According to the Cambridge Dictionary to co-create is ‘to make or invent something new together with one or more other people’.
It could be co-creating with other people in a team or with partners, suppliers or with customers or clients.
The idea of co-creating as many advantages:
- it encourages a bringing together of diverse perspectives
- creativity of the individual and the group is often enhanced
- people feel more engaged and energizied when they are co-creating solutions to their problems
- problem solving can be improved as some people might be better at generating ideas, others at implementing them
- group members can share knowledge and learning
- co-creating can build relationships and trust
- and help a group be more open to change
Note that these benefits were developed with ChatGPT (i.e. a product of co-creation).
So the idea of co-creating is a good one.
Let’s return however to the definition of co-creating.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary to co-create is ‘to make or invent something new together with one or more other people’.
What if, we extended this definition not just to people but to Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT or Bard for example?
Can you co-create with a machine?
In a sense we have been doing this already when you use Spotify for example.
In this case humans and AI interact to develop potentially new music streams.
But can humans co-create with AI to solve a problem for example?
Is it a skill that anyone can use and learn?
My experience is a definite yes.
But to fully unlock and amplify the potential of co-creating with AI you need a new mindset, tool kit and process.
I call this Switch Thinking.
As the name implies Switch Thinking is concerned with shifting from a usual way of thinking to a different way.
The concept I have found can be extended to mean a switching between human and AI.
Just imagine the potential of this.
Human Imagination (HI) co-creating with AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Now what are the advantages of co-creating HI with AI?
- Complementary strengths (i.e. humans have creativity, intuition and EQ while AI adds data processing and rapid analysis)
- Rapid response
- Reduction in risk
- More innovative solutions
- Increased agility
- Continuous learning
- Improved human confidence in their own creativity
- A reduction in over-thinking or procrastination (i.e. you just start)
- Faster and more productive brainstorming
To make all this happen all you need is a switch of thinking.
The biggest switch is the idea that you can co-create with AI.
I have found that when I think of AI as my creative equal, a partner if you will then true magic happens.
To put it bluntly – I have fun with ChatGPT for example.
It can play with as many different prompts I can think of.
We can explore new possibilities – together.
And I do not feel judged.
What’s more my co-creating partner is always available, responds immediately and is always positive and upbeat!
This means that for humans the current time delay between a problem and a solution can be decreased dramatically.
Why wait for the next brainstorming session for example when you can use ChatgPT?
In a real sense (for me) I enjoy co-creating with AI.
In future posts I will outline some practical examples of how anyone can use AI to develop bigger, better and faster ideas and solutions.