I recently had the pleasure of attending the Marquis Conference, and it was an eye-opener on Generative A.I. (AI) usage! It was packed with amazing bankers and tons of great ideas. Along with the opportunity to understand how community based financial institutions (FIs) are using this transformational technology. After many great discussions, and a week of reflection, it got me thinking about where the industry is currently at with adoption. There are key basic steps many FIs can follow to get started, keep going, and be a leader with AI.
My observation is that our industry fits a classic bell curve. The first group, and largest, is the middle of the curve right now. Defined as bankers, and probably anyone in a professional setting, thinking about AI. They might have set up a ChatGPT account, tried a few prompts, bread some articles, but haven’t produced any work with these tools. But more importantly, they know there are transformational powers with generative AI!
The second group moving to the right side of the bell curve, represents people who pay for AI tools like ChatGPT Plus. They’re using it, maybe a couple times a week at best. I’d guess this is no more than 10% of the industry. They’re seeing benefits, but not transformational benefits.
The last group is way out to the right of the bell curve. These are the 1% of users (and possibly .1%) who are creating GPTs, uploading docs, writing complex manuals, performing complex tasks, learning new skills, and pushing the boundaries of AI. Work gets done, daily, with AI and you can’t imagine a work day in which your quality of work or productivity isn’t improved with AI.
If you’re not in the 1% group, you easily can be!
This blog focuses on moving more readers into the second group, with next steps for better understanding and applying the transformational power of AI.
Level Up with Premium AI Tools
If you’re serious about stepping up your AI game, it’s time to check out paid versions like ChatGPT Plus or the upgraded Gemini. For $20 per month, if you’re using AI frequently, you’ll 100x your small investment. The free versions are nice, but if you want to really understand the transformational power of AI you’ll have both hands tied behind your back. Level up and pay for it! Here’s what you get:
- More power: There’s more AI horsepower behind the paid models. You’ll get what you pay for, 100x over, which will dramatically help your productivity and creativity.
- Better features: The ability to upload documents, link to websites, and build GPT agents is a game changer. I’ve uploaded an 800 page PDF with no problems at all. You can give AI a template to follow to write consistently in a format or tone.
- Image generation: Need art to express your ideas? Simply ask AI to generate an image to represent what you’ve been working on. Humans are visual, use the tools available to make your work more engaging.
Start with Writing: The AI Way
The easiest way to learn about AI is to let it help with your writing. Whether it’s emails, blogs, marketing content, speaking engagements, or even training materials, use AI to write, review, or provide suggestions about your writing.
- Communication: Use AI to write quickly. Use dictation in Word, upload to ChatGPT, and quickly create drafts of your work, in different tones and formats to different audiences.
- Marketing: Create content that’s hyper relevant by asking AI to change your writing for different audiences. You can do this in minutes.
- Training and guides: AI can generate quizzes, scenarios, role plays, manuals, and FAQs with your content, allowing you to accelerate your training and communication.
- Presentations: AI can convert your writing into a script with a few clicks and easy prompts, helping you dial in your presentation and upskill your skills.
Getting into the habit of writing with AI helps you understand how AI responds to prompts, and opens doors to new usage opportunities.
If AI isn’t helpful, you might have burned a few minutes of your day, but you’ll continue to learn and grow with your AI skills.
Set Up a Pilot Group
Get started with a small group. As bankers, we’re no strangers to handling sensitive info and making sure communication and facts are accurate and fair. Apply those same concepts and review processes to your AI writing. This pilot group can refine processes and policies for AI usage with these basic tips.
- Checks and balances: Keep an eye on what AI creates, asking for references or to explain itself to ensure your information is factual.
- Set standards: Decide when you will require heavy editing (probably for client communication so it sounds less like AI), or when you’ll take most of AI word for word (probably for internal documents where further editing is not additive). Both assume you check for facts and bias.
- Grow smartly: Start small with AI, then build up as everyone gets more comfortable. Demonstrate AI’s value through writing and communication. The process of writing, for many, is generally not productive. Start with these easy wins.
This thoughtful approach means you can integrate AI into your FI without dropping your high standards or sacrificing a human in the loop.
Take a Leadership Role
AI’s not a future opportunity; it’s here and changing work and careers. By jumping into advanced AI tools, starting with simple writing tasks, and setting up a group to lead the way, you’re not just keeping up—you’re setting the pace. The future of work is changing daily and you can be a part of our new future, today.
