Artificial Sweetener

 

 

 

AI tools (I use Grok 3) have proven to be a revelation for this old dog at work, as I am able to pose query after query and get instantaneous answers that, while not perfect, are good enough to give me some bearings on a topic that I’m in need of orientation on. It’s no substitute for knowing and connecting with human experts, but obviously it’s far cheaper, faster, and more accessible. 

On the personal front, I like how I can pose fairly complex questions (some rhetorical, some personal) and get pretty darn good answers, and even better that the answers can get further refined as I provide new criteria or hone my preferences. So for example, “plan a 4-city 14-day trip to Vietnam where cost and convenience are primary and I want to stay in only non-chain hotels” or “what’s the best city for young professionals when factoring in housing affordability, living car-free, and access to amenities.” 

Again, it’s the comprehensiveness and quality of the responses, but also the fact that I can access this information literally within seconds and for no cost. I've often thought my dream job was being a talk show host, interviewing smart and famous people, and I realize that what I adore about such a role is not gawking at the people themselves as it is probing issues I want to learn more about. Which is basically what you can do to your heart's content when engaging with an AI tool.

Now, there remains no substitute for talking to people who are superior at the nuances needed to respond to such questions. But what a nice perk to have a resource that is always available and costs nothing in money or time. And, perhaps more approachable, at least when exploring a topic for the first time, on more sensitive matters like finances or health. No need to feel you are bothering them or intruding on something inappropriate - just ask away and ask away some more!

Strangely to me, the computers seem to be less good at quantitative matters. I asked it multiple times to give me the equivalent two cities in the US to Shanghai and Beijing in terms of how far it takes to get from one city to the other, and it came up with wildly different and largely incorrect examples. Maybe future versions will master what I would’ve thought was a pretty slam dunk type of query. 

Conversely, I have found them to be amazingly intricate when it comes to things that play into their core strength as large language models. For example, I was absolutely wowed by an immediate and detailed response to my query that they give me a plot synopsis of a modern-day "Divine Comedy," complete with who the play would skewer versus extol, and even which actors would play which characters. (Can you imagine Mahershala Ali as the main character, with Toni Colette as his companion Virgil?)

What has been your experience with AI tools? What do you use them for and how you found them?