My Review of the AI MasterClass Was It Worthwhile
As a keen student of all things related to artificial intelligence, I'm constantly exploring new AI tools. However, I felt the need to go beyond the surface and build a foundational understanding of AI's origins and practical, everyday applications. My search led me to a three-part MasterClass series, “Achieve More with GenAI,” which promised to teach me how to integrate this technology into my work and life.
What is the AI MasterClass
I was looking for expert-led, digestible content, and this series delivered. It introduced me to leading figures in the AI space: Ethan Mollick, Allie K. Miller, Don Allen Stevenson III, and Manuel Sansily. They served as virtual instructors, guiding me through how AI can help navigate both professional and personal challenges. The course is structured into three distinct modules: using generative AI to boost productivity, unleashing creativity with generative AI, and understanding AI ethics and the future.
How Much Does the AI MasterClass Cost
A MasterClass subscription ranges from $120 to $240 annually and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. For those hesitant about another subscription, keep an eye out for two-week guest passes that sometimes appear in online communities, offering a chance to try the platform without a financial commitment.
Unlocking Productivity with AI
The series began with Miller and Mollick providing historical context for AI, which dates back to the 1950s, and demonstrating its power as a workplace asset. Mollick’s example of using AI to improve writing—from ideation to feedback—felt particularly relevant as I was watching the series with the intent of writing about it.
Miller outlined a five-step process for using AI to develop a business plan:
- Brainstorm.
- Evaluate.
- Enhance your idea.
- Bring the idea to life.
- Use AI for feedback.
While I had used AI for personal advice, I hadn’t considered its professional applications for feedback. The course introduced me to Yoodli, an AI communication coach, and showed Mollick getting real-time presentation feedback from the AI assistant Claude, which opened my eyes to new possibilities. This first episode established AI as a powerful tool for organizing and recontextualizing information.
Unleashing Your Creativity with AI
The second episode, led by creative technologist Don Allen Stevenson, dove into AI-assisted creativity. It provided a detailed breakdown of prompting techniques, business planning, and visual design. Stevenson showed how to use AI as a collaborator for tasks like logo design, storyboarding, and even music generation with tools like Dall-E and Udio. A key theme was the importance of the conversational process with a large language model to achieve better results.
Inspired, I used Stevenson's methods to work on a brand concept I'd been developing. Delegating tasks to ChatGPT showed me the challenge of translating a mental concept into effective prompts. While I wasn't as fast as Stevenson, who built a brand identity kit in under five minutes, I successfully generated color schemes, images, and typography that surprised and motivated me.
The Future of AI and Ethics
The final episode featured Manuel Sansily, a futurist who advocates for responsible AI use. He explained how to create an "AI twin" to automate routine tasks, a feature requiring a ChatGPT Plus subscription. This AI twin is a digital version of yourself, built on your knowledge, experience, and values. It learns from your interactions and can function as a personal assistant or a digital tool for others to engage with.
To conclude, Mollick discussed Amara's Law in the context of AI, noting that we often underestimate short-term changes while overestimating long-term ones. He explained that AI's capabilities are currently growing at a rate that doubles or triples Moore's Law, making it difficult to grasp. However, he predicts this explosive growth will eventually stabilize. In the meantime, I feel inspired to continue learning and even create my own AI twin.
Is an AI MasterClass Worth the Money
I took this MasterClass to better understand AI's trajectory and its potential impact on my life. I came away with a wealth of knowledge that empowers me to form my own informed opinions. This was my first experience with MasterClass, and I was thoroughly impressed by the production quality, the engaging experts, and the digestible format.
I highly recommend this 90-minute series to anyone who feels intimidated by AI, overwhelmed by its possibilities, or simply curious about what it all means. Even if you're tech-savvy, the course offers valuable insights and refined definitions. At the very least, you’ll gain a better understanding of this rapidly growing system. At most, you’ll discover a powerful collaborator, mentor, and tool for personal and professional growth.
