Jeremy Utley of Stanford on AI as a Teammate: Boost Productivity and Creativity in 2025
Jeremy Utley, an adjunct professor at Stanford University who teaches creativity and AI, is on a mission to reframe how the world collaborates with artificial intelligence. His message? Stop using AI as a tool—treat it like a teammate. Visual image of Jeremy Utley Speaking to The Associated Press, Utley recounted Winston Churchill’s legendary bathtub brainstorming sessions, where the British prime minister dictated speeches to an assistant. “Today, even the poorest person in Palo Alto can have what only Churchill once did: an assistant that knows their voice, context, and intent,” Utley said. “AI makes that possible. But most people aren’t tapping its full potential.” Utley, who has taught innovation and entrepreneurship at Stanford for 15 years, co-authored the 2022 book Idea Flow—a guide to creative problem-solving—just before ChatGPT’s launch upended his field. “It felt like writing the definitive book on retail right before Amazon took over,” he joked. Since ...
