Clarifying concepts using generative AI

- Imagine a world where there is no confusion. Where every word in every language has the same clear meaning from person to person. As useful as GenAI is, this may not ever become a reality, but critical thinking values clarity, so that dream should be the ideal. That's why clarifying concepts is this next step in pick pack. Let's say you hear or read about a concept that you think you understand. Maybe it's sustainability, or hardship, or mental health, but a few weeks later, you read or hear a completely different interpretation of that same concept. Were you wrong? Are they wrong? Not necessarily. Because concepts are like currency in a marketplace of ideas. The meaning of a concept is like the value of a dollar, or Euro, or Bitcoin. It's determined by collective agreement. The value, as a currency or a concept, is boosted by our mutual agreement on what they represent. Not clarifying concepts to make sure there's agreement is like trying to trade in a currency that isn't necessarily recognized. For example, do we all agree what we mean when we discuss the concept of freedom? In casual chats, offering different views on freedom might be fine, but in crucial matters like legal contracts, health communication, policy announcements, and even social media, ensuring everyone has a shared understanding of freedom is essential for clear and effective communication. Before you engage GenAI to help you understand the many facets of a concept, you should clearly know what you mean when you communicate using a concept. Then you should check to see how others may interpret that concept, and GenAI is great for this. Finally, you should clarify what you mean. Let's say you're considering sharing a LinkedIn post titled "Workplace freedom fosters creativity." Depending on who wrote that post and for what purpose, you might not share the same interpretation of freedom. So by sharing that post, you may be spreading an unintended claim, and this might be no big deal for an article like this, but it could matter a lot for more controversial concepts. We'll use the concept of freedom to show off how GenAI can help you clarify concepts. Copy and paste the entire content, the article, post, slogan, and ask GenAI to provide the definition of freedom in this case that's relevant to the content. Then ask for different interpretations to reveal more ways the concept could be interpreted. In this example, GenAI offered several interpretations of freedom, including autonomy and task management, flexibility in work hours and location, freedom of expression, decision-making power. The list of potential meanings of freedom, even in the context of work, is long. Once you have a deeper understanding of the concept and of the different ways it might be interpreted, revisit your own meaning so you're clear on your intended meaning. Then, clarify it by crafting a brief preface for your content by using "By that I mean." It looks like this. "Workplace freedom fosters creativity, by that I mean freedom from task management." This will clearly guide your audience toward your intended meaning. Anytime you're using concepts to make decisions, draw conclusions, or share information, first, clarify the concepts with the handy assistance of GenAI, and you'll interact with the content in a more insightful and accurate way. This will help you avoid misleading others and misleading yourself.