I Use GPT to Slow Down, Not Speed Up
Last week, GPT-4 officially retired. It was one of the most revolutionary products since the internet. One of the reasons GPT felt so futuristic (and still does) is how simple it is. No code. No expertise. Just conversation. It felt biblical: in the beginning, it was words.
It's basic, yet feels like a window into the future. In fact, most creative AI tools are heading the same way: powerful results, minimal friction. Think about it: generating quality AI video required wrestling with complex workflows like LoRA. But now, it’s becoming push-a-button simple.
But here’s the paradox: the easier these tools get, the easier they are to misuse. GPT can echo your worst instincts and make them sound like wisdom. That’s why using it well now, isn’t optional. It’s practice for what’s coming next. And doing it well demands judgment, taste, and lived experience… qualities that AI simply can’t copy.
Today, I want to show you how I use GPT to brainstorm. It’s simple and works with any chatbot or AI model.
First, the Idea. Then, the Machine.
I Don’t Start With GPT. I Use It to Break the Idea.
I never open ChatGPT to find ideas. I bring it in after I already have something real.
When I throw an idea into GPT, I’m not looking for magic. I want resistance. I want it to suggest the the safe versions so I can reject them.
That moment of rejection, that fragile fleeting moment where you realize what you don’t want, is where clarity lives. That’s where my taste and purpose show up.
the more I fight with the machine, the more I sound like myself.
Most people use GPT to write faster. I use it to think slower. To cut through the version that’s too polished, too marketing-y, too afraid… and find the real edge.
It’s not writing with a robot. It’s writing against one.
How It Works
Let’s say I’m working on a new project: a short web series about artists who left everything behind to start over. It feels strong. Emotional. But then that voice in your head kicks in:
"Is this too niche?"
"Will anyone care?"
"Should I make it more… YouTube-y?"
That’s when I open GPT. Not to polish. To break :
“Critique this like a cynical marketer.”
“Rewrite this if I was chasing virality.”
“Which part is style without substance?”
“Rewrite it like I didn’t care about money or followers and had a one-year run.”
“What part of this doesn’t sound like Reza?”
I don’t use any of the output directly. I just watch how the idea bends under pressure. Where it breaks. Where it stays true. That’s how AI becomes a mirror.
So… test ideas. Don’t finish them. Keep digging until something sharper, more personal, shows up. That’s how you slow down… by adding thoughtful pauses. This isn’t productivity. It’s a form of focus. That’s how you train the model on your thinking patterns.
Don’t use AI as a shortcut. Don’t use it to get ahead. Use it to get under. Under the noise, under the fear, under the algorithm.
In a world where everyone has the same tools, the only edge is how you blend it with your creative identity.
Key Things to Remember
Use the pro version. The free ones lack reasoning.
GPT is creative, but terrible at real-world constraints. It gives confident ideas that collapse under execution. Keep that in mind.
Since its April update, it’s even more tuned to be audience-pleasing—which means if you’re not careful, it’ll try to make your ideas likable instead of honest. That’s a dangerous loop.
Prompts matter. But don’t obsess. What you ask matters more than how you ask it. People chasing perfect prompts are usually chasing outputs. Storytellers? They keep experimenting.
At the end: working with AI takes judgment. If you have a bold, sensitive, rebellious voice… bring it. AI doesn’t fight that. It feeds on it.
That’s all for now. I just got back from Milan, where we produced stories and assets for a global design competition. It was intense and inspiring. Over the past two months, I’ve had productions and screening in Portland, New York, Prague, and Milan. Now that I’m back in LA, I’m reminded that nothing beats being still for a moment and thinking clearly.
Next up in June: productions in Boston and New York. If you’re building something new with AI or working on a next-gen studio, hit me up and… let’s grab a beer :)