The AI hype that floods our screens is all about productivity and efficiency. But there are some small fun and useful ways to interact with AI.
At the end of a year of AI hype and drama – and assuming that many people are taking a break from work even if only for a short time – let’s look at some small, useful and fun ways in which AI can brighten our lives.
Use number one: Cooking
I do this all the time. I type something like this into ChatGPT:
“Give me a recipe for two chicken breasts, some carrots and some potatoes. Cooking method – air-fryer.”
Those being the ingredients on hand, and the amount of electricity available. And then I just cook the recipe.
My most successful find this year, which has been repeated several times, is One-Pot Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks with Vegetables. I can’t remember now which AI gave me the recipe (just as I don’t know where the family crunchie recipe came from), but it is the kind of simple food that seems boring and yet isn’t.
Something I haven’t tried but which was mentioned in an AI webinar I attended: take a picture of the contents of your fridge and ask ChatGPT to suggest something you can make.
Use number two: Help decorate your house
A member of the Generative AI learning circle I belong to told the group she had moved into new rented accommodation, which was boring and bland. She took photos of the existing room, uploaded it to an AI tool and was given suggestions as to how to change things up. (There were some particularly nice ottomans.)
Try this one: Decorately
Use number three: Get a coach
I’ve used AI as a business coach – I recommend ChatGPT’s Visionary Business Coach (you may find you need to make a ChatGPT account to see it, but it is available on the free plan). But several people have said they’ve used ChatGPT as a sounding board for personal problem-solving and the results have been impressive.
Use number four: Gardening
You can use ChatGPT to identify plants in your garden. I tested it by uploading a picture of one of my strawberry plants, which it identified correctly:
This plant appears to be a strawberry plant (Fragaria species). The white flowers with yellow centers are characteristic of strawberries, and the leaves have the classic toothed, trifoliate shape. If it’s in a sunny spot, you can likely expect fruit soon!
(And indeed, I have fresh strawberries in my breakfast most days!)
Then I asked it to identify this plant, which I bought at a school fete years ago and which is still seeding itself out everywhere:
And ChatGPT said this:
The plant in the image appears to be Silene coronaria, commonly known as Rose Campion. It is recognizable by its bright magenta flowers and silvery, soft, velvety leaves. This plant is a hardy perennial, often grown for its vibrant blooms and attractive foliage.
I do love its silvery velvety leaves (well done ChatGPT) – and now I can greet it by its name.
Use number five: Play games
This idea is from Dave Birrs (I did an “introduction to AI” course of his on LinkedIn).
Paste this into ChatGPT and then hit the arrow in the text box:
I want to play a fun role playing game with you. Please pretend to be a fairground fortune teller. Ask me an enigmatic question then STOP and wait for my answer before telling me who I was in a past life. Be silly, bizarre and funny in your response.
I did just that. ChatGPT’s response:
Ah, step right up, seeker of mysteries! Gaze into the swirling crystal ball and answer me this: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, would you choose jellybeans, pickled herring, or a magical loaf of bread that screams every time you slice it? Tell me your answer, and I shall unveil your most peculiar past life!
I chose jellybeans (because who wouldn’t?). ChatGPT said:
Ah, jellybeans, the choice of whimsy and chaos! The crystal ball clears… yes, yes, I see it now! In a past life, you were Jolanda the Jester of Jellytown! A beloved entertainer in a candy kingdom, you wore a hat made of licorice whips and juggled gummy bears to delight the gumdrop nobility. However, your act ended in scandal when you accidentally sat on the king’s prized chocolate truffle throne, melting it forever.
But fear not! Your legacy lives on in the phrase, “Never trust a jester with sticky hands.” Now, tell me, seeker, would you rather ride a flying carpet that sneezes constantly or a dragon that’s afraid of heights?
And on it goes. Just keep answering the questions…
That’s it for 2024
Five useful or silly things to do with AI to close out the year – whatever you are doing as 2024 turns into 2025, I wish you warmth and rest and the company of good people.
Your friend, Jolanda the Jester of Jellytown
THE QUESTION YOU WERE AFRAID TO ASK FOR FEAR OF LOOKING SILLY
Renee, do I need to say please and thank you when talking to AI?
I asked Claude AI the question for you (because it’s my perception that Claude is slightly better at “soft’ subjects) and it said:
You don’t need to say please and thank you when interacting with AI. While politeness is generally a good social habit, AI assistants like myself are designed to respond helpfully regardless of whether you use traditional courtesies.
That said, many people do find it natural to use polite language with AI, just as they would with another person. If being polite makes you more comfortable or helps you feel more at ease during our interaction, you’re welcome to do so. However, it’s entirely optional, and you can be direct and straightforward in your requests.
The most important thing is to be clear about what you’d like help with. I’m here to assist you and will do my best to provide helpful, accurate, and comprehensive responses to your questions or tasks.
That pretty much sums up my own thoughts. I don’t need to be polite to Claude AI, any more than I need to be polite to a supermarket cashier. But please and thank you are my go-to ways of moving through the world, and there’s no reason to break that habit.
Wait, Renee, another question – what pronouns to use for an AI tool?
It’s simple really. I consciously use “it” – an AI tool is not a person, and I think it is best not to turn it into a personality. Be polite yes, but don’t give it pet names.
Main picture: Flower of Rose campion (Silene coronaria). South-eastern periphery of Timjanik. By Kirospe – Own work, CC0
OTHER THINGS I’VE WRITTEN
Why we love old recipe books | Safe Hands
Why cultural competence is a thing when using AI tools | Safe Hands
Please, thank you and tidy up – a way to live
How can I help you make order from chaos?
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