AI Assistants: How To Level Up Your Work

Summary

Podcast Title: AI Explored
Episode: AI Assistants: How To Level Up Your Work
Host: Michael Stelzner
Guest: Mike Alton
Release Date: March 11, 2025

Introduction

In this insightful episode of "AI Explored," host Michael Stelzner engages with Mike Alton, founder of The AI Hat—a consultancy focused on integrating AI into St. Louis businesses. The conversation delves into the transformative potential of AI assistants, offering practical strategies for marketers, creators, and business owners to enhance their workflows and strategic planning.

Guest Background: Mike Alton

[02:26] Michael Stelzner:
Michael introduces Mike Alton, emphasizing his extensive experience in digital marketing, his consultancy The AI Hat, his podcast "The AI Hat," and his eBook "AI Marketing Primer."

[03:04] Mike Alton:
Mike shares his journey into AI, initially cautious about embracing AI trends common among marketers. A pivotal moment occurred in late 2023 when Sam Altman of OpenAI suggested that 95% of marketing jobs could be automated by AI. This revelation spurred Mike to deepen his AI knowledge, leading to the creation of his podcast and consultancy, which now helps others integrate AI into their businesses effectively.

The Value of AI Assistants

[05:41] Mike Alton:
Mike compares traditional consultants to AI assistants, highlighting that while consultants are valuable, they have limited availability and can be costly. In contrast, AI assistants are accessible 24/7, cost-effective (approximately $20/month), and can be customized to serve as ongoing, reliable resources.

Notable Quote:
"Imagine if every single person in your organization had an AI assistant walking alongside them—a consultant, a mentor that they could turn to whenever they needed help."
— Mike Alton [06:03]

[08:11] Michael Stelzner:
Michael adds that even strategic thinkers like himself can benefit from AI assistants when overwhelmed by daily tasks. AI can provide a strategic "boost," enhancing idea generation and decision-making processes.

Starting with AI Assistants: The RICE Framework

[10:05] Mike Alton:
Mike introduces the RICE framework (Role, Instructions, Context, Constraints, Evaluation) as a method for effectively communicating with AI assistants. This framework ensures that AI understands the user's needs comprehensively, reducing the need for repetitive prompts and enhancing the quality of outputs.

[33:23] Mike Alton (RICE Framework):

R (Role): Define the AI's role clearly, e.g., "world's best email strategist."
I (Instructions): Specify objectives, such as an email re-engagement campaign.
C (Context): Provide background information, including business details and target audience.
C (Constraints): Set boundaries like word limits or language preferences.
E (Evaluation): Define success criteria to assess AI outputs effectively.

Notable Quote:
"Role, Instructions, Context, Constraints, Evaluation—this framework ensures that the AI has all the information it needs to provide great output from the start."
— Mike Alton [10:05]

Custom Instructions and Personalization

[14:16] Michael Stelzner:
Michael underscores the importance of using custom instructions (or custom GPTs, Claude projects, Gemini gems) to personalize AI assistants, aligning them with specific business needs and styles.

[14:20] Mike Alton:
Mike explains that custom instructions enable AI to remember vital information about the user’s business, target audience, voice, and style. This reduces the need for repetitive prompting and ensures consistency in outputs.

Notable Quote:
"Imagine if you could personalize the AI so that it already knew who you are, who your audience is, what you're trying to accomplish, or any other specific things that it should know about the task."
— Mike Alton [14:20]

Technical Insights: Google Gemini vs. ChatGPT

[18:25] Mike Alton:
Mike discusses his preference for Google Gemini over ChatGPT, especially for users already integrated into Google Workspace. He praises Gemini's intuitive UI, seamless integration with Google apps, and advanced features like Deep Research and NotebookLM.

[19:51] Michael Stelzner:
Michael highlights the significance of Google Gemini, noting that Google originally conceptualized GPTs. He emphasizes Gemini's multimodal training, enabling it to handle text, audio, video, and images seamlessly, making it a robust choice for versatile AI tasks.

Notable Quote:
"Google Gemini is built into the Google ecosystem, making it a smart choice for organizations already leveraging Google Workspace and its extensive suite of tools."
— Mike Alton [19:51]

[26:53] Michael Stelzner:
Michael points out the potential of having dynamic, live documents in Google Docs integrated with Gemini, enhancing the AI assistant's ability to utilize updated information automatically.

Practical Applications and Examples

[27:06] Mike Alton:
Mike shares a compelling use case where he utilized Gemini’s Deep Research tool to analyze the business landscape in St. Louis. By scraping over a hundred websites, Gemini generated a comprehensive report in minutes—a task that would have previously taken weeks.

Notable Quote:
"Imagine being able to generate an in-depth competitive analysis report in 10 minutes that would have previously taken a week or two."
— Mike Alton [27:06]

Developing AI Work Buddies for Organizations

[42:15] Mike Alton:
Mike introduces the concept of an "AI Work Buddy"—a personalized AI assistant tailored to an individual’s role within an organization. This AI buddy can help with brainstorming, prioritizing tasks, content creation, and even providing empathetic support, enhancing both productivity and employee well-being.

[44:48] Michael Stelzner:
Michael discusses the transformative potential of AI work buddies, suggesting that personalized AI assistants can significantly boost productivity across all levels of an organization.

Notable Quote:
"Imagine if everyone in your organization had a personalized AI assistant that understands their role and can help them be 10-20% more productive every day."
— Mike Alton [44:48]

RICE Framework Deep Dive

[33:23] Mike Alton:
Mike elaborates on each component of the RICE framework, emphasizing the importance of defining roles, providing clear instructions, setting context, establishing constraints, and knowing how to evaluate AI outputs. This structured approach ensures that AI assistants deliver relevant and high-quality results aligned with strategic goals.

[35:35] Michael Stelzner:
Michael explores the nuances of applying the RICE framework, such as balancing high-level instructions with detailed prompts to ensure AI comprehends varied tasks effectively.

Notable Quote:
"By using the RICE framework, you ensure that your AI assistant is not just performing tasks, but doing so in a way that aligns with your strategic objectives."
— Mike Alton [35:35]

Resources and Further Steps

[46:24] Mike Alton:
Mike highlights his new article, "AI Work Buddy," available at theaihat.com/aiworkbuddy, which provides a step-by-step guide and a one-paragraph prompt to help users create their own AI work buddies. This resource aims to democratize AI integration, making it accessible to individuals across various roles and industries.

[48:36] Michael Stelzner:
Michael encourages listeners to visit Mike’s website for more resources and to consider conducting workshops to implement AI assistants in their businesses effectively.

Notable Quote:
"The whole organization is going to benefit tremendously if everyone has their own personalized AI assistant."
— Mike Alton [47:49]

Closing Remarks

Michael and Mike wrap up the discussion by encouraging listeners to explore AI assistants, utilize frameworks like RICE, and leverage custom instructions to maximize AI's potential in their work environments. They promote resources such as Mike's website and upcoming workshops to further assist listeners in their AI integration journey.

Final Quote:
"May AI help you become more successful."
— Michael Stelzner [49:14]

Additional Resources:

Mike Alton's AI Work Buddy: theaihat.com/aiworkbuddy
RICE Framework Guide: Available on theaihat.com
Google Gemini: Explore at gemini.google.com
Mike Alton's Consultancy: The AI Hat

Summary:
This episode of "AI Explored" offers a comprehensive guide to leveraging AI assistants to enhance work efficiency and strategic planning. Through the RICE framework and personalized custom instructions, Mike Alton provides actionable insights for integrating AI into various roles within an organization. The discussion underscores the importance of choosing the right AI platform, with a particular emphasis on Google Gemini for its robust integration and multimodal capabilities. Listeners are encouraged to utilize available resources and frameworks to create their own AI work buddies, fostering increased productivity and strategic growth.