Please stop using AI *only* to write emails.
One of the most overlooked and underrated benefits of generative AI is having an on-demand strategist: An assistant in your decision-making and a sounding board for your ideas. As a conversation partner, it can encourage creative thinking, challenge assumptions, and help you explore new possibilities.
…Which means that when facing your biggest and toughest challenges, AI might be just the secret to uncovering a solution.
But first:
Is AI creative?
Can AI innovate? Can it be creative? Can it create something new and original?
There continues to be debate in the AI community (even among top experts) on whether generative AI can create something truly new. To summarize the two sides of the argument:
- AI cannot innovate. LLMs are designed to predict. They are trained on massive amounts of (human-generated) data, then predict the next token or word based on that data. Therefore, LLMs are incapable of generating anything new.
- AI can innovate. Most innovation is not novel; it combines existing ideas in novel ways. The Wright brothers merged previous attempts at flight with the mechanics of a bicycle. Gutenberg retrofitted a winepress for his original printing press design.
But there is perhaps a more compelling point that puts this argument to bed:
Regardless of what we believe, an increasing number of studies show that LLMs can and do create ideas that are novel, compelling, and feasible.
This is good news for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone stumped by a business problem.
AI can help you brainstorm new ideas for projects, products, strategies, or solutions by:
- Expanding the range of potential solutions.
- Challenging existing assumptions and mental models.
- Uncovering hidden opportunities and connections.
- Encouraging more creative and unconventional ideas.
- Promoting empathy and user-centric thinking.
- Breaking through domain-specific limitations and bridging cross-disciplinary ideas.
- Offering alternative methods or approaches.
Because AI inherently lacks any assumptions (or thoughts, feelings, or beliefs), it isn’t bound by the constraints of what should be or what has been done in the past. In this way, it’s able to “free associate,” which can lead to more novel ideas.
And listen: “innovation” and “brainstorming” can feel like things meant for Other People — whether you’re thinking of more creative people, more entrepreneurial people, or maybe simply people not staring down your deadlines and to-do list.
But these exercises can help us overcome our cognitive biases (there are many) and break out of habitual thinking patterns. It may be these, rather than our circumstances, that are keeping us stuck and holding us back.
And not just us, but our companies and our careers.
So how can you use AI to your advantage?
✏️ Problem-Solving Starter Prompts
Here are some ways you could prompt AI to reframe your current challenge or brainstorm possible solutions:
Generate 10 unconventional ideas for [product/service/concept] that haven't been tried before.
How might we combine [concept A] with [concept B] to create something entirely new?
Imagine [product/service] didn't exist. How else could we solve the problem it addresses?
What if [industry/field] adopted the business model of [unrelated industry]? What new opportunities might arise?
List 5 "what if" scenarios that could disrupt [industry/field] in the next decade.
How could we apply [natural phenomenon/biological process] to solve [specific problem]?
Brainstorm 3 ways to make [product/service] more sustainable/ethical/accessible.
If [famous innovator from history] were alive today, how might they approach [current challenge]?
Imagine [product/service] with unlimited resources and no constraints. What features would it have?
How could we repurpose [existing technology/product] to solve a completely different problem?
What if we inverted the typical [process/approach] in [field]? What new possibilities emerge?
Generate a list of unlikely combinations between [field A] and [field B]. Which ones spark interesting ideas?
If we had to replace [core feature/component] of [product/service], what alternatives could we explore?
How might we apply the principles of [successful system/organization] to improve [unrelated field/industry]?
What would [product/service/industry] look like if it were designed specifically for [unusual target audience]?
💡More Tips 💡
When using AI for problem-solving and innovation, remember:
Work solo first.
Similar to groupthink in brainstorming sessions, our thought patterns can become anchored to the first idea mentioned, stifling creativity. Take some time to work the problem and jot down your own thoughts before starting a chat.
Seek diverse perspectives.
Broaden your viewpoint by bringing in different stakeholders and trying out different strategies.
Our sample prompts use a variety of techniques — combination, constraint removal, cross-industry inspiration, etc. Experiment with a few different ones, then compare and contrast the outcomes. (Remember: AI can help with the evaluation process, too.)
Try using multiple models collaboratively to build on and critique ideas. This might be as simple as telling Google Gemini “Here's a prompt I gave ChatGPT … Here's the response … What else would you add?” or using a tool that gives you access to multiple LLMs.
Clearly define the problem.
Clarify the challenge you’re facing, the context, and constraints. Then try a couple approaches:
- Provide all the details upfront, and ask the AI to work out a proposed solution step by step.
- Begin your brainstorm with minimal constraints. Once you have a few options, assess their feasibility by introducing more details.
Remember that adding specifics will narrow your scope. Specific details, context, jargon — they all serve as clues of what words are statistically most relevant. Think of it as directing the LLM to a particular aisle in the grocery store — you’re looking for canned vegetables, not fresh; tomato products, not olives.
In general, specificity creates really powerful prompts. But when brainstorming, it can be limiting.
Create opportunities for cross-functional and interdisciplinary collaboration
There’s a reason cross-functional teams can be so effective: They broaden your knowledge base, widen your perspective, and expand your pool of ideas. This can lead to novel combinations: Merging concepts from different fields to create unexpected solutions.
AI can serve many different roles: an engineer, a lawyer, an inventor, a technologist, a data scientist, your ideal customer... View your problem through a different lens and see what possibilities emerge.
Get caught up on the series:
- Research | How to use AI for research
- Analyze | How to use AI for analysis
- Decide | How to use AI to make better decisions
RADIC (Research, Analyze, Decide, Innovate, Create) is an easy way to remember generative AI's capabilities, and it can help you identify common tasks where you could use AI.
Question(s) to consider:
Think about the last problem you solved. What process did you follow? Would have an alternative perspective or lens have helped you to solve it faster? Or to find an even better solution?
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