Curious how AI tools can assist you but don’t really know where to start? This post is the right spot for you.
This post is your starting point into the world of GenAI with beginner-friendly tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT (or its alternatives Gemini etc.) I present 7 (+1!) simple ways you can incorporate GenAI into your everyday life. It’s a chance to familiarize yourself with this exciting tech, learn what it can and can’t do and start benefiting from its possibilities.
Please note that outputs of AI are not always reliable, review them critically and use these ideas only for inspiration. Ready to start? No worries, all tools we’re going to look at are as straightforward as doing a Google search.
Table of Contents / Summary
Your Personal Assistant for Desk Research
GenAI is a helpful guide which makes sorting through lots of info easy. It assists in research by summarizing texts, finding facts, and suggesting useful resources quickly. It simplifies learning about new things by offering quick support for analysis, writing essays, or exploring new fields. This means it can cut down on research time significantly (easily more than half) and help gain deeper insights.
Some of the top tools for these jobs are ChatGPT (with web browsing) or Consensus (the latter especially for academic research). Again, keep in mind these tools can sometimes share wrong info confidently. This is called “hallucination.” So, double-checking important facts and sources is key.
Your Personal Language Tutor
Picking up a new language is tough, but daily help from GenAI makes it easier and more enjoyable. It offers tailored help with speaking, words and rules, making learning better for any skill level.
For example, ChatGPT is great because it can do a wide array of tasks related to language learning. For instance, it can suggest local sayings or provide grammar rules. Additionally, it adjusts its assistance to your preferred learning style based on your prompts. This can speed up your learning progress. You could also try one of the “custom GPTs” specialized in studying languages.
Also, ELSA really helped me personally a lot as a non-native English speaker: Before I started my Master’s program at a US Business School, I learned how to improve my pronunciation of words in US English with this app.
Your Sparring Partner for Problem-Solving
Use AI tools like ChatGPT to boost your creativity and solve problems more efficiently. These tools are always there to help you come up with, assess and polish your ideas. They bring fresh perspectives synthesizing information from their “general world knowledge”. AI can even help you think “outside the box” and get better at solving problems by showing you different ideas and ways to look at things.
However, it’s key not to blindly trust everything AI tells you, as it might not always be right. You should do your own research and fact-check the important stuff. Keep in mind, AI aims to make users happy. So ChatGPT might end up telling you what you want to hear instead of the facts. (To reduce the latter problem somewhat, I usually prompt the tool to not be too agreeable with me.)
Your Worldly Traveling Advisor
Discovering new spots is exciting and now even simpler with the help of AI. It’s like a smart travel buddy that gives you personal advice on great places to eat, must-see attractions and understanding cultures. It can help you look up the best flight deals, book places to stay and even help you speak the local language (see tip 2). With suggestions on packing and getting around, GenAI makes sure your trip is well-thought-out and full of great experiences.
Just mix the ideas of, e.g., ChatGPT with your own research to craft an itinerary you’ll never forget. Again, keep in mind AI can be biased (which matters esp. in cultural contexts) and “hallucinate”. You don’t want to end up all-excited at a sightseeing site just to learn… it doesn’t exist. 😉
Your Culinary Sous-Chef
Generative AI, like ChatGPT, is changing the way we cook and eat. It suggests recipes that fit your taste, explains how to cook in simple steps and helps plan your meals based on what you like. It’s like having a digital helper in the kitchen to help you make delicious meals, making it easier and more fun.
For the more advanced readers: With the help of ChatGPT’s “vision capabilities”, you could even take a photo of the ingredients in your fridge and – based on its analysis – ChatGPT will tell you what you could cook with it.
Needless to repeat, please double-check all critical info from the AI, e.g., about ingredients or amounts, especially if it relates to allergies, etc.
Your Professor in Your Pocket
Apps like ChatGPT or NotebookLM offer a fresh, easy way to learn. They’re like personal tutors on your phone or computer, delivering customized education at your fingertips. AI makes tough subjects easier to understand and lets you work more efficiently with your materials (e.g., through document search).
It enhances your learning and writing skills, but verifying its responses with credible sources remains critical for accuracy. Using it as homework aid? Don’t rely entirely on it (and use it within the rules of your school/organization). Relying too much on it, may even hinder your growth eventually. Instead, treat it as a “debate partner” – like Khan Academy‘s AI tutor “Khanmigo” – that helps enhance your thinking, e.g., with the “Socratic method“.
Evidence of this technology’s impact on the education industry is clear. Companies like Chegg have witnessed a sharp decline in their market value since ChatGPT’s arrival…
Your Creative Studio
If you find it hard to be creative at times, GenAI can help improve your work (or hobbies). It offers tools for writing (e.g., ChatGPT), pictures (e.g., DALL-E – also accessible through ChatGPT), videos (e.g., Luma AI), sound incl. music (e.g., Stable Audio Open) and even software creation (e.g., Codeium).
How I typically work with AI: I give it some context about my project and ask for some first ideas or feedback. Then, I refine these drafts further and may ask the AI for more feedback. Start with basic ideas and gradually make them better with AI’s help, trying out new ideas and refining them. Rinse and repeat. This iterative method makes your creation process faster and lets you explore your own artistic side more deeply.
FYI, depending on when you read this: The more general solutions like ChatGPT itself (or MSFT Copilot) tend to integrate more and more multimedia functions (“multi-modal”) with time. So, you likely don’t have to use too many different tools at once.
Bonus: Your “Eloquent” Word Finder
Never be speechless again: Generative AI, like ChatGPT, is here to help you always find the right words for any moment. Whether you need to pen a touching note, convincing email, marketing material or clever replies, AI has a vast store of words and phrases to improve your texts. Think of it as having both a thesaurus and a coach 24/7 by your side.
Simply input your initial thoughts and watch AI refine them beautifully. I usually dump my jumbled ideas into the tool and marvel as it organizes them into clear, coherent content. Then, I refine it further, following an iterative approach like the one mentioned in tip 7. That’s a great way to impress, express and always say it best. Okay, I’ll stop with the wordplays. 😉
Again, please don’t fall for the temptation to outsource your “whole thinking” to AI. Your brain is like a muscle: use it or lose it.
Wrap-Up: Quite Easy to Start, Isn’t it?
Getting into AI tools like ChatGPT etc. is straightforward – even for “first timers”. It’s can make a big difference in our lives: With the right use cases and prompts it reshapes the way we work, study, create and talk to each other.
But for GenAI to impact our lives positively we must use it mindfully and with critical thinking, i.e., in a way that complements our natural abilities as humans. And it gets even better when you learn some simple ways to get better answers from ChatGPT & Co. with effective prompting.
Now, I’m keen to hear your thoughts. Which tip are you most keen to try out now? Or are you now curious to learn a bit about how ChatGPT and LLMs work “under the hood”? Maybe you’ve found other creative uses to weave GenAI into your daily routines? Please share your insights and experiences in the comments.
Cheers,
John
What do you think?