AI and Iris Co.
(This post was not written or reviewed by AI)
I often jokingly say to my family and friends when I see great new technology “This is awesome… I never thought I’d get to live in the future!” I’m not an old man yet, but I’m well on my way. I remember when telephones had a cord, answering machines used cassette tapes, and if someone wasn’t home, they couldn’t answer your call. There are so many cool new technologies that have improved life since I was a kid. In most cases I am a big proponent of utilizing technology to improve efficiency, comfort, health, and quality of life. This post is intended to share how I use AI in my in my business, the strengths of AI, and some of the challenges I’ve faced implementing it effectively.
I am convinced that AI is and will continue to radically change our economy and our day-to-day lives. I utilize the following AI tools:
Gemini: I use Google products extensively in my business. Their cost, quality, and ease of use have been a big productivity gain for me. While Gemini has mostly replaced a standard Google Search, it isn’t much good for anything else. Despite my best efforts, the tool just doesn’t work that well. Even inside the Google ecosystem, Gemini tends to fail at tasks that ChatGPT and Claude do well. Gemini’s image tool has been moderately useful. The professional photo on my “About” page was modified. I changed the background and the color of my tie to fit the color scheme of my website, and I think it turned out okay.
ChatGPT: I use ChatGPT daily for a whole host of simple tasks. It generally does better than Gemini when it comes to accuracy, research, and writing. That said, as of today’s date I still can’t trust it to build accurate financial spreads. What it does great are templates. If I need a simple document, spreadsheet, slide deck or email, it usually does okay. It’s also pretty good at editing a document (pretty good might be an understatement). I have noticed quite a few annoying quirks however… as an example, AI loves putting the following sentence together “This is not x – what it is is y,” multiple times in the same document. While I see the value of clarifying a statement by directly addressing what it is not, it tends to feel redundant. Redundancy is a big problem when working on something like a blog. I’ve spent the last year trying to refine the writing, so it can capture the voice, tone, structure, and information I want to share. It’s just not there yet. For those of you who use a paid ChatGPT subscription, there are lots of plugins and connections for other systems. I’ve had limited success using them, but I’ve also noticed they continue to improve. The most recent development that shocked me was the ChatGPT personal finance tool. I don’t think anyone should be giving an AI system access to all their financial accounts. I also think we have a long way to go before we can be confident that the system is working the way it was intended. I really don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find out my AI system maxed out all my credit cards buying junk on Amazon.
ChatGPT’s image creator is useful for first drafts of images. My logo was initially created in ChatGPT. I then brought in the human element and marketing experts to refine the image. I tested ChatGPT’s skill with modifications and improvements to my logo as well. Unfortunately, ChatGPT still makes a good image mediocre when you try to edit.
Claude: So far this has been the most useful of the AI tools available. It does a pretty good job with research, it can build and check the formulas on a spreadsheet without too much trouble, and it generally produces reasonably good content when I give it a clear outline. The writing and editing issues are the same as ChatGPT – it loves using the dash (I like a dash now and then, just don’t overuse it!). It can access tools like Google Docs, it can give good summaries of long documents, and it’s now beginning to save me time. Templates saved in Google Drive can be accessed, modified, and saved, although that tends to use up your data limits quickly. I tend to copy/paste into Claude more often than I use a direct to Google Drive connection. I pay more for Claude than ChatGPT, but it’s return on investment has also been higher.
I spend a large part of my day typing things into a computer. I do a fair amount of writing, emailing, and spreadsheet work. AI has made that process better, but not perfect. While the systems continue to get better, they are not good enough to replace a good CPA or a good attorney. I would trust a competent financial advisor with my money, but not ChatGPT. Training these systems takes time. Security is an ongoing concern. I don’t know the right answer, and I don’t expect to know for a while. That said, these tools have become a valuable part of my business, and it’s allowed me to move faster, provide a higher quality product, and focus on the parts of my business where I add the most value – creativity, communication, relationships, and strategy.
The biggest challenge with AI is very similar to the challenge when hiring a new employee. You might think AI knows what it is doing, but the reality is large language models haven’t got the real-world experience needed to function autonomously. This may change, and it may have already changed, and I just haven’t seen it yet. I am going to continue to learn, test, and grow my expertise with AI as I build Iris Co. My next big hurdle is shifting from website optimization for a Google search to optimization for AI.
One of the challenges with AI generated content is the sheer volume of garbage that can be cheaply produced, disseminated, and shoved into our faces, our feeds, and our kids’ brains. Social media now has so much garbage, noise, fake news, and pure crap that it has devalued the platforms as a place to market your business.
The most important thing I have learned is counterintuitive. AI has radically increased the value of real human connection. In a world full of junk, spam, and deepfakes a face-to-face conversation with a professional is now the best way to make sure your business succeeds. The human network is now an irreplicable tool. There will always be new ways to advertise, subscribe, and inundate. What worked last year or five years ago doesn’t work today. What does work is true human connection.
If face-to-face conversations, a strong network, and a deep respect for the value of human interaction is something you value, Iris Co. is open for business. We look forward to making the connection.
(I apologize for any typos – I really didn’t put this document through any AI review.)
