How Stanford Teaches AI-Powered Creativity in Just 13 Minutes

Introduction

Still think AI can’t be creative? You’re probably asking it the wrong questions.

Stanford’s Jeremy Utley doesn’t just teach innovation, he lives it. And in just 13 minutes, he shows how anyone, even without a technical background, can use generative AI to produce breakthrough ideas.

1. Stop treating AI like a gadget, start treating it like a collaborator.

Most people treat AI like a calculator. Input something simple. Get something obvious back.
But Utley flips that thinking.

The real magic, he says, happens when you treat AI like a collaborator,  not a vending machine. You guide it. Shape it. Push it.

"Most people barely scratch the surface of what AI can actually do."

The shift isn’t in the tech. It’s in how you work with it. Creativity, like any partnership, is built through back-and-forth.

2. Structure Breeds Breakthroughs: Use Role-Based Prompts

Utley breaks his process down to a simple framework: RTCO
(R) Role → (T) Task → (C) Context → (O) Output

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Role: “Act as my creative partner.”

• Task: “Brainstorm 10 fresh ad ideas for your app, fast and focused.”

• Context: “For a Gen Z audience who values privacy and speed.”

• Output: “List format, with short, punchy hooks.”

This structure gives AI something to lean into. It’s not magic, it’s clarity. The result? Ideas that feel more human, more useful, and way closer to the mark.

3. Real-World Wins > Hypotheticals

This isn’t just theory. One ranger used a single AI prompt to cut days of paperwork —and saved 7,000 workdays across the entire Park Service.

The result? 7,000 workdays saved across the organization.

This isn’t about doing more tasks. It’s about clearing the path for higher-value thinking. That’s what creativity looks like when it’s operationalized.

4. Discipline Drives Originality

Creativity isn’t luck, it’s momentum built through practice. It’s about building the conditions for lightning to strike more often.

Utley emphasizes input curation, the quality of your ideas depends on the clarity of what you feed the model. And once you get a “decent” output? That’s just the starting line.

Pushing for better, that’s where the real edge comes in.

5. Bring It to Life with Crompt AI

Now, how do you take all this and actually apply it to your work?

Here’s how I run the same system using the Crompt AI Stack:

• Crompt AI Content Writer
  Use your RTCO prompt to generate a sharp first draft; script, blog, email, you name it.

• Crompt AI Improve Text
  Tweak tone, clean up clarity, and refine the rhythm until it sounds like you.

• Crompt AI Ad Copy Generator
  Spin out multiple hook variations in seconds, perfect for testing and iteration.

Available on iOS and Android.

6. The 13-Minute Creative Sprint

Want to try Utley’s method without overthinking it? Run this sprint:

• Set a 13-minute timer

• Use a structured RTCO prompt in Crompt Content Writer

• Refine it for 2–3 minutes using Improve Text

• Generate ad variations using the Ad Copy Generator

• Pick your favorite, tweak it, and repeat

Don’t over-edit. Don’t aim for perfect. Just move.
Speed plus structure is what unlocks momentum.

Next Steps

Creativity isn’t a personality trait. It’s a process.

When you treat AI like a thinking partner, give it clear roles, and commit to short, focused sprints — the results are surprising, fast, and genuinely useful.

You don’t need to write code or design interfaces, just know what you want and how to ask for it.

Stanford proved it’s possible. Now it’s your turn.