Bob Goldman
You've heard about DeepSeek, of course. It’s the recently released low-cost Chinese-built artificial intelligence system that competes with old-school, high-cost American-built artificial intelligence systems.
In other words, it’s the Temu of AI.
While a high-level, in-depth discussion of artificial intelligence systems might be useful, I am more comfortable when it comes to human intelligence, especially when the humans in question are at work.
And it is exactly this experience that tells me the arrival of DeepSeek is your last chance to wake up and get AI working for you instead of against you. That’s because bargain-basement DeepSeek could be the first powerful AI system sufficiently inexpensive to be purchased by your DeepCheap boss.
First to react to this reality was HR Traininngs. The company popped up in my email inbox with a notice of a new seminar — “DeepSeek for HR in 2025: What All HR Staff Need to Know Now.”
The goal of the training is to help an HR person “boost operational efficiency and strategic outcomes in your daily HR functions.” I’m all for education, but since keeping your job depends on the profoundly unintelligent and inefficient efforts of the HR staff, it’s much safer to keep them in the dark.
Fortunately, when it comes to AI, you don’t need a seminar. A variety of free learning is available. Much of it is probably created by AI chatbots, I’m sure, but let’s not be judgy. A real human being — I think — is Kelly Daniel, who explains “How to Get ChatGPT to Give You Exactly What You Want,” a recent article on the CNBC website.
Daniel, a “prompt engineer,” suggests the way to get the most out of an AI system is simple: Treat it like a child. “You’re talking to a smart kid,” she writes. “One who wants to make you happy and do what you’re asking.”
Unfortunately, your new AI childbot is not able to help you, their adopted parent. Despite the billions of dollars spent on their education, even the most powerful AI system is “limited by their lack of context and previous experience, and it’s your job to provide that context.”
As an example, Daniel compares giving a child a vague request to put away their toys with a seven-step list of detailed directions, starting with No. 1, “Collect all the toys in one place,” and moving all the way through No. 6, “Make sure any stuffies you’re not sleeping with are back on the shelf.”
At the end of the list is a reward — No. 7, “Let me know when you’re done, and we can have dessert.”
When it comes to using DeepSeek or any other AI system to use its awesome intelligence to get your manager to promote you, there is a problem with the technique. The average child is probably much smarter than your manager. That’s why toys shouldn’t be put away. They should be used to get you the promotion you deserve.
The following is a list of the childish prompts I typed into ChatGPT:
No. 1: I want my manager to promote me.
No. 2: My manager is Mr. Potato Head.
No. 3: Mr. Potato Head has lots of Legos, but he doesn’t like to share.
No. 4: My teammates are Fury Furbits and won’t stand in my way.
No. 5: My main competition for promotion is Totally Hair Barbie. She is always fighting with Popstar Barbie and may not notice my sneaky moves to sideline her.
No. 6: Make sure any stuffies my manager is not sleeping with are back on the shelf.
Did a powerful AI system know how to play with toys? You bet! In less time than it takes an HR nerd to reject your expense account, I got the answers I need.
I’m supposed to “impress Mr. Potato Head” with a special Lego creation that “showcases my skills and initiative.” This “could be my golden ticket.” I was also instructed to “Work the Fury Furbits” to “leverage their support.” Being careful “not to overplay my hand,” I was to “outsmart the Totally Hair Barbie” by “keeping her distracted with her drama with Popstar Barbie.” “The Stuffies Situation” was my responsibility and when not in use I was to “tidy up” the stuffies, “placing them on the shelf to maintain a peaceful working environment.”
Bottom line: With my “stealthy moves and a little strategy involving Legos and stuffies, I’m positioning myself for success.”
No matter whether you work for a Mr. Potato Head or a Fury Furbit, I’m sure an AI system can accelerate your career trajectory.
Whether you buy it dessert is totally up to you.
Bob Goldman was an advertising executive at a Fortune 500 company. He offers a virtual shoulder to cry on at bob@bgplanning.com.
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