Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT uses intelligent algorithms and huge amounts of data, combined with your prompts, to produce results. It can do all sorts of things, but in this article, we’re focusing on its function to generate text.

Some pros and cons to consider before we jump into our tips:

Pros: AI can allow you to save time, cut costs, reduce errors, streamline processes, improve operations, and lots more. There are various uses, including writing outlines for funding bids, analysing and reporting on data, brainstorming, and so much more.

Cons: AI presents risks around ethics, accuracy and quality. It’s also terrible for the environment – if every search on Google used generative AI tools similar to ChatGPT, it would burn through roughly as much electricity annually as the whole of Ireland. So we encourage you to be mindful about what you use AI for, e.g. is your query something you can Google instead, or have you already got a resource you could use? There’s a great article from Charity Digital that covers the risks of AI in more detail and how to mitigate for them.

Last week, we held a workshop on How to use AI to improve funding applications and increase productivity for members of the Third Sector Framework. Diane from Evolve3 CIC took us on a journey into the world of AI – here’s what our Senior Project Support Officer Helen noted down from the session…

5 Things to Consider When Using AI

1. Used appropriately, AI has the potential to save us time on a multitude of tasks, but it should be the first draft, never the end result. Always check information, data and statistics generated by AI, and if you need to, question the source (by simply asking ‘Where did you find this data?’).
2. Human input and ‘humanising’ AI output is key. Rather than thinking of AI as something that might replace you, it’s more useful to think in terms of your role becoming ‘AI assisted’. AI is a tool, and nothing more. You are the experts on your organisation and the work you do, and whilst AI may be able to carry out some tasks more efficiently, it will not change the fact that humans can problem-solve, analyse and question.
3. Crucial to using AI efficiently and effectively is knowing how to write a good prompt (what you ask/tell AI to do) – include the who/what/where/how/why and be precise and clear. This is something you will get better at with time – sometimes it might take 5 or 6 tries to get what you want out of your chosen AI, but with practice, you’ll learn what kinds of questions to ask or what you need to include in your prompts to get the best out of it.
4. Talk to AI as you would to a human. If you ask it to give you some complex information in layman’s terms, it will understand. If you tell it you only like part of a suggested project title, but not the whole thing, it will adapt any future suggestions accordingly. Think of yourself as teaching the AI to understand and recognise what you do and don’t like or want.
5. It’s essential to remember that any AI tool takes information from online sources, which can in themselves be incorrect, biased or intentionally promote misinformation. Using AI responsibly means you need to be able to recognise these problems.

Interested in learning more?

“The training was a fantastic introduction and insight into the world of AI in a relatable way being from the VCSE sector.”

We’re keen to support VCSE organisations in Wakefield District in getting to grips with AI. If you’d be interested in attending a workshop, join our waiting list by emailing info@nova-wd.org.uk and tell us how many spots you’d like.

“The whole session was mind blowing … I will use it to write reports, evaluations, funding bids and more.”