I’ve got an interview with a VP at a major vendor that I followed closely while at Light Reading but haven’t paid much attention to since. It’s for an article I’m doing on that company’s overall strategy.

I’m diving into some background to prepare for the interview, and I decided to start my research with ChatGPT. I asked: “What are some questions I can ask COMPANY-NAME about its overall strategy.” (I used the company name, which I’m redacting here.) ChatGPT had the following suggestions:

Can you tell me more about COMPANY’s current strategic priorities?

Who do you see as your competitors?

How does COMPANY differentiate itself from competitors in the industry?

Can you speak to any recent acquisitions or partnerships COMPANY has made, and how they fit into the company’s overall strategy?

How does COMPANY approach innovation and staying ahead of emerging technologies?

Can you discuss any challenges or opportunities you see on the horizon for COMPANY?

How does COMPANY prioritize and approach sustainability and corporate social responsibility?

Can you speak to COMPANY’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company and in the broader industry?

How does COMPANY work with customers to understand and meet their needs?

Can you discuss any recent or upcoming product releases that you’re particularly excited about?

How does COMPANY approach talent acquisition and development, and what opportunities are there for employees to grow and advance within the company?

These are damn good questions. They’re generic—not specific to the company or even the tech industry—but helpful. This is a list of questions to get me started, and I’ll continue to work on them and polish them before the interview begins. A few questions are missing, but there are also a few I would not have thought to ask.

I’ve been using chat AI for a week now, and this is what I’m finding: It doesn’t do creative work, but it’s great as an assistant. Kevin Kelly said it’s like having an intelligent intern helping you out, and I think that’s a good metaphor.

Everything ChatGPT says is unreliable. Everything. It will all need to be verified.

I treat it like a source that’s plugged in to gossip. I’m used to dealing with those. They’re great, but you have to use the information right.

I ran this post through Grammarly after writing it, and Grammarly suggested corrections to phrasing in ChatGPT’s questions. One AI is now correcting another AI!