“Marley was dead: to begin with.”

Copy-paste it into an AI platform, ask for improvements, and the options are virtually limitless: “From the very start, Marley was dead.” “Marley was, from the outset, quite dead.”

A classic opening … dead: to begin with.

AI is astounding and an invaluable tool for innovation. Used well, it can take you where you want to go at lightning speed. For a deep dive from AI experts speaking at Kinetic’s 6th Annual Power of Philanthropy Summit, explore the summit recap.

For tips from a novice in the trenches, here you go:

Asking AI for help is fun and functional, but it’s a tool for inspiration and accuracy, not dependency.

Mull, imagine, gather information, move things around, think deeply. Then, ask AI. Like relying only on navigation apps to drive, losing the ability to discern north from south or retain situational awareness might be a bug or a feature. Either way, good instincts are priceless. Don’t let them atrophy. Start with human intelligence and use artificial tools as a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Sharing options with others is easy, but options aren’t answers.

Rule of thumb: If someone else can plug it into AI and generate a list (they can), don’t send that list. Yes, it’s speedy—with a hit of dopamine after hitting send—but it’s neither creative nor helpful. Look over the options, use critical thinking (head), trust what feels right (heart), envision the end audience (empathy), imagine the desired outcome (aspiration), make the call (leadership). Then, share good ideas or act on them.

Accepting everything at once is fast, but not always better: The A is still artificial.

Finish as you begin: with a human point of view. Don’t accept paragraphs out of whole cloth. Use discretion to retain authenticity. AI will give feedback indefinitely, so consider diminishing returns. Is the product improving or simply changing? And always guard the mission and style guide or the nonprofit’s culture will drift over time. Stay thinky: “Do we even use serial commas? Are so many em dashes really necessary?”

AI’s incredible, especially when it’s coupled with human intelligence and intuition. Less A, more I.