ChatGPT's debut
The myth of ChatGPT is that it will completely replace content creators or experts in providing insightful information. You’ve likely heard of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools that exploded onto the scene recently. A critical mass occurred, and what was once considered conceptual became a reality overnight. If you are a techie, you’ve likely watched the progression of AI closely.
ChatGPT was released in November 2022 and spawned concerns that it would replace humans. At its core, the robot (bot) is a language tool that strings together words meaningfully. As one IT person explained, these bots scrape information from the internet and regurgitate the data back to you. Many suggest using AI to “help craft” responses, marketing, and other content. So, let’s consider how this technology can help or hurt in the resilience space.
AI as a tool
From my perspective, artificial intelligence is a tool. And, as with any new device, it should be regarded with interest but healthy skepticism. Of course, you should jump in according to your comfort level and interest. Many, like Paula Fontana, a self-described “tech aficionado” and resilience marketer for iluminr, wrote about her exploration of using ChatGPT. She suggested ways for those in the space to leverage it for enhanced risk, resilience, and crisis management. The main thrust was to use the bot to help develop exercises and use it for content development and protocols.
Paula’s suggestions echo my experience with YouTubers and marketing gurus. Some say, “ChatGPT could be used for everything from writing cover letters to scripts or even generating Python code.” Many of you are already familiar with interacting with customer service robots. This next level of AI chatbot allows the user to ask questions or have a conversation, enabling a more comprehensive answer. You might think of it as a step up from today’s search engines, which are so mired in algorisms that finding targeted information can be almost impossible. So, think of how this type of AI tool could enable efficient, effective report or policy creation.
Let's hear it for the AI
Okay, you heard from me and others out there. But how about hearing it from the horse’s mouth? After initial reluctance, I considered the concept and checked out the bot. Over the past few weeks, I experimented and thought of practical applications of the tool. I don’t believe AI can take the place of writing blogs. I think it could, but I do not think the outcome would be valuable over time. More on that later.
For now, I will let ChatGPT speak for itself. When I asked the bot, “What is ChatGPT?” I received a straightforward answer. From the AI: I’m ChatGPT, a large language model created by OpenAI. I was trained using a vast amount of text data and machine learning algorithms to understand natural language and generate human-like responses to a wide range of questions and prompts. I can answer questions, provide recommendations, engage in conversations, and even generate text in various styles and formats. My purpose is to assist and provide useful information to users in a conversational way. So, there you go.
What I learned from writing blogs
Writing is mainly a solitary discipline. Of course, you want interaction with your readers. Whenever you publish a new post, you hope it will “go viral” or at least be appreciated by your followers. Whether large or small, bloggers write to share knowledge with others.
Creating a blog post can take hours or days, depending on your process. Some may do in-depth research or share personal perspectives. My approach is to do both. Ideas are from my experience, and I enjoy deep dives into areas of interest. My articles range from assisting peers up their professional game, such as in my post, The Dilemma Of Personal Branding. Or, I share risk assessments for the upcoming year, like the Disaster Forecast For 2023. I even had a guest contributor, Kenton Friesen, who shared his knowledge on BCM measuring program maturity. Overall, genuine content comes from including a personal touch, not creating bland blogs, etc.
How ChatGPT can help resilience professionals
Below are ways that AI, specifically a bot like ChatGPT, can help resilience professionals. As a language model, ChatGPT can assist resilience professionals in several ways, including:
- Providing Information: ChatGPT can provide up-to-date and accurate information on various resilience-related topics, such as crisis management, disaster recovery, risk assessment, and more. This information can help resilience professionals make informed decisions and develop effective strategies to build resilience.
- Answering Questions: Resilience professionals may have specific questions about their field or situations. ChatGPT can help answer these questions quickly and accurately, providing insights and suggestions to help them address challenges.
- Offering Insights: ChatGPT can provide insights and perspectives on emerging trends, best practices, and innovative solutions related to resilience. This can help resilience professionals stay informed and adapt to changing circumstances.
- Providing Support: Building resilience can be challenging and demanding. Developing a resilience program takes a level of expertise and insight. However, AI can help accelerate the development of protocols, policies, and scenarios for internal initiatives. Think of it as a force multiplier.
- Facilitating Learning: ChatGPT can help resilience professionals expand their knowledge and skills through interactive learning experiences, such as quizzes, simulations, and case studies. This can help to develop new strategies and approaches to building resilient programs.
As a word of caution, it is up to us to consider the bot’s response. Judge the information you receive critically and check it against other sources. AI is a tool, but like anything else, you need to consider the source and do your research.
Final thoughts on AI
However, it all depends on what you want to accomplish. If you want to create viral content that reaches as many people as possible, AI could help you get there. Yet, it is essential to remember that it is a soulless robot at the end of the day. The myth of ChatGPT is treating it as more than it was designed for. That’s why I purposefully call it a tool. Most practitioners will likely use it to help optimize their programs.
As I mentioned, it should be treated cautiously and considered like any other device designed to perform a particular function. Meaning it is only as good as the information it can find in answer to your questions. We all know the adage, garbage in, garbage out when it comes to data in general. Like any hyped product, it is up to us as consumers to decide. I highly doubt that AI will create business continuity or risk assessments for us in the future, but it may help develop details. I invite you to try ChatGPT or other platforms and explore the possibilities.
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