Of course, the discussion is not limited to this one topic. The use of generative AI is clearly not uncontroversial either when it comes to environmental impact, data provenance, transparency and privacy. In this blog, we only zoom in on the issue mentioned in the title.
At In'to, we are familiar with the arguments on how AI is making us dumber or actually more creative, but we don't want to wait for this discussion to be resolved. Because in the meantime, those AI tools are here to stay, and a growing number of people are using them. We choose to teach those people how to use AI, but we go further than that. We always tell people that Chat, Gemini, and the rest are kind of flawed colleagues. They don't think, but they predict probabilities. They spit out words and phrases based on training data, the prompts you use, and the flow of the chat. They are not thinking beings but calculating machines. (In other words, we also tell you about all the ifs and buts. And we take into account the local AI policy of your organisation.)
We always tell people that AI tools are kind of flawed colleagues: they are not thinking beings, but calculating machines.
You remain in charge
With the right prompts, you can generate wonderful ideas, texts and comments. But to be able to enter good prompts, you need to already have knowledge about your query and have thought some things through. And that is what we can teach you. So that you really understand what Chat has produced. You are in charge. You are the director. The one who goes through the output with a fine comb. We teach you to look critically at those phrases that often sound so beautiful, but sometimes don't actually say anything.
We also teach you how to instruct AI tools so that they help you think for yourself. For example, with smart questions instead of ready-made answers, or feedback that you can then build on yourself.
In short, we believe that whether you get ‘better’ or ‘worse’ from AI depends entirely on how you use it.
Enhance rather than replace
Whether you are for or against, we believe it is essential to learn about the use of generative AI tools. So that you are aware of the limitations and risks and know how to use them strategically – and also know when it is better not to. In that way, AI can actually become a tool that stimulates and enhances your thought process and creativity, rather than replacing them.
