AI for people

A small note about AI, use cases & useful things outside of the engineering world. No hype, just things you can try in ten minutes.

Introduction

AI chat tools have moved fast lately, & it is easy to get pulled into news & hype. But many people have not been shown practical, everyday ways to use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Grok.

If you are tired of hearing about AI: you are not alone.

When I chat with friends & family who do not work in tech, a few simple patterns can unlock a lot. So I decided to write down some examples without jargon, without complicating things, and without getting hung up on the “proper” terminology.

My goal is simple: plenty of cool things are possible with the current state of AI. Check the examples below & I hope you will find your personal use cases that will make your life better.

How to use AI safely (the boring bit, in five lines)

Treat AI like an overconfident assistant: fast, helpful, occasionally very wrong.

• Ask it to list assumptions & ask you questions first (when the input is missing).
• Ask for options, not one “correct” answer.
• Ask it what it is unsure about & what would change the answer.
• For anything that matters (health, money, safety): verify with credible sources or a professional.
• Do not feed it sensitive stuff you would not post publicly (medical details, addresses, private docs).

Recipes & Cooking

A short side note before we start. Most popular tools now support so-called “Projects” (ChatGPT, Gemini calls them Gems, & others have similar features). A project is a very simple concept: it is a place where you start a new chat & the chat already knows something about you or a specific topic. Think of it as a shortcut where you do not have to explain specifics in long messages: the chat already knows & remembers some things you told it.

So, we all cook. We also stare into the fridge & try to figure out what to do with two potatoes & half an onion left. We cooked for years, we know where to search & how. Can AI help here? Yes. Yes, it does.

To make your life even better, create a project in your favourite AI app & name it “Cooking” or something. Every project has instructions; write a simple description of your cooking conditions & preferences.

I have:
- Oven (your model)
- Microwave (your model)
- Air fryer
- [You got it]

I:
- Prefer Mediterranean diet
- Do not like spicy food
- Prefer oregano, rosemary & thyme spices
- Hate hummus

Before you ask for a recipe, make it ask you the basics (see “How to use AI safely (the boring bit, in five lines)” above). For cooking, I would start with:

• My goal (quick, healthy, high-protein, comfort food, etc.)
• Allergies & hard no items
• Metric or imperial

Now try to talk to it. Start with something simple, like: “Recipe for 200g salmon, cauliflower & quinoa”. You will probably be surprised. The AI will check instructions for your kitchen equipment, tell you which exact settings to use, which tray in the oven is best, or why in this case you want to use your dusty air fryer.

Supplements & Vitamins

Disclaimer: AI is not a doctor. Always double-check its advice with your doctor (or at least search for credible sources).

Okay, you can start with this one without a project, even on your phone.

Same as above: use AI to generate checklists & questions, not to make the decision for you.

Go & take a photo of all the supplements & vitamins you take. Yeah, just those endless boxes & jars. Then send a simple message: “Do these work well together?” You will learn plenty of interesting things:

• Whether you have overlapping ingredients/doses across products
• Whether some minerals can compete for absorption (for example, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium)
• Whether timing with food/fat matters for some supplements

Things you might want to double-check (with sources or a professional), for example.

Now, with this new knowledge, go ahead & ask: “What is the optimal schedule to take all these?” You will learn that absorption depends on food & fat, some supplements are activating & make you feel better in the morning, some cause nausea on an empty stomach, etc.

The next step is to create a project with all your supplements & schedule. You will be able to find answers with ease to questions like:

• I want to introduce [something new] as a supplement. How does it fit?
• It is summer! Let us adjust!
• I stopped drinking coffee. Any adjustments?

Advanced tip: ask for a structured answer so it is easier to verify (& to bring to your doctor).

Make a table with columns:
- Supplement
- Why I take it
- Suggested timing (with/without food, fat, morning/evening)
- Interactions / "do not mix with"
- Confidence level (high/medium/low)
- What I should verify with my doctor
Ask me clarifying questions first if anything is missing.

Plants

The same idea. Take photos of all your plants. Add them to a chat & start with simple questions:

• Do all the plants look okay?
• Can I keep all of them in my bedroom?
• What is an optimal schedule to water/mist them?

Safety first (yes, even with plants):

• If you have pets/kids: ask whether the plant is toxic & what to do if it is.
• If you see pests/mould: ask for isolation steps & basic treatment options, then verify.

If you like the results, create a project to be able to discuss your lovely garden with proper context, track progress & changes, or make it easier to change the schedule during the transition from winter to summer.

How to verify

• Ask it for sources & links (& prefer reputable ones).
• Cross-check with at least two independent sources.
• Ask: “What are you unsure about?” & “What would change your answer?”
• For health, money, or safety decisions: confirm with a professional.

Epilogue

Yes, AI makes mistakes. It can be misleading, wrong (& very wrong). Use it for ideas, checklists & drafts. For anything important: verify (see the short safety list above).

If this post helps you repot your plants, cook something new, or fix your vitamin schedule: mission accomplished.