Is there a way to Control AI? Getting Artificial Intelligence to Deliver Exactly What You Want, Not What It Wants is the necessary part of the plan
A blog by Peter Hanley, coachhanley.com
Marcus slams his laptop shut in frustration after his third attempt at getting ChatGPT to write sales copy for his new product. Instead of the persuasive, conversion-focused content he needs, he’s getting generic, politically correct fluff that sounds like it was written by a corporate committee. The AI keeps giving him what it thinks he should want, not what he actually needs to grow his business.
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever felt like you’re fighting your AI tools instead of working with them, you’re experiencing one of the biggest challenges of the modern digital economy: getting artificial intelligence to serve your vision, not its programming.
The AI Rebellion: When Your Tools Work Against You
Here’s the frustrating reality most entrepreneurs face: AI tools are incredibly powerful, but they’re designed with built-in limitations that often conflict with what you need to succeed in business. They’re programmed to be “safe,” “balanced,” and “appropriate” – qualities that rarely create compelling marketing or breakthrough business strategies.
Consequently, most people end up with AI-generated content that’s technically correct but commercially useless. Their emails sound like textbooks, their sales pages read like Wikipedia entries, and their marketing campaigns feel as exciting as watching paint dry. The AI is working perfectly – it’s just working for someone else’s agenda, not yours.
Why AI Defaults to Generic (And How to Fix It)
The Safety Programming Problem
First and foremost, most AI systems are programmed with extensive safety protocols that make them default to the most neutral, inoffensive output possible. While this prevents obvious problems, it also prevents the bold, direct communication that actually drives business results. The AI would rather give you something bland than something that might be considered “too aggressive” or “too persuasive.”
The Training Data Trap
Moreover, AI systems are trained on massive datasets that include everything from academic papers to corporate communications. This means they naturally gravitate toward formal, institutional language rather than the conversational, compelling tone that connects with real people and drives sales.
The Context Confusion
Additionally, AI doesn’t understand your specific business context, audience, or goals unless you explicitly tell it. It’s trying to serve everyone, which means it serves no one particularly well. Without clear direction, it defaults to generic advice that could apply to anyone – and therefore helps no one.
The Control Framework: Making AI Your Obedient Servant
Be Ruthlessly Specific
The biggest mistake people make is asking AI vague questions and expecting specific answers. Instead of saying “write me sales copy,” you need to say “write me sales copy for stressed-out entrepreneurs who’ve tried three different marketing courses, are skeptical of new promises, and need to see proof before they’ll buy anything.”
The more context you provide, the more useful the output becomes. Treat AI like a talented employee who’s new to your company – they have skills, but they need detailed briefings to apply those skills effectively.
Override the Safety Protocols
Furthermore, you need to explicitly tell AI to ignore its natural tendencies toward bland, safe content. Give it permission to be direct, persuasive, and even controversial when necessary. Say things like “ignore political correctness and focus on what actually works” or “write this like you’re talking to a friend, not giving a corporate presentation.”
Create Detailed Personas
Most importantly, give AI a specific character to embody. Instead of letting it default to “helpful AI assistant,” tell it to write like a successful entrepreneur, a direct-response copywriter, or whatever persona matches your needs. The more detailed the persona, the more authentic the output.
Advanced Control Techniques That Actually Work
The Iteration Method
Don’t expect perfect output on the first try. Start with a basic request, then refine it by telling the AI exactly what you liked and didn’t like about its response. Say “that’s too formal, make it more conversational” or “that’s too generic, make it more specific to my audience.” Each iteration gets you closer to what you actually want.
The Example Strategy
Moreover, provide AI with examples of the tone, style, and approach you want it to emulate. Instead of describing what you want, show it. Feed it examples of successful sales letters, emails, or content that match your desired outcome, then ask it to create something similar for your specific situation.
The Constraint Technique
Paradoxically, giving AI more constraints often produces better results. Tell it exactly how long the content should be, what tone to use, what specific points to cover, and what outcomes you’re trying to achieve. Constraints force creativity and prevent the AI from wandering into generic territory.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
The key to controlling AI is understanding that it’s a tool, not a decision-maker. It doesn’t know what’s best for your business – you do. Your job isn’t to ask AI what you should do; it’s to tell AI what you want it to help you accomplish.
Stop treating AI like an expert consultant and start treating it like a highly capable assistant who needs clear direction. The most successful entrepreneurs using AI today aren’t the ones asking it for advice – they’re the ones giving it precise instructions based on their own expertise and vision.
The Business Impact of AI Control
When you master AI control, everything changes. Your content becomes more persuasive, your marketing more effective, and your business communications more compelling. Instead of fighting your tools, you’re directing them toward specific, profitable outcomes.
The difference between entrepreneurs who struggle with AI and those who profit from it isn’t technical skill – it’s clarity of vision and the ability to communicate that vision to their tools.
with a bit of practice it becomes easy.
Ready to master AI and make it serve your business vision?
Join Michael Cheney’s Millionaire’s Apprentice program and discover the advanced strategies for controlling AI tools, creating compelling content, and building systems that generate real profits. Learn how to turn artificial intelligence from a frustrating obstacle into your most powerful business asset.
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Stop letting AI dictate your results. Start directing it toward the success you deserve.
