Inside AI: Expert gives tips on practical ways to use artificial intelligence

This story is the first in a series exploring how artificial intelligence is changing daily life. In the weeks ahead, the series will look at how AI is impacting the workplace, education, and the way people find and use information.Artificial intelligence is showing up in more parts of daily life, but many people still wonder how to use it effectively.As part of a new series, “Inside AI,” we spoke with artificial intelligence expert Todd Earwood about simple ways to start using AI now.He said AI works best as a tool to help people make decisions, not as a replacement for human judgment. If AI feels like it suddenly appeared, Earwood said many people have been using it for years without realizing it, through search engines like Google, navigation apps like Waze, and digital assistants like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.“It’s not new, AI is not new, it’s actually been around for decades,” Earwood said.Earwood said it can help to think of AI like a highly-skilled intern — useful, but still in need of direction.“I like to tell people think of it in a professional sense, like an adept intern,” he said. “The reality is it still needs guidance.”Earwood said users can provide that guidance from a computer, tablet or smartphone, and that getting better results often comes down to how you ask questions — whether you want advice, information or help completing simple tasks.One example: meal planning.“Take a picture of your fridge or your pantry,” Earwood said. “Here’s what I have and oh by the way my kids won’t eat these things. What can I make? Now give me three recipes to go try it. This is meal planning.”He said the more details you provide, the more useful the response is likely to be.Earwood said AI can help with everyday tasks such as creating to-do lists, organizing projects, summarizing long emails, and brainstorming ideas like home decorating or planning a trip.He said he used AI to plan a spring break trip by asking it to research restaurants based on his family’s preferences.“I planned spring break last year, and I said, my daughter loves mac and cheese. We’re going to eat mac and cheese every meal,” Earwood said. “I’m going to be in this city, go research all the restaurants for me and bring it back to me and give me the plan of where we’re going to go, where we’re going to eat.”For beginners, Earwood suggested starting by telling AI what you want to do, then asking what information it needs from you to help.“What do you need to know from me?” he said, offering budgeting as an example. “If you’re doing a budget, say, I would like to have a better budget plan. What do you need to know from me to help me do that?”Earwood said that approach allows AI to guide the conversation and identify details it needs to give a better answer.He said learning to use AI is a skill that improves with practice.“I do think it’s a learned skill,” Earwood said. “… We’ve got to start getting better about practicing. How do I work with this and how do I judge what good output looks like?”If there is one takeaway for people just getting started, Earwood said, it is to use it: start with small tasks, ask questions, be specific, and verify important information.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

This story is the first in a series exploring how artificial intelligence is changing daily life. In the weeks ahead, the series will look at how AI is impacting the workplace, education, and the way people find and use information.

Artificial intelligence is showing up in more parts of daily life, but many people still wonder how to use it effectively.

As part of a new series, “Inside AI,” we spoke with artificial intelligence expert Todd Earwood about simple ways to start using AI now.

He said AI works best as a tool to help people make decisions, not as a replacement for human judgment.

If AI feels like it suddenly appeared, Earwood said many people have been using it for years without realizing it, through search engines like Google, navigation apps like Waze, and digital assistants like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

“It’s not new, AI is not new, it’s actually been around for decades,” Earwood said.

Earwood said it can help to think of AI like a highly-skilled intern — useful, but still in need of direction.

“I like to tell people think of it in a professional sense, like an adept intern,” he said. “The reality is it still needs guidance.”

Earwood said users can provide that guidance from a computer, tablet or smartphone, and that getting better results often comes down to how you ask questions — whether you want advice, information or help completing simple tasks.

One example: meal planning.

“Take a picture of your fridge or your pantry,” Earwood said. “Here’s what I have and oh by the way my kids won’t eat these things. What can I make? Now give me three recipes to go try it. This is meal planning.”

He said the more details you provide, the more useful the response is likely to be.

Earwood said AI can help with everyday tasks such as creating to-do lists, organizing projects, summarizing long emails, and brainstorming ideas like home decorating or planning a trip.

He said he used AI to plan a spring break trip by asking it to research restaurants based on his family’s preferences.

“I planned spring break last year, and I said, my daughter loves mac and cheese. We’re going to eat mac and cheese every meal,” Earwood said. “I’m going to be in this city, go research all the restaurants for me and bring it back to me and give me the plan of where we’re going to go, where we’re going to eat.”

For beginners, Earwood suggested starting by telling AI what you want to do, then asking what information it needs from you to help.

“What do you need to know from me?” he said, offering budgeting as an example. “If you’re doing a budget, say, I would like to have a better budget plan. What do you need to know from me to help me do that?”

Earwood said that approach allows AI to guide the conversation and identify details it needs to give a better answer.

He said learning to use AI is a skill that improves with practice.

“I do think it’s a learned skill,” Earwood said. “… We’ve got to start getting better about practicing. How do I work with this and how do I judge what good output looks like?”

If there is one takeaway for people just getting started, Earwood said, it is to use it: start with small tasks, ask questions, be specific, and verify important information.