Continuing the Conversation: The New AI Skillset for Modern Work
In a June 2025 COE webinar, data and technology leader Jim Perry explored prompt engineering, agentic AI, and the new AI skillsets for modern work. Through live and interactive demonstrations, Jim guided attendees through various prompt frameworks and techniques for leveraging AI tools more effectively.
In this blog, Jim continues the conversation, tackling unanswered audience questions from the webinar Q&A.
What was your first big leap in thinking with how you approach using an AI chat? What was that lightbulb moment for you?
My lightbulb moment occurred when I was deciding what to do with a box of about 50 CDs. I hesitated to sell them because I believed some might be worth a lot. The CDs were stacked, so only the edges were visible, showing the album titles and artists' names. I took a photo of the box, uploaded it to ChatGPT, and asked if any of the CDs were worth more than $20. The AI listed every CD that might have value and provided tips on what to check inside the cases. This experience opened my eyes to the many ways I could use AI.
Can you help us understand which GPT (e.g., Gemini, ChatGPT, Copilot, Anthropic, Claude) is best for which case? How do I know which version to use?
In my two-day course with Fisher College of Business Executive Education, we actually take the same prompt and put it through multiple AIs and various models. The short answer is to think of AI like any other tool, such as a knife or power drill. There are different models with different features, and the best choice ultimately comes down to preference and specific needs.
If you are a big Google user, I recommend Gemini. If you are coding, Anthropic seems to be one of the strongest solutions. If you don’t have any preference, I think ChatGPT has very user-friendly features, such as custom GPTs and project management tools that are quite helpful.
What do you recommend for those looking to hone their AI skills further? What should I do next?
I recommend looking at your daily work. Take emails and meetings out of the mix. Typically, what is left is strategy or assembly work (taking two or more ideas or reports and synthesizing information). Every day, commit to using AI for 15 minutes on one of these tasks. When in doubt about the prompt, ask AI this: "Please ask me questions one by one to help me with (XYZ). Once you have all the questions answered, build and execute the prompt."
Missed the webinar with Jim Perry? A recording of the session is available in COE’s members-only Digital Content Archive. Don’t have an account? Create an account.
