I recently watched Jeff Su’s video about AI presentation tools, and it completely changed my perspective on how to leverage these technologies effectively. As someone who delivers presentations regularly, I’ve been curious about whether AI tools could streamline my workflow without sacrificing quality. What Jeff revealed was eye-opening: there’s a critical gap between insight generation and insight presentation that most people miss.
The problem with many AI presentation tools isn’t their design capabilities—it’s that they can’t generate the strategic insights that make presentations valuable in the first place. They’re excellent at creating slides for what Jeff calls “low stakes presentations,” but they can’t tell you why your client should enter a specific market or make a strategic business decision.
This distinction is crucial. In my experience working with brands to create superfans, the presentation is never just about looking good—it’s about delivering insights that drive action. The most beautiful slides in the world won’t matter if they don’t contain meaningful strategic direction.
The Three-Step Process That Actually Works
What impressed me most was Jeff’s practical three-step approach that addresses this insight gap:
- Research Phase: Use AI tools like ChatGPT with deep research capabilities to gather comprehensive market data and identify opportunities
- Structure Phase: Transform those findings into a structured outline that tells a compelling story
- Design Phase: Use presentation tools like Gamma to create polished slides based on that outline
This approach maintains human judgment at the critical decision points while leveraging AI for the heavy lifting. It’s a perfect example of what Wharton professor Ethan Molick describes as finding “the right points of collaboration for each specific task.”
The Power of Targeted Research Prompts
What struck me was how specific and comprehensive Jeff’s research prompts were. He wasn’t just asking for general information—he requested analysis using Porter’s Five Forces framework, market scorecards with rankings, and specific recommendations for each potential market.
This level of specificity produced remarkably useful results. The AI generated a detailed report with actionable insights like:
- Market compatibility factors for Indonesia (products formulated for tropical climates)
- Cultural considerations (obtaining Halal certification)
- Specific digital channel recommendations (Shopee and Lazada marketplaces)
The key insight here is that AI tools need precise direction to deliver valuable results. Vague prompts produce vague outputs. As business leaders, we need to approach AI with clear objectives and frameworks to get meaningful insights.
Transforming Data into Story
The most valuable part of Jeff’s process, in my view, was the second step—structuring the insights into a compelling narrative. This is where many presentations fall flat, regardless of whether AI is involved.
By instructing the AI to package the research into a story framework (in this case, the SEQA framework), Jeff transformed raw data into a persuasive recommendation. The presentation had a clear bottom line up front: enter the Indonesian market because it offers the highest ROI.
This approach mirrors what I teach organizations about creating superfans—you need to tell a story that connects with your audience’s needs and motivations. The presentation wasn’t just informative; it was designed to drive a specific decision.
Human Judgment Remains Essential
Despite the impressive capabilities of these AI tools, Jeff’s demonstration made it clear that human judgment remains essential. The final presentation required numerous refinements:
- Clarifying ambiguous terms and adding context
- Improving slide titles to highlight key insights
- Adjusting layouts and visuals to emphasize important points
- Adding new slides to address gaps in the narrative
These refinements weren’t just cosmetic—they were strategic decisions that improved the presentation’s impact. This reinforces my belief that AI tools are most effective when they augment human expertise rather than replace it.
Finding the Right Balance
The most powerful insight from Jeff’s demonstration was finding the right balance between AI assistance and human judgment. As he pointed out, it’s about “matching the tool to the use case.”
This approach has transformed how I think about using AI in my own work. Rather than seeing AI as either a threat or a magic solution, I now view it as a powerful collaborator that handles specific tasks while I focus on strategy and decision-making.
For anyone creating business presentations, the lesson is clear: AI tools can dramatically improve your efficiency, but only if you use them strategically. The human elements—defining objectives, structuring narratives, making recommendations—remain the most valuable parts of the process.
The future of effective presentations isn’t about surrendering to AI or rejecting it entirely. It’s about finding that perfect collaboration point where technology amplifies your expertise rather than replacing it.
