AI isn’t going anywhere: Prompts to make life easier

Embracing AI: A Journey from Paris to Everyday Life

Imagine this: you’re sitting in a cozy Parisian restaurant with your significant other, the city of love bustling around you. The waiter hands you a wine menu, and it’s all in French. Your partner, Barry, is craving something akin to a Napa cabernet. What do you do? In this digital age, you whip out your phone, snap a picture of the menu, and consult ChatGPT. Within moments, it suggests a wine, and the waiter confirms it’s a great choice. This is just one of the many ways artificial intelligence (AI) is seamlessly integrating into our daily lives.

Many people assume AI is reserved for tech giants, programmers, or those deeply entrenched in the digital world. However, AI is accessible to anyone willing to explore its potential. It’s time to stop ignoring this powerful tool and start embracing it. AI is more user-friendly and beneficial than you might think.

Getting Started with AI

One of the most common questions I receive is, “Where do I find ChatGPT?” It’s simple. You can use it on the web or download it for your iPhone or Android device. The free version is sufficient for most users, but I personally pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus. The enhanced features and faster response times make it worthwhile for me. Start with the free version, and if you find yourself relying on it regularly, consider upgrading.

ChatGPT is my preferred AI tool, but it’s not the only option. You can also explore Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude. The workflow is similar across these platforms. Think of it like using Google, but instead of entering a search term and sifting through results, you have a conversation with the bot to get precisely what you need.

As with any tool, it’s crucial to use AI wisely and verify its results. You don’t want to end up like those lawyers who used AI to draft court documents, only to have a judge point out glaring errors.

Understanding AI Prompts

Prompts are the text, questions, or commands you provide to an AI system to guide its response or action. The better your prompt, the more useful and accurate the response will be. “Priming” is the term for instructing a chatbot on what you want. The more constraints you provide, the better the answer. For example, you might say, “Limit your response to 250 words,” “Give me the list in bullet points,” or “Format the results as a table.”

Remember, AI can’t read your mind. It only knows what you tell it. Use “do” and “don’t” in your prompts to get the desired results. For instance, if you’re cooking for friends with allergies, you might say, “Create a recipe for six people. Do include protein, fruits, vegetables, and carbs. Don’t include dairy products, shellfish, or nuts.”

Seven AI Prompts to Simplify Your Life

Make your goals actionable: “I have a goal for 2025 to [fill in the blank]. Can you help me make it SMART?” (SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, and Time-related.) If you’re not there yet, try this: “I want to [fill in the blank], but it feels overwhelming, and I don’t know where to start. Can you help me by breaking it down into more manageable tasks?”
“Give me 10 more examples”: This prompt is great for brainstorming. Some ideas might be off the mark, but they could spark creativity in your mind.
“How can I make this better?” Add anything you’ve written — a blog post, a travel plan, a resume, or even a heartfelt email. This prompt helps polish your work and suggests improvements, like having a personal editor at your fingertips.
Your very own free assistant: If you have messy notes from a meeting, you could spend 15 minutes turning them into an email for your boss or team. Instead, open a chatbot and say, “Turn these notes into a professional, friendly email to my team.” Paste your notes at the end, and voila. Pro tip: Ask your bot, “Is there anything that needs more details?” to fill in any missing info.
Shortcut your inbox: When you receive a lengthy email, open your AI chatbot and type, “Summarize this email for me. Tell me what I need to do, then write a thoughtful reply. Here is the email.” Paste in the email and let AI work its magic.
Wanna get in shape? Ask your AI to create a custom fitness plan. Try this: “Create a 30-day fitness plan for fat loss and muscle gain tailored to a [male/female] beginner at [your age].” Or get specific: “Create a four-week fitness plan to help me run a mile for the first time.” Don’t sweat it.
Spouse forgot to load the dishes again? Instead of sending a frustrated text, let AI help. Ask your chatbot to reframe your message into something more constructive. I like this prompt: “Make this message sound more friendly.”

Privacy Considerations

It’s easy to think of your bot as a trusted ally, especially when it’s providing helpful answers all day long. However, it’s important to remember that it’s a data-collecting tool like any other. Be cautious about what you share. Never type in passwords, sensitive financial data, or confidential work or business information. My rule of thumb: Don’t tell a chatbot anything you wouldn’t want made public.

With a free ChatGPT or Perplexity account, you can turn off memory features in the app settings that remember everything you type. For Google Gemini, a paid account is required to do this.

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