Have you used AI in your daily life? I just asked that question to a room of 10 people ranging in age from 35 to 85.
Only one person other than me was using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard (now renamed Gemini), Bing Chat (now renamed Copilot), or any other AI chatbot that came out last year. did.
People who used it updated their professional background through prompts in the free version of ChatGPT. Although her words were short and sweet, she did a great job of creating the appropriate job history she needed at that moment.
How can AI be used in daily life?
My casual survey of people in the room is consistent with findings from many more scientific surveys and studies across the country. Most people have heard of generative AI, but few have used (or even know about) it, and the majority should not trust it.
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As most chatbots will tell you, it’s best to be skeptical at this point. New consumer AI technology tools are still in their infancy and may be prone to glitches and full of misinformation.
As long as you understand these limitations and incorporate some professional tips, there are some very useful ways you can use these tools right now.
meal planning
Meal planning is a fan favorite. You can tell an AI chatbot what you have in your fridge and it will give you a recipe. Or help you plan dinner or buy groceries based on your dietary restrictions.
As I learned while on vacation in Costa Rica, you can do the same thing with cocktails.
My niece Megan Brelock, 27, says meal planning is “the most useful way to use AI right now.” Block says she also uses AI to make meal suggestions.
“Let ChatGPT search for recipes, or import a spreadsheet of cataloged recipes,” she says. “You can also use something you find online with appropriate prompts, such as ‘Prepare a week’s worth of healthy three-course meals with Ina Garten’s recipes.’ , you should see the appropriate answers. You can then also display them in a graph. There’s also a grocery list organized by category.”
nicole mora, The 46-year-old communications expert agrees that AI chatbots can also be of great help when there are health concerns.
“I take advantage of this because my mother-in-law has 3 different health conditions/autoimmune issues and is limited in what she can eat. We asked if the food was safe and asked for recipes and shopping lists.”
You can also ask ChatGPT to provide this information in “table format” and it will generate a nice list that can be used in other programs such as Microsoft Excel.
Pro tip: If you ask vague or confusing questions, you may not get good results regarding the recipe. Use prompts that feel like you’re talking to a real person, and be as detailed as possible to suit your personal preferences.
For example, instead of asking for a “chicken recipe,” say, “Can you give me a recipe for easy Thai curry chicken with coconut milk, tofu, and seasonal vegetables? I’m an intermediate cook and I’m looking for a dish.” I will ask. You can make it in just one pot in less than 30 minutes. ”
planning a trip
Did I mention I was in Costa Rica recently? I use Copilot to create last-minute packing lists to remember important things and reduce overpacking. It reminded me to bring mosquito repellent and open water swim goggles and forget my jacket and dress shoes.
It’s not earth-shattering, but it did the job we needed to do quickly and efficiently. On the 5th day of his 10-day trip, he was really happy that he didn’t pack too much (for a change) and still had everything he needed.
I also use Blelloch often for travel ideas. “We test-ran her five-day trip to London in July, and it was pretty close to the actual itinerary,” she says. “The restaurant recommendations were pretty good (you can customize them based on price and preferences), so if you’re going somewhere new and don’t know where to start, give the AI a chance. It can recommend literally everything. Masu.”
pro tips: Have you heard about the AI ”hallucination” problem? That’s when AI makes something up but presents it as fact.
That happened last fall when I tried ChatGPT to help with a camping-based road trip itinerary. In particular, it failed miserably when asked to find dispersed camping on BLM land, which was the main reason I used it.
I recently used paid versions of all three: ChatGPT4, Gemini, and Copilot, and by asking the chatbots to incorporate suggestions from trusted travel sites like Lonely Planet, The Points Guy, and Outside Magazine. I got better results. (Especially since I love adventure travel). Each chatbot costs approximately $20 per month after a free trial period.
job interview
While we all fear AI taking our jobs, Brelock says chatbots are also incredibly helpful for job seekers. “During a job interview, I cut out the job description and resume, pasted it into his ChatGPT, and had the AI create a list of interview questions. It really helped me. [the potential questions] Tailored to the position and my resume. ”
Blelloch also used ChatGPT to write early drafts of cover letters and critique resumes based on specific job descriptions. “Of course these required extensive editing,” she added. “But all the keywords that the AI would search for on the receiving end were used, and I got more interviews than when I was writing the cover letter. [from scratch]”
Pro tip: Be sure to use an AI chatbot to test your job interview answers and have them rate your answers as if they were the hiring manager.
AI responses are not human, so use them for brainstorming and practice rather than memorizing them (obviously). That way, when you get the inevitable question, “What’s your biggest weakness?” you’ll have a better answer than “I work too much.”
Create family activities
AI chatbots tend to be good at brainstorming and bad at conveying “facts.” Still, it’s great for developing new ways to engage, entertain, and educate children.
Last summer, Lorena Ruggiero, a PR strategist in San Diego, used ChatGPT to create a “Golden Hour” curriculum for her 12-year-old son.
“He’s academically strong, so we wanted to immerse him in something mentally stimulating instead of playing video games or watching YouTube all day long,” Ruggiero explained.
Her son’s teacher recommended the “Golden Hour” plan. The idea is to help students spend an hour each day pursuing a topic that interests them. “He had some interest in stop-motion animation with Lego and his iPad, so his 8-week ‘Golden Hour’ curriculum taught him how to create stop-motion Lego films using OpenAI.” ,” says Ruggiero.
Similarly, chatbots are powerful in assisting with code creation and grammar checking. It’s the best when it comes to creativity and the worst when it comes to factual information. Like any tool, you have to learn how to use it. It only works if you know what you’re doing.
pro tips: Create and create using chatbots and you vs. for you.
Chatbots improve as they learn over time. If the first prompt doesn’t give you the results you want, please continue asking with more information. If you’re creating a curriculum for a specific child or using it to write a speech, ask for an “interview” to get all the information you need to do your best job. please. In other words, help the tools help you.
This is a new way of thinking, powered by technology, and it actually works.
discussion and negotiation
My family often has “lively discussions.” These are not controversial debates by any means, but rather conversations about topics about which we have a lot of feelings. Like sunscreen.
During a family trip to Costa Rica, one of my relatives claimed that “child-safe sunscreens” containing zinc oxide were bad for young children. My position was that it was better than getting a sunburn. Simple, right?
Obviously you’re not part of my family discussion.
To have a more productive conversation about this issue without getting angry, here are a few things you can do to get your point across without attacking, upsetting, or alienating your family members. I needed specific talking points. (I don’t necessarily think the last part is good.)
I used a ChatGPT plugin tool called Negotiator to create several persuasive talking points in favor of sunscreen without getting too emotional in the discussion.
Remember, chatbots are good for ideas but can be bad for facts, so we used other sources for scientific research and medical guidelines. But this was a great tool to help me establish a tone and concise points that helped me win my latest family discussion without ruffling feathers.
Pro tip: This example may be a stretch for most people, but consider using it to negotiate about things you care about and need to advocate, such as a raise, retirement strategy, or car purchase. please.
jennifer jolie He is an Emmy Award-winning consumer technology columnist and on-air correspondent. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect his views and opinions at USA TODAY. To contact her,JJ@Techish.com.
