How Stanford Teaches AI-Powered Creativity in Just 13 MinutesㅣJeremy Utley
All Notes
29 June 2025
Notes on "Exploring Human Agency in the Age of AI" by Jeremy Utley
Overview
In this video, Jeremy Utley discusses the transformative potential of generative AI in enhancing human creativity and collaboration. He emphasizes the importance of treating AI as a teammate rather than just a tool, and shares insights on how non-technical professionals can effectively leverage AI to improve their workflows and problem-solving capabilities.
Introduction
- Speaker: Jeremy Utley, adjunct professor of creativity and AI at Stanford University.
- Background: 15 years of teaching at the intersection of creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and AI.
- Recent Work: Co-authored the book "Idea Flow" on idea generation and prototyping, released just before the advent of ChatGPT.
Chapter 1: Don't Ask AI, Let It Ask You
- Key Concept: Use AI to help formulate questions rather than just providing answers.
- Example Prompt: "Hey, you're an AI expert. I would love your help to figure out how I can best leverage AI in my life."
- Training Example: Conducted a training for National Park Service rangers.
- Case Study: Adam Rymer from Glen Canyon National Park created a tool to automate paperwork, saving 7000 days of labor across the service.
- Insight: Basic foundational training in AI can empower non-technical professionals to achieve significant productivity gains.
Chapter 2: Do Not Use AI, Treat It as a Teammate
- Realization Gap:
- AI can make people 25% faster, 12% more productive, and improve quality by 40%.
- Less than 10% of professionals derive meaningful productivity gains from AI.
- Underperformers vs. Outperformers:
- Underperformers treat AI as a tool; outperformers treat it as a teammate.
- Feedback Loop: Treat AI like a teammate by providing feedback and coaching.
- Practical Application: Use AI for role-playing difficult conversations to prepare and receive feedback.
Chapter 3: How to Go Beyond ‘Good Enough’ Ideas
- Definition of Creativity: A seventh grader defined it as "doing more than the first thing you think of."
- This highlights the cognitive bias of "satisficing" (settling for good enough).
- AI's Role:
- AI makes it easier to achieve "good enough" but does not change the definition of creativity.
- Creators should focus on volume and variation to achieve exceptional results.
- Call to Action: Creators should embrace AI as a collaborative partner to unlock their full creative potential.
Conclusion
- Final Insight: The correct approach to AI is not to use it, but to work with it. This mindset shift can lead to transformative outcomes in creativity and productivity.
Visual Representation of Key Concepts
| Concept | Tool Approach | Teammate Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Treats AI as a tool | Treats AI as a collaborative partner |
| Feedback Mechanism | Minimal feedback | Provides coaching and mentorship |
| Outcome | Mediocre results | Enhanced creativity and productivity |
| Engagement | Passive interaction | Active collaboration and questioning |
Key Statistics
- Productivity Gains:
- 25% faster
- 12% more work
- 40% better quality
- Realization Gap: Less than 10% of professionals effectively leverage AI.
These notes encapsulate the main ideas and insights from Jeremy Utley's discussion on the intersection of human creativity and AI, providing a structured overview for easy reference.