How to use generative AI as a startup business

Everyone is talking about AI but as a startup or scaleup business founder it can be difficult to know how to and how not to use it for your brand. Words + Pixels are experts in all things tech so we’re here to save you time on researching best practice, read on to find out our top tips to maximise AI tools like Chat GPT.

First things first, be aware that there’s a lot of hype attached to AI currently. BBC News reported that a recent study shows that only 2% of Brits are using the tool on a daily basis, identifying a “"mismatch" between the "hype" around AI and the "public interest" in it.”. That isn’t to say there aren't ways it can be of use to you, just don’t feel like you’re being left behind if you’re not currently utilising it. 

AI (artificial intelligence) allows computers to solve problems like humans, simulating human intelligence. AI is something that is used in everyday tech like Alexa and Siri as well as social media platform algorithms but the majority of technological advancements have been made in generative AI. Programmes like Open AI’s Chat GPT are an example of generative AI where they generate content based on prompts. 

Knowing what prompts to use is an important way to maximise generative AI platforms, we’ll do a follow up blog post on this, but in the meantime we recommend this handy resource from Forbes. Always try to give as much context, brand information and nuance as possible to ensure the output isn’t generic. 

Our number one top tip when using generative AI is to fact check the information and customise it with your own knowledge and insight. We know from Google’s recent AI failures (they recommended adding glue to pizza…) that the tech is still in early stages and needs further training to be accurate. 

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AI Hallucinations

Fun fact, these inaccurate outputs from AI are known as hallucinations. Yes that terminology freaked us out too when we heard it as it’s more commonly used to describe a human brain which of course AI is not. In its most simple form, an AI hallucination is a misunderstanding, because AI models are trained using data it means that if the training data is incomplete, biassed or the model doesn’t have enough data then they can make incorrect predictions.

Even IBM recommends human validation as one of the best ways to prevent disastrous results as a consequence of AI hallucinations.

The environmental cost of AI 

If, like many of our clients, you are a B Corp business or sustainability is a top priority then you also need to be conscious of the impact these platforms are having on the environment. Guardian’s op piece by Mariana Mazzucato (professor of economics at UCL, and director of the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose) highlights that “Research suggests, for instance, that about 700,000 litres of water could have been used to cool the machines that trained ChatGPT-3 at Microsoft’s data facilities”. Perhaps it could be a nice PR story to boycott AI within your business… (we’ll give you that one for free). 

Whether you decide to use AI for your business or not, it’s always important to stay up to date with the latest developments to ensure you’re aware of how it could further your business or could be aiding your competitors. Here’s a handy link to all of FT’s Open AI articles that we recommend you bookmark and add a recurring diary invite to check into.

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