Seven years ago, I had lunch and a chat with one of Zooma's friends, and she asked me to create the ten commandments of online and digital. A couple of days ago, I had the idea to create a new version.
Below, I've included the ten most practical and common pieces of advice I give to teams and decision-makers who want to use generative GenAI effectively, responsibly, and with a clear purpose. Plus, there's a downloadable infographic you can share with your colleagues or print and put on your wall in a suitable frame.
Here, I've distilled the principles into what I call 'the Ten Commandments of GenAI'. These are not strict rules but guiding principles to help you navigate the world of generative AI effectively and responsibly.
- You shall not view generative AI as a shortcut, but as a co-pilot to improve quality, creativity, and relevance.
- You shall always begin with a clear objective before you ask the GenAI anything.
Garbage in still equals garbage out.
- You shall be the expert and strategist—the GenAI is your assistant, not your replacement.
- You shall train your prompts and refine your use cases continuously.
The more you iterate, the better the results.
- You shall validate and fact-check everything.
Never assume the AI is right just because it sounds confident.
- You shall use GenAI to understand and serve your audience better.
Personas, tone of voice, content formats—it’s all fair game.
- You shall embed GenAI into daily workflows—not as a separate activity, but as a natural extension.
- You shall stay curious and explore responsibly.
The landscape is evolving fast—so must your approach.
- You shall respect data privacy and intellectual property.
Just because AI can generate it doesn’t mean it’s legally or ethically okay.
- You shall focus on using GenAI to deepen relationships—not just optimise for clicks.
Genuine human connection is still the ultimate goal.
You can download the infographic and keep it handy as a reference guide.
