Ever catch yourself chatting with your phone or asking your computer for help and realize, just for a second, that you’re living in what used to be science fiction? That’s exactly how I feel about artificial intelligence these days. Not too long ago, AI was the stuff of movies and video games—Cortana guiding you through alien worlds in Halo, or Jarvis coolly managing Tony Stark’s high-tech life in Iron Man. Back then, having a digital assistant like that seemed about as likely as owning a flying car.
Fast forward to now, and I find myself using AI almost every day—sometimes without even thinking about it. Whether it’s organizing my work, brainstorming ideas, or just making sense of a messy spreadsheet, AI has quietly slipped into the background of my daily routine. It’s remarkable how quickly this once far-off fantasy is becoming part of our reality. In this post, I want to share how my own relationship with AI has grown, the excitement (and worries) it brings, and why I think we’re only seeing the beginning of its impact on our lives.
From Sci-Fi Fantasy to Daily Reality
rowing up playing games, I always loved the idea of having an AI assistant. It was one of those “maybe one day” kinds of fantasies, and honestly, I never truly expected to see anything close to that in my lifetime. Yet here we are—while a Jarvis-level assistant isn’t quite in reach just yet, it’s becoming less outlandish with every passing year.
I remember the first time I realized AI was actually starting to materialize. I was in the pub, catching up with an old colleague over lunch. We were chatting about work, when he suddenly asked if I’d heard of OpenAI. I hadn’t. He started describing it as this revolutionary tool that was massively improving the way he wrote documentation and scripts at work. That conversation was the spark for me to start digging into what all the hype was about—and boy has it changed things for me.
AI in My Daily Life
Since January 2023, AI has steadily woven itself into my daily routines. I’ve used ChatGPT both professionally and personally. At work, it’s become a bit like my invisible teammate when I’m writing documentation, drafting new processes, technical troubleshooting, or even generating scripts. My workflow usually goes something like this: I jot down rough notes on how I want a process to look, ask ChatGPT to peer review and suggest improvements, and then get it to help format the information so it’s clear and polished. Of course, there are always the finishing touches that need a human eye—details and context that only make sense to me or my team—but AI’s become an invaluable partner in the groundwork.
Outside of work, I’ve let my curiosity lead me into other AI rabbit holes. I spent some time experimenting with image generation using Stable Diffusion, and I turn to AI for everything from creative writing help to technical troubleshooting at home. If I’m wrestling with a clunky sentence in a blog post, or need a second opinion on a storyline, AI is there to nudge me in the right direction or format things more cleanly. Towards the end of 2024, I started using Microsoft CoPilot for work too, and I’m now tinkering with the idea of hosting my own AI using Mistral. Yes—this stuff is addicting.
What Excites Me About AI
As someone who used to daydream about digital assistants, the idea of someday having my own totally unique, customizable, emotionally intelligent AI is both wild and thrilling. Imagine an assistant that not only understands your schedule and preferences, but can also pick up on your moods, respond with empathy, and feel truly like a partner rather than just an app.
But even now, with the tools already available, I’ve found AI genuinely exciting because of how much more productive and efficient it’s made me. Take documentation, for example—something that can quickly eat up hours. With AI, I can draft, peer review, and format processes in a fraction of the time. It’s like having a built-in co-writer who’s always available to bounce ideas off or tidy up my rough thoughts. The same goes for data manipulation: when I’ve got messy raw data in a spreadsheet, I can simply hand it to AI and ask for a cleaner, more organized version. Sure, it’s not infallible—I always double-check the results, because sometimes it’ll make small mistakes or misinterpret my intent—but for the most part, it shaves off so much manual effort.
AI has also upped my game in terms of automation. Creating efficient automation flows has become easier, as AI helps brainstorm, optimize, and sometimes even generate the scripts or workflows I need. That level of support really opens up more time and brainpower for the work that calls for genuine creativity or problem-solving.
Another plus? Reducing human error. When I’m knee-deep in repetitive or detail-heavy tasks, it’s easy to slip up or overlook something. Automating those steps with AI not only speeds things up, but also brings a welcome level of consistency and reliability—provided, of course, I’m still validating what comes out the other end.
And of course, on a bigger scale, I’m excited about the progress AI can usher in for science and technology. Whether that’s accelerating medical breakthroughs, driving new discoveries, or simply helping society tackle complex challenges, the potential is huge. It’s not just about working faster—it’s about working smarter, more accurately, and perhaps finding solutions we’d never have come up with on our own.
The Flip Side: My Concerns
Of course, it’s not all sunshine. Using AI in a professional environment isn’t risk-free—you can’t just dump sensitive business or personal information in and expect it to be secure. It takes proper training and a healthy amount of caution, especially when using AI for technical troubleshooting or creative processes.
Then there’s the question of the job market. If AI really can automate away certain types of work, what does that mean for jobs, and how will it affect the broader economy? The possibility of fewer traditional jobs, transformed workplaces, or entire industries changing overnight is both intriguing and worrying.
Socialisation is another area that gives me pause. If AI becomes so good at conversation and companionship, will people start to drift away from connecting in person? What does it mean for human relationships if we can get emotional fulfillment from something synthetic?
And of course there’s misinformation. Large language models like ChatGPT learn by absorbing huge swathes of internet data—good, bad, and ugly. If they ingest enough biased or incorrect information, there’s a real risk of perpetuating or amplifying those errors. Plus, with any system that’s open-ended, the chances of generating inappropriate, adult, or even illegal content are never zero without careful oversight.
Pop Culture AI vs. The Real Thing
I think pop culture has done a good job of making us both excited and terrified about AI. Hollywood loves to dramatize artificial intelligence—think Avengers: Age of Ultron or Terminator 2—where AI is either saving the world (or, more often, threatening to destroy it). These extremes make for great movies, but reality is a lot subtler. Instead of robots taking over the planet, we’re dealing with AI in our phones, on websites, as chatbots, and customer service reps. It’s seamlessly blending into our digital environment, often making things easier… with the occasional weird suggestion or hilarious misunderstanding.
My Stance
AI. The next big thing. These days, I can’t scroll through my feed without seeing it pop up—sometimes with excitement, but more often with anxiety or alarm. Personally, I think it’s important to see the bigger picture. AI isn’t inherently good or bad; it’s a tool with massive potential for both benefit and harm, and it’s up to us to shape the way it develops. For now, I’m optimistic and curious—using AI daily, learning the ropes, and keeping a wary eye on the risks.
Personally, I don’t think it’s a bad thing—yet.
But that’s just where I am right now. I’d love to hear your thoughts: How do you use AI? Are you hopeful, worried, or maybe both? Let me know what you think in the comments
The Life of J 
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