A tried and true way of improving some aspect of yourself has always been found in the self-help aisle of your local book store.  (Remember those?).  Then came the internet and we suddenly had online courses … plus YouTube and the thousands of creators telling you what you wanted (and didn’t want) to hear.  It was a win-win all around.  People got advice and subject matter gurus got paid.

And then 2023 happened.

The current buzzword is ChatGPT, which is a natural language processing tool made by OpenAI that allows you to have human-like conversations with an AI chatbot.  And it’s so close to being a human that it’s scary.  

It’s also really accurate.  (Or at least as accurate as the hordes of YouTubers and their messages).

OK, let’s skip right to an example.  My YouTube channel’s under-message is about living a more focused life, right?  I provide videos on the topic and perhaps one day I would offer you an exciting e-course on the subject for the low, low price of $9.99 (plus taxes and fees).

Or … you can go to your browser and ask ChatGPT for free:

“Give me three paragraphs on how to live a more focused life”

1. Identify your priorities: The first step towards living a more focused life is to determine what is important to you. Make a list of your personal values, goals and aspirations. Prioritize these items and make sure that your daily actions align with your priorities. This will give you a clear direction and purpose in life, allowing you to make better use of your time and resources.

2. Minimize distractions: Distractions can easily derail your focus and productivity. To live a more focused life, it’s important to minimize these distractions as much as possible. This could mean turning off notifications on your phone, creating a designated workspace, or limiting the time you spend on social media. By reducing distractions, you can increase your focus and concentration, making it easier to achieve your goals.

3. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. By being mindful, you can improve your focus, reduce stress and increase your overall well-being. Practice mindfulness by meditating for a few minutes each day, taking mindful walks or simply being present in each moment. By incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine, you can develop a more focused and intentional life.

And if that wasn’t enough … “Expand on the first example“:

Identifying your priorities is a crucial step towards living a more focused life. This involves taking the time to reflect on what is important to you and what you want to achieve in life. You can start by making a list of your personal values, goals, and aspirations. This will give you a clearer picture of what is truly important to you and what you want to prioritize

Once you have your list, it’s important to prioritize these items based on their level of importance. This will help you to determine what deserves your time and attention, and what can be set aside. For example, if your priority is to advance in your career, then you might prioritize spending time networking and building relationships with colleagues, or taking professional development courses.

Having clear priorities also helps you make better use of your time and resources. When you know what you want to achieve, you can focus your energy and attention on the tasks that are most important. This will help you to avoid distractions and stay focused on what truly matters. Additionally, having clear priorities can increase your motivation and drive, as you are working towards something that is meaningful to you.

In summary, identifying your priorities is a crucial first step towards living a more focused life. It gives you clarity and direction, helps you make better use of your time and resources, and increases your motivation and drive.

IT’S A NEW WORLD

Wow, just wow!  It’s like having your own computer from Star Trek.  And there’s even a button you can click to shut it up when it drones on too long!  LOL!

A big difference from yesterday’s internet-based systems and the new AI is that back then you still had to do most of the work.  For instance, if I had Googled that original sentence I would have received hundreds of pages of web sites and videos where I could visit and try to find my answers.  But with these new AI tools (and yes, that’s plural … there are so many more soon coming out on the market) the answers are determined for you.  You don’t have to dive into the weeds for information anymore.

Now this is both good and bad.  Think of it this way … by reading, comparing, and compiling a dozen articles and books on a subject yourself, you get to see numerous sides of a subject.  You have to use critical thinking and reasoning to get your answer.  But with AI, now all you need to do is ask a question and you get the one answer.

Sound a little bit like the echo chambers our news stations and social media sites have become?

When I asked that question on focused living to ChatGPT the answer seemed to be correct.  So factual that I just accepted it and moved on, assuming I had what I was looking for.  But it didn’t tell me where and how it found the data to support its claim.  Which is extremely dangerous.  We are already a barely-thinking species when it comes to facts.  We tend to blindly accept what we’re told … or what we want to hear.

So naturally I asked ChatGPT about this.  LOL!  

“Will AI services like ChatGPT result in humans using less critical thinking and reasoning?“.

The use of AI services like ChatGPT can impact human critical thinking and reasoning skills if they rely too heavily on them and do not engage in independent thought and problem solving. However, AI services can also complement human skills and be a valuable tool for augmenting and supporting critical thinking and reasoning. It is important for users to be mindful of the limitations of AI and to use it as a tool rather than a replacement for their own cognitive abilities.

Does anyone actually believe that will happen?  The “complement human skills” part and that we will use it as a tool and not a crutch?

MY HUMAN PROGNOSTICATIONS

But we’re talking self-help here, right?

As I’m building my YouTube Empire (insert sarcastic grin here for those who don’t get the joke) I need to create multiple avenues of income, because ad revenue from the mothership is far, far less than you think.  I was going to create either an e-book or an e-course on living a more purposeful life when this new AI tool came out and killed the concept.  

But that wasn’t the only thing it killed.

We’ve been obsessing for decades about robots taking over our jobs, but with this leap in technology we’re coming even closer.  Using YouTube as the example, every channel that provides searchable content just lost its edge.  

Imagine you have two choices: one is to search YouTube for “Grow Larger Tomatoes” and then you have to watch twenty videos looking for your answer.  Or you can type the same thing into an AI search box and be told in two paragraphs exactly how to do it.  

Which option will you be more likely to choose?

“Self-Help” channels like mine are going to have to provide things that AI simply can’t do (yet).  Entertainment is probably the biggest one.  We put a human face on things and insert appropriate humor (hopefully).  Sure, that’s the next step in AI evolution mimicking our behavior, but for now we can still humanize a topic and show examples of our thoughts in action.  

Human creators can also provide information that you don’t yet know that you need.  Asking for information on focused living or slow life means that you’ve heard of it before and asked the right question.  But what if you’re starting on a blank square and don’t quite know what to ask?  

I see the self-help industry moving in one of three ways:

1. It immediately dies.

2. It adapts to use the new tools to curate and provide even better information to its consumers.  Using AI to more deeply research topics and generate information the industry creates a much better product for years to come.

3. The industry simply regurgitates whatever ChatGPT tells them and they clickbait/monetize it for as long as they possibly can before option #1 eventually comes true.

Maybe I should go ask my new AI friend which option is going to happen.

——

Have you used AI tools like ChatGPT yet?  And have they helped you?  (If you don’t see your answer, feel free to hop over to the comment section and elaborate!

~ Rick