A Tech-Savvy Tuesday!

"AI," or Artificial Intelligence – it’s a term that seems to be everywhere, splashed across news headlines and often painted in strokes of science fiction, sometimes exciting, sometimes a bit unsettling. You might have heard it's going to change the world, or perhaps you've encountered portrayals of AI as super-intelligent robots with minds of their own. It’s easy to feel a bit bewildered, or even concerned, by it all.

But what if we told you that the AI making its way into useful tools today is often much less about world-altering drama and much more about being a surprisingly handy, understandable assistant? Today, let's pull back the curtain, cut through the noise, and talk about what this "AI" really is (and isn't), and then explore how people like me are already using it today.

AI Beyond the Buzzwords: Everyday Ways Smart Tech Can Lend a Hand

Untangling AI: What It Really Is (And What It Isn't)

First, let's clear up a common misconception. The AI we're talking about for everyday assistance isn't the self-aware, all-knowing computer you see in movies. It doesn't have feelings, its own desires, or a plan to take over your kitchen appliances! Think of it more as a highly advanced and very specialized tool that humans have designed.

So, what is it? At its heart, much of the AI you'll encounter is a type of sophisticated computer program that's incredibly good at a few key things:

1. Finding Patterns: AI can sift through enormous amounts of information – text, numbers, even images – and identify patterns and connections much faster than a human could.

2. Learning from Data: Imagine teaching a child to recognize a cat. You show them many pictures of cats – different breeds, colors, sitting, sleeping. Eventually, the child learns the "pattern" of what makes a cat a cat. AI learns in a somewhat similar way, but its "picture book" is a vast digital library of books, articles, websites, and other data. By processing how words, sentences, and ideas connect millions and millions of times, it gets very good at understanding human language.

3. Generating Useful Responses: Based on what it has learned and the specific instructions or questions you give it, AI can then generate new text – like an answer to your question, a summary of information, or even a draft of an email.

Crucially, these AI systems operate based on the data they're trained on and the instructions they are given by their human creators. They are tools designed to perform specific types of tasks, much like a calculator is a tool for math or a word processor is a tool for writing.

Putting This Smart Helper to Work: Everyday Examples

Now that we have a clearer idea of what AI is (and isn't!), let's look at some practical ways this kind of smart technology.

• Curious About a New Hobby? Let AI Be Your Research Buddy! Have you been thinking about taking up birdwatching, finally starting that herb garden, or perhaps tracing your family tree, but you're not quite sure where to begin? Instead of sifting through endless websites, imagine asking an AI assistant: "What are some common songbirds I might see in my backyard in Southern California during spring?" or "I want to start a small container garden on my balcony; what herbs are easy for beginners and like partial sun?" An AI could quickly gather relevant information, suggest resources, and even break down the first few steps for you, all in one straightforward response.

• Facing a Tricky Email? AI Can Help You Find the Right Words. We all have those moments of writers block. You need to write an email that requires just the right tone, perhaps a polite complaint to a company, a carefully worded request, or even just a thank-you note where you're struggling to express yourself. You could describe the situation to an AI helper: "Help me draft a polite email to customer service about a faulty coffeemaker that’s still under warranty. I need to explain the problem and ask for a replacement or refund." The AI could offer a starting template or suggest phrases, helping you compose a clear, effective, and appropriately toned message without the usual stress.

• Sprucing Up Your Space? Brainstorm Ideas with AI! Looking for fresh ideas for a home project, like rearranging your living room for better comfort and flow, or wanting to add a touch of color to your patio with some new plants? You could ask an AI: "I want to make my small living room feel more spacious; can you give me some simple decorating tips?" or "What are some low-maintenance, flowering plants that do well in pots in a sunny spot?" An AI could offer suggestions, provide links to inspiring examples, or even give you a checklist of things to consider.

• Untangling Complex Information? AI Can Help Simplify. Sometimes we encounter documents or information that’s filled with jargon or complicated language; perhaps the instructions for a new medication, a section of a community newsletter, or details about a local initiative. While AI is never a substitute for professional advice from your doctor, lawyer, or financial advisor, it can be helpful for understanding. You could ask a well-trained AI to explain a complex term in simpler language or summarize a dense paragraph. For example: "Can you explain what 'deductible' means in this insurance policy using everyday words?" The goal is clarity to help you ask better questions of the human experts.

I personally use AI on a daily basis for things like this and more. I do need to emphasize that AI can make mistakes (just like a person!).

What makes AI special and better than just simple web search (like Google), is that it can find exactly the information that I was looking for that is customized to me. For example, I often use it to find me recipes that suit my tastes (and ingredients that I have). Let’s see an example in action.

A Real Example using AI

“Please find me a recipe for a chocolate cake that is not too dense and would go well with blackberry ice cream”

Here’s a light and moist chocolate cake recipe that pairs beautifully with blackberry ice cream—its tender crumb balances the richness of the chocolate and lets the fruity, tart ice cream shine.

Light & Fluffy Chocolate Cake (8-inch round)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1/2 tsp vinegar)

• 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water or hot coffee

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

4. Stir in the hot water or coffee—the batter will be thin, and that’s good. It helps keep the cake airy and light.

5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Serving suggestion

Serve slices slightly warm or room temp with a generous scoop of blackberry ice cream and optional toppings like:

• Whipped cream

• Fresh blackberries

• Shaved dark chocolate or a drizzle of warm ganache

If this is interesting to you, I’d love to hear from you!

I’m doing research for a project about making technology easier (and less frustrating!) for seniors. To understand these, I need to better understand the real-world ways seniors use technology in their day-to-day lives—what's helpful, what's tricky, and what's downright annoying.

I’m looking for older adults (60+) who wouldn’t mind sharing an hour of their time remotely through a casual recorded call. The conversation will be relaxed, guided by some simple questions we’ll provide. Of course, any recordings will only be used internally for research and won’t be shared publicly.

I will offer an Amazon gift card for your time. If you’re interested or know someone who would be, please send me a message!

(Or email me at steve@gestalt.com)

Quick Tech Tip

Many email and text messaging apps on your smartphone now offer "Smart Replies." These are short, AI-suggested responses like "Sounds good!", "Thanks!", or "I'll get back to you" that appear at the bottom of your messages. With just one tap, you can send a quick reply, saving you a bit of typing. Look out for these handy time-savers!

Tech Term Demystified: LLM (Large Language Model)

You may have started hearing the acronym "LLM" mentioned in discussions about Artificial Intelligence. It stands for Large Language Model, and it’s the powerful engine behind many of the new conversational AI tools, including ChatGPT. Let's quickly break down the name:

• Large: This refers to the truly massive amount of text – from digital books, articles, and websites – that the AI has been trained on. It’s like it has read a library bigger than any that has ever existed.

• Language: This means its entire specialty is understanding, interpreting, and generating human language.

• Model: This is simply the term for a specific type of AI system built for a particular purpose.

To really grasp why this matters, think about how it makes advanced technology so much easier to use. For decades, you needed to learn specific computer commands to get a machine to do something. The breakthrough of LLMs is that they are designed to understand the one "command language" we all know perfectly: our own natural language (i.e. English).

When you type a question into a tool like ChatGPT, you're not talking to a "thinking" brain in the human sense; you are giving a prompt to this powerful language model. The LLM then analyzes the patterns in your request and generates what it calculates to be the most probable and helpful sequence of words in response. Understanding that it's a sophisticated pattern-matching tool, rather than a mysterious conscious entity, is the key to seeing it for what it is: a powerful new kind of assistant that's finally learning to speak our language.

Good News Byte

AI is playing a growing role in making the internet more accessible for everyone. For instance, AI can now automatically generate "alt text" – which are descriptions of images – for pictures on websites. This is incredibly helpful for people with visual impairments who use screen reader software to navigate the web, as the screen reader can then describe the image to them. It's one of the many ways AI is quietly working to create a more inclusive digital world.

Did You Know?

While modern AI seems like a very recent development, the dream of creating "thinking machines" or automated assistants actually dates back centuries! Philosophers, inventors, and writers have long imagined intelligent creations that could help humans with various tasks. Of course, it's only with the advent of powerful computers and vast amounts of digital data that these age-old dreams are beginning to transform into practical, helpful tools we can start to use.

For example, in the 1840s (!!!), the brilliant mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote what is now recognized as the world's first computer program for a proposed machine called the Analytical Engine. She envisioned that such a machine could one day go beyond mere calculation to create music or art, a truly forward-thinking, AI-like concept. Even the word "robot" itself has been part of our culture for over a century, first appearing in a 1920 Czech play called "R.U.R." about artificial, human-like workers, showing just how long we've been captivated by the idea of automated helpers.

What Could AI Help You With?

Thinking about your own daily routine, what’s one task, question, or project where you wish you had a knowledgeable and patient assistant to lend a hand? It could be anything from planning meals to learning a new card game!

If you’re wondering how you can use AI or get started, send me a message. I will help you use AI without downloading a new app or creating any kind of new account.

A Little Bit of Fun

One of the best things about asking an AI for help is its endless patience. You can ask it for twenty different ways to phrase a tricky sentence in an email, fifty different ideas for a birthday gift, or how to care for ten different houseplants, and it will never sigh, roll its digital eyes, or suggest you're being too picky. It just might be the most tireless brainstorming partner one could wish for!

Here's to making technology a helpful partner in our everyday lives!

Warmly,

Steve