Five things AI can do that surprise people
AI can do far more than most people expect and anyone can put it to use. Here are five everyday examples that tend to take people by surprise the first time they try them.
1. Find the right words for any situation
If you need to write something sensitive (a complaint, a difficult conversation, a letter that needs exactly the right tone) AI can help you find the words. Describe the situation and how you want to come across (firm and polite, clear and warm) and it will produce a draft you can fine-tune in minutes.
2. Suggest a recipe from whatever’s in the fridge
Tell AI what you’ve got in the fridge or cupboard (even an unusual combination) and it will suggest something to cook that actually works. Sometimes it’s a dish you’d never have thought of yourself.
3. Explain a confusing letter in plain English
Medical letters, official paperwork, insurance documents: if the wording is full of jargon, you can type the key parts into AI and ask it to explain what they mean in simple terms. Within seconds you have a clear, calm explanation.
4. Help plan the trip you’ve always dreamed of
Describe the kind of holiday you’ve always wanted (the region, the pace, the things you enjoy) and AI can put together a detailed, thoughtful itinerary to get you started. You do the booking and it turns a vague idea into a real plan.
5. Save hours of research
Need background on a fairly niche topic? Instead of an afternoon spent going back and forth between websites, you can ask AI a series of questions and have a clear summary of everything you need in a fraction of the time.
For research you’ll act on, such as prices, opening times or anything official, it’s worth a quick check with the original source.
A note on dates. Everything here was checked when it was written and I go back over my posts regularly to keep them up to date. Apps, prices and rules do change, so for anything important a quick look at the official source is worth it.
Want to go further?
All of this and much more can be explored in depth at one of Kevin’s workshops or in a follow-up session after a free library talk. If anything here has caught your imagination, ask Kevin to show you how it works.
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