Boosting productivity and impact with ChatGPT

In this episode, we’re diving into how ChatGPT can help us as enablers of change to boost both our productivity and the impact of our work. AI tools like ChatGPT are increasingly accessible, and when used well, they can help us work smarter, not harder, allowing us to focus more on the people and the issues that matter most in our field.

We’ve talked about ChatGPT in earlier episodes where we covered how enablers of change might use ChatGPT and seven suggestions for making use of ChatGPT. But to give us a quick recap, ChatGPT is a predictive language model and it uses machine learning techniques to predict and generate text based on the input it receives. This can assist with many of the routine tasks we often find ourselves bogged down with, like writing emails, drafting reports, or brainstorming ideas for a new project. Instead of spending hours drafting similar content for different audiences, ChatGPT can generate tailored drafts in a matter of seconds, giving us a solid starting point. For example, if we need to write a report summarising a recent field trial, we can ask ChatGPT to outline the key points, and then we can refine and add the specific details. This saves us valuable time. While we’re focused on ChatGPT, this applies to other language models like Copilot.

One of the greatest benefits of ChatGPT is its ability to help us create more personalised communication. Whether we’re reaching out to farmers, policymakers, or other stakeholders, tailoring our communication is crucial for building trust and ensuring that our messages are well targeted. With ChatGPT, we can quickly generate content that speaks directly to different audiences. For instance, when sending updates to a group of farmers about an upcoming workshop, we can ask ChatGPT to draft a version of the email that uses clear, straightforward language. We could also create a more formal version for stakeholders higher up in the policy chain. By making small adjustments, we ensure our communications are relevant, improving the likelihood of engagement.

ChatGPT is also a great tool for helping us brainstorm. Often, we’re faced with the challenge of coming up with new ideas for extension activities, events, or training sessions. It’s not always easy to think creatively under pressure, but with ChatGPT, we can generate ideas quickly. For example, if we’re planning a new field day for farmers and need a theme, we can ask ChatGPT to give us a few suggestions based on current trends in sustainable agriculture. This doesn’t replace the need for human creativity and input, but it does give us a springboard to build on.

When it comes to repetitive tasks, ChatGPT can really shine. One common area where this is helpful is creating FAQs or automated responses to common questions we receive from farmers and stakeholders. Rather than answering the same query multiple times, ChatGPT can assist in drafting a clear and concise response that can be reused. For instance, if farmers frequently ask about the best time to plant a certain crop, we could create a standard answer using ChatGPT, and then adapt it slightly for each query as needed. This approach frees up our time while ensuring consistency in the information we provide.

Another practical application is using ChatGPT to assist with literature reviews or gathering information. Imagine we’re working on a new extension project and need to review a large amount of existing research. ChatGPT can help summarise academic papers, reports, or even relevant news articles, offering us a quick overview of the most pertinent points. That way we can decide whether it’s worthwhile reading the full report ourselves. This allows us to spend less time sifting through mountains of material and more time applying that knowledge to our work. Of course, it’s still important to double-check the information and ensure that the summaries are accurate, but using ChatGPT as a starting point can speed up the process significantly.

It’s also worth mentioning how ChatGPT can help us create extension materials. Many of us have had the experience of staring at a blank screen, trying to come up with the right words for an article, a fact sheet, or an email newsletter. With ChatGPT, we can overcome this Blank Page Syndrome and get a rough draft in seconds, which we can then tweak and personalise to suit our needs. For example, if we’re preparing a monthly newsletter for farm advisors, we can ask ChatGPT to generate content ideas based on recent research or industry developments. We might get a few different suggestions that we can then tailor to our audience, ensuring our newsletter is fresh, engaging, and informative.

One of the ethical considerations with AI tools like ChatGPT is transparency. It’s important that we’re open about when and how we’re using AI to generate content, especially when it comes to communicating with stakeholders. We should also make sure we’re following good practice around data privacy and AI ethics, particularly if we’re handling sensitive information. ChatGPT can assist with these aspects as well, by helping us draft privacy statements or data use agreements that meet the required legal standards. We think one good practice, if we’re concerned about the privacy of the information we’re uploading into ChatGPT, is using the temporary chat feature so information isn’t retained by ChatGPT after the session ends. 

So in the spirit of transparency of course we used ChatGPT to come up with the bulk of the content of this post, but we checked it and added in extra items we thought were important. We’ve found ChatGPT really helps us get started on an episode and helps us think of topics we might not have thought about. 

Well, you’ve read our thoughts, and now we’d like to hear yours! Have you used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your extension work? If so, what’s worked for you, and do you have any tips or ideas for using it more effectively? We don’t want this to be just a one-way conversation—join in by sharing your experiences with us in the comments below. 

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