One of the first times I tried ChatGPT, I treated it like a search engine and asked it a question about my hometown, expecting a Wikipedia style output with historical facts, but instead, it gave me a weird, off-base response that was useless for me. It made me wonder what the hype about AI was, if this is what it churned out, and I stopped using it for a while until picking it back up almost a year later.
Turns out I wasn't alone - many new users try AI tools the wrong way at first and leave frustrated like I did. However, once I figured out how to ask better questions, I started getting actual use out of it and it's become an invaluable part of my daily workflow.
If you're curious about using AI to make your life easier, stick around and I'll walk you through the basics of doing it effectively and safely, plus a few tips on how to use it in your workflow that you might not have considered before.
What Type Of Tool Should You Use?
Start by thinking about what you want to do, then choose an AI that fits that task.
If you want to ask questions, get explanations, or have something written, a text based AI chatbot is the way to go - these are tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Bing Chat, which allow you to have a conversation and make requests that are text based.
If you need a graphic to go with a presentation, or you just want to have fun creating art, AI image generation tools can help you by creating pictures from text descriptions - popular tools for this include DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion. There are also more specialized AI applications, like GitHub Copilot which can help write code, and other tools that can transcribe audio, or even generate voice or video.
If you're feeling adventurous or want to compare different AI models, platforms like Vear let you access multiple AI engines in one place. You can even run the same question through several models at once and have Vear merge the responses into one answer, which is useful if you want to experiment and see how different AIs answer your question. This is perfect for beginners who aren't sure which chatbot they prefer, since you can access all major models for free on one platform without having to pay for subscriptions - and you can compare answer styles within Vear's site.
Communicately Effectively
Using AI effectively means learning to communicate literally and in a detail oriented way, keeping in mind that the answers you get depend on how you ask the questions.
A common mistake is asking something too vague and getting a generic answer, so it's important to be specific and include details about what you need and who you are, which can help the AI give more relevant and helpful answers. You can also instruct the AI to respond in a certain way, using a particular tone or format.
And if you don't get the answer you want on the first try (which is more common than you'd expect), clarify what you want to get more details or ask the bot to rephrase its response. Your interaction should be a dialogue, not a one-way street.
You should also keep in mind that sometimes the AI might not be able to do certain things, or can refuse a request if it violates any usage policies or copyright laws. Certain models also have knowledge cutoffs, so if you need very recent info you'll need to use a tool with internet access or at the very least confirm the information after you get the answer.
Checking & Refining Your Answers
On that note, learning how to critically evaluate what AI gives you is key - especially because sometimes AI can be confident about its answer and totally wrong.
Start by making it a habit to double check important facts and numbers - if the AI provides a specific claim like a statistic or other important source, verify it using a reliable source. AI models don't have an actual database of verified facts, they predict answers based on patterns - that means they can sometimes produce completely fake information that looks real.
You should also make sure you're editing the output yourself - after you get a response from an AI, read it with a critical eye to ensure that everything makes sense and is logically consistent. It's much easier to correct or fine-tune a draft than to write from scratch, but always put the finishing touches on it yourself.
Finally, be mindful about biases. Since AI models learn from internet text, which inevitably includes biases or outdated information, they might reflect common prejudices or errors from their training data - so if you get an answer that seems biased or not culturally sensitive, this could be why.
Chatting Safely
When you start using AI regularly, it's important to adopt some good habits to protect yourself, especially when it comes to your privacy and data.
First, assume that anything you type into a public AI service might be seen or stored by the company that runs it. For instance, if you use ChatGPT or another online AI, the text you enter is typically saved and could be reviewed to improve the model (and in some cases, it could be used to train future models), so don't enter confidential information.
You should also be mindful about the ethical implications of using AI, particularly when it comes to plagiarism. For example, using AI to get help understanding a concept or to outline an essay is fine, but turning in an AI-written essay as your own is considered plagiarism and can result in very real consequences. Similarly, when it comes to creative output like AI generated art and music, the AI might mimic artists' styles in a way that raises copyright questions so if you publish content that an AI helped create, consider disclosing it, and be respectful of original creators' rights and concerns.
Once you're comfortable with an AI tool or two, you can start incorporating them into your daily routine - the idea here is to let AI handle some tedious work while you focus on more important things.
I've found AI especially handy for writing and editing. I often jot down a rough draft or some bullet points, then have an AI help expand them into full paragraphs. AI is also great for brainstorming so if I need creative gift ideas for a 10-year-old who loves science, or a catchy title for a work project, I can prompt the AI and get a list of ideas and while not every suggestion will be amazing, I often get one or two that'll spark inspiration.
The more you use AI, the more you'll develop a sense for when it's helpful, so keep an eye out for new tools and updates, but stick with what actually makes your life easier and cut out the rest. When you use it wisely it can feel like you've gained a personal assistant and save you a ton of time, and even money, in the long run.