The other day Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis released a study about generative AI use in the US. The numbers were unexpectedly low for me. Only 39% have ever used a generative AI model. You may ask how can AI help me at home?
When I discussed this with other AI enthusiasts, they pointed out that your local grocery shop clerk or the truck driver have nothing to do with AI. Interestingly use outside of work was larger 32.6% than at work 28.1%. So, why and how to use AI at home?
The use of AI at work is not a mystery. Only about 30% of people are knowledge workers. So, 28 percent at work AI use is pretty good. At the same time a 2021 study by Accenture showed that more than 60% of US work hours are language based.
More people are using ChatGPT for non-work tasks than ever before. And that gap is growing fast. In June 2024, 53% of messages weren’t related to work. By June 2025, that number jumped to 73%. OpenAI looked at 1.1 million conversations and asked a simple question: Was the message likely part of your job, or not?
But yes, the truck driver and the grocery clerk have a ton of things to do with AI outside of their work. Here are the ways to use AI for everyday tasks:
- Come up or improve recipes or create a meal plan
Example ChatGPT prompt: “Create a 7-day dinner plan for a family of two that is healthy, budget-friendly, and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare each night. We love pork.” - Create a shopping list, suggest things you may also want
Example prompt: “Based on the meal plan you just created, generate a categorized shopping list I can take to the grocery store.” You can also find what at are the downsides of the products you want to buy. - Create and evaluate your budget and spending, suggest saving ideas
Example prompt: “Here is my monthly spending: Rent $1500, Groceries $400, Gas $150, Entertainment $250, Utilities $120. Analyze this budget and give me three realistic suggestions to save more money.” - Plan a vacation and travel itinerary, this is a true timesaver
Example prompt: “Plan a 5-day trip to Rome for a couple interested in history, art, and food. Create a day-by-day itinerary that includes key attractions and restaurant recommendations.” - Write official letters to service providers, local authorities, etc.
Example prompt: “Write a formal complaint letter to my internet service provider about frequent outages. My account number is 12345, and the service has been unreliable for the past three weeks.” - Get ideas for events, create a plan for the event, menu, activities, etc
Example prompt: “I’m hosting a casual backyard BBQ for about 15 people. Suggest a simple menu, a list of supplies I’ll need, and ideas for some lawn games.” - Come up with gift ideas for family members based on the description
Example prompt: “I need a birthday gift idea for my sister who is turning 30. She loves hiking, reading fantasy novels, and trying new coffee shops. My budget is under $75.” - Help prepare for tough social situations, find strategies to settle arguments
Example prompt: “I need to ask my boss for a raise. Can you help me outline the key talking points and suggest some phrases to use to start the conversation confidently?” - Ideas for spending your weekend, what to do with my kid on Saturday
Example prompt: “Suggest three different ideas for a Saturday activity with a 10-year-old in the Chicago area. One indoor, one outdoor, and one educational.” - Plan your hobby activities
Example prompt: “I want to get into landscape photography. Create a 4-week learning plan for a complete beginner, including basic concepts to study and weekly photo assignments.” - Create a training plan, I have pasted my running stats into AI and asked for a plan, it work out pretty well
Example prompt: “I currently lift weights 3 days a week. My goal is to increase muscle mass. Here is my current routine: [paste routine]. Create a new 4-day split routine for me to follow for the next 8 weeks.” - Create a CV that exactly matches the job description
Example prompt: “Here is my resume: [paste resume]. Now, optimize it for this job description for a Marketing Manager position: [paste job description].” - Get ideas for planning your time more effectively
Example prompt: “I work from home and struggle with procrastination. Suggest a daily time-blocking schedule that allocates time for focused work, meetings, breaks, and personal errands.” - Suggest movies or TV shows, based on your likes
Example prompt: “I enjoyed the TV shows ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Dark’. Recommend 5 other shows with similar mystery and sci-fi elements.” - Suggest music based on your likes or mood
Example prompt: “Create a playlist of calm, instrumental music that is good for studying. I like artists like Ludovico Einaudi and Ólafur Arnalds.” - Suggest books and other reading that matches your taste
Example prompt: “I love fast-paced thriller novels by authors like Lee Child and David Baldacci. Suggest three other authors I might enjoy.” - Help you learn to meditate
Example prompt: “Act as a meditation guide and write me a 10-minute script for a mindfulness meditation focused on breathing.” - Set goals and plan for achieving them
Example prompt: “My goal is to save $5,000 for a down payment in the next 12 months. Break this down into a monthly savings target and suggest actionable steps I can take to reach it.” - Ideas for renovation or interior design
Example prompt: “Give me some interior design ideas for a small home office. I want the style to be minimalist and functional, with a color scheme of greens and natural wood.” - Create a real estate listing based on the images and documents of your home
Example prompt: “Write a captivating real estate description for a 2-bedroom condo. Highlight the ocean view, modern kitchen, and its location close to downtown.” - Talk to ChatGPT in voice mode and discuss any of the above
Example prompt: (Spoken) “Hey, let’s brainstorm. I want to start a new hobby that’s creative but doesn’t cost a lot of money to get started. What are some ideas?”
These are examples of AI at home I could come up with in 10 minutes, as I have used them all in my life outside of work. But when we come back to our grocery clerk and truck driver, then they also have uses for generative AI in their work.
AI can help them optimize the routine tasks they have in their job. Even when most of your work is physical you can ask AI for pointers on how to do it better. How to feel better about yourself at the end of the day.
Then here’s the list of things people do at work with AI.
Of these tasks many can be part of our truck driver’s and grocery clerk’s job in any given week. For example:
- Writing Communications
- Interpreting/Translating/Summarizing
- Support with Customers/Co-Workers
- Generating/Developing New Ideas
- Tutoring or Educational Assistance
Absolutely everything you do where you could ask for advice from a friend, or an older colleague can be augmented with generative artificial intelligence. Check out how to improve your AI skills.
Sure, the answers may not always be 100% correct, but they help you get ideas so you can work out your problems yourself.
