#215 | Tips For Building Your Relationship With AI

AI, Careers, Optimizing Work

December 16, 2025

If you’re anything like me, AI can feel both exciting and… a bit overwhelming. One minute you’re hearing about ChatGPT, the next it’s Claude, Grok, Perplexity – whiplash, am I right? This week’s coffee chat with Martin Waxman, digital marketing professor and associate director at the Future of Marketing Institute, was all about learning to build a smart relationship with AI (and how NOT to get lost in the weeds). Martin shared that we’re all pretty new to this AI thing. It’s not like changing a tire where the “how-to” hasn’t changed for years – in AI-land, things shift every week (sometimes every day). So what should we do?

Experiment, experiment, experiment! Don’t be afraid to play around with different platforms (at home, not at work – we don’t want “shadow AI” drama from IT). Try ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini; ask silly questions, get curious, and see how each chatbot “thinks.” Martin even asks the bots to describe each other’s personalities. (FYI: Claude calls itself an “overthinker”, relatable!)

Keep your human touch. AI works best as your sidekick, think Batman and Robin. Let it help spark ideas, clean up your draft, or give a fresh take, but don’t let it do all the work for you. Martin writes his newsletter by hand, edits with his wife, and only sometimes asks AI for suggestions, which never quite feel right.

Discernment > Output. With all the AI-powered content and misinformation flying around, your real magic is learning to spot what’s real, true, and useful. Double-check everything, whether it’s a chatbot answer or a Facebook rumor. As Martin says, “more isn’t better; better is better.”

Need a “homework” assignment? Martin recommends catching a movie in theaters bonus points for sci-fi! Watch what brands are doing with AI ads and give yourself a break to let good ideas percolate. AI might be the glitter, but you’re the glue. Happy experimenting!