Not too long ago, OpenAI enabled the use of DALL-E within ChatGPT (only for ChatGPT Plus subscribers).
If you’re not familiar with it, DALL-E is an AI system that can generate images and art from a text description.
I started using ChatGPT + DALL·E to create image headers for my “AI for Leaders” newsletter.
Here are a few samples:
Those turned out way better than I expected. No graphic designer is needed.
How to use it:
If you’re a ChatGPT Plus user, start a new chat and hover over the “GPT-4” button on top. Then select DALL·E 3 and simply type away in the ChatGPT text box by asking it to create an image or photo.
Here’s a screenshot:
What does this mean for leaders?
One way you can use this as a leader is to create better images and/ or vector graphics for your presentations.
I tried it out with the following ChatGPT + DALL·E prompt to test it out:
Photo of a modern, brightly lit conference room with large windows overlooking a city skyline. A diverse group of professionals (three men and three women of various descent) are seated around a sleek, oval-shaped conference table. They are engaged in a discussion, with some pointing to a large digital screen on the wall, displaying colorful bar graphs and pie charts that represent quarterly sales data. On the table, there are laptops, notepads, glasses of water, and a vase with fresh flowers. In the foreground, a glass board stands with a few sticky notes and markers. The ambiance conveys collaboration and innovation.
And it generated 4 sample images for me. Here is one of them:
Impressive for an image based on just my text description. What’s mind-blowing about this is that this is not an image that exists anywhere. This is 100% generated.
Some Takeaways from the AI in Business talk at UMass
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to speak on a panel about AI in Business at the UMass Isenberg School of Management.
I thought I’d share some of the questions I was asked and my response to them (abbreviated for clarity).
Q: How did you get involved in AI in your domain and what was the motivation for using AI in your current projects?
A: I write short books for busy managers as a side hobby. When I was writing my next book in Dec 2022, I heard about ChatGPT. So I thought I’d use it to help me research, write, and edit the book. I also started reading about how it’s used by others and even asked ChatGPT itself how it could help me write. I was so blown away that I stopped writing my management book and wrote a new book called “ChatGPT for Nonfiction Authors.” It usually takes me 3 to 6 months to write management books. This took only one week. Although this wasn’t a fair apples-to-apples comparison, I was blown away by the productivity savings (12x to 24x faster time to market). This fun experiment opened up the door to start thinking about and using AI in the workplace.
Q: In your opinion, what are the key challenges and opportunities for businesses in effectively integrating AI, and what strategies do you recommend for successful implementation?
A: The main challenges include privacy and security (i.e., using AI responsibly at work and making sure that we don’t compromise sensitive data such as PII). In terms of successful implementation, the best strategy today is to experiment, experiment, and experiment. There is no playbook.
Q: As someone focused on the future of work, how do you foresee AI reshaping work dynamics and productivity within organizations, particularly in a hybrid work environment?
A: There are two components to this answer.
One is a technology focus. For example, I work at NWN Carousel, and we are investing in Generative AI to help our customers with our Hybrid Work solutions.
For example, here are a few ways that AI will help based on our core offerings:
- Contact Center: Generative AI enables clients to offer highly personalized customer interactions, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Unified Communications: AI-powered communication tools will make collaboration more efficient and effective, ultimately boosting productivity.
- Cybersecurity: Leveraging Generative AI across security to enhance threat detection and response, ensuring the safety of our clients’ data.
- Networking Services: Automating network management and optimization with Generative AI will drive efficiency and reliability in our networking solutions.
The other component is a workplace productivity focus. More about that in the must-read paper here.
Q: What do you believe is the most critical takeaway for our audience regarding the integration of AI in business?
A: Just start!
One Prompt You Can Use at Work Today
Here’s a practical ChatGPT Prompt you can use at work.
Note: This is a specific role-based example for human resource professionals.
Outline a [process] for [audience], detailing key activities and milestones to [benefit]
For example,
Outline a comprehensive onboarding process for new hires, detailing key activities and milestones to ensure a smooth integration into our company culture and team dynamics.
If you would like to see more of those prompts, check out my free book called: ChatGPT for Better Business Communication.
You can grab it for free by clicking the link and subscribing to the newsletter.
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