SINGAPORE: For many people using generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) apps like ChatGPT for the first time, the empty chat box can feel intimidating.
“What do I type in the box?” I have heard this question many times over the past three years of coaching people in Gen AI. Unlike the software that we have used for decades, there are no familiar buttons to press and no user manual to consult.
I tell them that they can type anything and their eyes light up when they enter their first few prompts. But other users will furrow their eyebrows and ask: “How should I use this AI for my work?”
In Singapore, the raft of AI initiatives that were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for Budget 2026 are timely, but may raise workplace anxieties about the technology. Even though Singapore is ahead of many countries in embracing AI, industry players have pointed out the difficulties of real-world deployment.
Only 14.5 per cent of small and medium enterprises adopted AI in 2024 as they struggled with technical hurdles, competing priorities and limited resources.
In a survey by ADP Research of 38,000 adults in 34 markets, 19 per cent of Singapore workers said they are uncertain how AI would change their jobs. Additionally, workers who feared they could be replaced by AI were twice as likely to be highly stressed.
If you are feeling “AI anxiety”, know that you are not alone. Here are common issues you may face when getting started with Gen AI, and how you can get unstuck.
The popular phrase “prompt engineering” makes Gen AI sound like you need a specialised degree or a perfect command of English to use it well. That could not be more wrong.
Think of prompting as a conversation with the machine. Like any form of communication, we need to be clear with our intent. We can type a few words using any language and Gen AI will probably understand us as it was trained on vast amounts of content.
For example, instead of typing “Please summarise this article into 100 words” before pasting in a long document, we can simply type “100 words” for the same outcome.
To tweak the outcome, you can add words to your prompt: “100 words, for Gen Z audience”. The Gen AI app will rework the content for the younger audience, and perhaps add in phrases like “rizz” or “mid”.
This process of refining your prompts is known as iteration. With practice, you will get the hang of asking the right questions to Gen AI.
Another fear that people have about Gen AI is its tendency to “hallucinate” or to give wrong answers confidently. This has led to cases of lawyers and students getting into trouble over fake citations.
The bad news is that we cannot eliminate hallucinations due to the way that Gen AI works.
The good news is that AI apps hallucinate far less today, and you can further reduce hallucinations by providing references and data.
For example, if you want Gen AI to generate a market trend report in your company’s specific format, you can upload an earlier report and the latest market data. Gen AI will follow the reporting format while updating it with the latest numbers. This way, Gen AI is less likely to tap on its training data or online sources.
Major Gen AI apps such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google NotebookLM allow users to create project folders to store reference documents, where they will pull information from when responding to prompts. Just make sure you do not upload any confidential or sensitive data, and always verify the output.
Once you have gotten the hang of prompting and uploading data, you can start automating your workflows.
If this sounds complicated, breathe easy, because automation is simply asking the machine to help you with repetitive tasks.
For example, if you routinely check documents to ensure they are business-compliant, you can upload the company's requirements and then ask Gen AI to do the checking for you. Say you receive a purchase order – Gen AI can compare it against your procurement guidelines and flag any missing information.
And if you dislike taking meeting minutes (like everyone else), you can first record and transcribe the meeting using free apps or tools on your smartphone. Then, paste the transcription into Gen AI and ask it to “organise transcript into meeting minutes”.
There are new AI apps appearing weekly and it can be stressful to keep up with them. Even those of us who do AI upskilling often feel left in the dust. To keep up to date, I read newsletters about AI to evaluate which new apps or features are relevant to my work.
I also spend time trying new techniques in familiar apps like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to improve how I design and deliver my university lessons. Recently, I learned how to create an agent in Microsoft 365 to read my office emails and alert me on urgent action items.
Learning any new technology, especially one that is evolving as fast as Gen AI, can be overwhelming for anyone.
The key thing is to start small and keep things simple. As long as you get started with applying Gen AI to your work, you will not be left behind.
Ian Yong Hoe Tan is a Gen AI coach and a strategic communication lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.
Continue reading...
“What do I type in the box?” I have heard this question many times over the past three years of coaching people in Gen AI. Unlike the software that we have used for decades, there are no familiar buttons to press and no user manual to consult.
I tell them that they can type anything and their eyes light up when they enter their first few prompts. But other users will furrow their eyebrows and ask: “How should I use this AI for my work?”
In Singapore, the raft of AI initiatives that were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for Budget 2026 are timely, but may raise workplace anxieties about the technology. Even though Singapore is ahead of many countries in embracing AI, industry players have pointed out the difficulties of real-world deployment.
Only 14.5 per cent of small and medium enterprises adopted AI in 2024 as they struggled with technical hurdles, competing priorities and limited resources.
In a survey by ADP Research of 38,000 adults in 34 markets, 19 per cent of Singapore workers said they are uncertain how AI would change their jobs. Additionally, workers who feared they could be replaced by AI were twice as likely to be highly stressed.
If you are feeling “AI anxiety”, know that you are not alone. Here are common issues you may face when getting started with Gen AI, and how you can get unstuck.
DO I NEED TO BE A PROMPT ENGINEER?
The popular phrase “prompt engineering” makes Gen AI sound like you need a specialised degree or a perfect command of English to use it well. That could not be more wrong.
Think of prompting as a conversation with the machine. Like any form of communication, we need to be clear with our intent. We can type a few words using any language and Gen AI will probably understand us as it was trained on vast amounts of content.
For example, instead of typing “Please summarise this article into 100 words” before pasting in a long document, we can simply type “100 words” for the same outcome.
To tweak the outcome, you can add words to your prompt: “100 words, for Gen Z audience”. The Gen AI app will rework the content for the younger audience, and perhaps add in phrases like “rizz” or “mid”.
This process of refining your prompts is known as iteration. With practice, you will get the hang of asking the right questions to Gen AI.
Related:
WILL AI HALLUCINATIONS GET ME INTO TROUBLE?
Another fear that people have about Gen AI is its tendency to “hallucinate” or to give wrong answers confidently. This has led to cases of lawyers and students getting into trouble over fake citations.
The bad news is that we cannot eliminate hallucinations due to the way that Gen AI works.
The good news is that AI apps hallucinate far less today, and you can further reduce hallucinations by providing references and data.
For example, if you want Gen AI to generate a market trend report in your company’s specific format, you can upload an earlier report and the latest market data. Gen AI will follow the reporting format while updating it with the latest numbers. This way, Gen AI is less likely to tap on its training data or online sources.
Major Gen AI apps such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google NotebookLM allow users to create project folders to store reference documents, where they will pull information from when responding to prompts. Just make sure you do not upload any confidential or sensitive data, and always verify the output.
WHAT CAN I AUTOMATE WITH AI?
Once you have gotten the hang of prompting and uploading data, you can start automating your workflows.
If this sounds complicated, breathe easy, because automation is simply asking the machine to help you with repetitive tasks.
For example, if you routinely check documents to ensure they are business-compliant, you can upload the company's requirements and then ask Gen AI to do the checking for you. Say you receive a purchase order – Gen AI can compare it against your procurement guidelines and flag any missing information.
And if you dislike taking meeting minutes (like everyone else), you can first record and transcribe the meeting using free apps or tools on your smartphone. Then, paste the transcription into Gen AI and ask it to “organise transcript into meeting minutes”.
Related:
KEEPING UP WITH NEW AI TOOLS AND FUNCTIONS
There are new AI apps appearing weekly and it can be stressful to keep up with them. Even those of us who do AI upskilling often feel left in the dust. To keep up to date, I read newsletters about AI to evaluate which new apps or features are relevant to my work.
I also spend time trying new techniques in familiar apps like ChatGPT and Google Gemini to improve how I design and deliver my university lessons. Recently, I learned how to create an agent in Microsoft 365 to read my office emails and alert me on urgent action items.
Learning any new technology, especially one that is evolving as fast as Gen AI, can be overwhelming for anyone.
The key thing is to start small and keep things simple. As long as you get started with applying Gen AI to your work, you will not be left behind.
Ian Yong Hoe Tan is a Gen AI coach and a strategic communication lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.
Continue reading...