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PAG: Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Updated 18/Aug/2025

Source: vignettes/web_only/PAG_AI.Rmd
PAG_AI.Rmd

Artificial Intelligence (AI), sometimes referred to as generative Artificial Intelligence (gAI or genAI), has become a crucial component of my analytics workflow. From helping with coding to being a colleague, AI makes several parts of my life easier; this should be the case for everyone.

There are a couple of problems with AI making your life easier. First, there are numerous ethical concerns about using AI, including potential copyright infringements (cases are currently under review in the US legal system) and concerns about replacing workers with cheaper, less knowledgeable Bots in an attempt to reduce costs. Second, not all Bots are the same. Depending on your use case, a collection of specific services is likely optimal for your particular goals.

The goal of AI Office Hours and AI Tea is to help everyone keep up with the rapidly evolving implementation of AI. While it will not be a comprehensive resource, it does provide everyone with the ability to learn from one another and share AI experiences and wisdom.

Disclaimer: This document is subject to change without notice. The inclusion of podcasts, genAI Bots, newsletters, applications, and products does not imply support or endorsement of any particular content or service.

AI Office Hours

Bring your questions, share your challenges, or just come to learn more about integrating AI into your work. The goal is to help those interested in utilizing AI to enhance their workflow. Office hours are twice a week on Microsoft Teams.

  • Mondays @ 10-11:30a
  • Thursday @ 2-3:30p

Teams link

The AI Office Hours are a safe space for asking questions, sharing challenges, and discussing successes.

AI Tea (Starting Thursday, September 18, 2025!)

Discover how your colleagues are innovating with AI and draw inspiration for your projects! Join us once a month to share your AI projects. Show and tell us how you are using AI in your project. In-person sessions are the third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Office of Admissions’ Conference Room (2nd Floor) in the Administration Building at 426 Auditorium Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824.

AI Tea is a safe space where you can ask questions, share challenges, and celebrate successes.

If the Google Map is not displayed above, please click this Google Map link https://maps.app.goo.gl/y4j4EJqX5bwNY4Ak6. Alternatively, the Google Plus Code is “PGH9+RC East Lansing, Michigan”

If you are on campus, use the Wayfinder application to chart your path to the Administration Building.

Lexicon

The field of generative AI has several specific terms, and understanding them will enhance your journey.

  • Large Language Model (aka LLM): The underlying technology for generative AI that is the basis for the Bot built from a large corpus of data.
  • Generative Artificial Intelligence (aka genAI or gAI): AI systems built on LLMs that can create new content (text, code, images, etc.) by predicting what should come next based on patterns learned from training data and the provided prompt.
  • Bot: An LLM instance with an interface. All Bots are slightly different with varying specialties.
  • Prompt: The statement or question you provide to the Bot.
  • Hallucination (aka confabulation): When the Bot makes up facts and presents them as truths. Examples include citing references that do not exist, reading documents and indicating text is present when it is not, and providing code that does not function as intended.

First Steps

Getting started is often the most challenging part. Here are a few examples to help you explore how the Bots can augment your workflow.

  • Summarize and query a document. You receive a large, dense document. After reading a paragraph or two, you are getting a headache.
    • Copy the text, head to your favorite Bot, give it the prompt:
    • Please summarize this document, “<<pasted text>>”
    • After reading the summary, ask specific questions related to your needs. Maybe ask, “What are the key points of the document related to <<your area of interest>>?” Or “How does the document impact <<your area of interest>>?” Use the Bot’s responses to develop additional questions.
    • Note: The Bot is not perfect, and you should remember that you are the subject matter expert. When the Bot makes a statement that doesn’t sound right, question it.
  • Editing a document. We all make mistakes. We write in inconsistent tenses, miss punctuation marks, and are sometimes unclear. Enlist the help of a Bot to copyedit your document.
    • Upload your document to your favorite Bot, give it the prompt:
    • Please help me make this document concise and grammatically correct.
    • Note: Please be aware that the Bot will not always be accurate. Sometimes, the recommended changes will change the meaning of your statement.
  • Q&A with a colleague. Sometimes, you have a question and no one is available to serve as a sounding board.
    • Ponder your question for a moment. Consider taking a walk and thinking about the question from various perspectives.
    • Write out (aka type out) your question in a document, trying to capture all aspects and concerns accurately. It is essential to provide as much detail as possible. The Bot is not a mindreader, and you know significantly more about the implied understanding of your question.
    • Once you feel the text matches your initial question with the required background, go to your favorite Bot and paste your question, then press the Submit button.
    • Treat the Bot like a colleague and ask questions.
    • Note: Ask questions and challenge ideas you believe are incorrect or not fully developed. Remember, you are also an expert.

Human gAI (aka Bot) Relationship

These are from Ethan Mollick’s book Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI.

  1. Always invite the Bot to the table. When working on a project, include the Bot and treat it like a colleague. Ask it for its opinion and perspective.
  2. Be the human in the loop. Continue to be the expert. Challenge the Bot.
  3. Treat the Bot like a person, but tell it what kind of person it is. Assign the Bot roles based on your needs. I routinely tell the Bot it is a copy editor, coding partner, or research colleague.
  4. Assume this is the worst Bot you will ever use. The Bots are continually improving, and each version and revision brings new features and capabilities.

Prompting Tips

These prompting tips are from Plain Language Prompting: Four Tips for Writing Effective Prompts​ at the Office of Online & Digital Education at the University of Michigan - Flint.

  • Be specific to minimize the assumptions the AI must make about what you want it to generate. Start by considering the following: Author, Audience, and Purpose.​
  • Start a new chat with a revised prompt if the AI outputs aren’t meeting your expectations.​
  • Complex tasks require detailed prompts, but increasing the specificity and outputs can be improved using plain language.​
  • Proactively request inclusivity in prompts, such as age, gender, race, culture, and ability.​

Prompt Literacy

The Generative Artificial Intelligence office at the University of Michigan provides an excellent and detailed overview of interacting and working with AI Bots to leverage your knowledge to achieve the desired outcomes. While the document is titled “Prompt Literacy in Academics”, its focus is on using genAI for education, research, and self-guided learning. They also provide a prompt library.

AI Resources

Books

Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick
Published in April 2024, the author provides a comprehensive overview of the development of generative AI (LLMs), their evolution, and recommends best practices for incorporating AI into your workflow.
Bookshop | Amazon

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order by Kai-Fu Lee
Published in September 2018, the author offers an insightful (for the time) view of today’s AI landscape.
Bookshop | Amazon

The Scaling Era: An Oral History of AI, 2019–2025 by Dwarkesh Patel with Gavin Leech
Eagerly awaiting my copy. This book is a historical description of AI and LLMs.
Stripe Press | Bookshop | Amazon

Podcasts

  • Hard Fork: Each week, journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton delve into and make sense of the rapidly evolving world of tech.
  • Me, Myself, and AI: Why do only 10% of companies succeed with AI? Sam Ransbotham (Boston College) and Shervin Khodabandeh (Boston Consulting Group; GCG) are on a mission to figure it out. On “Me, Myself, and AI,” they speak with individuals who are achieving significant successes with AI.
  • Dwarkesh Podcast: Deeply researched interviews
  • The Neuron: AI Explained: The Neuron covers the latest AI developments, trends, and research, hosted by Grant Harvey and Corey Noles. Digestible, informative, and authoritative takes on AI that get you up to speed and help you become an authority in your circles. Available every Tuesday on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.
  • ChinaTalk: Deep coverage of technology, China, and US policy. We feature original analysis alongside interviews with leading thinkers and policymakers. Search your podcast app for “ChinaTalk”; all one word.

AI Newsletters

The newsletters associated with podcasts likely provide more in-depth discussions of topics and are great for staying up-to-date with daily or weekly insights.

Small Collection of Bots

There are numerous AI Bots to interact with and work with. Here are a few that we use from time to time.

AI Counter Points

The following collection of AI critics began with the 25 July 2025 Hard Fork episode (E146).

AI Applications and Tools of Interest

The following is a growing list of AI applications and tools to assist various aspects of one’s workflow.

Meeting Assistants

  • Fathom attends your meeting and takes notes on your behalf.
  • Granola attends your meeting and combines your notes with the meeting transcript to provide detailed notes.

Writing Assistance

  • Grammarly is an excellent writing assistant that helps you write a wide range of documents.
  • Scribe allows you to quickly document and share processes.

Coding/Programming Assistants

Personal Coaches

  • MirrorTalk is a reflection tool that helps you deepen thinking.

Graphics

  • Napkin AI creates images from your text. Copy your text and paste it into Napkin to make the initial image. From there, you can modify and style the image to your liking.
  • Mirror.ai provides subject matter experts to assist with your AI projects.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Statement

This document underwent a grammatical and syntactical review using Grammarly to identify and correct potential grammatical and syntactical issues, ensuring a clear and concise analysis presentation. Anthropic’s Claude and Google Gemini were used as sounding boards to refine and enhance the content of this document. All AI-assisted content was thoroughly reviewed and approved, with all analytical judgments and conclusions representing our assessment of the data and results.