, data literacy is huge. Being able to make sense of data, understand what it's telling you, that's key to unlocking the power of AI insights. You don't need to be a statistician or anything, but having a basic grasp of trends, correlations, that kind of thing, it goes a long way.
SPEAKER_02So like learning the A B sounds of data so you can actually understand what the AI is trying to tell you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. And then there's systems thinking. Being able to see the bigger picture, how different parts of a business connect and influence each other. AI can help us model these complex systems, but we need to be able to interpret those models, right? Understand the implications.
SPEAKER_02So we're not just like looking at data in a vacuum, we're thinking about the whole the interconnectedness of everything.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell Right. And that's where the human element is essential. AI can give us these amazing insights, but it's up to us to connect the dots, to see the patterns, and ultimately to make those strategic decisions.
SPEAKER_02Aaron Powell Man, this has been this has been eye-opening. We've gone from what thinking in AI actually means to how it's changing the game across industries, and now to the skills we need to to really thrive in this new world.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Ross Powell And and the thing is, this is just the beginning. As AI keeps evolving, who knows what we'll be able to do with it? It's about solving problems, creating new possibilities, things we haven't even imagined yet.
SPEAKER_02It's like we're all explorers, right? Heading into this uncharted territory. And the more we learn to think in AI, the better equipped we'll be to navigate the journey. And who knows what incredible discoveries we'll make along the way.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for tuning in to using AI at work. Don't forget to subscribe for more conversations about how to use AI at work. And a special thank you to our sponsor, Chief AI Officer, for empowering businesses with AI education and training. Visit their website for a free AI readiness assessment and AI strategy guide to help you get started using AI at work. That's www.chiefaiofficer.com. Well, thanks to our producer, Evan Desalnier, for making this episode possible. Follow us on Twitter at the handle UsingAI at Work and visit www.usingaiatwork.com for free resources to help you harness AI in your role.