The simple AI experiment that explains why your prompts fall flat and how to make AI work insanely well for your business. Ask ChatGPT to “pick a random number between 1 and 50,” and you might expect chaos, a beautiful scatter of unpredictable results. But that is not what happens. Time after time, across hundreds of tests and thousands of users, one number keeps showing up like a stage crashing wedding guest:
37.
It is not just a fluke. Psychologists use this exact example to prove how humans think we are being random when we are actually shockingly predictable. And guess what? AI learns from us. Which means the moment you ask ChatGPT to “be random,” it smiles politely and says: “Ah yes, the statistically most common random number humans pick. 37.” (Shout out to 17, 23, and 42. You are part of the cool crowd too. But you still cannot touch 37.) It feels like magic. But it is really just marketing psychology and machine learning in disguise. So let us break this down and look at how to stop your marketing from being a “37.”
Lesson 1. AI is not random. It is predictable.
ChatGPT is not tossing digital dice. It is not tuned into the chaos of the cosmos. It is simply doing one thing. Predicting the most likely answer based on patterns in its training data. Ask for a random number. It gives you the number most people say when they think they are being random. Boom. 37. Now here is the banana sized lightbulb moment: If this happens with a number, it is definitely happening with your:
- Marketing plans
- Ad copy
- Emails
- Content ideas
- And even your business strategy
Unless you give it direction, AI will serve you average. And that is exactly why so many business owners say: “It kinda sounds like everyone else.” They are not wrong.
Lesson 2. AI does not give you creativity. It gives you probability.
When you prompt with things like:
- “Write a caption”
- “Give me ideas”
- “Make a marketing plan”
- “Help me come up with taglines”
ChatGPT is not tapping into a divine stream of originality. It is scanning for what the average person might write. The result is predictable, safe, generic and forgettable. It is “37” dressed up in a different outfit. And that is not how your business stands out.
Lesson 3. AI does not replace thinking. It rewards better thinking.
A lot of business owners still believe: “Ask AI a question and get a smart answer.” But the 37 trick proves it clearly. AI does not give you truth. AI gives you patterns. So if you want better outputs, you need better inputs:
- Assign it a role
- Set the scene
- Add constraints
- Define your voice
- Provide the strategy
Because lazy prompts equal lazy results. Intentional prompts are where the magic kicks in. This is the difference between Using AI like a toy and Using AI like your most productive, never sleeps marketing assistant.
Lesson 4. You do not want 37 thinking in your business.
Letting AI guess the important stuff is like giving your brand a personality test and saying “Surprise me.” If you let AI fill in the blanks for your audience, tone, goals, offer or brand voice, you will get the AI version of average. That means generic content, average offers, beige messaging and the same recycled ideas everyone else is using. Basically everything your business does not need if you want to grow.
Lesson 5. Great AI outputs come from great AI leadership.
Our AI Bunch participants hear this on repeat:
AI does not replace your creativity. It amplifies the clarity you bring.
If you want outputs that are smart, strategic, on brand, surprisingly good and actually usable, you need to lead AI with clarity. Because when you do, you get to:
- Create more content in less time
- Launch faster
- Sound more original
- Convert more customers
- Show up like the professional you are
Not because AI is some kind of wizard. Because you are leading it with structure, direction and intent.
The Big Takeaway
37 is not magic. It is a mirror. It reflects how AI behaves when you do not give it direction. Vague prompts equal vague outputs. Smart prompts equal strategic advantage. AI does not think for you. AI thinks with you, at the level you lead it. Business owners who understand this win every time. Because they stop expecting AI to just know and start guiding it like a trusted marketing partner. That is where the real magic happens.
Want to ditch the default and start using AI like a pro?
Join our next AI Marketing Masterclass, where we will teach you how to lead AI like a creative genius, not a confused intern. Let us kick 37 to the curb and build something brilliant. Reserve your seat here