leighyork

by Leigh York

When I was in high school, my vocational education teacher said to us, “Ladies, if you’re not going to learn to use a computer, you better learn to sweep around it.” This was the mid 80’s and computers were not in every home, much less every palm. Word processors were just starting to be common in business offices. I often reflect on that and think of how right she was.

Today, Artificial Intelligence is having a similar impact. However, the computer felt optional. It wasn’t.  AI may feel optional, it isn’t. I can’t tell you to learn to sweep around it, because it can also do that. If you do not embrace AI, even with…especially with caution, what will you do?

What job is safe? None of them. Only adaptable people are safe.

It feels like AI is the new thing that seems to be all the rage.  Maybe you’re waiting for “them” to work out the kinks. If you aren’t concerned with keeping up in the industry, maximizing the time you dedicate to work, or building new client relationships, then maybe you can get by without using AI. However, you’ll likely still need the assistance of AI to plan a vacation, navigate Medicare, manage investments, etc.

AI isn’t just a tool we use.  It’s infrastructure for everything that must be done. It’s not a feature you add. It’s a system that everything is being built on.  Think of it as you would electricity to the electric grid.  AI is the grid. When the grid goes down, there is no power. With no AI, things move slower and they can’t compete with AI powered people and systems.

This grid is an expectation. Employers don’t ask if you have computer knowledge. They expect it. Soon, AI will be treated the same. Consumers now expect faster turnarounds, clearer communications, reliable data, and fewer mistakes from every interaction they experience.  AI delivers.

AI is moving at a much faster pace than any technological revolution in history.  Every day that you ignore AI is a day that you are vastly further behind. Get on board. Learn with it.

Learning something new can be incredibly challenging and scary. Not to mention, who has the time? It can also be frustrating. Admittedly, I’m no AI wiz. I’m very much at a basic level. But, I love what I’m learning and accomplishing even at such a low level of adoption.

Begin with something basic and just see what happens. Many real estate agents start with property descriptions.  Give your AI based system some basic information about a property and ask for an advertising description. Be sure to carefully review and likely tweak whatever it gives you. You’ll quickly see that what once took 10+ minutes and was just ok, is now done in 5 and it’s fabulous!

Other first tasks could include using it as a search engine instead of Google, Bing, etc.  The results are much closer to what you’re looking for as the prompt is generally much easier to translate.

We know AI collects information and may use it for training. The good news? With paid versions, you can adjust the settings, so your data isn’t shared. These plans are inexpensive—and worth it. AI saves me hours every day, and my time is worth far more than what I pay for these tools.

Of course, I have used AI to assist with this article. I began by having a ‘chat’ with Gertrude (my AI’s name) about what I was thinking. It made some suggestions. Then, I wrote the article.  When I finished, I shared it with Gertrude and made some tweaks.

Gertrude didn’t replace my knowledge and experience. It amplified it and allowed me to leverage my talents more effectively.

Good luck and have fun!