By Larry Urish, Contributing Writer

Since the beginning of the industrial age, technical improvements have been made possible by the work of experts in their respective fields. Automotive technology, for example, has advanced due to the efforts of engineers and mechanics well versed in their specialty. So we would expect the growth of artificial intelligence to be led by top scientists and software engineers, people with years of experience at the cutting edge of digital technology.

However, that’s not the case, said Roger Lloyd, director of the Marketing Center of Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center. “People think AI equals IT, but that’s not really true,” he said. “While the technical aspect involves scientists building language models, for the general use of AI for productivity and human enhancement, anyone – regardless of age, background or education level – can use it.”

Sharing the widespread accessibility and benefit of artificial intelligence was a key element behind the inaugural Orange County Artificial Intelligence Prompt-a-Thon, an AI prompt writing competition hosted by Santiago Canyon College on Tuesday. Organized by the local SBDC, Orange County Regional Consortium, Anaheim Unified School District and United Way of Orange County, the event featured teams competing to write the most effective AI recommendations addressing a variety of topics.

SCC President Jeannie Kim introduces the teams at the college’s inaugural Prompt-a-Thon. (Photo courtesy of RSCCD Communications)

Competitors from the top two Prompt-a-Thon teams shake hands at the conclusion of the event. (Photo courtesy of RSCCD Communications)

The top three teams in the SCC Prompt-a-Thon received trophies. (Photo courtesy of RSCCD Communications)

Students participating in SCC’s inaugural Prompt-a-Thon address the initial question in crafting AI prompts. (Photo courtesy of RSCCD Communications)

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SCC President Jeannie Kim introduces the teams at the college’s inaugural Prompt-a-Thon. (Photo courtesy of RSCCD Communications)

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What exactly is an AI prompt? “It’s a guided and well-directed sequence of words that educates the AI ​​and leads to responses, solutions or personalized responses,” said Michael Sacoto, interim executive director of the Orange County Regional Consortium. Prompt writers, he said, engage with AI in what are essentially text-based conversations to come up with solutions and strategies for all kinds of challenges.

“An effective prompt considers more than just the bottom line,” said Lloyd, who ran an AI consulting firm from 2015 to 2019. “It involves the emotional tone of a prompt and includes many details about the intended recipients — their level of education , for example. — to deliver the desired result. When done effectively, writing a prompt can take up to 15 minutes.

“Michael and I asked ourselves, ‘What if we had a competition in a fun environment that showcased momentum as creativity in action?’ Lloyd said. … Our goal was to use this Prompt-a-Thon as a platform to showcase how anyone can use AI at any age, any background, or any level of education. It also shows the value of teamwork while providing examples of effective versus ineffective stimulation and illustrates how creative thinking is essential in harnessing agile engineering.”

Having students understand how to use prompts appropriately, whether in the classroom or in competitions like this, helps them develop their skills and understanding of this resource that the workforce will be demanding very soon,” he said. Sacoto said.

Competing students came from Anaheim Unified School District and Orange County United Way; both organizations recruited and trained the students, Sacoto said. Pitting one group against another in a 16-team playoff format, each team was given a prompt opening question and had one minute to discuss it. “Then they had three minutes to write back and forth to get as close as possible to a solution,” Lloyd said. A panel of six judged their work based on the number of written prompts to solve the problem, the creativity involved and the final result. “Seeing the speed of creative thinking in action was extremely valuable in a fun learning environment like this.”

The winning team members, from Kennedy High School and Kennedy Institute of Technology & Engineering, were Michael Clavio and Jaden Baena.

An example of a prompt opening question is as follows: You are tasked with organizing a school spirit event in Orange, CA, where the high school graduation rate is 88% and school pride is high. Describe what the event would include and how you would make it inclusive and engaging for students in all grades. Some clues to guide the contestants, Lloyd said, would include the school’s graduation rate and level of school spirit. “I wanted them to use them in the prompt writing process.”

Both teams going head-to-head in a given round were separated so they couldn’t see the other’s prompts, while the audience saw big screens as they watched the competition unfold quickly.

While noting the SBDC’s contribution, Lloyd praised the OC Regional Consortium, Anaheim Unified School District and OC United Way for their critical efforts in organizing the competition and applauded Santiago Canyon College for hosting the event.

The next Prompt-a-Thon will be held on December 12th at Santa Ana College. As for future competitions, “Roger and I would like to expand it to non-students,” Sacoto said. “For example, we have an idea to open a Prompt-a-Thon for older adults. … And we would like to thank our leadership for giving us the blessings to put something like this together.”