AI is here. And, some of us know what it can do, and some of us have no clue about it. Many people love the inclusion of AI features in tech, and several others hate it.
But, whatever opinion you hold, AI is not going anywhere. And, that is a fact in 2024.
Well, it all started with the buzzword (AI) gaining popularity with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Now, in just two years, you have countless AI services, useful and useless, the web is filled with options.
AI Startup, AI incubator programs, and what not. If you are imagining an opportunity, it mostly already exists.
Such reasons make me love AI and hate AI at the same time. I think some of you reading this can relate to it as well.
But, what’s exactly useful, and what’s useless?
I tell you about it here through my experiences in using some AI applications for months now.
The Handy Part of AI
While I can vibe with the people who hate any kind of AI, but it is beneficial as well. And, if you know how to use it correctly, you can end up saving time, and increasing the efficiency of your work.
For instance, chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini help you generate text and images through conversations. The more accurately you describe your problem, the better help you get with it. Whether you want to generate ideas for your next TED talk (not a good idea though), or want to write an essay for a college project. You can take the help of generative AI to make your work easy.
Occasionally, I just do not want to Google a layout for a particular style of letter, as that will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. So, I resort to ChatGPT/Meta AI, resulting in a less-distracting experience.
In another case, when writing a title of an article, and I am out of ideas. So, that is when AI helps. While AI-generated titles are subpar at best, they give you ideas. Maybe, you just notice a power word from the ideas generated, and you want to use that in your title.
I use it as a brainstorming tool, with some prompt engineering to the mix when I am almost out of juice for the day.
Definitely, saves a lot of my time ⌛
Similarly, ChatGPT’s new ability to help your kid with homework also sounds something useful (considering children should not depend on it entirely).
There is a thin line between using AI’s help, and entirely copying the content that it generates (and losing your creativity). So, that is up to your conscience 🧘
Anything is bad for you if you do not do it responsibly. Let’s be real.
Moreover, you need to understand that the information generated with AI (any kind) can be inaccurate. So, it needs your supervision, and verification before you use it in any form.
Moving on from chatbots, we have AI image editing, which has seen a massive boost in adoption by various tech giants. Adobe offers generative AI to fill content in your photos/designs, and which looks almost realistic.
Google Photos, and other services from smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, offer AI-powered abilities where you can magically remove an object or a person.
Not to forget, Pixel’s AI feature to take a group photo even if another person is taking the photo is very useful.
Once you get used to these features that matter, there is no going back. I have been using Google’s magic eraser and Samsung’s AI to identify things on my screen for a while, and I would not want those features to go away.
There are plenty of audio-focused AI services as well. For instance, they help you remove the vocals, so you can use the processed audio as a karaoke.
And, the list goes on with things like:
- Auto-generated captions for videos
- Noise reduction for audio recordings
- Transcript from audio
- Generate social media copy for digital marketing
- Creating a website
- Generating code to build/fix a software
- Generating a video
The Useless Part of AI
Like there are two sides of a coin, AI is just about useless in numerous instances as well.
If you expect an AI to write a blog article without zero inputs from your side, you will embarrass yourself. Sure, it might look technically correct, but there’s a pattern you cannot evade if you use as is.
Many publications, including CNET, tried using AI-generated content with proper disclaimer, but it was not received well by the readers and its content writing staff. So, they had to revise their AI policy to only use AI tools for certain portions of texts, such as summaries and stuff.
Similarly, if you want AI to make music, you lose the essence of the entire process of creating an original work that will inspire generations to come.
The AI-powered image generation is also not entirely useful considering you do not have any idea if it resembles any copyrighted work, putting you into trouble for commercial use-cases. Sure, it is a nice thing to have for educational and representative work. But, if you want to utilize AI image generation commercially, you lose more than you gain.
You have a similar complication situation with AI-generated videos. It’s good, but again, you do not know its effects on the usage.
Social media posts are also the most boring thing when generated with AI. I have been observing countless folks posting on LinkedIn, with almost no human touch to what they generate with AI.
Some other interesting use-cases where companies just slap the term AI, and go on with it:
- AI in your washing machine
- AI in your fridge
- Some support chatbots
- AI modes in your fan
- AI in a rice cooker
- AI for your mouse and keyboard
- Privacy-invading AI features like Windows Recall (this is the worst of its kind)
A Takeaway Thought for You: Evaluate AI
The point of me listing out my perception of AI use-cases is to encourage you to evaluate the AI you want to use.
Do not get swayed away by the hype or word of mouth, to try AI services that you do not need. Scrutinize the AI product before you use it.
That’s how you can make the most out of it.
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments down below!
