Most of labor life doesn’t contain that a lot creativity. As an alternative, it includes expertise. The extra that you’ve seen earlier than, the extra seemingly it’s that you should have a prepared resolution for one thing that comes up at work, as a result of you might have earlier expertise to attract on. That’s efficient, nevertheless it isn’t actually that inventive.
Inventive downside fixing is required when the state of affairs doesn’t remind you of something you might have seen earlier than that may give you a plan of action. In fact, your first method to assault this query needs to be to ask for assist from somebody with extra expertise than you. They might know one thing you don’t to deal with the issue.
For those who and the folks round you might be all caught, then you must get inventive. As I wrote in Smart Thinking, an necessary path to creativity is discovering an analogy to the present downside that may give you perception about tips on how to handle it. That’s the place AI might help.
Distill the issue
Decide your favourite Giant Language Mannequin to assist. (I’ve a Claude undertaking arrange for simply this objective.) First, have the LLM assist you discover the essence of the issue. The rationale why analogies are laborious to give you is that the best way you’re fascinated with the issue is crammed with particular particulars in regards to the objects, folks, and different components which have triggered the issue. That leads you to proceed to be reminded of different issues you recognize that contain related objects, folks, and components.
To flee the tyranny of those specifics, it’s essential to develop a extra summary description of the issue that captures its essence, however doesn’t check with the specifics. For instance, should you have been attempting to give you a novel weed killer, you would possibly concentrate on the essence of weed killing, which is considered one of selective destruction (since you’re attempting to eradicate solely the weeds and never the opposite crops round them).
Describe the issue to the LLM and ask it that can assist you discover a extra summary description of it. Quite than having the LLM do all of the work, have it ask you questions that can assist you discover a extra summary description, and have it consider your makes an attempt. Over time, you’ll discover that you’ve developed an outline you want.
Provide you with analogies
From there, see what it reminds you of. The stuff you consider could also be potential analogies. Returning to our instance of a weed killer, you could be reminded of oncology medication (which should kill most cancers cells, however not surrounding wholesome tissue). If you find yourself reminded of one thing, interact in a dialogue with the LLM about whether or not that analogy supplies any insights into the issue you didn’t have earlier than. The LLM can also search for articles associated to the area of the analogy you could learn to be taught extra.
For those who haven’t but discovered an answer to the issue, you’ll be able to then ask the LLM for any analogies it could possibly consider. For any ideas the LLM makes, you’ll be able to undergo an identical strategy of exploring the brand new area to see the way it makes you suppose in another way about your downside.
AI as a creativity companion
This method to utilizing AI has two advantages. First, it provides you scaffolding for locating and utilizing analogies, which is a robust software for inventive downside fixing. Second, by having the mannequin help your considering, you might be additionally practising your personal inventive ability. The extra that you just interact with an LLM as a help in your personal efficient considering, the extra that additionally, you will be efficient at discovering good analogies with out the software.
The extra basic technique right here is that we frequently use LLMs to unravel issues for us. The higher method is to make use of LLMs to help our personal growth of extra refined considering methods. This manner of utilizing AI has two benefits. First, it allows you to enhance your abilities. Second, the standard of the suggestions an AI mannequin may give you is said to the sophistication of the prompts you feed it. As the standard of your considering goes up, you’ll get extra nuanced engagement from the AI mannequin.
