DRIVE TECHNOLOGY
DRIVING INNOVATION KNOWLEDGE BASE CAMP
Why the companies winning with AI aren't using better tools, they're feeding them better information
By Jesse Ziter
For the latest installment of our ongoing Driving Innovation series, we got back in touch with Jordan Goure, chronic entrepreneur and, most recently, co-founder of the dynamic hiring platform Picsume. Goure was recently identified as an “Emerging Leader” in Artificial Intelligence by The Peak, a popular Canadian business newsletter. According to Goure, if your AI workflow doesn’t start with a knowledge base, you’re already falling behind.
The Big Idea: The knowledge Base In the context of consumer-facing AI-powered chat apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity, a knowledge base is a structured, centralized repository of specific information (think rules, documents, and baseline facts) that an AI-enabled system accesses to do its work: “reason,” answer questions, and make decisions. While a “basic” AI tool (e.g., a new ChatGPT window) relies on a broad-spectrum information library assembled from years of scraping who-knows-what across the internet, an AI tool with a purpose-built knowledge base will prioritize the specific stuff that matter most to you and whatever work you do. “A knowledge base provides the information layer that helps AI generate accurate, context-aware responses. It doesn’t make AI necessarily smarter, just more informed,” explains Goure. “Instead of re-explaining your business, your tone, or your processes every time you start a conversation, a knowledge base stores that information so the AI can reference it when needed. Think of it as the difference between working with a temp who needs everything explained from scratch and a trained employee who already has access to your company's documentation and procedures.” Alternatively, if we can borrow a different use of the key word, think of it as starting every query on third base: if a lot of the groundwork has been laid before your step up to the plate, the path to your goal becomes much shorter.
Connect the Bots: What Your Knowledge Base Can Include Any knowledge base will be populated by documents of various varieties; for example, custom GPTs (tailored versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool built for specific purposes) permit direct file uploads. Popular static document formats include PDFs, Microsoft Word and Google docs, text-based training manuals, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The strongest possible knowledge base will also “talk to” several of the systems you already use in your work by integrating external software platforms. Goure has witnessed successful integrations of workplace-management, corporate communications, and productivity apps like Notion, Hubspot, Slack, Google Drive, and Airtable. Moreover, according to Goure, some platforms let you “deliver” live data, recorded in real time, directly into your AI workflows.
Keep It Simple: How to Set Up a Knowledge Base For Yourself Goure recommends a straightforward four-step process to construct a new knowledge base: 1. Gather your documents: Comb through your company’s hard drives and cloud storage to identify existing SOPs, frequently asked questions (FAQs), product descriptions, brand guidelines, past emails, and policies that are still valid and relevant to your work. 2. U pload the documents or approve direct connections to cloud apps to share them with your AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, etc.). 3. Test the AI by asking it a question your proprietary documents should answer; see if it responds correctly. 4. R efine the process over time by cleaning up any outdated or conflicting information and re-uploading newer, better files.
Jordan Goure is an entrepreneur and community leader who launched his first business at 19. He now owns Vin Winery, several resort properties, and a real estate development company. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of Picsume, an award-winning Canadian software company building ethical AI and workforce solutions. Based in Windsor-Essex, he serves on the Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island board of directors. He holds a Political Science degree and has completed a Harvard executive business program in AI strategy.
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