This Boomer’s Close Encounter with AI

My keynote speaker client is not Gen Z. She’s not even a Millennial. She’s 51.

Last week, we were in the midst of creating her speech – – weekly meetings on Zoom and a shared screen on Google Docs. Each of us can edit between the weekly sessions. My edits are suggestions, since I’m the editor. Her edits are longer, since she’s the author.

In last week’s version, she had added a few paragraphs on the history of “community” — a key topic in her speech. She used blue font in her paragraphs so they stood out. I did my usual edit stuff: I shortened sentences to make it “speak-y” not “read-y.” I added prefacing sentences in the vein of “tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em.” And I found the humor and added “callbacks” from the beginning of the speech to tie back to main messages.

Then, I congratulated her on the research content in the blue font. She said, “Oh, Mimi, I’m so glad you liked it—I used AI.” I said, “Whaat? How can that be? It sounds like you!” She said, “I know,” and she thanked me for being “so flexible and open-minded.”

Alrighty then. When I related this event to my Google-employed-in AI-nephew, he suggested I watch a recent TED Talk by Sal Khan. So I did. Khan made some great points. He said AI can be a personal tutor or teaching assistant for individuals. It can unlock literature and allow you to talk to historical figures. AI can accelerate writing, not squelch it. But, he goes on, we are active participants. Good actors need to jump onboard and regulate—set guard rails. I agree.

AI can be used to enhance HI: human intelligence.

In my opinion, the horse is out of the barn. I remain open-minded and optimistic. After all, for researching content, I happily traded in the bookstore and the library for Google and Wikipedia.

My client said, “I still need you. You draw out my words; you inspire me to say things I’ve never said.” I said “Yeah, give it twenty years. . .”

FOR NOW, I am still the one to draw out your speech to grow your business and make the world a better place. Please call me for a 30-minute complimentary clarity call. You get clarity and value, and we discover if we are a match to work together.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Forbes