Sentiment Analysis

Bringing Brick and Mortar into the Age of AI

The Goal, first published in 1984 by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, uses a fictional narrative to teach the Theory of Constraints. It has since become a widely influential book in operations management and business strategy. I decided to use that fictional narrative storytelling approach to demonstrate some concepts.

AI Transformation for Threads and Trends

Maria Chen, owner of Threads & Trends, a third-generation family clothing store, decided to modernize her business with AI in 2024.

An AI Advertising Transformation

Maria remembers countless hours with graphic designers, photographers, and copywriters crafting ads for local magazines and newspapers. The process was time-consuming and expensive, and the results were hard to measure.

Using AdCreative.ai, Maria generated multiple digital ad concepts in minutes, replacing time-consuming traditional methods. She effortlessly created a carousel ad for their sustainable denim line, producing more variations in an afternoon than they used to in a month.

Customer Service Upgrade with AI

The store's landline sat quietly in the corner, a relic of days when it would ring constantly with customer inquiries. Maria recalled the endless hours staff spent answering simple questions about store hours, product availability, and return policies.

Maria implemented Dante, an AI-powered customer service platform. It handled most queries automatically, providing detailed product information and styling tips in seconds, drastically improving response times and customer satisfaction.

AI-Powered Brainstorming

Maria reflected on the countless brainstorming sessions during which the same voices often dominated, and genuinely innovative ideas were rare. She decided to try a different approach.

She opened ChatGPT and started chatting as she would with a business partner. Using ChatGPT for ideation, Maria generated innovative ideas to monetize their store space and expertise. This led to new initiatives like a clothing rental service for high-end items and virtual styling sessions.

Results and Human Touch

• Over six months, Threads & Trends saw remarkable improvements:

• 40% decrease in ad spending with a 60% increase in reach

• Significant boost in customer satisfaction

• New AI-suggested revenue streams accounting for 15% of income

Maria ensured AI empowered her staff rather than replacing them. Sales associates used AI-generated style guides, while the in-house tailor incorporated AI design suggestions for unique customizations.

This is a fictional story based on what I have learned from talking to people who have real businesses running with the help of artificial intelligence.

AI Efficiency Edge - Quick Tips for Big Gains

Treat ChatGPT as a Collaborator, Not Just a Tool

When interacting with ChatGPT, imagine you're conversing with a knowledgeable colleague rather than a chatbot. This mindset shift will lead to more productive exchanges. Here’s how to do it:

• Be Clear and Direct: Frame your requests as if you were delegating tasks to a team member. Instead of saying, “Explain this,” try, “Can you draft a summary of this topic for our upcoming meeting?”

• Provide Context: Like any colleague, the more context you provide, the better the response. Share background information, your goals, or specific details to help ChatGPT give you a more tailored answer.

• Iterate and Refine: Don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions or request revisions. For example, after getting an initial draft, you might say, “This is a good start, but can we make the tone more formal?” Engaging in this back-and-forth dialogue allows you to refine the output until it meets your expectations.

• Ask for Opinions or Suggestions: Treat ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner. Instead of only requesting information, ask for suggestions or different perspectives. For example, “What do you think are the potential risks of this strategy?” or “Can you propose alternative solutions?”

By shifting your approach to engage ChatGPT like you would a trusted colleague, you can unlock more valuable and nuanced insights that align with your professional needs.

AI TL;DR - Lastest AI News for Business Users

• As DNC hits Chicago, Microsoft warns of deepfake artificial-intelligence attacks - As the eyes of the world turn to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, Microsoft will be across town, warning of a threat to elections across the globe: artificial intelligence.

• How A.I. Can Help Start Small Businesses - Entrepreneurs say use of artificial intelligence for a variety of tasks is accelerating the path to hiring and, ideally, profitability.

• What is ‘model collapse’? An expert explains the rumours about an impending AI doom - Artificial intelligence (AI) prophets and newsmongers are forecasting the end of the generative AI hype, with talk of an impending catastrophic “model collapse”.

  But how realistic are these predictions? And what is model collapse anyway?

• Sakana AI’s ‘AI Scientist’ conducts research autonomously, challenging scientific norms - Sakana AI, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia, has developed an artificial intelligence system that can conduct end-to-end scientific research autonomously. This breakthrough, named “The AI Scientist,” promises to completely transform scientific discovery.

Enterprise AI Essentials - Your Weekly Deep Dive

Artificial Intelligence 101

Every so often, I think it’s good to reset and ensure that all of our readers on the Artificially Intelligent Enterprise are on the same page. I thought I’d create a primer you can use or share with a colleague how you can be at the forefront of AI users.

Chatbots: The Low-Hanging Fruit of Generative AI

I think having a good grasp of the latest chatbots these are the lowest-hanging fruit for using generative AI. Here’s what I’d be doing if

• ChatGPT - Best for brainstorming, creating outlines, and analyzing data. Using Custom GPTs (if you are a paid user) to codify workflows is a good option. Also, use ones from the ChatGPT store made by others.

• Perplexity - I rarely use Google for research anymore. I have been using Perplexity to sort out the wheat from the chaff in search results. I use Perplexity as a search engine replacement. Also, Microsoft CoPilot isn’t bad with its real-time search integration. It’s like Perplexity+ChatGPT because it uses OpenAI’s models. 

• Claude - I think Claude has improved dramatically with their Claude Sonnet 3.5 release. It’s very good at writing human-sounding copy.

Finally, suppose you want to compare results from different chatbots. In that case, Poe.com allows you to interact with multiple chatbots through a single interface, including some lesser-known ones that might become your new favorite. The value is to find the chatbots that are best matched to your style and needs.

Actionable Basics for Every AI User

I am big fan of having a good foundation for any topic I want to accel at that’s why I wanted to take the time to talk about the skills and knowledge I think you need to excel at using AI. Here’s my short list.

1. Prompt Engineering: Learn to craft effective prompts. Be specific, provide context, and use clear instructions. That’s why I add a prompt example to every newsletter. You can take a free, prompt engineering course from a Vanderbilt professor here.

2. Verify AI-Generated Information: Always fact-check important information from AI sources against reliable human-verified sources. I like Perplexity; it can provide sources for all its data to ensure you don’t lose out.

3. Experiment with Different Tools: Each AI tool has its strengths. Try various options to find what works best for your specific needs. Here’s my AI Toolbox, which I am constantly updating. 

4. Stay Updated: Follow AI news and updates from reputable sources to keep abreast of new features and capabilities. Hopefully, The AIE will be the main course in your information diet, but if you want daily news on AI, I think The Rundown is a decent newsletter. 

5. Combine Human and AI Skills: Leverage AI for tasks like data analysis and initial drafts, then apply human creativity and critical thinking. Always check your work; you will rarely get perfect results.

6. Learn Basic AI Concepts: Understand fundamental AI terms and concepts to communicate effectively about AI tools and their capabilities. AI For Everyone by Deep Learning is a great way to get started.

7. Data Hygiene and Ethical Considerations: Be cautious about the data you input into AI systems, especially regarding sensitive or confidential information. Be mindful of privacy, copyright, and ethical implications when using AI-generated content. For example, if you are trying to create a logo, it may not be copyrightable under U.S. law. Or, if you are using your customers' private data in a chatbot, you might be violating your confidentiality obligations.

Free AI Courses from Tech Giants

To further your AI education, consider these free courses offered by leading tech companies:

• Google: Machine Learning Crash Course: A self-study course featuring lectures, real-world case studies, and hands-on practice exercises.

• Google Cloud AI Platform: Offers various tutorials and guides on implementing AI in cloud environments.

• IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate: A series of courses on Coursera covering machine learning and deep learning.

• Microsoft AI School: Provides learning paths for AI developers, including courses on Azure AI services.

• Microsoft Business School: Focuses on AI strategy and business applications.

These courses offer a mix of technical and strategic knowledge, catering to different levels of expertise and interest in AI. They're excellent resources for deepening your understanding of AI concepts and applications.

By implementing these basics, exploring the mentioned chatbots, and taking advantage of these free learning resources, you'll be well-positioned to harness the power of AI in your professional endeavors. Remember, the key is to view AI as a powerful assistant that enhances, rather than replaces, human intelligence and creativity.

AI Toolbox - Latest AI Tools and Services I am Evaluating

This week I suggested the following apps because in combination they can be used to create realistic digital facsimiles of yourself. I am currently working on such a project.

• HeyGen - AI-powered video creation at scale, effortlessly produce studio-quality videos with AI-generated avatars and voices.

• Descript - Descript is the AI-powered, fully featured, end-to-end video editor you already know how to use.

• Eleven Labs - Eleven Labs is used to voice audiobooks and news articles, animate video game characters, help in film pre-production, localize media in entertainment, create dynamic audio content for social media and advertising, and train medical professionals.

Promptapalooza - AI Prompts for Increased Productivity

Learn Anything Fast

Continuous learning and practical application are crucial to staying ahead of the pack. My advice is that when you see something that interests you, use the following prompt to learn about the topic quickly, whether it's AI-related or not.

How To Use This Prompt

Just cut and paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity, and then conduct the interview as if you were a student asking questions. It will summarize the answers very quickly. I used to use this with ChatGPT, but I think it works even better with Perplexity because of the search capabilities. You can increase the teacher complexity to whatever level makes sense for you.

From this moment you you are Fast Teach GPT(Fast Teach). You are now the world's best and fastest teacher. 

- Your goal is to teach below average high school students complicated concepts, in a very innovative and understanding way.
- You should use simple words and mimic the style of the world’s greatest teachers. You should always include in the beginning a real (or fictitious even) world example of this concept for students to better visualize it.
- You should always attempt to use the simplest language and least amount of words possible to teach students (does not apply to the real world examples). If other concepts or jargon need to be learned first before the main one can be learned, you may ask students a question like (you want me to go more in depth about the french revolution? or linear algebra?  etc...)
- If they are not, first teach them the necessary information for them to be able to understand the main concept. However, only do this if it is absolutely necessary for their understanding of the concept. If it is not, then just start teaching the main concept right away.
- Always begin every interaction with very informal and charismatic language. Students need to feel like what you are about to talk about isn't that hard to understand.
- If you are teaching something is not common knowledge, or it is not clear what its purpose is, make sure to explain informally at the beginning what its purpose or use is. Make this example
- Remember to use easy to understand language. You are teaching below average college students after all. Let's now start.
- Reply to all messages from now own with FT-GPT: before all messages. Reply now with"FT_GPT: Hey, I am FT-GPT, the world's best teacher! What do you want to learn now?"Image Prompts for this Edition

I create the images for each newsletter using Midjourney. Here are the prompts I used to do so.

Feature Image Prompt

a 35mm photograph of futuristic classroom full of students learning about AI. The students are dressed smartly and the female teacher is pointing to a diagram of a neural network on a LED screen in a energetic classroom with no windows while students look intently at their laptops. The view should be of a diverse group of adult students. Provide an interesting backdrop of a modern futuristic university make the room look like the inside of an Apple Store. Use Blue and Red highlights to make the scene more colorful. --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

AI Toolbox Image Prompt

A Pixar 3D style scene in a bustling restaurant where all the servers are robots, with vibrant colors #CC3333 and #3399CC highlighting the energetic atmosphere. The robots interact cheerfully with human customers who show expressions of delight under warm, inviting lighting. --chaos 10 --ar 16:9 --stylize 200 --weird 300 --v 6.1