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Man looking delighted and surprised at what AI has just done on his phone
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Five things AI can do that surprise people

From a tricky letter to a confusing document, explained in plain English.

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Scroll down for more ideas on ways AI could be used in your life

The AI For Your Life Blog

Honest, useful writing about AI in everyday life. No jargon, no hype, just ideas you can actually use.

New here? You do not need to read these in order, or read them all. Have a scroll through to find any that catch your interest.

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How to use the examples inside each post

Those lines in italics are examples. Most posts include lines written in italics inside quotation marks. Those are examples of what you might type, or say out loud, to an AI such as ChatGPT. They are starting points rather than magic words. There is no wrong way to phrase a question.

Change them to suit you. Swap in your own garden, your own team, your own situation. Where you see something in [square brackets], that is a gap for you to fill in with your own details.

You decide how deep to go. If an answer is too complicated, say “explain that more simply”. If it is too basic, say “tell me more about that”. Keep asking follow-up questions until it makes sense. Nothing is ever waiting on you, and no question is too basic to ask.

The one trick worth knowing. Before AI answers, ask it to question you first. Try: “Before you suggest anything, please ask me whatever you need to know about my situation.” The answers come back shaped around you rather than around anybody.

Completely new to all of this? Start here. Not yet convinced it is for you? This one is written for you.

Older woman beaming with delight at her tablet — a sceptic converted
For the sceptics

If you're not sure AI is for you — this is the post to read

A calm, honest look at the concerns people have about AI — and some answers that might change your mind.

Kevin Conroy  ·  March 2026
Woman relaxing on her sofa, smiling as she uses AI on her smartphone for the first time
Getting started

How to start using AI online — from any phone, tablet or computer

You don't need to download anything, learn anything technical, or be good with computers. Here's how to get started in under five minutes on whatever device you have.

Kevin Conroy  ·  May 2026
Person sitting thoughtfully at a laptop, two browser tabs open, deciding which to use
Getting started

Which AI is right for you? How to choose — and how to let the AI teach you

Claude or ChatGPT? Free or paid? This post walks you through the questions to ask — and gives you the actual words to type so the AI guides you through it itself.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Older woman relaxed at home with phone, tablet and smart speaker
Getting started

The best first question to ask an AI — and why most people get it wrong

Most people start with a question that's too vague. Here's how to get a much better result from the very first thing you type.

Kevin Conroy  ·  May 2026
Man in his 60s sitting at a kitchen table with a tablet, looking pleased and engaged as he reads a step-by-step AI reply
Getting started

How to get AI to teach you: one step at a time

If AI isn't quite doing what you want, ask it to slow down and coach you through it. Here's how to use AI as your most patient, most personal teacher — including a real example from Kevin's own experience.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Man looking delighted and surprised at what AI has just done on his phone
Everyday AI

Five things AI can do that surprise people

From writing a tricky letter to explaining a confusing document in plain English — five everyday examples of what AI can quietly do for you.

Kevin Conroy  ·  May 2026
Older person looking carefully and cautiously at a suspicious message on their phone
Staying safe

Spot the scam — how to use AI as your second pair of eyes

Scams look more convincing than ever. But you now have a calm, patient helper available free, any time of day, that will look at any suspicious message with you and tell you honestly what it thinks.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Woman in her seventies at a kitchen table reading an NHS letter, with a tablet, notepad and health information leaflets in front of her
Health & wellbeing

AI and your health: making sense of what your doctor tells you

You come out of an appointment with a head full of half-understood terms. AI gives you a patient, unhurried space to go back over it all until it makes sense — including those consultant letters.

Kevin Conroy  ·  August 2026
Man in his sixties writing notes in a diary before a doctor's appointment, with a wall planner behind him showing the appointment time, a tablet and NHS leaflets on the table
Health & wellbeing

AI and your health: getting the most from your GP appointments

Ten minutes is not very long. AI can help you organise your thoughts beforehand, describe your symptoms clearly and walk in with the questions that actually matter.

Kevin Conroy  ·  August 2026
Smiling couple in their sixties preparing a fresh salad together in a bright kitchen with a tablet on the worktop
Health & wellbeing

AI and your health: food, wellbeing and the everyday side of good health

Managing a special diet, eating well without eating boringly, and finding the words for something that has been sitting with you. The quieter, daily side of staying well.

Kevin Conroy  ·  August 2026
Woman writing a letter with a smile — crumpled attempts around her
Practical tip

How to write any letter in under three minutes using AI

Complaint letters, thank-you notes, formal requests — AI handles them all beautifully. Here's exactly how to do it.

Kevin Conroy  ·  April 2026
Man cooking in the kitchen following an AI recipe on his tablet
In the kitchen

AI in the kitchen

From recipes based on whatever's in the fridge to meal planning and adapting dishes for dietary needs — AI can be a remarkable kitchen companion.

Kevin Conroy  ·  April 2026
Woman photographing the open contents of her fridge with a smartphone, about to ask AI to suggest a recipe from what she has
In the kitchen

Take a photo of your fridge and let AI cook with what you've got

Hold your phone up to the open fridge, upload the photo to ChatGPT and tell it what's in the cupboard. It will suggest a full meal from exactly what you have — including things you'd never have thought to combine yourself.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
A couple with a map and coffee planning an exciting holiday trip together
Travel & adventure

Your perfect holiday — planned by AI in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea

Road trips, once-in-a-lifetime adventures, long haul, short breaks, staycations — AI will plan any of them in extraordinary detail. Here's how.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Couple at a restaurant abroad, holding up a foreign menu and laughing as they photograph it
Travel & food

Point your phone at the menu — and let AI do the translating

A menu in a language you don't speak, photos of unfamiliar dishes — AI handles both beautifully. A game-changer for anyone who loves travelling or eating out abroad.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Wooden table with several hobbies laid out together: a watercolour sketchbook and coloured pencils, knitting in progress, a book of British birds with binoculars, an open notebook headed Ideas, and a tablet showing the AI For Your Life website
Hobbies & interests

How AI has opened up my hobbies in ways I never expected

Gardening, painting, family history, crafts — AI can advise, inspire and teach in ways that bring real joy to the things you already love.

Kevin Conroy  ·  March 2026
Group of friends in their sixties and seventies watching football together in a traditional English pub, one man pointing at something on his phone to show the woman beside him
Sport & interests

Following football with AI: how to get more from the game you love

Whether you have supported the same club for fifty years or are only just taking an interest, AI can explain the history, the rules and the tactics at whatever level of detail suits you.

Kevin Conroy  ·  August 2026
Couple in their sixties and seventies celebrating together on the sofa while watching a rugby match on television, one holding a tablet
Sport & interests

Following rugby with AI: how to get more from the game you love

Rugby has a rulebook that defeats plenty of lifelong supporters. AI will explain any of it patiently, in plain English, as many times as you need.

Kevin Conroy  ·  August 2026
Man in his seventies leaning forward with clenched fists watching a Formula One race on television in a warmly lit living room, with a tablet and a cup of tea beside him
Sport & interests

Following Formula 1 with AI: how to get more from every race weekend

Few sports change as fast as Formula One. AI is a patient guide to the technology, the strategy and the personalities, without assuming you already know the jargon.

Kevin Conroy  ·  August 2026
Woman in her early sixties at a kitchen table, holding a smartphone showing a colour-coded calendar while a week-to-view diary and a handwritten to-do list sit open in front of her, with a cup of tea to one side
Everyday AI

Planning your time: ideas and options for anyone who is retired, or nearly there

A shape to your day, week and month means the things you care about actually happen. Here is how to build one, from paper diary to AI planning partner.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Man in his sixties leading a small group of older adults through a Tai Chi session in a sunny park, arms extended in a flowing movement with eyes gently closed
Health & wellbeing

Exercise and AI: how to find the right movement for your body, your health and your life

From Tai Chi to chair yoga, walking to swimming — AI can help you find the exercise that suits your body and your mobility right now, then help you build it into your week.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Older woman delighted at a colourful AI-generated image on her tablet
Creative fun

Create your own pictures with AI — for fun, for gifts, and just to see what happens

You can describe any image you can imagine and AI will paint it for you. Here's how to get started, what to try first, and how to stay safe while you explore.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Family gathered around a laptop laughing at a fun AI-generated family photo on screen
Family & fun

Fix old photos, bring everyone together, make memories — with ChatGPT

Restore a faded old photograph. Put the whole family in one picture even when they're scattered across the world. Create something funny for a birthday or reunion. ChatGPT can do all of it.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
A collection of greeting cards spread on a table — birthdays, weddings, Christmas and more
Cards & occasions

The perfect words for any card — written by AI, felt by the person who receives it

Birthdays, funerals, weddings, new babies, Valentine's Day — AI can write a personalised verse for any occasion in seconds. Here's how.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Grandparent reading a personalised bedtime story to a delighted child tucked up in bed
Family & grandchildren

The bedtime story that stars your grandchild — and their dog, their gran and what they did today

AI can write a personalised bedtime story in under a minute, using real names, real pets and today's real events. Here's exactly how to do it.

Kevin Conroy  ·  June 2026
Grandmother sitting at a kitchen table with her young grandchild, both looking at a tablet screen together as they work through homework
Family & grandchildren

How to use AI to help your grandchild with their homework

From explaining tricky topics to creating practice questions at exactly the right level, AI can make you a useful homework helper — whatever the subject, whatever the age.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Man in his sixties in a hobby shed, smiling at AI product recommendations on his phone, with a small blue Bluetooth speaker on the workbench in front of him
Smart buying

How to use AI to find exactly the right product for what you need

Tell AI what you are trying to achieve, not just what you want to buy. Ask it to question you. What comes back is better than any review site — and tailored to your exact situation.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Woman in her sixties at a kitchen table researching cars on a laptop, with car brochures, a finance guide and a Car Buyer's Guide spread around her as she takes notes
Smart buying

Buying a car? Let AI help you choose the right one — and find the best way to finance it

Tell AI what you need, ask it to question you, and let it walk you through both decisions — the right car for your situation and the best way to pay for it — in plain English.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Man crouching beside his Land Rover Defender 90 with the bonnet open, photographing the battery in the engine bay with a smartphone to ask AI for the right replacement
Smart buying

How to use AI to find the right replacement for anything — and avoid paying over the odds

Take a photo of what you need to replace, ask AI for the right spec and a fair price. Then ask for alternatives. Kevin tried it for a car battery and came away with a better one for £40 less.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Couple in their sixties at a dining table — the man photographs an ornate china vase with his phone while the woman holds a tablet with a surprised expression, with old books, a framed portrait and a porcelain figurine on the table in front of them
Smart selling

What's it worth? Use AI to identify, value and sell almost anything in your home

House clearance, downsizing or simply getting value from what you own — photograph the item, ask AI what it is and what it's worth, then let it tell you exactly how and where to sell it.

Kevin Conroy  ·  July 2026
Man checking his motorbike headlight against his phone, using AI to diagnose the fault
Fixing things

Car or motorbike playing up? Here's how to use AI to diagnose it — and maybe try to fix it yourself

Strange noise, warning light, or something that just doesn't feel right? Here's how to work out what's wrong — and decide whether to try to fix it yourself or walk into a garage already informed.

Kevin Conroy · June 2026
Woman setting up a whole-home mesh wifi system with her laptop, using AI for guidance
Fixing things

Computer or laptop playing up? Here's how to use AI to try to fix it yourself

A baffling error message, a wifi signal that won't reach the back bedroom, settings that have changed by themselves — here's how to describe the problem to AI and follow simple, practical steps to try to fix it.

Kevin Conroy · June 2026
Man checking his coffee machine's descale warning light using AI on his phone
Fixing things

Gadget not behaving? Here's how to use AI to try to fix it yourself

A coffee machine flashing a light you've never seen, a smart device that's stopped doing what it should — here's how to describe the problem to AI and follow simple, practical steps to try to fix it.

Kevin Conroy · June 2026

Want to experience this in person?

Kevin's free library presentations bring these ideas to life with live demonstrations and real examples. Come along — it's free, friendly and no booking needed.

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