Pollyfilla for the Mind: The Best Use of LLMs

Until AI crash-landed onto the scene, our cognitive abilities were limited by our biology and learned experience. Pre-AI, we had two choices when faced with a mental challenge – try to work things out by ourselves or enlist the help of others to solve our problems. But that’s no longer the case. Advanced LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT, Gemini & Groq can be used as ‘Polyfilla for the mind’ – filling in cognitive holes in areas like mathematics, creativity and strategic thinking. That’s how I use LLMs – compounding my own ideas for my work, getting them to assist with anything numerical (I am dreadful at maths) and using them to magnify my thinking to solve many of the problems that come my way.

Unfortunately, too few people are taking advantage of this massive leap in thought-assistance, and I think that’s a shame. Because using AI to scaffold our intelligence is the best use of LLMs, and it's just about the coolest thing the tech world has given us so far.

Using your laptop as a doorstop

Digital technologies amaze me. My laptop has every tool I need to create professional images, videos, music, build a website and communicate with the world. But sometimes, I just use it to watch YouTube videos. Also, if I need the door in my office to stay open, I’ve found I can lean my laptop against it at a 45-degree angle to stop it from closing. But if I only ever used my laptop as a doorstop, and for streaming videos, I think you'd agree that I wouldn’t be capitalising on its versatility and power.  

The same is true with AI. And I’ve noticed that many people use LLMs in similarly limited ways . . .

• They ask it to generate content

• They use it to answer questions

Don't get me wrong - LLMs are great at content creation and for answering questions, and you should definitely continue to use them for that. But if that’s all you employ them for (like only using a laptop for web browsing and as a doorstop), then you are missing out on their true power. That’s because the capabilities of LLMs to solve complex problems, offer unique perspectives and build on our own thoughts is nothing short of mind-blowing. And the natural, fluid ways that we can speak with them make them intuitive to use. As a result, my two main uses for ChatGPT are . . .

• Acting as an expert consultant across a range of topics

• Scaffolding my cognitive ability, and bridging my own intelligence gaps

Pure Gold

You see, chatting through your ideas and problems with LLMs is – for people like you and me – the best way to truly tap into their potential. When I have an idea for a project or a problem I need to solve – e.g. how to improve my finances – AI is now my first port of call. Why? Well for one, it will listen to what I have to say in as much depth and detail as I choose to give it. No matter how much I bleat on (and believe me, I do bleat on), it never gets bored. Secondly, it will use what it knows (and to be clear – it knows a heck of a lot), to offer reasoned, informed, data-driven perspectives on my specific, personal situations. And once you begin using AI in this way, the magic can really start . . .

Details, details, details . . .

Usually, I start by giving my LLM a lot of information - often 300 words or more describing my idea, problem, issue or area of enquiry. I feed it with big portions of data to really allow it to understand the context of what I’m asking about. I try not to miss any details – believe me when I say that I am incredibly thorough. Interestingly, when I was at school, I was often told by my teacher that I could ‘talk the hind legs off a donkey’ and that this was a negative thing. Well, it isn’t any more Mrs.Hargreaves. Waffling away into an LLM has allowed me to mine gold. 

Make no mistake - LLMs love lots of context, and once you begin this process of hyper-detailed discussion – you will love it too. Why? Because it will allow you to do something that I don’t think any of us ever thought would be possible. It allows you to amplify your brain power and ladder up your thoughts to levels beyond your biological abilities. It’s like fitting a turbo to your brain or climbing into a cognitive ‘mech suit’. Put simply - it can turn you into Human 2.0.

Back and Forth

Have you ever done what I’m describing? And I mean really done it – in detail, no holds-barred, full-on ‘brain dumping’ into an LLM? I suspect most people haven’t, and if you’re among this group I implore that you give it a go. But once you provide that first heavy ‘data input’ and get a detailed response, be aware – you have only just started. This is merely breaking the seal . . . What should follow is a dedicated to-and-fro to refine the gold you’ve just mined. Use ChatGPT (or your preferred flavour of LLM) as a mirror for your thoughts. Bounce ideas, strategies and ideas back and forth because this is when things get really interesting. This is when you start to enter what I call ‘the super-brain phase’. What results from this process are plans, strategies and winning ideas that you alone would not have been able to reach. 

Just Talk

OK, ready for the best bit? There is literally no trick to this. All you need to do is communicate every aspect of what you’re thinking about the thing you want to build on, and then engage in sustained discussion. Ignore all the technical, overblown advice you will see online about perfecting 'prompts'. This only serves to build barriers and slow down the process. For the sort of benefits I’m talking about, ‘prompt engineering’ is unnecessary. All you need to do is converse in detail and at length. It's that straightforward.

Of course, you will need to think intelligently about what you are saying and what exactly you’re asking. LLMs level you up, but they need something clear and meaningful to start with. So, think about the right questions to ask – make your enquiries just as detailed as the context you are providing. ChatGPT will only give you what you’re asking for, so if you don’t feed it specific, targeted questions, you won’t get genuinely useful answers.

Get on it

You use a car, right? And you'd agree that gets you from A to B quicker than your legs. AI offers the same thing for your brain. The takeaway from this is simple - there are exceptionally powerful tools out there right now that will augment and improve your cognitive abilities, so why not use them? They will bridge gaps in your intelligence, offer detailed insight and advice on your ideas and – when used correctly – can genuinely level-up nearly every aspect of your life. If you’re not using them in this way, I think you are doing yourself a disservice. 

So - Use AI properly. Level-up. Don’t get left behind.

Have you used AI in a way that significantly amplified your abilities? If so, I'd be really interested in hearing your experiences in the comments below :)

Note – As with any ‘cloud-based’ tools, LLMs process your data remotely. So, think carefully about what you are happy to share, and the services you share it with. Check privacy policies of LLMs, turn off data sharing as part of their training if you want to limit where your data is used, and always follow any company procedures if you’re using them for work purposes. Finally, follow all legal data privacy regulations regarding the data of others (e.g. GDPR).