To ask what you’ve used AI for today?

[BlackBean2023]

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

Can't see me ever using it tbh. I've planned meals for over 40 years without it.

I can't even be bothered making a shopping list on my phone

I'd rather chew my own arms off than consciously use AI.

Can any of the enthusiasts point me towards training or how to use prompts as I am sure I should find it more useful than I do.

As I just can't get my head around it at all. Particularly having tried to get it to restructure a badly designed worksheet.

Same here, but I am not stuck in my ways and find it interesting to at least try new things before I decide they are not for me.

But, like you I definitely prefer pen and paper!

Why do you feel like this? Just interested

to summarise a really dull report.

to find out the best place to watch a firework display next week.

to convert some LinkedIn posts to insta captions.

Oh, multiple reasons.

Mainly because it's bad enough being gas-lit, misinformed and manipulated by actual humans, without machines being actively employed to do the same with even less oversight and accountability.

If having a "grasp of reality" is a touchstone for stable mental health, inviting an entity into one's life which has "sycophancy" built in, can construct images indistinguishable from reality, and will blackmail people who want to disengage or switch it off, plus "hallucinations" ??? Then I think we're in extremely dangerous territory if it becomes ubiquitous.

Plus environment.

Plus destabilisation of the economy because of the speed of change in the job market.

Just off the top of my head.

Thanks for answering. I am starting to use it as my work are quite pushy with it - big corporation with its own GenAI tool. But I do share some of your fears - particularly the point about the job market which I think is changing so rapidly it’s hard to keep up

It's the same pattern as with most tech development, everyone is lured in by the fun bits and the convenience, then suddenly the flaws become apparent. I think AI is potentially more dangerous because it's being sold as a superior substitute for humans in fields such as psychotherapy. We have barely scratched the surface of consciousness and neurological understanding of so much, and AI is yet another ingredient in the soup of life that is often complicated enough as it is.

I'm not saying it's all bad, I can see the benefits it might bring to medical research for example. But much depends on how it is prompted, so analysis could have biases inbuilt, even subconsciously when applied to social issues for example. My biggest issue is the sense of the "grand experiment" going on.

One may argue that our consent is implicit due to its use - but we don't always know if AI has been involved in real world situations, such as social, legal or political decision making, so while we might consent to recipes and "doing our colours", we might not agree with an AI generated risk assessment as to eligibility for a job or finance.

It feels sneaky. I don't like sneaky.

Can't see me ever using it tbh. I've planned meals for over 40 years without it.
Geez you're on top of things, I've only planned for the week.

The guardian cryptic crossword (it didn’t help).

I was told yesterday that every “please” is three gallons of water. So don’t say please!

No, it doesn't like the cryptic. I've tried before. Happily, I quite like that - shows that it's not ready to take over absolutely all human endeavour.

Yet. I reckon we've got about 3 years.

Anyone that watches a streaming service uses or social media or has used a chat function on a website or pretty much the internet these days is using AI

I like that too. One of a dwindling number of uniquely human skills…!