5 surprisingly simple ways to use generative artificial intelligence at work

Unlocking Efficiency: 5 Simple Ways to Leverage Generative AI in Your Daily Work

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), once a concept from science fiction, is now a powerful, accessible tool ready to revolutionize your daily workflows. From crafting professional emails to organizing your calendar and even generating visuals, AI can help you work smarter, not harder. Recently, during an Information Technology Services (ITS) session, Technology Transformation Specialist Shannon Glennon shared invaluable insights for faculty and staff eager to integrate generative AI tools into their routines.

Here are five straightforward methods to begin harnessing the power of generative AI, no advanced technical degree required:

1. Streamline Your Email Communications with AI

Tired of staring at a blank screen, wondering how to phrase that important email? Generative AI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, can draft professional and polished emails in mere seconds. Whether you're reaching out to a colleague or following up with a student, AI can provide a solid foundation, allowing you to focus on the message's core intent.

• Practical Tip: Be specific in your prompts, providing clear context for the AI. Don't hesitate to refine your input until you achieve the desired output. For personalized communication, consider feeding the AI a few of your previous emails to help it learn and mimic your unique tone and style.

2. Empower Your Schedule: Let AI Be Your Personal Assistant

The endless back-and-forth of meeting coordination can be a significant time sink. With the right tools, AI can act as your personal scheduling sidekick. For instance, a Microsoft Copilot Work license allows Copilot to seamlessly integrate with Outlook, checking calendars, proposing optimal time slots, and even dispatching meeting invites. This intelligent automation frees up your valuable time, enabling you to concentrate on higher-priority tasks.

3. Create Documents, Presentations, and Forms in a Flash

Imagine generating a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation for an upcoming lecture or a feedback form for your students in moments. Generative AI, integrated within suites like Microsoft 365, can assist in creating a variety of essential documents, including PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and Excel sheets, alongside Microsoft Forms. This capability drastically reduces the time spent on formatting and initial drafting, allowing you to jump straight into content refinement.

• Practical Tip: When using integrated platforms like Microsoft 365, leverage applications such as Microsoft Teams for meeting transcripts. This ensures smooth integration with tools like Copilot, making summarization and document creation even more efficient.

4. Condense Complex Information into Digestible Summaries

Facing a lengthy research paper, an extensive policy document, or a detailed report but short on time? AI excels at summarizing long, complex texts into concise, easy-to-digest bullet points. This capability is invaluable for quickly grasping the essence of dense material, saving you hours of reading. You can even experiment with the summarization style, making it engaging and memorable.

• Crucial Reminder: While incredibly helpful, AI models can occasionally produce incorrect information or "hallucinate." Always verify the generated summaries against the original source material to ensure accuracy and reliability.

5. Enhance Your Content with Custom Visuals

First impressions matter, and engaging visuals can significantly elevate your presentations, reports, and digital content. Generative AI tools can create custom images and graphics in seconds, eliminating the need for advanced design skills or lengthy searches for stock photos. This allows you to effortlessly add visual interest, making your content more compelling and impactful.

• Practical Tip: Use AI-generated images to make your content pop and convey messages more effectively, whether for an internal report or a public presentation.

Embrace the Tool, Master Your Work

Generative AI is not merely a passing trend; it is a powerful tool. Like any tool, its effectiveness lies in how you utilize it. To maximize its benefits while ensuring data security and compliance, remember always to use University-approved AI tools and platforms. Always log in with your official university credentials (syr.edu or g.syr.edu) before inputting any University-owned data.

By thoughtfully integrating these surprisingly simple AI applications into your daily work, you can unlock new levels of efficiency, boost productivity, and free up more time for strategic thinking and impactful endeavors. Start experimenting today and transform the way you work.

To stay informed and continuously enhance your AI proficiency, explore university resources such as the AI Insights newsletter for periodic tips, demonstrations, and updates on available training sessions and workshops.