By Pinaki Kathiari
Chief Executive Officer
Riding the AI Rollercoaster: Twisting Between Hype and Apocalypse
Before we dive in, a quick disclosure: This article was co-written with the help of Generative AI (yes, the very same one we’re discussing). The structure, creative metaphors, and experimental prompts were developed in collaboration with AI, guided by my vision, and a good amount of editing. This partnership shows how Gen AI can enhance creativity without overshadowing our unique selves. At the end of this article, we include a summary of my dialogue with OpenAI ChatGPT 4o to give insight into how we achieved this piece together.*
Let’s talk about generative AI — the shiny new toy that everyone’s either raving about or hiding from.
It’s like that popular new ride at an amusement park: some people can’t wait to get on, while others are convinced it’s going to break down any second and send them hurtling into the abyss. No one’s quite sure where the ride is going, but everyone’s buckling up anyway.
Pulse Check
I had the pleasure of hosting ALI Conferences’ AI for Communicators conference in NYC in August 2024. When chairing, I asked the room full of business communicators — a mix of corporate communications, public relations, and strategic consulting pros — who was excited about AI.
Hands shot up.
Then I asked who was a bit anxious about AI.
Most hands stayed up.
Finally, I asked who was both excited and anxious.
You guessed it: every single hand stayed raised.
That moment captured the duality of our relationship with Gen AI perfectly. We’re all on this ride together, feeling both the thrill and the terror. And that’s okay — necessary even.
Let’s dig into why.
Introducing Our Unlikely Duo: Hype and Apocalypse
Meet Hype and Apocalypse, the two new characters who have crash-landed in every company’s boardroom, cubicle, and coffee corners, dipping their toes into AI.
Hype is that over-caffeinated guy in the neon suit, jumping up and down, shouting about how AI is going to change the world, make us all geniuses, and probably do our laundry while it’s at it.
On the other hand, Apocalypse is the brooding figure in the corner, whispering in a voice that sounds straight out of a dystopian sci-fi movie, warning that AI will take our jobs, our privacy, and eventually our humanity.
We’re all somewhere on the spectrum between these two. Let’s explore the stages of AI adoption through their lens, and I’ll offer a few experimental prompts at each stage to help you find your balance.
We love a good hype person, but don’t forget to listen to Apocalypse—his warnings might save you from a future pitfall.
Stage -1: Apocalypse Now
If you’re here, you’re probably wearing a tin foil hat, stockpiling canned goods, and actively avoiding anything that even remotely looks like a robot. Apocalypse has convinced you that AI is the harbinger of doom, destined to end jobs, lives, and, eventually, the world as we know it.
- The Thrill: This stage is all about confronting fears. By exploring case studies, you can see how AI already benefits society, which might help temper those doomsday thoughts. However, Apocalypse isn’t entirely wrong—you may find cases of disrupted industries and situations where unquestioningly adopting Gen AI without understanding the implications led to significant consequences.
- The Terror: The danger here is in outright rejection. Apocalypse can paralyze progress, leading you to miss out on the real benefits of Generative AI, like efficiency and innovation. Ignoring AI entirely could undoubtedly leave you and your organization behind.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt…“Tell me about 2 case studies, one positive and one negative, where Generative AI has been used to benefit society or led to unintended consequences. Include details on the outcomes it achieved or advice on how to avoid these types of consequences.” After AI shares the case study, ask it follow-up questions to deepen your understanding, such as, “What lessons can I learn from this case study?” or “How could a similar approach be applied in my industry?”
Stage 0: Meh… I’m Just Not Feeling It
You’re not quite in panic mode, but you’re not sold on the idea either. Hype hasn’t managed to charm you yet. You’re skeptical — maybe even a bit jaded. Apocalypse has a strong influence here, but let’s be real: you won’t be able to avoid AI forever.
- The Thrill: Even if you’re not fully on board with Generative AI, trying it out for a simple task like drafting an email can demonstrate its usefulness without a huge commitment. Apocalypse might warn you that this could lead to over-reliance on AI for mundane tasks, potentially eroding your own skills over time.
- The Terror: The risk here is complacency. You might miss opportunities to improve efficiency or innovate within your role by remaining indifferent to AI. On the flip side, diving in without understanding the nuances can lead to errors or miscommunications if the AI doesn’t perfectly capture your intent.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt… “Draft a professional email for me about [insert topic here]. Ensure it’s clear, concise, and aligned with my brand voice. But before you draft the email, what questions do you have for me?”
Stage 1: The Helpful Assistant
Okay, you’ve taken the plunge, and AI is now helping you with some easy stuff. It’s like having a capable assistant who’s great at the basics but hasn’t yet wowed you with any mind-blowing insights.
- The Thrill: This prompt is designed to show you the power of AI in identifying patterns and insights that might not be immediately obvious, thus enhancing your decision-making process. However, Apocalypse would remind you that relying on AI to do all the heavy lifting can dull your analytical skills over time.
- The Terror: The danger lies in over-reliance. If you let AI take the reins too often, you might lose the ability to critically assess data on your own. There’s also the risk of AI-generated errors or bias that could go unnoticed if you’re not vigilant.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt… “Analyze the data from my latest [project/campaign] and highlight any trends or insights I might have missed.” Provide the AI with as much context as possible about the data, such as your goals or what you’ve already observed. You can also ask it to explain its analysis step by step so you can learn how it reaches its conclusions.
Stage 2: The “Meh” Middle Ground
You’re using AI, it’s helping, but you’re still on the fence. Apocalypse is there, reminding you of all the things you could have done without AI’s help. You’re not wrong, but Hype is hovering nearby, excitedly waving a bunch of potential at you.
- The Thrill: Explore the more advanced capabilities of AI, showing you how it can go beyond basic tasks and add real value to your processes. However, Apocalypse would caution you about the risks of overcomplicating your workflow with AI, which might introduce inefficiencies or dependencies on technology.
- The Terror: The biggest risk here is failing to see the forest for the trees. You might get caught up in AI’s capabilities and start using it for tasks that don’t actually benefit from automation, leading to inefficiencies. Worse, you might become dependent on AI, losing your ability to troubleshoot or innovate without it.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt… “Set up a basic chatbot that can handle common customer queries related to [insert topic here]. Teach me how to monitor and improve its performance.” Have the AI walk you through the process step by step and ask questions like, “How can I ensure the chatbot provides accurate and helpful responses?” or “What are the key metrics I should track?”
Stage 3: The AI Advocate
Whoa. You’ve just had an “aha” moment. Suddenly, you’re seeing AI’s potential everywhere. It’s like when you first discovered coffee — now you can’t imagine how you ever got anything done without it.
- The Thrill: Sharing your newfound knowledge not only reinforces your own understanding but also helps bring others along on the AI journey, fostering a culture of innovation in your team. However, Apocalypse would warn you not to become a blind evangelist — AI isn’t a silver bullet, and pushing it too hard on others might create resistance or ethical dilemmas.
- The Terror: The risk here is becoming overly enthusiastic and pushing AI adoption without considering the potential downsides. You might overlook ethical concerns, data privacy issues, or the readiness of your team to embrace these tools, leading to friction or even backlash.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt…”Create a curriculum to teach my team about AI’s potential in our industry. Include beginner, intermediate, and advanced topics.” Before finalizing the curriculum, ask the AI to include interactive elements or case studies relevant to your team’s specific roles. This ensures that the learning experience is both engaging and practical.
Stage 4: The Guilty Cyborg
AI is helping you with a lot of things — honestly, maybe too many. You’re starting to feel a bit like a cyborg, and the guilt is creeping in. Should you be relying this much on a machine?
- The Thrill: Reflecting on the balance between Generative AI and human input will help you leverage AI effectively without losing the human touch that makes your work unique. Apocalypse would remind you that the more you delegate to AI, the more you risk losing touch with your role’s creative and strategic aspects.
- The Terror: The primary danger is becoming disconnected from your work. If AI is handling too much, you might start to lose the sense of ownership and satisfaction that comes from solving problems yourself. There’s also the risk of ethical concerns if AI-driven decisions start to dominate human judgment.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt… “Help me identify which tasks in my workflow are better suited for human creativity or decision-making and which are ideal for AI automation.”Ask the AI to explain why specific tasks are better for humans versus machines. This will help you maintain a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and preserving your unique human touch.
Stage 5: The Full-On Cyborg
You’ve transcended guilt. You are one with AI. Hype is ecstatic — Apocalypse is sulking in the corner. But let’s not get too carried away. Even as a cyborg, you must remember the importance of caution and ethics.
- The Thrill: Conducting an ethical audit will help you stay grounded and responsible as you continue to integrate AI into your workflow, ensuring that your use of AI remains fair and transparent. Apocalypse would insist that no matter how integrated AI becomes, you must always keep a watchful eye on its potential to perpetuate bias, make unethical decisions, or simply go awry.
- The Terror: The most significant risk here is complacency. As you become more reliant on AI, you might stop questioning its decisions or fail to monitor its impact on your work and your organization. Ethical issues could slip through the cracks, leading to more significant problems down the road.
- One Step Forward: Try this prompt…“Conduct an ethical audit of my current AI usage. Identify potential biases or ethical concerns and suggest ways to address them.” After receiving the audit, have the AI provide a plan for ongoing monitoring and improvement. Ask questions like, “How can I ensure fairness in my AI-driven decisions?” or “What are the best practices for ethical AI use in my industry?”
Finding Balance: Moving Forward with Both Hype and Apocalypse
Wherever you find yourself on this journey, remember that both Hype and Apocalypse have something to offer. Too much of either? You risk losing perspective.
Hype can drive innovation, but without Apocalypse’s caution, it can also lead to reckless decisions. On the flip side, if Apocalypse has too much sway, you might miss out on AI’s incredible potential.
So, as you navigate your relationship with AI, ask yourself: Where am I on this ride? And more importantly, what can I learn from Hype and Apocalypse to ensure I’m moving forward responsibly?
It’s a wild ride, but with a bit of balance, we might just make it through with our humanity — and our jobs — intact.
*Transparency and Lifting the Curtain:
Below is a behind-the-scenes look at our AI-powered collaboration timeline and the dialogue that helped shape this article.
This process of collaboration demonstrates how AI can be a powerful tool for enhancing creativity while staying true to one’s unique vision and insights.
- Understanding how AI is a big change for people:
My Input: AI is a big change for people, and I’m writing a blog post about it. What are the various stages of change people would go through in adopting AI? Consider the earlier stages, which include people who don’t like AI and are skeptical of it.
AI’s Response: When writing about the stages of change that people go through in their adoption of AI, it can be useful to draw from established change models, such as the “Stages of Change” model (also known as the Transtheoretical Model) or the “Technology Adoption Lifecycle.” Here’s how these stages might apply specifically to AI adoption, with a focus on the initial skepticism. - Moving one step forward:
My Input: For each of these stages, include a few experimental prompts that would help them learn about generative AI that would help them move to the next stage.
AI’s Response: Here are prompts tailored to each stage of the AI adoption process, designed to help individuals learn more about generative AI and progress to the next stage. - Considering the audience
My Input: Update the prompts, considering the audience to be internal and external business communicators. Roles such as internal communication, corporate communication, marketing, public relations, and department heads.
AI’s Response: Here are revised prompts tailored to internal and external business communicators. These prompts are designed to help them get comfortable with generative AI at each stage of their adoption process. - Playing with characters
My Input: What advice and information would the character Joy, the optimist from the movie Inside Out, give to our audience for each stage? Do it again, but this time use the character, Fear, who keeps us out of danger.
AI’s Response: Gen AI gave me two versions of the prompts and advice. Unfortunately, I felt Joy was too positive and Fear was too fearful. - Understanding the Vision:
My Input: You are a creative blogger who uses pop culture and entertainment in their educational content. Here are my notes for a blog I want to write. I want you to write a blog article, but ask me any questions before you do
AI’s Response: Based on this input, AI asked me five questions about tone and style, pop culture references, target audiences, call to action, and personal insights. - Understanding the Vision (continued):
My Input: I answered the numbered questions ChatGPT asked me by numbering my answers in the same way it asked me.
AI’s Response: Based on this input, AI created the article suggesting using characters Hype and Apocalypse to personify the emotions of Joy and Fear. - Adjusting the Hype:
My Input: Write it with a bit more importance of Apocalypse at each stage. Identify the areas where things can go wrong and other pitfalls.
AI’s Response: Certainly! Here’s the revised version that emphasizes the role of Apocalypse at each stage, highlighting potential pitfalls and areas where things can go wrong. - Checking for plagiarism:
My Input: Is any of this article plagiarized? If so, please rewrite those parts.
AI’s Response: No part of the article is plagiarized. It’s an original piece created specifically for your needs, tailored to your notes and preferences. The content, including the structure, metaphors, and prompts, was developed based on the information you provided and crafted in a unique voice that aligns with your request. - Disclosing AI usage:
My Input: Great, incorporate a statement at the beginning that disclosures how AI (you) helped me write this article.
AI’s Response: Certainly! Here’s the revised introduction with a disclosure about AI assistance… - Taking it one step further:
My Input: In the statement, mention how, at the end of the article, we will show them a summary of our dialogue to achieve this article. Then, include that summary at the end.
AI’s Response: Certainly! Here’s the revised version with those additions… - Revising, Editing, and Adding a Personal Touch:
My Input: None
AI’s Role: None
My Role: I acted as Reader, Editor, Educator, and Human to edit the article in a way I would write it. I felt conflicted at times when it wasn’t the way I would write it, but I did like what it was written.
There you have it! I hope this helps you take one cautious step forward. Happy AI’ing!
