Any instructional designer who has wanted to use scenarios to make learning more relevant, impactful, and engaging has experienced the blank “page” of writer’s block or the reliance on subject matter experts (SMEs) to provide them. But times have changed thanks to AI-powered tools.

I used the following prompt across several tools to showcase what AI can provide: Write a scenario of a couple entering a bank in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, seeking a home loan. This single prompt generated varied outputs in format, imagination, and level of detail.

Here are five AI-powered tools used to write scenarios and how each processed my “couple seeking home loan” prompt:

• Copysmith’s freeform editor generated a 149-word scenario where Bob and Lisa explain to the teller that they want to start the process for a home loan. The short narrative was high level but did mention things common to loans, like required documentation and fees. Try it free for seven days.

• Claude-instant generated a creative and conversational scenario between our couple, Tom and Jenny, a teller, and Emily, the loan officer, that ended with the couple heading into Emily’s office. Try it free on Poe.com.

• A big step up from Claude-instant is Claude, available free for limited use through Poe.com. The conversational and descriptive, yet concise, scenario Claude generated included perceptive feelings that our couple, Jake and Emily, were experiencing: “They were nervous but excited.” The scenario also included details such as being preapproved for up to $250,000 and specific examples of required documents, including bank statements, W-2s, and tax returns.

• Jasper’s first attempt at the scenario included an end-to-end narrative of John and Sarah’s experience from walking to the bank through their feelings of relief upon hearing they had been approved a few weeks later. When prompted to revise with dialogue, the scenario included realistic conversational exchanges. Try it free for five days.

• ChatGPT+ from OpenAI provided the most extensive first draft scenario with a title, character descriptions, and three scenes. Written like a script, the detail in descriptions, feelings, and financial substance were impressive. Try the basic version of ChatGPT for free, or upgrade to ChapGPT+ for $20/month.

I was surprised the same prompt generated significant variety across the five tools. Writing dialogue has never been my strength, and to see how quickly AI-powered tools were able to spew rather conversational exchanges was impressive.

Would I take any of the generated scenarios and use them directly in one of my client’s storyboards? No.

Although I have developed training for many financial institutions, I am not a SME. I don’t know whether the couple in my prompt would realistically be preapproved for $250,000, nor do I know the required loan documentation. We must be intelligent, responsible users of AI-powered tools. Think PAT: Privacy, Accountability, and Transparency.

• Privacy: Do your prompts contain sensitive, private information that could expose you, your company, or your partners to security risks?

• Accountability: Do you know the icebreaker game “two truths and a lie”? When using AI-powered tools, you’re more likely to get “two lies and a truth.” When using AI-generated content, be hypervigilant about the quality, accuracy, and ownership of the output. There may be intellectual property or patent rights involved.

• Transparency: Inform internal and external partners of your intention to use AI-powered tools and seek permission. Some clients are extremely enthusiastic to explore how these tools can influence development timelines, while others have firm stances against using any AI-powered tools.

If I take any one of the scenarios generated from my “couple seeking home loan” prompt and apply the PAT filter, I would first ask my client for permission to use an AI-generated tool to assist with scenario development. Then I would customize the scenario with more relevant and accurate input from a SME.

AI is permeating into our work lives. If you’re cautious, good! But don’t let your caution prevent you from exploring how these tools can speed up some of our work. Experiment, remember PAT, and have fun!