How to make AI work for you
Don’t be afraid of the new technology - but learn to use it well
HAVE you ever found yourself bewildered in the aisles of B&Q, staring at an array of fancy light bulbs, trying to decide which one will cast the perfect glow for your bedroom mood?
You’re not alone. The quest for the perfect soft lighting option has become surprisingly complex with the advent of eco-friendly options and smart home technology.
But here’s where AI stepped in for me. I took a photo of the top three contenders, uploaded it to the virtual assistant app, ChatGPT, and let it do the pondering for me. Like a knowledgeable friend who knows your taste, it dissected the choices and recommended the best one for that serene and cosy bedroom lighting. Spoiler alert: it nailed it!
Fast forward to a restaurant scene, the wine list a baffling lexicon of grapes and years. Here too, AI steps in, not to intimidate with its complexity, but to guide you to a bottle that complements the food, informed by a simple photo and a knowledge of your wine preference. No commissions paid on this recommendation.
These aren’t isolated cases. They’re everyday vignettes where AI has slipped in unobtrusively, simplifying choices that once would have left us scratching our heads. This is the real benefit of AI in our lives. Use it as a task killer and free up space in your mind.
Don’t worry if you don’t speak code; AI is for everyone. That’s why I set up the AI Institute, delivering AI courses for everyone.
A lot of my friends say they are clueless when it comes to AI. And you might think AI is all highbrow tech and complex algorithms, but it’s far more approachable than that. It’s new, so everyone is new to it. It’s not magic and it doesn’t require a degree in computer science to get the benefits from it.
YOU probably don’t know how the inside of your phone works; but it’s likely that you’re pretty good at knocking out calls, whatsapps, and perusing social media? It’s the same thing with AI. You don’t have to know how it works, just how to work it.
If you set out trying to get your head around the intricate calculations and data analyses that happens behind the scenes, your head will be spinning. Better instead to regard it as a trusty friend who knows your preferences offering you straightforward solutions to everyday things. What’s more, it’s not an algorithm. So you really do get the best solutions to the questions you asked.
You’ll find you’re probably already using AI and you just don’t know it yet. AI is embedded in the apps we use to navigate traffic, the online platforms that suggest the next film to watch, and even the virtual assistants that remind us of our upcoming meetings. It’s designed to be userfriendly, learning from our interactions to provide personalised experiences.
With the world’s everincreasing number of AI applications, understanding the basics of what to use and when isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about getting ahead in 2024. People are already using it to gain an edge in professional life, sharpening competitive reactions for business, or simply making everyday routine more efficient. At the AI Institute we offer AI courses for everyone. This week in partnership with the Irish Daily Mail, we are offering three free places on our beginners’ course which is starting soon. All it takes to potentially revolutionise your life is to send an email today to enter, and you could be wielding AI like a pro, impressing at dinner parties, and streamlining your life! Real people, real impact – that’s the story of AI’s impact on the lives of over 500 people who we’ve provided training for.
Businesses have seen a meteoric 25% sales boost simply by finetuning their marketing with AI insights.
Parents, once slaves to the tyranny of household chores, now find solace in AI’s predictive powers, scheduling their lives back into their control.
And it’s not just about reclaiming time; it’s about enriching life. Families are shifting from life admin to life’s pleasures, thanks to AI’s knack for handling the mundane. More time for bike rides, movies, and memory-making — this is the AI dividend.