Page 5 | To ask what you’ve used AI for today?

BlackBean2023 · 2025-06-27T14:48:51+00:00

Just today. I’ll go first: a critical analysis of a report I’ve written for work a shopping list for a bbq tomorrow To suggest planting ideas in the garden

TheClockThatNeverStop · 27/06/2025 19:03

Curiosity101 · 27/06/2025 17:48

Start by signing up to ChatGPT - You shouldn't trust everything it tells you, you'll need to fact check facts and there will be times where it's entirely missing context that you'll need to provide other it'll spout intelligent sounding nonsense at you. But once you get good at prompting it, it's fabulous for a number of things.

Here is it's response to your post.

Absolutely, AI can help in this scenario—and with significant potential. Here’s how to break it down and get started in a way that balances automation, cost, and immediate relief:
🔍 The Problem

Repetitive, manual tasks: Copying data from forms into Outlook calendar entries.
Always behind: Two staff working full-time, yet unable to keep up.
Overworked: TOIL is accruing but unused, suggesting a burnout risk.
No budget for extra headcount.

✅ AI/Automation Can Help With:

Extracting data from forms (structured or semi-structured):
If the forms are digital (Word, PDFs, online), AI can parse and extract relevant info (name, date, time, purpose, contact info).
If handwritten or scanned, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools can help, possibly combined with AI to clean and validate inputs.
Creating Outlook calendar appointments automatically:
This can be done using Microsoft Power Automate (low-code, budget-friendly).
Scripts or workflows can watch for incoming forms (emails, SharePoint, etc.) and auto-create calendar events based on extracted data.
Reducing cognitive overhead:
AI can help classify or prioritize appointments (e.g., urgent, follow-up, cancelled).
Assistants like Microsoft Copilot (if available in your tenant) can generate summaries, suggest best time slots, and flag conflicts.

🛠 How to Get Started Step 1: Audit the workflow

What form types are used (Word, PDF, email body, web form)?
How is the data received? (Shared inbox? Uploads? Scans?)
What fields need to go into the calendar entry?
Are there standard templates or patterns?

Step 2: Pilot simple automation (low-cost, fast relief) Use Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Flow):

Trigger: “When a new form/email arrives in Outlook or SharePoint”
Actions:
Extract form content (e.g., using AI Builder Form Processor if PDFs)
Parse relevant data fields
Create an Outlook Calendar event with extracted data

Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or Business Premium plans include Power Automate access. If form parsing is too unreliable, start with a semi-automated assistive tool:

Use ChatGPT or Copilot in Word/Outlook to summarize a form and suggest a calendar event
Paste the form in and prompt: “Create a calendar appointment from this info”

Step 3: Monitor & Improve

Track how much time is saved per appointment
Use feedback from the booking clerks to refine the form extraction and scheduling logic
Consider creating “error” or “review needed” queues for ambiguous or messy forms

💡 Bonus Ideas (Advanced, but Optional)

Email-based scheduling assistants (e.g., Calendly + Zapier or x.ai-style tools) if the appointments can be self-booked
Use GPT-powered summarizers on large form text blocks, especially if they need interpretation
Create a Power App front-end to standardize data entry and reduce complexity

🧭 Summary: Practical First Steps

Map the process (where do forms come from, what do they trigger?)
Try Power Automate with AI Builder to auto-extract and calendarize
Use Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT to assist with summaries and drafts
Review, iterate, and measure time saved
Scale gradually, even if some parts stay manual at first

If you’d like, I can help you sketch out a sample Power Automate flow or a GPT prompt that would work with a real example of one of the forms. Would that be useful?

Show quote history

I would start by finding out work policy on use of AI with the data PP is handling first tbh

Yuja · 27/06/2025 19:04

To help me write a short summary of a long article. Saved me a load of time

kshaw · 27/06/2025 19:06

Helped me with a job application. I didn't plagarise it just gave me ideas

GonnaeNoDaeThatJustGonnaeNo · 27/06/2025 19:06

Summarising a bunch of reports and recommending questions to ask

checking how long to cook steak for in the air fryer

comparing reviews of camping chairs

GonnaeNoDaeThatJustGonnaeNo · 27/06/2025 19:09

i do love reading all the snotty and smug posts.

You do make me chuckle. 🤭

TheClockThatNeverStop · 27/06/2025 19:11

I do have to admit that it does sometimes help to structure my thoughts but I fo have to be careful about prompts. They have to be well generic because my work is not AI friendly yet. For good reasons.

Where it MASSIVELY annoys me is here. There are two types of AI posts here now. 1 - the fucking trolls (or made content for engagement...) and 2 - posters replying to thread eith AI generated posts (text) which completely in my opinion changes tone and wuite frankly, people go here to talk to people. If they want to chat to AI they will go chat to AI

rosecoloured · 27/06/2025 19:19

To identify a fossil I found.

mumda · 27/06/2025 19:27

Worked through creation of a form within a website.

AppropriateAdult · 27/06/2025 19:33

PullTheBricksDown · 27/06/2025 18:00

But how do you know it's right?

Show quote history

This.

I’m a doctor, and I sometimes Google medical questions to see what sort of answer the ‘AI overview’ at the top of the search results gives. It’s invariably wrong in significant details. It makes up citations in legal documents. I find it very scary that people are using it in professional roles.

InvisibleDragon · 27/06/2025 19:35

Nothing personally, bit I got an email to tell me that an AI has made a podcast out of an extremely boring paper I wrote many years ago. Which is truly ridiculous.

BoldGreenDreamer · 27/06/2025 19:35

MasterBeth · 27/06/2025 18:51

It genuinely concerns me that a teacher thinks that AI can "devise" anything.

I presume you are using an LLM. It's just interrogating an enormous database to put together the most likely sequence of words that answers your prompt. At best, it's plagiarising.

Show quote history

Of course AI can devise things, what a weird thing to be "genuinely concerned" about.

FizzySherbet · 27/06/2025 19:39

TwinkleToes2222 · 27/06/2025 18:20

That photo is a bit creepy and doesn't feel right. Was it made by AI from some other photos?

Show quote history

Yeah, I uploaded a few pics and asked for a portrait of her. It’s fairly accurate.

BCBird · 27/06/2025 19:42

MasterBeth · 27/06/2025 18:51

It genuinely concerns me that a teacher thinks that AI can "devise" anything.

I presume you are using an LLM. It's just interrogating an enormous database to put together the most likely sequence of words that answers your prompt. At best, it's plagiarising.

Show quote history

I was ill. It was an emergency. Better this than a task the pupils can't do. I had to put in the vocabulary and criteria. There are not many jobs where you are ill that you are asked to sort out your work. No guilt for me. Needs must.

BoldGreenDreamer · 27/06/2025 19:47

AppropriateAdult · 27/06/2025 19:33

This.

I’m a doctor, and I sometimes Google medical questions to see what sort of answer the ‘AI overview’ at the top of the search results gives. It’s invariably wrong in significant details. It makes up citations in legal documents. I find it very scary that people are using it in professional roles.

Show quote history

It depends how its used.

E.g., for legal documents, there's a world of difference between "draft me a legal document" and "review this document I have drafted and list out (a) possible errors and inconsistencies, and (b) potential improvements" (then reviewing its comments and deciding which, if any, to implement).

MasterBeth · 27/06/2025 19:48

BoldGreenDreamer · 27/06/2025 19:35

Of course AI can devise things, what a weird thing to be "genuinely concerned" about.

Show quote history

Well, it can't.

Devise:
to invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually using your intelligence or imagination:

AI can't invent anything and has no intelligence or imagination. It's just a regurgitation engine.

I don't think it's great that teacher (who presumably is passing on her knowledge on this to her kids) thinks it can.

Chicheguevara · 27/06/2025 19:50

Nothing at all. Never have, I can do my own research and I am not a meme person so don’t use AI to ‘create’. Not planning to use AI any time soon.

TheLudditesWereRight · 27/06/2025 19:51

InvisibleDragon · 27/06/2025 19:35

Nothing personally, bit I got an email to tell me that an AI has made a podcast out of an extremely boring paper I wrote many years ago. Which is truly ridiculous.

I got that and deleted my account as a result. Ridiculous waste of resources.

lochmaree · 27/06/2025 19:52

CyberStrider · 27/06/2025 16:17

Hah, I've been amending python scripts written by a colleague/ChatGPT to make them more efficient/elegant

Show quote history

Fair enough 🙈 I am learning python via datacamp along the way but there's stuff I need to do at work that is soo much better using python.

Platypusdiver · 27/06/2025 19:56

Translating words and phrases in a book i am reading in another language.

It is excellent at translating in different contexts. It gives examples of different sentences if I need it. A million times more helpful than a dictionary.

Zanatdy · 27/06/2025 19:59

New AI database at work, in testing phase.

Personal, I asked it to tell me what colours suited me. Looking for a top for my son’s graduation next month.

AncientBallerina · 27/06/2025 20:01

Nothing and I never will use generative AI willingly. It’s just dreadful. Tragic to see things that were once developed by humans using their creativity and imagination being replaced by embarrassingly bad AI versions. People losing their jobs to AI or their jobs becoming to correct the work of AI. My own job is directly threatened which is why I refuse to use it despite enormous pressure. Why would you teach a machine to think like you? Don’t even get me started on AI hallucinations…

SpanThatWorld · 27/06/2025 20:02

Generated some ambiguous sentences to practise detection of minimal pairs.

PassingStranger · 27/06/2025 20:05

It's not always right.

MJMabel · 27/06/2025 20:06

Drafting emails to the bloody useless bloody school. It drafts well and professionally, when all I want to do is email them saying ‘why are you so bloody useless you useless cretins?’

YoureAMeanOneMrGrinch · 27/06/2025 20:11

Never used it until today - and it was to suggest easy family meals for the week. Saved me so much thinking time!