The world of artificial intelligence is evolving at breakneck speed, and one area in particular is creating major waves across industries: generative AI.
To help us make sense of this rapidly-developing technology and its implications for business, I recently sat down with Ariel Levin, CEO and founder of Soul Marketing and a leading voice on tools like ChatGPT.
As Ariel explains, generative AI refers to artificial intelligence that generates new content - whether that's text, images, video, music, or even drug formulations. While still in its relative infancy, the potential applications are vast.
"It's such an amazing tool," Ariel enthuses about ChatGPT, the generative AI chatbot taking the world by storm since its launch in late 2022.
"If you want to create something quickly, instead of just typing for hours, you can create it in minutes if you know how to use the right prompts."
The key, he emphasizes, is crafting effective prompts. These are the instructions you provide to tools like ChatGPT to guide the AI in generating the specific type of output you're looking for.
By assuming different personalities, tones, and styles as directed by the prompts, generative AI can produce an incredible range of content.
For businesses, Ariel sees massive opportunities to scale up content creation across mediums.
From blog posts optimized for SEO to social media carousels to eBooks and beyond, marketers can achieve far greater volume and variety by leveraging AI assistance. He predicts personalization powered by AI will reach new heights.
"Soon enough, information collected about us is going to help marketers create messages 100% personalized to our individual preferences," Ariel explains. "It's going to be amazing and very hard to resist."
The technology is also poised to transform areas like customer support (with AI-powered chatbots), report generation, and countless other business functions.
But Ariel cautions against simply using AI-generated content as-is. To avoid homogenization, editing is key.
"You gotta know the enemy – and to know the enemy, it's gonna cost you $20 [for a ChatGPT subscription].
See how you can use it," he advises. "Take it and make it your own."
As for concerns about job displacement, Ariel is optimistic based on his own experience. Implementing generative AI in his business has actually led to more hires so far to help manage expanded capabilities.
While acknowledging risks around issues like data privacy and misinformation, Ariel's outlook overall is one of excitement.
His recommendation: start experimenting with generative AI now.
"If you haven't used ChatGPT, go from zero to hero quickly," he urges.
"Spend at least 20 minutes a day playing with one of the tools. Soon enough, AI is going to be your personal assistant attuned to everything you need."
Riding this wave of innovation requires an open and inquisitive mindset. But if Ariel Levin's perspective is any indication, those who embrace the potential of generative AI will find a powerful competitive edge awaiting them.
The future is here – and it's time to start harnessing it.