Graeme Thickins on Tech

Reflections & analysis about innovation, technology, startups, investing, healthcare, and more .... with a focus on Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Blogging continuously since 2005.

Category: Art (Page 1 of 2)

AI-generated image of robot writing flowery language
Robot writing flowery language, created by me using OpenAI's DALL-E.

Have you asked ChatGPT to write your resume or bio?

July 15, 2023 / / 1 Comment

I got an inquiry from a reporter recently who wanted to know if myself or any of my colleagues could suggest good ChatGPT prompts to use to write a resume. (I sent her to one of my contacts who’s into career counseling, thinking he might weigh in.) I had nothing to offer her myself, but her request got me wondering… what would happen if I asked this all-knowing, all-seeing platform to write a bio for me. I don’t need no stinking resume, but bios — yeah, they’re cool. I’ve had to write them in the past in several lengths for various purposes.

AI-generated image of robot writing flowery language

Robot writing flowery language, created by me using OpenAI’s DALL-E.

So I did just that – submitted my request to ChatGPT. I figured, being that my online presence now spans some 28 years, including tons of writing over that time, 20 years on LinkedIn (as of this summer), and 16 years on Twitter (along with other sundry social-media sites I care less about), this surely should not be a big deal for the current King of AI to handle, right? It has total, complete access to that online presence of mine (at least through the fall of 2021).

Well, I found out quickly. It took only seconds to get results. I tried several approaches — asking for bio lengths of 300, 200, and 100 words. And I made it a point after my first tries to reference LinkedIn and Twitter in my prompt, thinking that surely would provide more grist for the mill, wouldn’t you think? (Well, the results didn’t change much that I could discern — which surprised me.)

Anyway, below is the first one I got — the 300-word version. (It’s actually 366, so apparently ChatGPT doesn’t know how to count – haha!) What got me was how over-the-top gushy it was! I would never be able to write one like this myself. It reminds me of the types of author bios that publishers put on book jackets… you know, to make the person sound like he/she walks on water? And, surprisingly, it contains no specific details or references about my background — just a bunch of flowery language:

Graeme Thickins is a renowned marketing strategist, prolific writer, and influential industry figure who has left an indelible mark on the world of marketing. With an extensive online history, a wealth of writings, and a stellar reputation, Graeme has established himself as a trusted authority and sought-after resource in the field.

Through his blog, articles, and social media presence, Graeme has consistently shared valuable insights, trends, and thought-provoking ideas, showcasing his deep knowledge and expertise in marketing strategy. His writings cover a wide range of topics, including brand management, digital marketing, integrated campaigns, and market research, among others. Graeme’s ability to distill complex concepts into accessible and engaging content has garnered a significant following and earned him a reputation as a thought leader in the marketing community.

Known for his strategic mindset and analytical approach, Graeme has a keen eye for identifying emerging market trends and consumer behaviors. He combines this astute understanding with his extensive experience to craft innovative marketing strategies that drive results. His knack for blending traditional and digital marketing channels has garnered attention, and his campaigns have consistently delivered impressive outcomes for the organizations he has worked with.

Beyond his writings and marketing expertise, Graeme’s reputation is also built on his collaborative nature and willingness to help others succeed. He actively engages with his audience, offering guidance, mentorship, and constructive feedback. His generosity in sharing his knowledge and insights has earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and industry peers alike.

Graeme’s reputation extends to speaking engagements and industry events where he shares his expertise and experiences. His presentations are renowned for their practicality, delivering actionable takeaways that resonate with attendees. He is often sought after as a speaker, panelist, and workshop facilitator due to his ability to educate, inspire, and empower marketing professionals at all levels.

In summary, Graeme Thickins is a highly respected marketing strategist, accomplished writer, and influential industry figure. Through his online history, extensive writings, and sterling reputation, he has proven his ability to navigate the ever-evolving marketing landscape and consistently deliver impactful results. His dedication to knowledge sharing and fostering professional growth has made him a trusted resource and an invaluable asset to the marketing community.

But, damn, I sure sound like an impressive guy, huh? And it didn’t cost me a dime.

Ain’t AI great?  Well now, wait a minute — let’s hold off deciding that …

——–

p.s.  By the way, it’s interesting that HR people already have ways to defeat AI-written resumes. Humans win again!

“Expose ChatGPT Resumes and Uncover Real Talent Using These 5 Effective Strategies”
https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/expose-chatgpt-resumes-and-uncover-real-talent-using-these/448146

 

robot contemplating the future
Robot contemplating the future, created by me using OpenAI's DALL-E.

My 2023 Predictions Post

January 1, 2023 / / 1 Comment

I asked AI to help me peer into the future. As is my custom, that resulted in me doing my top ten predictions:

robot contemplating the future

Robot contemplating the future, created by me using OpenAI’s DALL-E.

1) I predict, as things move so quickly these days, it will become much more common to see monthly predictions posts popping up. A year is now like a decade.

2) For the first year ever, there will be more articles written about AI than the number of orders of fries McDonalds will sell.

3) More than 60% of Americans will pay no income tax — oh, wait, that’s already the case.

4) Elon Musk will be richer at the end of the year than he is now. But he won’t care.

5) Twitter will go public (again), which will restart the IPO market. The media will refuse to give Elon Musk credit for that, but, you guessed it, he won’t care.

6) The NFL will end the year with more money than God — but God, not a huge football fan, will demand a recount.

7) The number of minutes of commercials on the average NFL game will be more than double the number of actual game minutes.

8) Gopher football will lose to Iowa again. (Kirk Ferentz beats PJ Fleck like a rented mule.)

9) I will not stop talking about football.

10) I might stop doing predictions posts.

p.s. Okay, wanna see what AI would really predict for 2023? Here’s a fun piece from a UK site:
We Made AI Predict What Will Happen In 2023, Here’s What It Said.

——

UPDATE 1/2/23:
Speaking of restarting the IPO market, I see Forbes just published a piece naming their picks for companies that are likely to go public in 2023. They don’t have the balls to pick Twitter, as I do — haha! But one of theirs has Elon’s name all over it: SpaceX. There you go — one of the reasons why I said Elon will be richer at the end of the year! I posted the Forbes piece in my new Flipboard magazine, “IPO COMEBACK.”
Graeme Thickins Christmas avatar

I Couldn’t Help Myself – I Did It Again

December 29, 2022 / / 1 Comment

When you sign up for a one-year subscription to the Lensa App (yes, I got sucked into that), you are naturally gonna want to have them fire up their generative AI technology more than once to create additional avatars — at least when you have some down time. (See my last blog post, Generative AI Made Me Do It.)

After all, Lensa says every batch of headshots or selfies you send in will get you different results — even from the same set of photos! So, what the heck, when I had an idle moment during Christmas week, I dug out some additional shots of me, myself, and I, then hit the button to upload them. And, ta-dah, the results are below — which seemed to come through faster this time, by the way.

Note I did not submit any shots that had a Christmas or winter theme, but the smarty-pants AI at Lensa found a way to get into the spirit of the season. Pretty fun. (But then I’m easily amused.)

I hope this second post shows you more of what this amazing technology is capable of doing,  in this wild new realm of generative art. And just think, what will the next version of the technology behind this app (GPT-4) bring us when it comes out?

By the way, a belated Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you!

Nine avatars of Graeme

TruScribe Summons Kickstarter to Get You ‘Talking’

April 12, 2016 / / 0 Comments

TruScribe-crowdsourcingThought you’d heard it all on Kickstarter? Well, how many times have you run into a project there that’s about launching a language? You read that right. Get your credit cards out, startup and crowdfunding lovers: here’s your chance to say you were there back in ’16 when history was made.

But here’s the deal: you gotta tell a lot of your friends, because the folks at TruScribe have set a pretty hefty goal for this one: it’s $100k.  Of course, that’s befitting the ginormous implications here — I mean, how often do you get to impact the entire freaking global community, with that single audacious goal to allow everyone on the planet to communicate visually? This is big stuff, people!! What’s a lousy little 100 Grover Clevelands?

TruScribe, as you’ll recall, is a whiteboard video animation company that was cofounded in Minnesota. (I TruGlyph-logowrote about them here on Minnov8.com back in 2014.) A large part of its staff is in Madison WI, but Minneapolis became its headquarters a while back, with great new digs at International Market Square. It was named the 253rd fastest-growing company on the Inc. 5000 list in 2015, which was understandably touted far and wide. (As a point of reference, crazy-fast-growing LeadPages of Minneapolis was #220.) In February 2016, TruScribe announced the first part of its new initiative to transform into a full-fledged software business, with a new iOS app called TruGlyph. (You can download the app here.)

What’s coming next you can see in their new (and very first) Kickstarter project. Here’s an excerpt from that page on what it’s all about: Continue reading

TruScribe, Cofounded in MN, Helps Weird Al Yankovic Take a Shot at Corporate America with ‘Mission Statement’ Music Video

July 21, 2014 / / 0 Comments

In a post today in the Wall Street Journal “Speakeasy” blog (which covers media, entertainment, celebrity, and the arts), the latest music video from Weird Al Yankovic was featured. It’s hilarious!! Take a look there on that post (length is 4:34)… I'll wait.
TruScribe-logoWhat’s cool is that the video has a Minnesota connection. It turns out Yankovic and his longtime coproducer LeverageCoreCompetencies-250wtapped TruScribe to make it — starting some ten months ago. TruScribe is headquartered in Madison WI, but also has an office in downtown St. Paul. (In addition, it maintains international operations through many key European partnerships.) Andrew Herkert, who’s VP of sales and a cofounder, heads the St. Paul office and helped launch the company while a student at the University of St. Thomas about five years ago. TruScribe has grown significantly since then.

An excerpt from the WSJ post:

The song, from Yankovic’s new album “Mandatory Fun,” is in the style of Crosby, Stills & Nash… (it) features Yankovic harmonizing with himself on lyrics constructed of corporate jargon, like “operationalize our strategies” and “leverage our core competencies,” while the animated whiteboard video depicts a live-action hand that is drawing illustrations to go with the words.

“I wanted to do a song about all the ridiculous double-speak and meaningless buzzwords that I’ve been hearing in office environments my entire life,” Yankovic says by email. “I just thought it would be ironic to juxtapose that with the song stylings of CSN, whose music pretty much symbolizes the antithesis of corporate America.”

I laughed out loud at one comment on the post (from a guy named David): “Weird Al hits all the right points. Anyone who has written a press release should hang their heads in shame.”

WeirdAl-HisTweet072114TruScribe is getting a ton of praise today (including from Al himself), as you can see on its Twitter account.

And here’s a great blog post TruScribe  published today, Weird Al is making fun of you! And us, too.

TruScribe’s technology is called “Scribology,” and the company has built an impressive client list. TruScribe-Scribology(tm)

I had the pleasure of meeting cofounder Andrew Herkert at the most recent University of St. Thomas “Fowler Business Concept Challenge” (a student competition), where we were judges on the same team. Here’s what he had to say about the news today:

“Weird Al is a creative powerhouse, with a decades-long influence on pop culture, and that makes it an honor that we were selected as vendor for his whiteboard-animation project. The TruScribe team is optimistic this is just the beginning of a deeper relationship with the media industry. … I have high praise for Jay Levey of Imaginary Productions for catalyzing the vision for this video. Jay is Al’s  business partner and manager/agent/fellow visionary — they’ve worked together for many, many years. In fact, Jay discovered Al some 30 years ago.”

TruScribe is another great example of Minnesota creativity and technology innovation! Okay, Wisconsin claims them as well. We hate to admit it — but, yes, occasionally, cheeseheads can be creative, too… 🙂

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