What Generative AI is NOT

These are the three top misconceptions about what Generative AI is.

• It’s not a search engine

• It’s not thinking on its own

• It’s not a source of truth

Sounds simple enough to understand, but it actually takes time for people to grasp what Gen AI is not.

The reason is that we’ve been so conditioned by the software we’ve used for over 30 years, we expect to see certain results when we use an app interface.

This is also why I observe some people pooh-poohing ChatGPT when they have tried it a few times. Because they didn’t get optimal results the first time, they think it’s either no good, or as the media says, it’s a lying hallucination machine.

As such, my Generative AI workshops are really more about changing mindsets and perceptions about technology.

I mean, Gen AI apps are evolving so fast, I have to teach each new class how to use the latest apps and show the latest capabilities of ChatGPT. The phrase “prompt engineering” has already become passe in 2024.

With an ever-evolving curriculum, I make sure that I explain clearly the above three points about what Gen AI is not, so that people can approach it with the right frame of mind.

Once you’ve wrapped your head around the nature of Generative AI, you will truly enjoy the ride ahead! The key thing is to USE IT EVERY DAY, for EVERY POSSIBLE TASK.

And now that ChatGPT 4o is free for all, you’re going to find it to be much better experience than ChatGPT 3.5.

(Screenshot taken from the excellent ebook from Section, “The Executive’s Guide to Generative AI”)