Reimagining Work and Learning with AI: Expert Insights from Dr. Jules White

Dr. Jules White is an award-winning Vanderbilt University professor and leading expert on generative AI. His vision for the future asks people to reframe their thinking and embrace AI as a creative partner that complements human abilities rather than replaces them. In part one of this three-part series, we explored his path to becoming a prompt engineering expert and how thoughtfully adjusting your interactions with AI tools can preserve your creative vision. Now, our discussion shifts to AI’s impact on the way we learn and work. Dr. White breaks down how leaders can maximize AI’s value without stifling human ingenuity. 

On personalizing your learning with AI

Recognized with accolades like the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and Coursera Innovation Award, Dr. White has pioneered new ways to think about computer science and prompt engineering. He says AI’s transformative potential lies in its ability to bridge information gaps so the same concept can be communicated to anyone in a way they can personally understand. 

For example, in the initial builds of transformer models, the deep learning architecture that helps power large language models, testing mainly focused on conventional language translation tasks. But AI turned out to be much more versatile in its translation abilities.

“It can also translate scientific language into the way I speak and the concepts I understand, or the language a 10-year-old boy who likes Pokemon and BMX understands,” he says. “It’s really powerful to be able to approach a subject and have it translated into personalized concepts that are helpful to you. I can say, ‘Explain this to me from this perspective, using these concepts.’” 

Dr. White acknowledges that AI is imperfect and can make mistakes as it translates concepts, but so can humans. In our efforts to learn, he says there’s still value in imperfect explanations.

“If I don't understand it at all, an imperfect explanation is super valuable because it helps me move farther down the path of understanding. If I go and ask a human being, they would also give me an imperfect explanation. In fact, I think as a teacher, that's probably what I do all day long—give people imperfect explanations for them. It's perfect from my perspective but imperfect from theirs because it doesn't fully account for everything they know. AI acts as this translator that I control and can personalize based on what I know and what I'm interested in.”

Dr. White explains how we can use AI as a translator based on our own knowledge and preferences.

On navigating next-gen education

Dr. White brings his expertise in computer science and AI education to a broader audience in his course, Generative AI for Kids, Parents, and Teachers. While his practical approach provides a general framework for using GenAI as a supportive learning tool, Dr. White also emphasizes the importance of adapting to individual learning preferences. Just as every student learns differently through traditional means, AI tools can be personalized to enhance each learner’s unique experience. 

“A lot of the vision right now is that we're just gonna throw some agent or assistant over the wall, and a learner is going to magically have a better experience. But I think you get there by teaching them how to use GenAI to support themselves as opposed to automating the teaching process,” he says. “It’s really about empowering people to support their own learning and find out how they like to use it.”

To illustrate, Dr. White shares his son’s experience using ChatGPT as a study partner:

“My son knows how to have ChatGPT quiz him, but he absolutely has no interest in doing that. He likes to make flash cards. I'll be like, ‘Okay, buddy, let's have ChatGPT…’ But he's like, ‘Dad, stop! I've written my flashcards, you and mom can quiz me. Please do not hand me off to ChatGPT.’ But at the same time, there are other things that he does enjoy doing with it. The person who's learning has to figure out what they like to use GenAI to help them with, and what they don't,” he says. “For teachers, we need to explore all the ways it can be used to support their teaching.”

It’s really about empowering people to support their own learning and find out how they like to use it. 

On creativity and AI at work

In the workplace, Dr. White believes a similarly tailored approach is needed. The goal should be skill building, and encouraging employees to view AI as a partner in professional development, not a threat to their roles. Dr. White says using AI as a search engine is the number one challenge he’s observed among prompt engineering newbies. If you’re asking ChatGPT to give you an answer instead of asking for ideas you can use to find the answer yourself, you might be seriously limiting both of your potential. 

But how can we unlock our potential on a broader scale in a collaborative environment? Dr. White recommends staying grounded about what AI can do and giving people space to find out for themselves. 

“In many jobs, I think creativity has been taken away from the job and roles have been crafted to limit creativity,” he says. “You’re already working really hard, they’ve taken away the creativity, and now someone’s told you, ‘By the way, go and use this GenAI thing and do amazing things.’ Where are you supposed to find time in your day to learn about it, to do it, to be inspired? I  think lots of organizations struggle to understand why they aren’t having all this magical success with GenAI. Give people space and time and inspiration to feel creative again.” 

Here are Dr. White’s three tips for igniting the fire of AI innovation:

1. Emphasize how AI can enhance human capabilities rather than simply automate tasks. The goal is to empower people, not replace them.

2. Recognize GenAI’s value as a tool to support human decision-making, brainstorming, and ideation.

3. Foster a culture of curiosity and experimentation by giving individuals the freedom and encouragement to explore GenAI’s capabilities. Help people get more engaged in the creative process and build their own skills based on their strengths and preferences. 

There's always this grand vision of automating everything, and while there are a lot of things we can automate, I think there’s a world of augmented intelligence where there’s a human in the loop who’s empowered to do more and solve bigger problems. 

Lead the way with AI

Dr. White’s approach reminds us that AI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and to unleash its potential, leaders must foster environments where creativity thrives, learning is personalized, and people feel empowered to experiment with AI. Stay tuned for the next installment of Expert Insights with Dr. Jules White: AI Problem-Solving Tactics. We’ll explore hands-on prompting techniques and ways to enhance your daily routine that may surprise you. And if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the first article in this series, AI Creativity Unleashed: Expert Insights With Vanderbilt’s Dr. Jules White, and our full video interview with Dr. White.  

Learn more about leading a successful AI initiative with Dr. White through Vanderbilt University’s Generative AI Leadership and Strategy Specialization. In as little as one month, you’ll learn to expertly leverage GenAI for problem-solving and risk management at the leadership level. 

Learn more about leveraging GenAI safely and effectively in your classroom with Vanderbilt University’s Generative AI for Educators and Teachers Specialization. You’ll practice using GenAI for quiz generation, lesson planning, and personalizing examples, games, and assessments to fit the needs of every student. 

Dive deeper into how GenAI is transforming the act of learning with the online course, Accelerate Your Learning with ChatGPT. In just four hours, you’ll discover the relationship between AI systems and our own neural networks, plus AI-enhanced learning strategies to help you retain information longer.