Using generative AI to create empowered questions

- Think of your favorite sport or game. If you could change one rule to make that sport or game more strategic and engaging, what would it be and what impact would it have on the way it's played and appreciated? What about your favorite book or movie? If you could change one element or introduce one new character to make the story more engaging and thought provoking, what change would you make and how do you think it would transform the way the story is perceived and appreciated? These questions were inspired by GenAI because GenAI isn't just about getting answers to our questions, but it also involves getting questions that we can ask others. Asking empowered questions is the Q part of Pikpak. Empowered questions meet five criteria. One, they spark curiosity. Two, they're fun to answer, which requires doing a bit of research to know enough about the person you're asking to know what might be fun for them to answer. Three, they're evocative. They require thinking beneath the surface. Four, they convey interest. They show that the person asking is genuinely interested in a thoughtful answer. And five, they inspire insights that benefit both the person asking and the person answering. When you ask empowered questions, it stimulates a deeper exploration of ideas, and facilitates thorough and thoughtful analysis, this is central to critical thinking. Remember Sarah and her board of directors at the school for at-Risk Youth? I'll share how she used GenAI with the three person executive board to create empowered questions so they could thoughtfully analyze their fundraising campaign. First, Sarah took time to get to know a bit about each of the three executive board members, and she found out that Rachel loved her job as a geologist and GIS scientist. Sal had a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Vijay was a voice actor. You have to make an effort to know a bit about the person to know what questions would be fun for them to answer and to show that you're genuinely interested in their thoughtful answer. After doing this, Sarah went to work with GenAI. Here's what she shared with ChatGPT. She shared her objective, "I'm helping a three person executive board generate a thoughtful analysis of a fundraising campaign for a school for at risk youth." Then she shared this is our purpose statement, and she copied and pasted the entire purpose statement. And she said that the ideas generated should stay within this purpose boundary, and she copied and pasted the purpose boundary. She shared, "I want to ask each board member one to two empowered questions that will generate thoughtful analysis. Empowered questions must meet these five criteria." And then she typed the five criteria that you now know. She shared the information about each of the board members, and finally, she asked GenAI to generate one to two empowered questions she could ask each of the board members. Let's see what ChatGPT came up with. For Rachel, the geologist and GIS scientist, "In geology, the study of layers tells a story of the past. How can we utilize this concept to build a fundraising narrative that compellingly layers the stories of our students' past struggles, present achievements, and future potentials, making it irresistible for donors?" For Sal, the black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, "Drawing inspiration from the discipline and resilience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how can we craft a fundraising message that embodies these values, engaging donors in our mission to foster resilience and discipline in our students' lives?" And for Vijay, the voice actor, "Vijay, as a voice actor, you bring stories to life. How can we use the power of voice and storytelling in our fundraising campaign to amplify the stories of our students, making them resonate with donors and compelling them to support our mission?" When you're able to ask empowered questions, it can feel like a superpower. You'll foster active engagement with information, ensuring ideas and decisions are grounded in thoughtful analysis. You'll also make conversations way more fun.