What do you use AI for?

Brilliant thread so interesting

I use it to edit my new book. It's like a writing companion. It has searched and found my new house and helped me deal with a difficult neighbour.

Dontcallmelove

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.

I’ve read it, there was actually an interesting thread discussing it a few years ago on Gransnet. We choose what we use AI for though, and I think, for example, what’s the point in stressing yourself out using a map, getting lost and increasing the risk of accidents because you want to keep your skills up, rather than using a satnav? The point with AI is that you can choose to use it to your benefit, or you can become over reliant on it. As mature adults I think most of us would choose the former.

AI can be a very useful aid. I use if every day in my job. Can advise on anything and everything from But just be careful about can give false info occasionally The more it learns the better it will get

As I’m drifting off at night images of fabric designs and dress designs come to me so if I remember the details in the morning I get AI to draw it for me which I then print off.
That’s as far as I’ve got with it so far…

I’m no expert, obviously, but isn’t it just stealing information from other people? These people are losing their livelihoods . For instance I follow a brilliant lady called Vicky Smith who is a journalist. She has a website where she reports the main news events in unbiased, plain language. She has seen the footfall on her website fall from thousands a day to a few hundred because people just read the AI version at the top of the page. She, and people like her, will simply be unable to carry on doing their jobs and then where will AI (and us) get new information from? I am also reliably informed by my son, who regularly uses information from the internet, that if you check out what you are being told by AI that it’s frequently wrong or taken completely out of context. Most of us don’t bother to check where it’s actually taken the information from and if you think what rubbish is on the internet as well as all the useful information how are you to know which is which unless you visit the reputable websites yourself?

I actually just posted a primer on AI on my blog yesterday, explaining why we need to learn more about it! AI for Grandparents: What You Need to Know Now
We are all using it every day, unless we never use a smart phone or a computer.

I used AI to compose 'suggestions' for the owner of the flats next door before he employs a contractor to start a year(+) long project.
I anticipate many complications and inconveniences for me and my neighbours here at the end of a cul-de-sac.
I had a few ideas but CHATGPT produced a marvellous list of legal issues and essential things that I never would have though of - all done in 2 seconds flat!!

I was writing about some work I was doing and couldn’t get the threads right to make a coherent sentence. I put it into Chat GPT and it wrote my ideas down in a clear and sensible way. I know people have asked it to solve problems like where can I meet a life partner.

Graso

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.

Every time there has been a technological advance, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, old occupations have disappeared and new ones come along. It will be the same now with AI
There was a good article recently about how AI will (and already does) replace a lot of mundane work. But work that requires a degree of judgement will still need human input.
The discussion above about planting schemes is a good one - AI quickly combines knowledge from a whole range of sources to give you a suggested list. But human judgement will still be necessary to achieve a good outcome - not least the skill of planting and tending living things.
The cooking one too - AI can give a long list of nutritionally balanced meals - but the chef still needs to know how to cook and present them - and decide about their diners are likely to enjoy.
We will still need human beings to generate new knowledge. AI is not genuinely ‘intelligent’ and has absolutely no imagination. It can’t think of things that have not yet existed, except as a new outcome from existing knowledge. So, potentially new antibiotics, but not completely new knowledge about the immune system.

All the arguments about using AI is nothing I haven't heard used before. In college , over 50 years ago ,our sociology reading promised shorter working week, machines doing the hard manual work , directed by computers. etc. I don't recall any promises about medical uses or being used for design work.
"Programmed learning" was a way of working through a problem and required logic. for each step
I often find myself being puzzled by things that appear on my computer. They are just not logical to me. Can I shout at an ap if it not making sense.?

No but you can ask it to explain in simpler language

Enormous date centres like ChatGPT use masses of water to cool down the machinery involved so perhaps we should be more aware of overuse. They may even cause water shortages in ares where they operate.

I was looking out of curiosity on a website that uses AI to enhance photos, well that’s fine to maybe get rid of a splodge on someone’s face if it’s the only photo of them you’ve got, or a camel doing a selfie in the middle of a never to be repeated group etc, …..but these were totally changed not brushed up
There was say someone canoeing over the rapids when they d never been out of Uk or a baby who died before birth crawling around It was bizarre and all untrue and that’s the part of it I hate a lot of it is just untrue and just pure cheating it’s like people who get authors to write their books for them but even worse at least they ve probably told them the story but so much information being put out there is totally false but people are believing it
I m not knocking the medical side or even the real information side of AI

Nothing

I have used it quite a lot and really like it BUT it can get things wrong, and even make things up. It once told me I could buy train tickets at a bargain price - just buy them 8 weeks ago! It does not offer time travel as an option.

bookwormbabe

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

Iss not just water, the electricity consumption is also horrendous 😱https://news.sky.com/story/amount-of-electricity-needed-to-power-worlds-data-centres-expected-to-double-in-five-years-13345515

I find it amusing that people who want to save the planet are feeding the monster that’s going to consume it.
And yes, I’m fully aware that it can’t be stopped.
We just have to pray for more rain and hope that the powers that be think of a sustainable way to generate more and more and more electricity.
That shouldn’t be hard, should it 🤷‍♀️

For all almost everyone on here, but especially the "don't use it" -- if you use Google (or similar search engine) to get info, then you are indeed using AI.

For anyone who has doubts, there was an exceptionally funny news item y'day (Friday 15th) showing a tournament for robots (humanoid ones) held in China, they were doing assorted sports & activities.

The 5-a-side football game was just hysterical (the ball didn't seem to have been programmed in?), and there was one supposed to be doing a freestyle dance . . . . after a couple of seconds without moving, it toppled over, and was dragged off the dancefloor by its head.

Nearly as funny as Chump trying to claim his 'summit' had achieved anything useful.

Which free AI app would you recommend where I can put in a picture of my bedroom and ask it to make decor suggestions?

Don't worry about the weather and lack of rain this summer. The government have alloted £50m for weather manipulation. There will be plenty of rain soon. As if they don't do it already.

Wow! What a good neighbour you are.

Why not ask AI how to build desalination plants? Or even why don't we already? Plenty of water in the sea.

Septimia

I don't use it at all if I can help it.

Neither do I.

We tried using AI yesterday to find out what types of part time jobs would be available to a 15 year old.

Among the reasonably sensible suggestions was Lifeguard/phlebotomist

Aphlebotomist is a healthcare professional responsible for drawing blood from patients for testing. We are unsure why these two occupations were linked and surprised that hospitals would consider employing 15 year olds in this role. However we may follow it up, it will pay better than working in McDonalds or similar.

Shallow I know, but I asked GPT which is the best anti ageing, most proven, skin care. It gave me great answers! Then I went on Amazon and ordered one, which will be here by 11pm tonight!!