We are in a moment of profound change driven by technology. The phenomenal growth of artificial intelligence in just a few short years has dominated headlines and boardroom conversations. What started as a niche fad, is now admired (and sometimes feared) by many for its growing potential.

While some like to predict how our lives will be changed in a Generative AI future, the truth is things are changing so fast that we don’t know what the next few months will look like, let alone the next five years. Even the 19th-century Luddites had decades until machinery became the norm. Gen AI will cause the same seismic shift in a fraction of the time.

A common concern cited by those of a more sceptical nature is that AI will make their roles obsolete. Artificial Intelligence might seem like the ‘end of the human’ but it’s just a new beginning. A quote attributed to many – and a particularly apt one in my book – is ‘people won’t lose their jobs to Gen AI, they’ll lose them to someone using AI”’ .

In the face of this transformative technology, staying rigid risks being left behind. This is why, the only way for business leaders to prepare for the changes ahead is to adopt an experimental mindset – to approach everything with a ‘yes and’ mindset, rather than a ‘no but’ one. We have to lean into this change. The best way to overcome latent fears is to experiment with the tech and explore its benefits and limitations. You can’t expect to be an expert, but you also can’t ignore it.

Humans in the loop

The worst thing business leaders can do is not use the tools available. AI isn’t here to replace humans; it’s an extension of us. We’ve long used automation to help us focus on big-picture thinking. The best model will always be a hybrid one, where Gen AI is the catalyst and humans bring subject-matter expertise to refine the ideas. Only then can the tools reach their full potential.

Six months ago, it felt like the ideas Gen AI developed were generic, and that humans were needed to introduce much needed creative flair to the mix. What’s clear now, is that it’s actually the opposite. Gen AI is incredibly creative. Unbridled by social constraints, the tool develops beautifully outside-the-box ideas. Instead, humans need to act as its guardrails – to rein in its craziest outputs. It needs individuals with expertise, who have worked within the industry, who know the limitations, the market, the category and social proof. Humans know the consumer insight side, and the right data to include to give the ‘why’ to the Gen AI models. AI isn’t there for validation or prediction, but to assist and spark the ideas we might not have thought of yet.

Bring the right context

AI job listings are surging and so is demand for prompt engineering. While there aren’t college courses on the topic yet, there is massive intrigue as to how people can learn this skill as familiarity with the technology grows. Until then, people will need to refine their ability to prompt AI in the most effective ways through practice, just get started and play!

The old adage, “Garbage in, garbage out” rings true, especially with Gen AI. Brands see massive benefits to providing rich context and specificity into prompts to improve the desired outputs. This is where data can play a crucial role in the process. While AI lacks the understanding of specific audiences, brands have consumer insights in troves. By lending rich human insight to AI, they can build a valuable foundation for the human-in-the-loop operating system.

Adopt the 80/20 method

It’s logical to be cautious. As a leader, you are focused on shoring up your existing revenue base, but that doesn’t mean you have to limit your team. Give them autonomy and space to experiment, to decide the direction of travel in their work – with appropriate guidance of course.

At Zappi, we have experimented with the 80/20 rule – to divide time between experimentation and ensuring the job, in its current form, is done. This can be adjusted according to your individual organisation’s needs, perhaps having one day a week where people can experiment and the other four dedicated to the existing revenue base. And the allocation is flexible, adjust to a 90/10 approach or go wild with 60/40. But if your business is not experimenting at all, you’re in a bad spot.

In the face of the biggest technological change since electricity, a ‘no, but’ mindset will lead you to a dead-end; experimentation is the only way forward. Gen AI can best help with the first iteration – not necessarily the final product. It’s important to have an end goal or product in mind, but encourage your teams and give them the freedom to get there.