Test Run: chatgpt and my to-do list

A client asked me to bring ChatGPT and its possible impact on the assistant profession into a forthcoming corporate workshop, so I set it to test today with my to-do list as a test case.

I approached it through the lens of how it can create efficiency and whether it could do everything better than I could as a (former) EA.

Here’s what I put to the test:

• Comparison to an article I’ve written for a magazine - based on my long experience working with CEOs

• For ideas for a freebie to gift to my newsletter community next week - I related this to coming up with event ideas

• Possible questions to ask in a podcast interview next month - I related this to creating a briefing document for a CEO

• Writing a section of my next newsletter - I related this to drafting internal comms

• Content for a solo podcast episode I’m recording - I related this to creating town hall content or first draft report writing on a market insight

• An email response to a frequently asked question - I related this to a BAU assistant task

Here’s what I found:

With the article, the response was quite basic. It didn’t produce anything I couldn’t find in a simple google search in the same amount of time.  What it was missing when compared with my article was the benefit of the wisdom I had included that can only come from experience.  There wasn’t a value add with this task for me. 

For the newsletter - the copy was fine, but it felt impersonal or like basic copywriting prepared by someone who didn’t know me so I didn’t roll with what it suggested. It didn’t ‘speak’ to my audience in the personal way I like to or with any depth.

The email response - it was good, I can use it but it wasn’t a time saver for me.

For the freebie, the podcast questions and the podcast content it gave me a lot of great ideas as a springboard for igniting my creativity. Definite value add and time saver here. I took a lot of what it suggested on board though did have to ask one question several different ways to get the response that was needed. The quality of response negated that time wasting.

So my view right now, based on today’s test?

• Amazing for idea generation

• Terrific for short-cutting research time

• Certainly creates efficiency

• Great for a starting point for creating written materials

• Great for anyone who doesn’t enjoy writing

• Doesn’t (yet) trump experience and wisdom 

• Would caution to still use care to personalise materials and communications to create genuine connection to your audience

• Still requires a level of augmentation of what it produces to be able to link work back to the heart of organisation culture, strategic objectives and priorities (that missing wisdom piece)

• Good if you have no idea where to start with creating something and need a springboard to help you then personalise to make it fit for purpose

• Good as a starting point for writing internal communications but needs to then be nuanced to ensure it has the right tone of voice and speaks to the right audience

Do I see it replacing the EA profession?

Not right now, given the missing nuances, personalisation, depth of knowledge that I found to be missing with some tasks, such as the article test.

That said, I see how it might, some day. 

ChatGPT is definitely a genius tool that creates efficiency and can easily knock out some of the more basic tasks and ground work that EA’s do.

This is why I talk a lot about future proofing in my courses and my corporate masterclasses.

The role of the assistant is always in a state of evolution, morphing to complement shifts in technology, ways of working and the business landscape.

This has always been the case, consider how the admin profession has evolved over the last 50 years from typing pools, to personal assistants to executive assistants and executive administrators that are quasi leaders and managers in their own right.

It’s why it’s critical to to have specialist skills and to understand your business deeply. This is what enables adding value in unexpected ways and producing ROI for employers.

It’s also why it’s important to be able to talk about what you do in an elevated way so your contribution, influence and value is recognised and understood.

My concerns

That everything is going to start to sound the same, as though written by copywriters who aren’t connected to culture, an audience or to a business deeply.

That people lean on this completely, rather than applying judgement, big picture thinking and their own creativity.

That people don’t lean into it to create efficiency where it makes sense to utilise it.

Due diligence absolutely has to be done to ensure work is correct, particularly if used for client work purposes, producing market insights etc.

Will I continue to use it? Yes. 

For writing: probably not often. It’s something I love to do, can do quickly and is a creative outlet.

For research and ideas generation: yes, when I am stuck.

Need help articulating your worth, future proofing your career or understanding your unique value add? Come and join me in The Elite EA Academy.