How to Start Using AI Today

Fear, Resistance, and the Unknown of AI

The AI Revolution is here, and most people are not ready for it. It’s impacting every aspect of our personal and professional lives—and shaping our futures. How does society react to this Promethean leap in technology?

🔥 Promethean: bold innovation with transformative power and potential risks, like Prometheus giving fire to humanity

New technologies like AI are so strange and unfamiliar that they often provoke negative reactions. Many people fear these advancements, worrying about their mysterious consequences. Others dismiss AI as too complex to invest time in understanding. Some resistance is fueled by media narratives, which often focus on the darker sides of AI.

AI Avoidance 

As the AI wave disrupts every industry on earth, many people deal with it by ignoring it or avoiding it.  Out of sight, out of mind.  We’ve lived this long without AI, why pay attention now?

Some take a risk and dip their toe in the AI waters, but need clarification or support not getting the results they were hoping for.  They need guidance to navigate this new landscape. 

Negative media coverage can invoke intense fear of the unknown and people go into paralysis or actively resist these technological advances.  Aka: Skynet. 

Missing the AI Advantage

The fear of the unknown is completely understandable and natural for humans.  

Unfortunately, this AI revolution cannot be avoided or ignored, regardless of how we feel about it. But sticking your head in the sand will not only leave you ignorant but there could be some unforeseen consequences.  

Employees are overshadowed by peers whose productivity is boosted by this new technology, causing them to lose their competitive edge.

Brave individuals who give AI a try, but lack clear guidance, are soon frustrated when the AI tools don’t give them the outcomes they want.  

People who aren’t sure how to take advantage of these tools may get frustrated and give up, not getting the outcomes they want.  

Media sensationalism can paralyze with fear and blind viewers from understanding the wonderful benefits of AI technologies.  

When out of the AI loop, people miss out on the transformative power AI can bring to them.  AI is an intelligence source of knowledge and tools that can simplify and change our lives for the better. 

AI as Your Personal Assistant

Exploring AI begins with understanding a few simple concepts. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology that allows computers to perform tasks that traditionally require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, identifying patterns, and analyzing large amounts of information.

Modern AIs, like Large Language Models (LLMs), learn from massive datasets—like the internet—to understand human language and predict or generate responses. 

Generative AI takes this a step further, creating new writing, images, audio, and video by synthesizing what it has learned. Think of it as a digital sculptor using the “clay” of human knowledge to produce unique creations, from poems inspired by Shakespeare to art in the style of Van Gogh.

AI’s generative capabilities make it a powerful tool for everyday tasks. Need to draft a professional email in a specific tone? AI can handle it. Want a recipe using just a photo of what’s in your fridge? It’s got you covered. Even complex questions—like calculating how much you’ve saved making coffee at home for 15 years—are within reach. AI isn’t just smart; it’s practical, approachable, and ready to make your life easier.

Building Confidence with AI

If you are ready to overcome your fear and embrace the future, here are 3 simple steps you can take to start your AI Journey:

1. Start with Small Simple Tasks

Invite AI to help with the tasks you do daily.  Ask for help drafting an email.  For dinner, ask AI for recipe suggestions. Here are some other tasks to try out:

• 🍴 Plan Your Next Dinner: List the ingredients in your fridge and ask for a recipe idea.
• 🛍️ Shop Smart: Ask for the best sparkling red wine under $15 at Trader Joe’s.
• 🧠 Summarize Key Insights: Use AI to summarize a long report or article into key takeaways for your team. Example: “Summarize this 5-page report into 3 actionable points for our team strategy.”
• ✈️ Travel Like a Pro: Find the best coffee shops with espresso in the city you’re visiting.
• 🎥 Movie Night Made Easy: Ask for age-appropriate movie recommendations for your kids, like G-rated comedies for 8-year-olds.
• 🗓️ Organize Your Week: Request a to-do list or schedule based on your tasks for the day.

2. Improve Your Prompts: Use the CARE Method

 As you interact with AI, you’ll notice that clear and detailed prompts lead to better results. Use the CARE acronym to refine your approach:

• Context: Set the stage for your request. Example: “I’m writing an email to request a day off.”

• Ask: Be specific about what you need. Example: “Help me write a polite and professional email.”
• Rules: Define tone, length, or format. Example: “Keep it concise and friendly.”
• Examples: Share a sample or style reference. Example: “Make it similar to this email I wrote last week.”

3. Try a New AI Tool

Experiment with a tool you haven’t used before, like Adobe Firefly for design, Otter.ai for transcription, or Grammarly for writing assistance.

• 💡 My Favorite AI Tool: ChatGPT: ChatGPT is my go-to tool for generating ideas, answering questions, and assisting with writing or brainstorming. It’s incredibly user-friendly and versatile, making it the perfect companion for virtually any task.
• Grammarly: Improve writing by checking grammar, punctuation, and tone.  It’s intuitive, works in real-time, and helps polish emails, documents, and social media posts effortlessly.
• Otter.ai: Automatically transcribe meetings, lectures, or interviews into written notes. Saves time and ensures you never miss key points in important conversations.
• Canva’s Magic Tools: Create visually stunning designs with AI-generated templates, presentations, or social media graphics. No design experience is required, and the AI assists with layout and visual elements for professional-looking results.

The AI revolution is here to stay, but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Start small, experiment with tools, and see how AI can enhance your personal and professional life. Embrace the possibilities, and you’ll discover just how transformative this technology can be.