The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools has become increasingly impactful in business operations globally. AI tools have been shown to drastically improve business operations, increasing employee productivity and, many times, resulting in increased revenue. Likewise, the use of AI tools poses risks to privacy, security, and infringement of intellectual property if improperly used. Multiple global, regional, and national policies are being developed to integrate AI tools into standard business operations to ensure that use of AI for innovation and productivity does not cause harm to both businesses and clients.
In just 5 steps, this quick guide to AI is specifically designed for businesses to learn crucial concepts, terminologies, and practical tools and pipelines to ethically incorporate AI into standard business operations.
💡 STEP 1: Are you Ready for AI? Take the QUIZ to find out!
AI Readiness Assessment
📖 STEP 2: What is AI and how can it help my business?
How well do you know key AI concepts and terminologies? What are the top nine terms every business leader must know about AI? Take this 10-slide interactive learning module to find out!
📝 STEP 3: Writing good prompts for your business needs
A prompt is the instruction, question, or input that a user provides to an artificial intelligence (AI) system to guide its response. A good prompt helps create good responses. Here are the five W’s of writing good prompts when using GenAI.
Who should the AI act as? Give AI a Role.
“You are an experienced HR manager.”
What do you want the AI to do? Be Specific and Concrete.
“Write a job advertisement.”
Where or in what context will the output be used? Provide Context.
“This will be posted on LinkedIn for applicants in the Philippines.”
What timeline, occasion, or constraints should the AI consider?
“The position starts next month, so highlight immediate availability.”
Why are you creating this? What is the goal?
“The goal is to attract qualified applicants while keeping the tone friendly and professional.”
Here’s an Example Prompt following the 5 Ws
Who: You are an experienced HR manager.
What: Write a job advertisement for an Administrative Assistant.
Where: It will be posted on LinkedIn for applicants in the Philippines.
When: We are hiring for an immediate opening next month.
Why: We want to attract qualified candidates using a clear, professional, and engaging tone.
“Write a Facebook post about our new product.”
“You are a social media marketing specialist. Write a Facebook post announcing our new eco-friendly reusable water bottle for young professionals. The goal is to increase online sales. Keep it under 150 words, use a friendly tone, include three relevant hashtags, and end with a call to action to visit our website.”
QUICK ACTIVITY: Try these prompts in a GenAI tool and see how different the outputs are!
📋 STEP 4: AI Resource List for Businesses
Not all AI tools are good for your business. To minimize your cost while maximizing productivity, businesses need to use AI tools that fit their specific business needs and budget. Here are examples of AI tools you can use for your business.
ChatGPT
OpenAI’s conversational AI model for text, reasoning, and analysis.
Claude
Anthropic’s AI assistant focused on long context, coding, and writing.
Gemini
Google’s multimodal AI integrated across Google Workspace.
MS Copilot
Microsoft’s AI assistant powered by GPT models.
DALL-E
OpenAI’s AI model for generating detailed images from text prompts.
Midjourney
Independent research lab tool known for high-quality, artistic image generation.
Adobe Firefly
Adobe’s generative AI engine for creating images, text effects, and vector graphics.
Canva AI
Suite of AI tools built into Canva for visual design, editing, and content creation.
Ideogram
Generative image model specializing in clear text rendering and typography within images.
Synthesia
AI video generator creating professional videos with digital avatars and voiceovers.
ElevenLabs
Advanced AI text-to-speech platform providing realistic voice synthesis and cloning.
Suno
AI music platform capable of producing full songs with vocals and instrumentation.
Udio
Generative AI tool for crafting custom music tracks across diverse genres.
Notion
All-in-one workspace featuring embedded AI for writing, summarizing, and note organization.
Gamma
AI-powered presentation and document generator for quick slide decks and web pages.
Jasper
Enterprise AI copilot focused on marketing copywriting, content strategy, and brand voice.
HubSpot
CRM platform with integrated AI assistants for sales, marketing, and customer service.
LinkedIn Recruiter
Talent acquisition tool utilizing AI for candidate sourcing and message drafting.
Workday
Enterprise HR and finance cloud system leveraging AI for talent and workforce management.
Eightfold
AI talent intelligence platform for skills-based hiring and career path planning.
Salesforce Einstein
Built-in CRM AI offering predictive analytics, automated workflows, and customer insights.
OpenAI API
Developer endpoint for integrating GPT models, embeddings, and vision into custom apps.
Llama API
API access to Meta’s open-weights Llama models hosted on cloud infrastructure.
Gemini API
Google AI Studio developer interface for integrating Gemini LLMs into applications.
Claude API
Anthropic’s developer interface for integrating Claude into custom software workflows.
Azure OpenAI
Enterprise-grade platform providing OpenAI models with Microsoft security and compliance.
📜 STEP 5: Create your AI action plan
Finally, it’s time to write down and formalize your AI action plan to ensure that everyone in your team is on the same page. Writing it down and making an organizational policy will help you integrate, control, and monitor the use of AI within your organization. Get your team to fill out the form below, and develop an AI action plan that is fit for your business.
AI ACTION PLAN
1. Biggest Opportunities
Which areas could benefit most from AI?
2. 3 Tasks I Can Improve with AI
3. AI Tools to Explore
4. Safe AI Practices
5. My First AI Experiment
6. My Commitment
Within the next 30 days, I will.
Congratulations!
You completed the 5-STEP Guide to AI for Businesses!
You’ve taken an important first step in integrating AI in your organization. But a good plan is only the first step. You need a competitive team to make it happen. Build the capacity of your whole team through the Harnessing the Power of the Digital Economy (HPDE) full course. The full guide to business digitalization in the age of AI. The HPDE course is 100% FREE and comes with a certificate and practical workshop outputs. Integrate the course into your HR training protocols, or as part of your business support for clients. E-mail [CIPE] for inquiries.
Click the button below to go to the HPDE course, or e-mail [CIPE] for inquiries.
Resources and Declarations
RESOURCES USED IN THIS GUIDE
Almuammar, M., Alsultan, K. & Altukhaim, Y.
Generative Artificial Intelligence Models: A Survey. Artif Intell Rev 59, 160 (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10462-026-11546-1
Bendig, D., Bräunche, A.
The role of artificial intelligence algorithms in information systems research: a conceptual overview and avenues for research. Manag Rev Q 75, 2863–2908 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-024-00451-y
Bartneck, C., Lütge, C., Wagner, A., Welsh, S. (2021).
What Is AI?. In: An Introduction to Ethics in Robotics and AI. SpringerBriefs in Ethics. Springer, Cham.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51110-4_2
Bauch, J., Kanbach, D.K., Brenk, K. et al.
Beyond the GenAI hype: a framework for Generative AI in business. Rev Manag Sci (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10186-w
Enholm, I.M., Papagiannidis, E., Mikalef, P. et al.
Artificial Intelligence and Business Value: a Literature Review. Inf Syst Front 24, 1709–1734 (2022).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10186-w
Hayes, Stephen and Aggarwal, Rohit and Singh, Harpreet and Wang, Hongchang, Artificial Intelligence in Business Research: A Taxonomy of Methodological Roles and Future Directions (January 05, 2026). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6024534 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6024534
McDowell, J. Technology & Artificial Intelligence for Nonprofits. Course
Woolley, Jennifer L., Generative AI and Business: A Review and Research Agenda (January 01, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6498298 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6498298
DECLARATION OF AI USE
AI tools were used in the development of this course to support the creation of selected visual materials, summaries, and other course content. AI-generated outputs were reviewed, edited, and validated by the course developers to ensure accuracy, relevance, clarity, and alignment with the objectives of the course.
The course developers remain responsible for the final content and materials presented in this course.
TERMS OF USE
Harnessing the Power of the Digital Economy Course
Terms of Use – Attribution, Non-Commercial Use License
By accessing or using the content provided under this Attribution, Non-Commercial Use License, you agree to comply with the following terms and conditions:
1. License Grant: The licensor grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, revocable license to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute the licensed content, provided that such use is strictly for non-commercial purposes.
2. Attribution: If you use the licensed content, you must provide proper attribution to the licensor as follows:
- Clearly state that the content is licensed under this Attribution, Non-Commercial Use License.
- Include the name of the licensor, the title of the content, and a link to the original source, if applicable.
3. Non-Commercial Use: You may use the licensed content only for non-commercial purposes, which means you are not permitted to use it for any activity that involves commercial gain, financial profit, or any form of remuneration, unless you obtain prior written permission from the licensor.
4. Modification and Derivative Works: You may modify or create derivative works based on the licensed content, provided that you clearly indicate any changes made and do not claim that the original content is your own.
5. No Sublicensing: You are not allowed to sublicense, transfer, or assign the rights granted under this license to any third party without prior written consent from the licensor.
6. No Endorsement: The license does not grant you any rights to use the licensor’s name, logo, or trademark. Your use of the content should not imply or suggest any endorsement, affiliation, or sponsorship by the licensor.
7. No Warranties: The licensed content is provided on an ‘as is’ basis, without any warranties or representations. The licensor makes no guarantee regarding the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose of the content.
8. Termination: This license is effective until terminated by either party. If you violate the terms of this license, it will automatically terminate. The licensor reserves the right to revoke this license at any time without notice.
9. Governing Law: This license is governed by the laws of Washington, DC, and any disputes arising from its use will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Washington, DC.
By using the licensed content, you acknowledge and agree to be bound by these terms of use. If you do not agree with these terms, you should not use the content covered by this license. If you have any questions or wish to request additional permissions beyond the scope of this license, please contact the licensor through the provided contact information.
Contact Information:
Center for International Private Enterprise
Layertech Software Labs