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Live or Die by AI in 2026- The Art of the Prompt
AI, is the newest best thing since whatever, and was a trend for a millisecond; now it’s embedded, and the cold hard truth is— it’s literally and forever changed life as we know it. It’s really a seismic shift, arguably as seismic as the dawn of computing that brought forth this digital age. It’s a scary shift as well; AI’s exponential growth and ‘intelligence’ may well bring about humanity’s destruction… the inevitable outcome of being too smart for our own good.
Be that as it may, the odds now appear even, and the playing field levelled. That which was the realm and dominion of only marketing professionals is ostensibly now wide open to the ‘common’ (hu)man: graphic design, web design, videography can now be prompted into existence. You may say that it would seem that way, but the truth is that it is that way.
Everyone and anyone can AI
Right around us, and right here in Trinidad & Tobago in all manner of social media posts— in captions, images and video— AI generated content is now ubiquitous and prolific. And it’s not limited to small operations, big businesses and national brands are all on board. Some are going even overboard, like writers at Trinidad Guardian who inadvertently wholesale copy ChatGPT follow-up prompts without checking the text.
Everyone and anyone is AI-ing
Trinis are no slouches; we’ve joined the rest of the world and embraced the phenomena like everyone else. This is permanent, and will continue growing and evolving, both for competitiveness and survival.
AI- a tool everyone can learn
A tool is only as good as the person using it, and though the playing field can never be truly level, using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini etc., do not require high technical skill to learn when compared to the tools that AI replaces, like Photoshop and Illustrator etc., both of which has steep learning curves. Not to mention they require expensive subscriptions.
The playing field was already in the midst of some levelling with the advent of Canva and CapCut which made both strides and inroads into Adobe’s domain.
Trinis primarily using free versions
Trinis are still learning and smaller businesses are mainly using free versions of ChatGPT and Gemini. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as they generate good enough results that are usable with no issues; no need to buy the purple cow… (graphic designers will get that reference 🙂
Live or die by AI in 2026- YES
No business in Trinidad & Tobago would make a conscious choice to not use AI, that’s a given. In fact, we have been falling over ourselves just to show an inkling that ‘we is people too’. The question is, will it’s use, or lack thereof, make or break you? Can it actually have that kind of impact. The answer is yes.
Not using AI is NOT a flex
Resisting jumping on the bandwagon is not a flex, there is nothing to be gained by going against the grain. Thare is no inherent advantage to say ‘we don’t use AI’, except that you’re not right in the head.
It's good business to use all available tools
Using AI is not jumping on the bandwagon and you’re not in business for playing games. It’s new, it’s a trend, and bottom-line, it’s a tool like any other, so make a good go at it.
AI will replace marketing professionals & agencies- No
‘Marketing agencies are dead’, ‘Web agencies are dead’, ‘Graphic designers are dead’… that’s a lot of dead people… seems like it’s only rosy for Dass and Belgroves. But just like robots didn’t render the labor force obsolete despite the prediction of mass unemployment and a plummeting sky, same goes for AI. The world learnt to improvise, adapt, and overcome then, and will do the same now.
AI assists in marketing not miracles
AI won’t solve your core marketing problem because that problem is usually you. Blame the economy, forex shortage, Kamla, Rowley, Tanty, the issues being faced— low sales, high staff turnover, logistics issues, cash flow issues etc., are symptoms of a larger problem that requires real intelligence not artificial.
AI is a tool that requires skill
Yes it’s as easy as prompt and you shall receive but the old computing concept ‘garbage in garbage out’ applies even today. AI responds best to thorough and articulate prompts, which, as you’ve no doubt realized, has become an art and science in itself.
How you should use AI the RIGHT way in 2026
I always advocate trying all low or no-cost solutions available before expensing yourself with a professional. It can really do no harm, it’s just the results may not be optimal. And sometimes fair or good results may be something you can live with.
1. LEARN HOW TO USE
Like any other tool you have to learn how to use. Fortunately, there is a lot of tips and tutorials out there and of course, you can ask the AI yourself.
2. LEARN AI'S APPLICATIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
AI is popular for writing social post captions and generating images and video, but there are other applications as well. For example, it can help write, say, a company profile your website, or a description for your sugarcake or your cleaning service. It can also analyze data and generate reports. So don’t overlook the other solutions it can provide.
3. TRY PAID VERSIONS OF AI TOOLS
If your credit card can handle, try temporarily upgrading to paid versions of AI tools, even if for one month, and see how much of a difference it makes. Video especially, tends to be better from paid AI plans.
4. USE AI JUDICIOUSLY, THOUGHTFULLY
Because you can generate a month of social media posts in five minutes doesn’t mean you should. It doesn’t mean that every post should be AI, and it doesn’t mean every other post should be AI. Your goal should be using the right mix of AI as part of your well developed strategy. Er… you have a strategy right? A reminder… ‘trying ah ting‘ is not a strategy.
5. DON'T USE RESPONSES WHOLESALE
Let AI do the heavy lifting but not all the lifting. There must be some element of you in there. Yes AI has learned about Trinidad & Tobago and the many references, slangs, and terms to make your captions sound Trini, but you know we Trini’s, we tend to overdo it.
Conclusion
AI will continue to make exponential strides and become the monster we all fear it will become. What we’re getting are still crumbs compared with what the unseen hands that are guiding it are getting and plan to actually use it for.
In the meantime we can only do what is in our control, you have your business to run and put food on the table, so by all means do just that.
