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We should rename generative AI. I suggest calling it “expressional AI.”
The dictionary defines “generative” as “having the ability to produce, generate, or reproduce something.” This is an inaccurate description of generative AI because it suggests that an idea emerges from it.
“Expressive” is defined as “relating to or relating to expression, especially in speech, face, or the arts.” Expressive can also mean embodying an idea or emotion.” This definition describes what AI does in more detail. It expresses an idea based on a request from someone.
This distinction is crucial now as generative AI changes expectations of human value.
Don't let mediocrity bury you
The idea of generative AI becoming an evil Skynet overlord is stale. Generative AI is more likely to result in everyone being buried in the mediocrity of monetized content.
Last year, Amazon introduced a three-per-day upload limit for self-publishing following an influx of AI-generated books. Think about it. Three books a day? It seems that Amazon is not taking the problem seriously. What author needs a daily limit on how many books can be published on the platform?
Some experts warn that AI will generate 90% of all content on the internet within a few years. I don't know if this number is valid, but even 10% is worrying.
And for marketing and content professionals, there's no worse time for technology to empower everyone to express their every idea.
You're already dealing with too much mass content that's overwhelming your audience and filling up their attention span. You're already facing increased pressure from your organizations' leaders to produce more content that gets more attention from convinced buyers or engaged customers.
You're exhausted.
And now generative AI is ready to help people express even more words and images.
In a world where people think AI powers everything, leading teams, serving customers and collaborating with colleagues feels different. It's not all doom and gloom, but it's not all unicorns and rainbows either. So it's hard to get excited about AI when it feels like homework.
So that we understand each other. Right now, AI is the sexiest thing in content and marketing, which most companies aren't doing. Really.
Most companies remain in experimentation mode or have formed a skunkworks team to flesh out use cases and figure out what “good enough” means.
But new products are still emerging. And it seems like generative AI is built into every content creation tool.
Sometimes it feels wrong to use it, but it also feels like you're falling behind if you don't use it.
The quality of ideas still matters
I've noticed a strange trend in AI. It's as if everyone has lowered their expectations to match the power of the latest tool.
I recently chatted over a beer with a talented and successful screenwriter. He told me that his writers room uses AI tools to generate new ideas for shows or episodes.
“The ideas that come from this are not great, but it gives us a good starting point,” he said.
I have also heard this opinion from marketing people.
I told him, “This will help you come up with all the bad ideas you all would have had in a brainstorming meeting more quickly.”
He laughed and said, “Yes, it is.”
Is that valuable? Perhaps. In a world where time is money, getting to the bad ideas faster could be valuable. But a comprehensive bathroom ideas board doesn't sound like a particularly convincing result.
What's even more worrying is that some marketing and content teams don't differentiate between the bad and the good. They equate the speed of generative AI with creativity – and they consider one (or more) of these ideas to be “different” (because they haven’t iterated on them yet). They react to it immediately. To put it simply, they value the time to idea more than the idea itself.
You have to do the opposite.
You get what you expect
Consider the struggle a client recently shared with me because a writer on their team continually produces work that, in the client’s opinion, “just isn’t good enough.” He said to me, “I’m not sure what to do.”
I asked if he had considered raising expectations. My client seemed in disbelief. “No,” he said. “I’m just trying to get him to first base. If I can get one fundamental piece out of him, I’ll consider that a win.”
And then came the punchline.
“So I got him to use ChatGPT. I tried to live up to his expectations of where he belonged.”
The term “managing expectations” has been used for decades. Over the past 25 years, every company I have worked with has stated that they are focused on meeting others' expectations of producing great work.
I have rarely seen this expression mean raising expectations of what is to be delivered. Usually it means lowering expectations (hers or yours).
In other words, if you think you or a team member will exceed expectations, keep quiet. Then, when it's finished, you can surprise and delight others. Or if you assume you won't be overwhelmed, don't say you expect great things because you'll disappoint others if you don't deliver.
Search Google for best practices for managing expectations and you'll find some variations of this advice: “Communicate your intentions clearly.”
That's all well and good. But before you manage the expectations of your team, your boss, your client, or your customer, ask, “Am I communicating my expectations, or am I trying to lower theirs?”
My client lowered expectations for his author by suggesting that generative AI would help him produce better articles.
Greater expectations
Think about when you get excited about an innovative idea that you or the team want to implement. Your expectations are unsurpassedly high.
But what do you do when you present the idea to management? You dampen that excitement. They are responsive to their expectations so you are sure to meet them. Have you ever said (even to yourself), “Let’s under-promise and over-deliver?”
Exceeding expectations is a flawed way to deliver a service. It's likely to elicit a reaction like the one Nigel Tufnel got in Spinal Tap when he pointed out that his amp went up to 11: “Why don't you just turn it up 10?”
If you have to exceed expectations, other people's expectations are not high enough.
Aim for the home run
There is a psychological phenomenon at work. The Pygmalion Effect places high expectations on people to achieve better results.
Despite the challenges you face (and perhaps because of them), you need to adjust expectations for your and your team's performance. With your team you can:
- Re-prioritize projects and deadlines (delegate or extend due dates as needed).
- Evaluate the quality of your work, especially the details required for these projects.
- Balance work across the team to accommodate personal stress levels.
But the one thing you shouldn't do? Lower your expectations.
Expression AI is probably fine
This brings me back to the reason why I want to rename generative AI to expressive AI.
Currently and in the foreseeable future, generative AI is not generating any ideas. It's not about expressing the best content based on your idea. It expresses the most likely content based on your idea.
Generative (or rather expressive) AI is fine. Occasionally it can be good. But don't lower your expectations by rationalizing, “This is what the most advanced technology offers us now.”
It can help you express the most likely ideas more quickly. But it won't generate or express the best ideas for you.
Is this customer having issues with an underperforming writer? I advised him not to see AI as a solution and urged him to have the highest expectations.
I said, “Instead of telling this writer that you're trying to get him to first base, tell him that you expect a home run – and that he must have the best ideas.”
“He might only get one base hit, but at least you both know that was his best.”
Align expectations with reality so everyone is aiming for 10. You don't have to reach 11. But you should reach the highest possible level.
Next time you're managing your expectations, see if you're communicating or lowering your expectations.
If you raise expectations to match your own, I expect you will get more of what you want.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
