The Truth about AI for Entrepreneurs (and My Response)

This is how I really feel.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [UNSTUCK]() From the desk of Pat Flynn December 13, 2022 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Pat Flynn smiling, wearing a shirt that reads "Do a lot with a little"] ​ Hi there, it’s Pat. A couple of weeks ago a trend started on social media that involved posting fantastical, hyper-realistic self-portraits that were generated in seconds from AI (artificial intelligence) based photo applications. In these apps, you can type in something like “me wearing a crown, standing and holding a bow and arrow with a fiery background”, and almost instantly, the AI generates multiple unique images of that description. And these pictures are absolutely stunning — almost like pieces of art. I was going to create one of my own, but then I wondered: with how easy this is, are various companies and brands going to be using AI to generate art versus hiring real artists? How do real artists feel about this? It didn’t take too long to find out that the art community is extremely upset and worried about AI generated art because in reality, these tools create composites of styles and strokes that come from real artists — people who have spent years developing their craft. This is a growing trend — not just in the art community — but within all kinds of creation. For example, take copywriters and blog writers who now have to compete with tools like Jarvis.ai. There are even AI programs that can write jokes, and yes, the comedians of the world aren’t happy about that either. I wanted to hit this topic head-on today because in my eyes, it’s easy to feel anxious when AI is coming in as a potential competitor for content creators. We could begin to feel like the world is against us. But you have one huge advantage, you just have to know what it is and how to utilize it. Alright, let’s get unstuck. QUOTE OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- “Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?" — Steve Polyak THE STORY --------------------------------------------------------------- Artists are upset. In fact, one of my favorite artists, Sam Yang ([samdoesarts on Instagram]()), mentioned this recently in one of his posts: [Sam Yang IG]()​ ​ Many people seem to be typing in words like “in the style of samdoesarts”within these AI apps and generating images that obviously look like Sam’s signature style, which he spent years to develop and refine. People say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” but for content creators, it can be harmful. I’m not here to debate that (although I do have my own feelings about it), but the truth is, when building a brand and a business, there is one thing you have that will allow you to compete with anybody, or anything — even a perfect machine. You have the ability to connect. You have the ability to empathize with another person. You have the ability to make other people feel special. You have the ability to create experiences. Whether you’re an artist, a writer, a musician, business owner, chef — it doesn’t matter — you are a human, and the human to human connection is what will become even more important as these AI tools become even more powerful. Sam is going to be okay, not only because his art is unique, but because of how he’s connecting with his fans. In fact, the more I see artwork that begins to mimic his style, the more I, as a fan, know to call that out when I see it, and it makes me want to support Sam even more. Build that connection with your audience, the other human beings on the Internet who have found you one way or another, and make them feel heard, because an AI app — at least currently — still needs an input of some kind from somewhere to start with. You can be the one to initiate that connection and conversation, and when you do that, no one can compete with you. I talk about this kind of stuff in my book [Superfans](, and I want to thank every one of you who continue to help push it out there into the world. I wrote that book in 2018 not knowing exactly where the world would be today, but knowing the human connection is always going to be the most important thing a business can focus on. And it’s what your call to action is about today… Your Call to Action The human connection. That’s your superpower, your weapon against AI, and even your fellow-human competitors in your space. While the end of the year draws near,, spend some time, even a couple hours, to really connect with your audience. Get on a Zoom call with one of your audience members and just see how they’re doing. Connect with them on what they might be going through, and how you might be able to help. If you have customers, reach out to a few of them and offer to get on a call, or simply send a few voice messages on social media with no other reason than to make them feel noticed, and heard. This is a practice I do every week in my business, and I think it’s one of the reasons why I’ve been able to stay consistent in my business. I hope this has helped you understand that you have something incredible to offer, and that you’ll take this moment to consider who you might reach out to to make them feel special. I appreciate you, and thank you again for all of the birthday wishes last week! ​ ​ALL-ACCESS PASS --------------------------------------------------------------- SPI launched the [All-Access Pass](=)last week, it was so massively popular that we hit our Founding Membership goal within the first 72 hours! During our [YouTube launch event](=), we saw incredible responses from the entrepreneurs that joined: ​ Gain the resources, skills, and motivation you need to grow your business, with the [All-Access Pass](=). - Access the Playbook: Gain access to SPI's highly praised course catalog with new curriculum and workshops built by education and business experts. Follow custom pathways to give you faster results as you build skills and connections through community-powered learning. - Master Entrepreneurial Skills: With online community-based learning, you will learn faster with access to experts, mentors, peers, courses, and workshops specifically designed to upskill your professional skills in less time. - Achieve Your Business Goals: A learning community of like-minded entrepreneurs holds you accountable, keeps you engaged, and motivates you to persevere. Solutions are brought to life as members take on similar challenges and celebrate each other's achievements. ​[Learn more here](=) on how to become a member and begin to grow your business. SPONSORED BY THE TEMPLATE TRIBE Time-Saving Canva Templates For Coaches, Experts & Professionals Launching Online Offers If you're launching a course, membership, program or some form of online offer, it can feel like there's a bajillion pieces of content & graphics to create. To add to the challenge, Canva has a zillion templates, but not a complete, cohesive collection of the specific ones you need. The Template Tribe is here to save you from the content creation chaos & Canva rabbit hole. How? By setting you up with a cohesive, coordinated library of Canva templates, specifically designed to create your online brand, attract & engage your audience, grow your email list and launch your online offers. Limited Time Special Offer For Pat Flynn's SPI Community. Use coupon code PAT to save $150 on Annual Membership *Offer valid for the rest of 2022 only. [Explore The Template Tribe]() ​SPI NEWS AND NOTES --------------------------------------------------------------- We work hard at SPI to remain unstuck and consistently provide you with the latest news, trends, and events to support your businesses. Check it out: - ​[Join us tomorrow](), December 14th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET, for our virtual Community Networking Event! Connect with members of the [SPI Pro Community](and the SPI team to get to know each other, learn about other entrepreneurs’ businesses, make new connections, and share ideas. This fun-filled hour will be sure to leave you inspired! - Head over to [Twitter](every Tuesday at 11am PT (2pm EST) for our weekly [#SPILiveChat](). Each week we’ll focus on a different topic that revolves around entrepreneurship, hosted by a special guest. Mark your calendar and we’ll tweet with you soon! - The "water-cooler" chats and team projects are key ways of connecting with co-workers in a corporate-world environment. Leaving that behind to become a solo entrepreneur doesn't mean you are alone. Professional, entrepreneur-specific communities are a great way to feel supported by other business owners and also help grow your own business. [Here are our top 5 reasons to join a community.](=)​ DAD JOKE OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you get when you cross a wall unit with artificial intelligence? Shelf-awareness. ​ Did a cool person forward you this email? [Sign up here for free.]( Want to reach over 125,000 entrepreneurs? [Become a sponsor.]( ​ Thanks for reading! You are receiving this because you signed up for Pat Flynn’s newsletter at [smartpassiveincome.com](). If you'd like to adjust which emails you receive or update your name and email address, [click here to update your Subscriber Preferences.]( If you'd like to stop receiving all emails from SPI, simply [unsubscribe from my emails.]( No hard feelings. 10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 524, San Diego, CA 92127