Are you asking AI the right questions? How to turn it into your most useful brainstorming partner

AI is moving fast — and so is the way we’re using it. But how do you know if you’re using it to its full potential?

In this episode, Denzil shares her own evolving relationship with ChatGPT: the surprising ways it’s helped, the limits she’s run into, and what she’s learning about asking better questions. 

Denzil shares how AI has become surprisingly useful companion in certain areas:

• Finding clarity in the fuzz when information feels overwhelming
• Turning procrastination into progress with a little structure and support
• Gaining a little more context
  
  
  

For anyone curious about bringing AI into their own clinic, workflow, or daily life, this episode sheds a little light on some of the not-so-obvious ways AI can lend a helping hand.

Got your own stories of how AI is showing up in your clinic or life? Send them to [e-mail]. And if you enjoy episodes like this, make sure to subscribe for more reflections from Denzil.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey everyone, provocative thought.
Sometimes using chat GPT feelslike mmm, kind of like talking
to a drunk person.
You ask it a question and itgoes this is the truth.
Then you're like, yeah, butwhat about this other thing?
And it responds oh yeah, sorry,no, I meant something entirely

(00:30):
different.
And yet that drunk friend hasbecome one of the most useful
companions in my work andpersonal life.
It feels like AI tools areprogressing weekly, and you know
what.
So are the ways that I use them.
It feels like AI tools areprogressing weekly, and you know
what.
So are the ways that I use them.
It feels like AI tools areprogressing weekly, and you know
what.
So are the ways that I use them.
I use ChatGPT for a lot ofstuff.

(00:53):
Actually, I'd say that in thelast three months, I started
using it to check out most of mythoughts, asking for analysis
of any conclusions that I'vebeen making and seeking
additional context for all ofthe things.
Maybe I've been doing it alittle too much, but what's
interesting is that in doingthat, I've started to notice
some patterns, and I start tonotice how I still need me when

(01:17):
I use AI.
That's been my biggest shiftlately.
I'm learning not just what AIcan do, but what it can't, at
least right now, and so Ithought I'd share some ways that
AI is showing up for me now inour current moment Writing when
there's no time to write.
I love writing.

(01:37):
It's kind of always been just apart of what I do as a human.
As a kid I would get excitedabout learning everything that I
could on a topic and then I'dwrite an essay about it For fun,
in addition to school, justbecause.
But in all the adulting of mylife I don't have that kind of
time anymore.
Mostly I have ideas on what Iwant to write.

(01:59):
For instance, a while back Ihad this article idea based on
our first 10 Radio Front Deskpodcast episodes.
The problem that's about 10hours of transcripts to go
through to pull quotes, revisitthemes and remind myself how I
felt in that moment.
I've been procrastinating formonths.
So this weekend I dumped thosetranscripts into ChatGPT.

(02:22):
I asked it to pull out the mainthemes and suddenly I was right
back in those conversationsfrom a year ago.
I didn't use its essay draft.
I didn't like it, but what Idid kind of like was the
structure it gave me.
So I copied that skeleton intomy writing program and started
working on it section by section.
It turned something I'd beenstuck on for months into a thing

(02:46):
I'm pretty sure I'm going tohave ready in the next couple of
weeks, making sense of thecomplex stuff.
Another place AI has beensurprisingly helpful is in some
of the niche topics that requirea lot of knowledge about
subjects with intricate details,like with financial planning.
When I was chatting with myaccountant, there were some

(03:06):
things that he told me that Ididn't fully understand.
So I went to ChatGPT and askedwhat does this actually mean for
me?
And then it clicked.
It helped me understand whatthe accountant was actually
saying.
Obviously, my accountant iswhere I'm getting my actual
financial advice, but what AIcan do for me sometimes is just
make the fuzzy clear,summarizing all the things.

(03:33):
Okay, here's a real personal one.
I've worked with the sametherapist for years and one way
we work is through me writingdown a lot of the thoughts and
feelings passing through me.
There are just so many Forcertain sessions over our three
years together, I've been knownto write him 19 single-spaced
pages yes, 19.

(03:54):
And he actually reads it alland comes back to our sessions
with targeted questions.
You know, I do wonder if he'susing AI now to read them faster
.
You know, I do wonder if he'susing AI now to read them faster
.
I understand that's a prettybig value he's giving me.
So lately I've been puttingsome of those pages into ChatGPT

(04:14):
and asking it to extract abigger message from all my
writing.
Before the sessions I'll askwhat themes are in here, what am
I really struggling with?
And then that's what I passalong to him.
Okay, before I go on, let me beclear AI cannot replace therapy
.
That message came through loudand clear in our most recent

(04:34):
episode of Radio Front Dusk.
By the way, I think you'll likethis one.
But for me ChatGPT just doesthe work of extracting the
nuggets from the mine andhonestly, it helps me feel less
guilty about overwhelming mytherapist with all of those
pages.
Decision-making in leadership.
As a leader in our Janemarketing team, I started to

(05:03):
lean on AI to help widen my lensa little.
Jane is always changing, so Ilike to ask ChatGPT what tends
to happen in other businesses ina similar boat.
Things like what does a contentmarketing team look like at a
company of Jane's size?
How do others create strategiesand what kinds of strategies
are they running and I find itinsightful just to get another

(05:23):
perspective.
But it's not to try to followtheir footsteps.
I don't always want to do whatothers are doing, but it does
provide some good context andhelps me see the possibilities.
Ai isn't my therapist, it's notmy writer and it's not my
financial planner, but it doeshelp me think.

(05:44):
It gives me fast access to alot of information and it helps
me remember to clarify andcreate.
It's the messy brainstormingpartner who throws out half-fake
sentences that kind of turninto just what I needed and, if
I'm being honest, I kind of likehaving that tipsy friend at the
party by my side.
Each time I send one of thesenewsletters, I get replies from

(06:07):
some of you, and this time I'dreally love to know how you're
using AI in your clinic, and Ihave this idea that if we get
enough of them, I'd love to pullthem together into a post on
Front Desk blog.
So how are you using AI in yourclinic or life?
Until next time you've got this,