The friction between learning and doing: am I not better than AI?
Frederik Picard confesses: he is addicted to beating the AI machine. Despite AI clearly being of added value to his professional life, he still feels the urge to outperform ChatGPT. This competition serves not only as motivation to improve his abilities but also as a reminder of the unique power of human creativity and ingenuity in a world where technology is becoming increasingly dominant.
Ok, I have to admit something. AI unleashes the competitive beast in me. It is stronger than me. Ever since I started with ChatGPT, I can’t contain it. Feel free to call it an irresistible urge: I have become addicted to beating the AI machine.
Glad that's out!
Don’t get me wrong: I am a big fan of the potential for artificial intelligence to take my job as a marketer and teacher to the next level. Because it does. Today, AI cannot be ignored in my life. I have fully embraced it and am one of the biggest ambassadors of the technology. It helps me do certain routine tasks faster, which I can build on and I can make the results better and better. However, what AI provides me with is never the actual end result. The human in the loop still makes a difference. And exactly that is what makes me happy. I am still needed in the process. “I’m better than ChatGPT!” That should be a sticker on my laptop.
So, what makes this competition between man and machine so intriguing to me? AI is like a Swiss army knife that facilitates my tasks as a marketer and teacher. It provides a quick solution to routine tasks, allowing me to devote more time and energy to the creative aspects of my work. For me, it is a powerful assistant who is always on standby, ready to contribute ideas and help generate content.
Hooray for AI!
Despite all its advantages, using AI also brings challenges. Sometimes it seems like I spend more time correcting and fine-tuning AI-generated content than creating it from scratch. Wouldn’t I have been better off just doing it without AI, like before? Or should I spend more time improving my skills to use AI correctly before I give up?
It’s a paradox: while AI is meant to make our work easier, it can also be a source of frustration when it doesn’t do exactly what we want. But in that frustration, I think, lies the real learning point. Garbage in, garbage out: if I don’t feed AI correctly, I won’t get the right thing back from it either. So, I need to keep challenging myself and keep thinking about how to use these tools. I see that as a constant struggle. And as ironic as it may sound, it is this struggle that ultimately makes us better at what we do.
So yes, I am addicted to beating the machine. Not because I believe AI will replace my role as a marketer or teacher. On the contrary, it is precisely this competition that motivates me to keep developing my skills, to keep pushing my creativity and to show that there is no substitute for human ingenuity.
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, we cannot forget that it is the human mind that is the true force behind progress and innovation. AI may be a useful tool, but it is our unique ability to think, feel and create that sets us apart from machines. And that’s why the competition between humans and machines will always continue, and why every day I joyfully think: nice try, but it can still be better!
Frederik Picard
"A challenging marketing strategist." That is how Frederik Picard is often described. Frederik combines theory with practice. He runs marketing and communication agency Reputations, specialized in brand reputation management for numerous national and international clients. On academic level, he publishes marketing books and is a part-time marketing lecturer and researcher at the University of Antwerp and AP University College Antwerp. His areas of expertise are market research, brand reputation management and sustainability marketing. Frederik always starts from a strong strategic framework: how can you build, promote, adjust or protect a brand in a sustainable way?
Short bio
- Professionally active in marketing & communication since 2002
- Managing partner of marketing and communication agency Reputations (since 2015)
- Part-time marketing lecturer at AP University College Antwerp (since 2015) & Antwerp University (since 2023)
- Author 'People always talk about Reputations' (LannooCampus), ‘Dit is marktonderzoek' (VAN IN) and ‘Do tell’ (LannooCampus)
- Specialized in brand reputation management, market research and sustainability marketing
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