I came across a blog by Matt Shumer called Something Big Is Happening and it’s an insightful look at where AI is now. I recommend you read it before continuing to read this. Why? Because you need to know what it says. Not my summary, but the detail.
One thing that really struck me is that I’ve been thinking about AI as a ‘thing’ – something that simply ‘is’ and simply ‘does’. It reminded me that AI is a tool. Like all tools I need to learn how it works before I can decide whether it’s a useful tool for me. To do that I have to decide what tool I need and give it something relevant and specific to do. If I don’t I’m not actually discovering what it can do and what impact it could have on my life.
My current position relies on me engaging face to face with people. For example, I spent about an hour with two men discussing the merits of a particular product. Why they are interested in it, what the options are, what the alternatives are, my experiences, what’s new and what they are used to. No, I’m not going to tell you what the product is. It’s a physical product. So when I consider how AI could help me in that situation I cannot think of a particular application. The website for the company I work for provides most, if not all, of the additional information I require. I have colleagues who have experience whose knowledge I can draw on.
This doesn’t mean that my job is safe. I work in an industry that is undergoing many challenges in this country. Cost of wages, tariffs, increasing costs that need to be absorbed or reflected in the cost of the product, rent, etc. But I don’t see myself losing my job as a result of AI. But I do see that an AI model could understand our product range and via a terminal offer the customer an additional way to gather information, or to ask questions. It wouldn’t replace but enhance and provide further service to the customer.
So how can I test AI? I am a writer of this blog and I’m (still) writing the first draft of my novel. I could upload what I’ve written and ask AI to point out the issues with my draft so far. There are already specific tools to do everything from amend, improve, right through to actually create. I’ve listed some of the tools below. I have not used any of them as I don’t currently use any tools for my writing. Actually, I do use one – Hemingway Editor – which points out passive voice, adverbs, how hard to read the sentences are. It makes no changes. The latest version, which I don’t use, offers AI options to actually make the changes for you.
https://wordhero.co (for blogs – I should use this one!)
This is a short selection and there are the major tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, etc.
But I don’t want to change my writing. I want to improve my writing. That’s natural. I do that with appropriate feedback and through failure. I know I could sharpen this blog, make it shorter, pithier, but I’m sharing my thoughts and thoughts are messy. I’m not planning this as I write – I’m simply writing.
The article also recommends paying for the latest models of AI. That makes sense. You (mostly) get what you pay for. If you want the best model then you’ll pay for it. So this is something I’m considering. This is from the section, What you should actually do. It’s worth noting.
This helps with direction; something I’ve been lacking. How do I use AI? What role could it play in my life that helps me? I’m not writing a CV for a job application (at least not yet) so I don’t have that use for it. But I may well need to at some point. I don’t see my working life as approaching the end. It is of course – I’m almost 60 – but I enjoy working and I enjoy contributing to something. I’m just considerably more intolerant to doing something I don’t believe in, or isn’t useful or making a positive and useful contribution.
That’s my next challenge – actually use AI as a tool rather than as an intellectual exercise.