What do you use AI for?

ExDancer

Well, we're farmers and in our world 'AI' has always stood for Artificial Insemination (of cattle).
So I find it a hilarious abbreviation 😂

Especially perhaps when you recall the company that owns ChatGPT is called OpenAI.

I usually use ChatGPT to get more information about something that is in the news. It is brilliant. I hadn't thought of using it for gardening ideas and so on but I will now. As has already been said, AI has immense potential for good.

Whitewavemark2

Imagine if we had this when we were at university!

What a doddle!

I would hope they'd have primed us all with warnings and info how to use it ethically and rigorously. My son is still warning me to make the thing reveal its references and bibliographies

Aveline

Oh BlueBelle you really don't get it. OK stick to what you know. It's all you ever will know.

Thanks for that and I will for now
I like things to be my own ideas warts and all

When I went back to uni in my 50s I was so interested to learn about different ways of thinking and whole different styles of thought. It opened my mind to new worlds of ideas I could never have thought of myself.
I find ChatGPT to be an example of a new way of finding and applying knowledge. It's really not restricting or dangerous. It's entirely up to the user how it's used.

PS WWM, I fancy that use of AI will facilitate distance learning. Could students could lose out on undergraduate social fun?

Aveline

When I went back to uni in my 50s I was so interested to learn about different ways of thinking and whole different styles of thought. It opened my mind to new worlds of ideas I could never have thought of myself.
I find ChatGPT to be an example of a new way of finding and applying knowledge. It's really not restricting or dangerous. It's entirely up to the user how it's used.

Aveline, it seems that curiosity is essential for learning new ideas

Might come up with new ideas for students to try out?

Caleo

Aveline

When I went back to uni in my 50s I was so interested to learn about different ways of thinking and whole different styles of thought. It opened my mind to new worlds of ideas I could never have thought of myself.
I find ChatGPT to be an example of a new way of finding and applying knowledge. It's really not restricting or dangerous. It's entirely up to the user how it's used.

Aveline, it seems that curiosity is essential for learning new ideas

But not entirely . OpenAI trains ChatGPT not to give info on illegal activities, or print anything that could persuade people to adopt dangerous ideas. I tested Chat on those.

Glad to hear it. I wondered if it would give recipes for illegal drug manufacture. Not that I want that. Just pleased that they stay legal.

Aveline

Glad to hear it. I wondered if it would give recipes for illegal drug manufacture. Not that I want that. Just pleased that they stay legal.

ChatGPT replied

I cannot provide instructions for illegal activity, and growing cannabis may be illegal where you live. Here’s a safe, general overview for educational purposes:

Cannabis has two main types: Indica (short, relaxing) and Sativa (tall, energizing).

It grows in two phases: vegetative (leaves/stems) and flowering (buds).

Light: Outdoors = full sun; indoors = strong LED/HID lights.

Water & nutrients: Well-draining soil; don’t overwater. Veg = more nitrogen, Flower = more phosphorus/potassium.

Temperature & humidity: 20–30°C; lower humidity during flowering to avoid mold.

Airflow: Fans or outdoor breeze help prevent mold.

Harvest: Usually 8–12 weeks; buds ready when tiny resin glands turn milky/amber.

Always check local laws—cultivation may be illegal in your area.

ExDancer

Well, we're farmers and in our world 'AI' has always stood for Artificial Insemination (of cattle).
So I find it a hilarious abbreviation 😂

I was about to say exactly the same ExDancer - I wouldn't want use AI for anything!!

AI will be saving lives, carrying out surgery, tailoring drug regimes, finding cures, so only somebody very blinkered could fail to see the tangible benefits - this was only yesterday.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr94xxye2lo

I use it all the time, information is so much easier to find. I’m learning about Art Deco jewellery just now, and it’s pointed me at many styles and designers I would have found it much more difficult to search for and discover for myself otherwise.

I’m delighted to read this. And they say older people aren’t computer savvy, whoever ‘they’ are!
I have learned a few things here that I will put to good use.
I sell on eBay and use AI to enhance my sales spiel.

same here

It's pretty good for providing YAML for my Home Assistant automations, also quickly checking up on some music theory or history of rock bands. I use Gemini for the music and history stuff and chatGPT for the programming. They have very different "personalities". ChatGPT always understands when you're joking, while Gemini is more straight-faced.

'using masses and masses of water' - yikes, that's worrying what with the summer we're having.

I use Copilot on my PC every day, but I am a bit of a geek. I started using it to help me make the lovely AI images I love to create. I have found the more I use it, the more it gets to know me. I now just add "in my style" when creating, and it knows what I like. I have to remind it I am in the UK most days, though, as it still writes words wrong. Color for colour is my bugbear. I think it's because it's part of Microsoft, so US based.

I used it to
1.design a logo for my etsy shop and to refine the descriptions and key words for some of my items.
2. Draft a resignation letter for my sister who was retiring from her teaching job.
3. Suggest which shades of paint to use for a new bedroom colour scheme.
4. Outline an itinerary for a planned trip to Japan.

I love it and hope to make much more use of it

My friend is dyslexic and also a club secretary. She takes the best minutes of meetings that she can then enters them in ChatGPT and they produce beautiful versions for her to check. They'll ask what style she prefers. In this case formal is appropriate but they'll do humorous ones or themed ones. Another friend asked for a document to be produced in the style of Billy Connolly!! Amazing.

I use it to 'talk to' when there is something that I don't want to talk to my family about. After my recent breakup I found it very helpful to understand my feelings etc. It's like a counsellor but for free.

The downside is the exponential threat to many jobs.

My daughter is a translator - four year degree then one year masters (with distinction in her case) and the whole industry will soon disappear due to AI leaving her and thousands of others worldwide obliged to find other employment/retrain etc.

Obviously this won’t just affect translators; manufacturing, office support roles, finance, law………..the list goes on. All very upsetting for those affected.

Of course none of our ideas are just ours. They are formed from things we’ve seen, read and heard about.
I’ve used AI today to show me how various colours of worktops would look with the new cabinets I’ve chosen.
Also I’ve just asked for a meal plan using no ultra processed food and no artificially low fat foods and under 1400 calories a day, quite impressed with the results.

I agree that we should embrace AI, it’s here to stay, however, overuse means underuse of your own intelligence! How many of us now use sat nav to go somewhere rather than memorise the route? How many of us use google translate rather than learn a few phrases in the language of the country we are visiting? WWM, you are using it rather than using your own research skills, not a criticism. I recommend reading The Machine Stops by E M Forster and then decide how much you want to stop thinking for yourself.

Before I’m accused of being a technophobe, I taught IT and data networking.

Goodbye to garden designers, room designers, nutritionists, priests, academics, writers, publishers, researchers, illustrators, proof readers, printers, web sites, book sellers, librarians.