Key Considerations for Creators Using AI

Article from NY Times: More than two years after ChatGPT's introduction, organizations and individuals are using AI systems for an increasingly wide range of tasks. However, ensuring these systems provide accurate information remains an unsolved challenge. Surprisingly, the newest and most powerful "reasoning systems" from companies like OpenAI, Google, and Chinese startup DeepSeek are generating more errors rather than fewer. While their mathematical abilities have improved, their factual reliability has declined, with hallucination rates higher in certain tests. The root of this problem lies in how modern AI systems function. They learn by analyzing enormous amounts of digital data and use mathematical probabilities to predict the best response, rather than following strict human-defined rules about truth. As Amr Awadallah, CEO of Vectara and former Google executive, explained: "Despite our best efforts, they will always hallucinate. That will never go away." This persistent limitation raises concerns about reliability as these systems become increasingly integrated into business operations and everyday tasks. 6 Practical Tips for Ensuring AI Accuracy 1) Always cross-check every key fact, name, number, quote, and date from AI-generated content against multiple reliable sources before accepting it as true. 2) Be skeptical of implausible claims and consider switching tools if an AI consistently produces outlandish or suspicious information. 3) Use specialized fact-checking tools to efficiently verify claims without having to conduct extensive research yourself. 4) Consult subject matter experts for specialized topics where AI may lack nuanced understanding, especially in fields like medicine, law, or engineering. 5) Remember that AI tools cannot really distinguish truth from fiction and rely on training data that may be outdated or contain inaccuracies. 6)Always perform a final human review of AI-generated content to catch spelling errors, confusing wording, and any remaining factual inaccuracies. https://lnkd.in/gqrXWtQZ

For some course revisions I'm working on, I'm experimenting with some AI content generation, including a video avatar of myself (preview coming soon!). But as I'm working, I'm aware I feel an intense tension here: on the one hand I can see enormous potential in how this could make it easier to create and update course content way more quickly. Typically content maintenance and revision is the big unsolved challenge with MOOC-style online education (asynchronous and built around high-quality pre-recorded videos). On the other hand, though, there's a risk of this becoming deeply impersonal: the traditional approach to course content development has an authenticity and intimacy to it that this would lose. With traditional video, there's a clear assurance that I felt comfortable enough with the content to go into the studio and film it with my face and voice; with AI avatars, that assurance is diminished. I decided to film a video to include at the start of any course or lesson that uses my AI avatar that provides my justification. As part of that, I realized I have three rules I'm following for principled AI content creation. I wrote about them in my blog: https://lnkd.in/e9j2KJwD In a nutshell, though, the rules are: • Authenticity: Only text written by me gets loaded into my avatar. I decided not to go with a group account with the avatar generation tool we're using because I don't want anyone else to even have access to my avatar to generate content for it, so there can be no doubt that anything my avatar says is just as authentically from me as anything I presented on camera (where I, granted, use a teleprompter anyway—but I write the text for that, too!). • Transparency: Even if AI gets good enough to pass as real video, where AI is used is always transparent. In creating my own AI avatar, I made a couple choices for the training video that I NEVER make during a real video, so that there are immediate indicators if a video uses my AI avatar. • Enrichment: My AI avatar is only used to present in video content that I otherwise WOULD have presented in plain text or an otherwise less rich medium. If I felt the content was ready to be filmed in the studio, it gets filmed in the studio; my AI avatar is only used to enrich otherwise plainer content. My hope is that with these rules in place for myself, these technologies really do enrich the content without undermining the social authenticity.

Feeling like AI content is stuck in a Groundhog Day loop? "AI has revolutionized the way we create unique content for our audiences!" (hahaha) I often see people enthusiastic about using AI for content creation, only to be let down by repetitive and generic outputs. Many abandon the tool, thinking it can't produce unique and engaging content. The real issue often lies in the lack of specific guidance and personal input. (and setting the temperature which I discussed earlier this week.) IMPORTANT: To harness AI's potential, you need to infuse it with your unique insights and detailed context. Here’s why human involvement is crucial for maintaining authenticity and engagement: ► Interest and Engagement: While AI can produce text quickly, it lacks the emotional depth and passion that resonate with readers. Human input ensures the content is engaging and emotionally compelling. ► Authenticity: Genuine authenticity stems from personal experiences and unique perspectives that AI can't replicate. Keeping humans in the loop ensures content stays true to your brand's voice. ► Relevance and Usefulness: Context matters significantly. Humans can adapt and fine-tune content to address specific audience needs, making it more relevant and useful. ► Diversity of Thought: AI often falls into patterns, producing uniform outputs. Human creativity introduces variability and new ideas, keeping content fresh and diverse. Using AI to draft initial ideas can be incredibly helpful, but relying on it entirely for interactions, especially replies, can be detrimental. It risks turning meaningful engagements into monotonous, repetitive exchanges, as humorously illustrated by the cartoon below. Let’s leverage AI’s strengths while remembering the irreplaceable value of human creativity and insight! AI is a powerful tool, but it works best when guided by the unique touch that only humans can provide. What's your experience with AI-generated content? Do you agree that human involvement is crucial for maintaining quality and authenticity? Share your thoughts in the comments below. #GenerativeAI #HumanInTheLoop #ContentCreation #AI #DigitalTransformation #AIandHumanity