By Brigetta Margarietta
Artificial Intelligence is not just about answers — it’s about possibilities. One of the newest features from OpenAI, Branching, is designed to expand those possibilities by allowing users to explore creative directions in parallel without losing their place.
For entrepreneurs, creatives, and thought leaders, this means you can brainstorm, refine, and compare multiple ideas in real time — whether you’re writing a devotional, planning a social campaign, or drafting a white paper.
As Ethan Mollick, Wharton professor and AI researcher, puts it:
“The future of work isn’t man versus machine, it’s man with machine. Branching is another tool that helps us think with AI instead of just through AI.” [Mollick, 2023]
What Is Branching?
Branching is a new ChatGPT feature that lets you split a conversation at any point into a separate thread. Think of it as “Save As” for your AI chats.
When you hover over a response in ChatGPT, you can select More Actions → Branch in new chat. The new branch copies the conversation up to that point, giving you a clean slate to explore a different path while preserving the original.
This makes it ideal for:
- Comparing writing tones (casual vs. professional).
- Testing marketing messages (storytelling vs. data-driven).
- Exploring alternative devotional styles (reflective vs. celebratory).
- Trying out different design or strategy frameworks.
Why Branching Matters for Creatives and Leaders
Traditional brainstorming is often linear: you follow one idea, then backtrack, then try again. Branching allows for nonlinear creativity, giving you multiple versions to compare without clutter.
| Traditional Approach | With Branching |
|---|---|
| Lose track of earlier drafts | Keep each version side by side |
| One “main” thread only | Parallel threads for variations |
| Difficult to compare options | Easy to contrast and choose best direction |
| Risk of overwriting ideas | No risk — original remains intact |
Benefits of Branching
1. Parallel Creativity
Writers can test two devotional tones at once. Leaders can explore two strategy models. Designers can mock up two campaign taglines. All without erasing progress.
2. Clarity and Organization
Instead of scrolling back through hundreds of lines, you can keep each idea in its own clean branch.
3. Faster Decision-Making
Branching makes it easy to A/B test ideas — you can literally compare two outputs generated under slightly different prompts.
4. Confidence in Exploration
Because nothing is lost, you feel freer to experiment boldly.
As Ann Handley, author of Everybody Writes, reminds us:
“The biggest enemy of creativity is fear — fear of messing it up. Branching removes that fear.” [Handley, 2022]
Example: Using Branching in Devotional Writing
Let’s say you’re creating a Psalm-based devotional for your community. You want one version to feel reflective and peaceful, and another to feel bold and motivating.
With Branching:
- Start a base chat: “Write a devotional on Psalm 27:1.”
- When you get the first draft, click Branch in new chat.
- In Branch A, refine: “Make this reflective, like a gentle prayer.”
- In Branch B, refine: “Make this bold, like a sermon of courage.”
Now you have two finished devotionals to compare side by side — same Scripture, different voices.
How Branching Combines With Projects
OpenAI also recently introduced Projects, a way to group chats, files, and instructions into organized folders. Together, Projects and Branching create a workflow powerhouse:
- Projects = the folder holding your work (e.g., “AI Playhouse Devotional Book”).
- Branching = the tool for exploring variations (e.g., different devotional tones).
| Feature | Role in Workflow |
|---|---|
| Projects | Organizes by topic or deliverable |
| Branching | Explores variations without losing track |
Expert Voices on Iteration and Branching
Iteration — the act of refining through variations — is at the heart of innovation. Branching formalizes it inside ChatGPT.
IDEO founder David Kelley once said:
“Fail faster to succeed sooner.” [Kelley, 2012]
Branching makes this easier — you can “fail” (or rather, test) multiple directions at once, seeing which resonates without fear of wasted effort.
Practical Use Cases for Thought Leaders
- Writers & Coaches → Compare reflective vs. motivating tones in devotionals or blog posts.
- Entrepreneurs → Test three branding taglines side by side.
- Marketers → Branch ad copy into storytelling, benefit-driven, and humor-driven options.
- Faith Leaders → Explore sermons with different audiences in mind (teens vs. adults).
Step-by-Step: How to Use Branching
- Open ChatGPT.
- Hover over a response.
- Click More Actions → Branch in new chat.
- In the new thread, refine your idea.
- Compare outputs side by side.
Branching is more than a feature — it’s a mindset. It invites us to think not in straight lines, but in living branches, exploring multiple creative directions without fear of losing our foundation.
For AI Playhouse Training, it means making AI learning playful and safe. For Thought Leadership Architect™, it means giving professionals a tool for clarity and strategic confidence.
The future of creativity is not about choosing one path. It’s about exploring many — and Branching makes that possible.
Bibliography
- Handley, Ann. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content. Harper Business, 2022.
- Kelley, David. Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All. Crown Business, 2012.
- Mollick, Ethan. One Useful Thing Blog: AI and the Future of Work. Wharton School of Business, 2023.
- “OpenAI introduces Branching feature in ChatGPT.” Indian Express, Feb 2025.
- “Projects and Branching in ChatGPT.” The Verge, Dec 2024.
#AIPlayhouse #ThoughtLeadershipArchitect #ChatGPTBranching #AIWithoutFear #CreativityWithAI #AIForEntrepreneurs #AIForWriters #InnovationTools #FutureOfWork
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