AI tools, first and foremost ChatGPT, are one of the biggest topics of our time. There is hardly an area left where this powerful tool does not play some kind of role. We, ouf course, were curious too and started experimenting around with ChatGPT early on.
My colleague Christian has already recorded his experiences with the tool in our Innovation Wiki. I would also like to share a little bit about my experience with this tool today.
My personal area of passion is creativity. Especially the topics of inspiration and idea generation fascinate me, so the question “How could I use ChatGPT in idea generation in a meaningful way?” came up quite quickly. In his article, Christian had reported on how ChatGPT can concretely support in conjunction with methods, such as the analogy method. It’s really fascinating the range of ideas the tool can offer in this context.
However, since in my professional context I also work with teams that do not yet have so much experience, I had asked myself to what extent ChatGPT could be helpful in general, completely detached from method and tool knowledge. I wondered if the tool could be used flexibly in a meaningful way at different levels and came across exciting possibilities that I would like to share.
Possibilities of ChatGPT in (non-)interdisciplinary teams
When you start looking at finding new ideas, you will come across a buzzword pretty quickly: interdisciplinary. Design thinking, for example, the best-known and most important approach in user-centered innovation, involves a team working together from as many and diverse disciplines as possible. The different backgrounds and experiences of the individual team members increase the likelihood that the problem to be solved will be viewed in 360° mode and at all its levels – an important basis for its solution!
When it comes to brainstorming new ideas for solving the problem, the interdisciplinary team can very quickly gather a large number of completely different ideas from the all-around view. The quantity of resulting ideas alone, plus the combination of the individual perspectives, significantly increases the probability of success of the subsequent innovation. So an interdisciplinary team is key when innovating.
Real life, however, looks a little different, so that the ideal state of a colorfully mixed team usually remains only theory. Many companies simply do not have the resources to assemble an interdisciplinary team. The company is either too small to serve a variety of specialties, there is a general lack of resources, and buying external expertise is simply not an option. But this is exactly where ChatGPT can support. To some extent, the tool can simulate a person’s point of view with a specific background.
The information provided by ChatGPT can be used in many ways. A team could check whether the initial problem has already been analyzed from these points of view and draw new conclusions. However, the topic areas raised could also serve as corridors for further rounds of brainstorming, putting team members in new thinking spaces. Of course, the information provided can also be further explored by ChatGPT itself, thus generating additional perspectives or initial thoughts towards idea evaluation.
At this point, it also makes sense to use the content provided by the ChatGPT to specifically derive the appropriate methods. For example, a partial aspect of a view simulated by ChatGPT can be viewed using the 6-hats method.
The (current) limitations of ChatGPT
The possibilities for using the information provided by AI, especially in idea generation, are extremely diverse. However, AI naturally has certain limitations that are not insignificant at this stage of innovation. A central aspect is the personal experience of each person. Our personal experiences merge with our professional knowledge and thus allow us to adopt perspectives that (so far) no AI can provide. Moreover, each of us has a value system that additionally plays a big role in our views and thinking spaces.
Of crucial importance in this context, however, is the interpersonal exchange. Communicating all one’s impressions, thoughts and ideas and thus developing them further in the team is the key to breakthrough ideas. David Kelley (pioneer of the Design Thinking approach) speaks in this context of “Encouraging wild ideas” and “Building on the ideas of others”. Even if you can engage in some sort of conversation with ChatGPT, the dynamics that occur in a group discussion will never be replicated with AI.
Moreover, the principles established by Kelley only work (really well) in a physical team sitting together. Some of us may be familiar with situations like this one: someone tells you about an idea, a new thought immediately pops into your head, but you don’t have it quite ready, so you can only communicate parts of it. But a colleague who has been working with you for years understands the idea, internalizes it, develops it, and then formulates a complete thought that already sounds strongly like a formulated idea.
This type of exchange works because of interpersonal dynamics. In particular, people who have been working together for a long time have developed an empathy for each other, they understand each other “without many words”. Non-verbal communication also plays a major role here. Our body language says an incredible amount about how we feel about something.
Conclusion – ChatGPT is a support, not a replacement
Under all these aspects I think it becomes clear – ChatGPT can (currently) only serve as a support and in no way completely replace a team member. Hence my conclusion and personal opinion on the subject:
- AI tools like ChatGPT can’t take the crucial bird’s eye view of an individual problem
- It cannot enter into personal (and non-verbal) exchange and does not replace personal values and experiences, which are very important in developing new ideas
- Interpersonal dynamics such as empathy and creative wild exchange cannot be established through ChatGPT
- However, the tool can certainly reveal blind spots, as it can take into account and recombine a much larger amount of data that we would never think of in this way
- It is a super inspiration for new thinking spaces and possibilities
- If you have difficulties in your company to set up an interdisciplinary team, ChatGPT is a great help.
- It is worth to explore and try the various possibilities of ChatGPT by yourself
