AI Tools: What are They and How do I Use Them?

By now, you’ve probably heard the term AI thrown around the business world. You may be thinking, “That’s too complicated for me. I don’t have time to learn about AI.” Or maybe you’re concerned robots will take over the world, and it’s already begun!

Ok, you’re probably not too concerned about that last one. But the question remains. What is AI? Why do my colleagues keep talking about it, and how could this benefit my agency?

AI can be summarized by one phrase: A tool to use. AI doesn’t replace you, and it doesn’t do your work for you. However, it can help you do your work faster and more efficiently.

Let’s start by identifying some standard AI tools.

ChatGPT: You’ve probably heard of this one. ChatGPT was one of the first AI tools to become widely known. At its core, ChatGPT is very simple to use. Ask it a question or tell it to do something, and it gives you a response! It’s that simple.

For example, let’s say you’re about to send an email with a lot of information. After you look over the email, you realize there is WAY too much information in here, and you need to trim it down. Instead of starting from scratch, you pop your email copy into ChatGPT and say, “Summarize this into three paragraphs,” BOOM, you’ve now got a summary of your email in 10 seconds! You make your edits, place it back into your email, and hit send. Thanks to AI, You’ve saved yourself a lot of time and headaches!

GrammarlyWe’ve all had that face-palm moment after you send something to a client or potential client only to realize you’ve misspelled a word or worded a sentence in a very confusing way. Now, you fear you may have come across as unprofessional and may have lost some business.

That’s what Grammarly is for. Grammarly is an AI tool you can add as a browser extension that automatically checks your writing for grammar and spelling mistakes. It offers real-time suggestions that you can use simply by clicking accept. No more face-palms!

GeminiGemini is an AI tool Google developed similar to ChatGPT. You prompt it with a question or task, and Gemini will give you a response in seconds. However, since Gemini is connected to Google, it may be better for research.

Let’s say you want to inform your clients on how to avoid flood damage in their homes but don’t have time to write an article. You type the prompt into Gemini, and you’re met with a multitude of suggestions, all with cited sources of where the information is from. You read through the response, change some of the copy to make it more personal for your business, and boom, your tips and tricks to avoid flood damage are done and ready for use.

AI Best Practices

Now, it should be noted that AI can be a risk, and agents should ensure they adhere to best practices. AI should be used as a tool to help you do your work, not do it for you. Ensure you are constantly reviewing and fact-checking AI responses before using them.

It’s also important to recognize that AI is a public entity. You should never input personal data or sensitive information into an AI tool. AI is very useful, but make sure you’re using it appropriately and not sharing confidential information.

Additionally, include a disclaimer on any articles you write that you were assisted by an AI Tool. A disclaimer also may be a good idea if you’ve used AI for sections of your website. State that AI helped you produce the content to avoid any copyright issues.

Conclusion

AI sounds scary and complicated, but it’s simple and can help you do tasks quicker and more efficiently. Whether using it to brainstorm new ideas, proofread your writing, or assist in research, AI will make your life a little bit easier.

It’s safe to assume AI is here to stay, so it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the different tools available and see how they work. We promise you won’t be disappointed!

If you have more questions about AI and how it can help your agency, contact Braxton Mullet, Marketing Manager, at braxton@ohioinsuranceagents.com.

About the Author:

Braxton Mullet is a Marketing Professional currently serving as the Marketing Manager for OIA. Braxton has been with OIA for 5 years and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Capital University. As the Marketing Manager, Braxton carefully crafts emails and manages OIA’s social media in order to bring the most up-to-date and important knowledge to members.

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