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.
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%.
The use at work is not a mystery. Only about 30% of people are knowledge workers. So, 28 percent at work 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.
But yes, the truck driver and the grocery clerk have a ton of things to do with AI outside of their work.
- Come up or improve recipes or create a meal plan
- Create a shopping list, suggest things you may also want
- Create and evaluate your budget and spending, suggest saving ideas
- Plan a vacation and travel itinerary, this is a true timesaver
- Write official letters to service providers, local authorities, etc.
- Get ideas for events, create a plan for the event, menu, activities, etc
- Come up with gift ideas for family members based on the description
- Help prepare for tough social situations, find strategies to settle arguments
- Ideas for spending your weekend, what to do with my kid on Saturday
- Plan your hobby activities
- Create a training plan, I have pasted my running stats into AI and asked for a plan, it work out pretty well
- Create a CV that exactly matches the job description
- Get ideas for planning your time more effectively
- Suggest movies or TV shows, based on your likes
- Suggest music based on your likes or mood
- Suggest books and other reading that matches your taste
- Help you learn to meditate
- Set goals and plan for achieving them
- Ideas for renovation or interior design
- Create a real estate listing based on the images and documents of your home
- Talk to ChatGPT in voice mode and discuss any of the above
These are some things 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.
Sure, the answers may not always be 100% correct, but they help you get ideas so you can work out your problems yourself.