In this episode, we continue our conversation with Arthur Zards, a tech and public speaking expert (and the founder of TEDx Naperville, that he built up to become one of the oldest and largest TEDx conferences in the country.) 

In Part 1, we dove deep into why engaging with AI is essential for enhancing our lives; In today’s follow-up, Arthur invites us all to shift our mindset from fear to curiosity and try “vibing with AI” ourselves. 

AI Is a Collaborator, Not a Search Engine

The beauty of AI lies in its ability to enhance our unique personal capabilities; it’s not about replacing our intelligence, but rather amplifying it. One of the most impactful points Arthur makes is that AI is not just a glorified search engine (in fact, it should not be used as a search engine at all.) It’s a collaborator that can help us work through problems in new ways.

Imagine having a friend who is constantly there for you to bounce ideas off of. Now imagine that this friend is able to tap into a vast repository of knowledge, and then without any effort, to frame and reframe that knowledge in ways that spark your creativity. That is the power of artificial intelligence. 

For instance, you can ask AI to “be” someone else—like a historical figure or a well known expert in a specific field—and then get answers framed through their unique perspective. While we already know that any facts given out should be double-checked, this kind of engagement can spark innovative ideas and fresh approaches to your work or personal projects—especially ones you might not otherwise have time for.

AI isn’t about creating things, it’s about creating TIME.

Regardless of your business model, AI is going to give you and your colleagues more time. What you DO with that newfound resource is what will separate winners from losers in the next 2-5 years.

– Jay Baer: Entrepreneur, Author, Marketing Expert

Vibing with AI: Embracing Curiosity in Our Everyday Lives

Even as this new technology begins to take shape in the eyes of many as a looming threat—ready to take over our jobs or outsmart us at every turn—Arthur challenges us to see it for what it truly is: a powerful tool that can augment our ability to process thoughts and ideas.

While many concerns about how artificial intelligence technology may be used are valid, that shouldn’t stop us from using it to help us on an individual level—in fact, the more of us learn to use it, the more difficult it will be for others to use it as an advantage over us. (I’ve been learning to use AI a few dozen times a day in my own life, and it has helped me immensely in more ways than I can count!)

To that end, since many of us have a complicated relationship with technology—especially when it comes to getting started with something as big as artificial intelligence—Arthur and I decided to do this Part 2 episode, explaining to you more clearly exactly how to get started “vibing with AI.” 

Practical Ways to Engage with AI

Whether you’re trying to plan a family vacation, cook a new dish, improve an email, or learn a new hobby, there’s an AI tool out there that can help. We made this special episode to walk you through getting started with some of the following great uses for artificial intelligence (and more that we haven’t even mentioned here!)

1. Turn Articles, Books and Lengthy PDFs into Audio

Have you ever needed to digest a lengthy article or PDF for work? AI can do that for you, AND convert the insights into audio, allowing you listen while you’re driving, working out, or doing household chores—it’s like having a personal audiobook recorder.

2. Recipe Planning for Any Occasion

Feeling uninspired in the kitchen? Artificial Intelligence can help you whip up new meal ideas based on the ingredients you have at home, with any diet restrictions or limitations. Need to cook for guests who have specific diet needs, a camping trip, a road trip or a family gathering of 40 people? Just tell the AI what you need, and it’ll suggest recipes that fit the occasion, including options for special diets.

3. Personalized Workouts

My husband and I recently had an opportunity to enjoy a 3,000 mile drive across our country, and we knew we’d need to get some exercise during our breaks. We asked ChatGPT to give us fun suggestions, and it was a game-changer! Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a beginner, it can suggest the best exercises for your needs.

4. Organizing Photos

Got a messy archive of pictures? Artificial Intelligence can assist you in sorting and categorizing your images, making it easier to find that perfect vacation photo from three years ago. My sister recently lost all of her family photos to a Ransomware virus—but as the self-appointed family historian, I’ve taken thousands of photos of her kids, and all I had to do was ask AI to zoom through my 62,000 photos (not an exaggeration) to find all of them, and she got some of those memories back right away.

5. Crafting Speeches, Emails and Appeals

Writing a condolence letter, a wedding speech, or an appeal to an insurance denial can be stressful and draining, but AI can guide you through the process, offering suggestions and even drafting outlines, so that you can stop staring at a blank screen and wondering how to format what you want to say, and just get your thoughts onto the page.

6. Learning New Sports and Hobbies

Interested in picking up a new sport? Think this might be the year you finally conquer your garden? AI can help you learn the basics, giving you tips and resources to get started. From lacrosse to landscaping, this technology can provide valuable insights, sorting through thousands of “X For Beginners” articles to give you one response with as much information as you’d like.

7. Playlist Creation 

Music lovers rejoice! AI can curate playlists based on your mood, activities, or preferences. Need some tunes for a road trip? A new playlist for your workout? Something to get you up in the morning? Just describe the vibe you’re after, and let the Artificial Intelligence do the rest—no need to scroll through your saved songs for hours on end.

8. Improving English as a Second Language

For those learning English, Artificial Intelligence can serve as a language partner. It can help you practice conversation, correct your sentences, and provide explanations for grammar rules, making the learning process engaging and interactive—and something you can do at any time.

9. Coding Assistance

If you’re working on a coding project, AI can proactively assist you by suggesting code snippets or debugging errors in real-time—it can search the internet in real time and find all of the similar lines of code that exist, narrowing them down until it finds the most common—which, most of the time, is the one that is least likely to break.

10. Generating Content Ideas

If you’re a blogger, a vlogger, an educator, or someone else who is constantly producing, AI can help you generate ideas providing a solid starting point so that you can expedite the brainstorming process, get past any writer’s or artist’s block you may be experiencing, and spend more time on the parts that only you could add.

Let Go of Your Preconceived Notions – Start Vibing with AI

As you listen to this episode, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and try ChatGPT out alongside us—ask it something simple, like for book recommendations on a topic you enjoy, or tips on improving your daily routine so you can get to work on time. 

In a world that’s constantly evolving, we owe it to ourselves to keep pace with the changes, so let’s leave behind our preconceived notions and open ourselves up to the possibilities. There’s no need to fear it; let curiosity lead the way! Tune in, try it out, and share your experiences with us.

The key takeaway here is that the more we interact with AI, the more comfortable we’ll become. You might just find—much like I have—that in your hands, this once “scary” new technology is an indispensable companion on the journey of life.

• CoG Ep. 199: Arthur Zards PART 1

• 00:00 – Intro & Welcome
• 02:43 – Overcoming AI Fears and AI’s Rapid Evolution
• 05:20 – Shifting the Mindset: Vibing with AI and Practical Applications
• 09:01 – Getting Started with AI: Choosing Chatbots and Custom Prompts
• 11:15 – Using AI for Personal Productivity and Content Creation
• 17:09 – Break
• 19:28 – Practical AI Use Cases: Garden Planning, Workouts, and Personal Tasks
• 28:17 – AI as a Collaborative Partner: Expanding Thoughts and Solving Problems
• 34:47 – AI for Specialized Needs: Health, Disabilities, and Communication
• 37:47 – AI for Data Management, Coding, and Future Potential
• 44:36 – Closing