The workforce finds itself on the doorstep of the latest information revolution, this time brought forward by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its offspring, such as generative AI. Information is now more accessible than ever before, and we will likely be able to say that each and every year. Yet, paradoxically, this abundance of data has highlighted the need for a skill that has long been a cornerstone of human intelligence: the art of asking the right questions.
As leaders and teams navigate the intricacies of this digital age, the ability to pose insightful, precise, and contextually relevant questions is emerging as a critical competency in our pursuit of harnessing the full potential of AI.
“Prompt engineering” as it has become known is such a coveted skill in the workforce these days that entire companies have popped up to outsource the service. There are even entire books written on the topic, underscoring the importance of this age-old but newly relevant skillset. Instead of outsourcing this crucial skill, cultivate it within your team with targeted training and thoughtful dialogue around how to build and encourage the creativity and critical thinking that underpins prompt writing.
The Information Deluge
The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming, leading to information fatigue and an inability to glean valuable insights from the noise. This is where the art of questioning steps in, serving as the guiding compass that helps us discern the difference between substance and fluff.
Precision in the Age of Predictive Technologies
Predictive technologies, driven by powerful AI algorithms, are growing in use and in impact on our decision making processes. Many of us these days start a task by going to Google, or maybe even ChatGPT, to gather the low-hanging fruit of information to start our project. From business forecasts to medical diagnoses, these technologies offer the promise of informed predictions that can shape actions and strategies. However, the efficacy of these predictions hinges on the quality of the questions we ask and the data we input. Simply put, an inaccurate or ill-structured question can lead to misleading results, rendering even the most advanced AI models – and your time using them – ineffective.
Context Matters
The significance of context in questioning cannot be overstated. AI models, while powerful, lack the nuanced understanding of human context that comes naturally to us. Crafting questions that provide context and scope is essential to extracting relevant answers. This is particularly true when dealing with generative AI, which relies on prompts to generate coherent and relevant responses.
For instance, when seeking creative ideas from a generative AI for a marketing campaign, asking "Give me marketing ideas" might yield generic results. However, framing the question as "Can you provide innovative marketing strategies for targeting Generation Z in the fashion industry?" directs AI with useful framing and context toward the desired outcome, in turn helping it produce ideas that are both imaginative and applicable.
In general, the more detailed the request, the closer the response will come to what the user is looking for. But the most effective prompt engineering goes beyond adding detail.
Adding the proper relevant details to get the best response is crucial. There are many ways to guide how an AI system or chatbot presents the information it finds, and most of that is determined by the stated goal of the user. Guiding AI to write in a certain style or for a certain audience is likely to warrant much better results. Oftentimes, the best results come from an extended back and forth with the AI, reacting to what it produces and asking for refinements instead of taking the first response and concluding.
The Role of Critical Thinking
As AI handles more routine tasks and generates outcomes, our role as thinkers is evolving. The need for critical thinking and strategic decision making remains central, and the art of questioning is a linchpin in this constantly evolving process. By posing insightful questions, humans elevate their role from mere consumers of AI-driven insights to discerning curators and interpreters of information. As AI evolves, so too does the responsibility of shaping the questions that guide it.
“The future is not artificial intelligence. It’s augmented intelligence with generative AI where we augment and amplify what people can do,” Vanderbilt University associate computer science professor Jules White told the Wall Street Journal for an article about AI prompts. “Everybody, realistically, needs to be interacting with it and using it.”
Humans are born with an innate curiosity and a natural sense of wonder. Just look at children and the questions they ask that come seemingly out of nowhere. And once their initial questions are answered, children often have another, sometimes more thoughtful question, awaiting as a follow-up. They want to know how and why things work the way they do.
Indeed, powerful, probing questions serve as the foundation for critical thinking. Whether seeking new ideas, trying to solve a tough problem, or just looking to expand your knowledge, asking beautiful questions can be a powerful tool. So don't be afraid to ask.
