Beau's Blog

I’m not a big latest hot trends kinda guy, but even I could only resist the lure of AI for so long. With some extra time and energy on my hands lately, I’ve been diving into the world of artificial intelligence. Whether it’s learning about the latest AI-powered business ideas on YouTube, doing coding projects with AI-assisted tools, or prompting silly kaitenzushi trail runner bear images (thanks Chadwick for the absurd idea during our run), it’s an exciting time to explore what AI can do.

A Leveled-Up Google Search Engine

Like many people, my most common use for ChatGPT is as a glorified Google search engine. It’s quick, conversational, saves me time comparing answers and overall more capable. Of course, the risk of hallucinations require the user to be awake at the wheel but asking it to share sources, helps give confidence in response quality.

My Analytical Journal

Here’s a new way I’ve been using ChatGPT that I absolutely love: as an analytical journal. The idea, inspired by Henrik’s video, is simple but powerful.

When I go for a walk, I jot down ideas or questions as they pop up. Then, at the end, I ask ChatGPT to summarize, analyze, or even answer specific questions. I simply prompt it to listen and take in my thoughts until I want to have a conversation about the shared content. It’s like having a brainstorming partner who’s always ready to process and refine your thoughts.

A Language Learning Powerhouse

Yesterday, I visited Shimokitazawa, a hip neighborhood in Tokyo. While wandering the streets, I noticed the kanji for “Shimokitazawa” and realized something interesting: the first kanji (下) means “down” and can be read as shimo.

Curious, I asked ChatGPT about this kanji. It not only explained the different common readings (on-yomi and kun-yomi) and also mentioned unusual ones. It was like getting a kanji masterclass on demand.

That sparked another idea as I strolled past the restaurant-packed streets: learning to read menu kanji. Reading Japanese menus can be intimidating, so why not focus on the words that show up most frequently? ChatGPT can help identify those common words, create a course tailored to that goal, and even build a study plan based on my available time and energy. Suddenly, kanji learning feels less daunting. Learning broadly feels less daunting – wow!

Shortcut Learning with YouTube Transcripts

Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube on AI, running, and personal finance. The amount of high-quality content out there is mind-boggling. Some creators are so engaging that their videos feel like a fun effective mix of education and entertainment. Others… not so much.

When I’m less confident a video will keep me entertained—or when I’m in a rush to absorb information—ChatGPT steps in. By copying and pasting the transcript into ChatGPT, I can get a summary, analysis, and highlights of the points most relevant to me. If there’s anything I want to understand more deeply, I can ask for elaboration and have a conversation about it. ChatGPT is a major time-saver, and I’m sure there are ways to automate this further too. EDIT: It turns out you can just share the Youtube URL with ChatGPT and ask it read the transcript.

Writing Blog Posts

This post marks the first time I’ve used ChatGPT to help me write a blog post. I’ll admit, it’s a bit of an experiment. AI has the potential to streamline content creation, but I’m also wary of contributing to the endless sea of bland, generic, AI-generated content. Striking the right balance—leveraging AI while keeping the writing authentic—is going to be key.

Final Thoughts

ChatGPT is a game changer. I’m not fully sure how yet, but it is. We’re living through the transition from “Google it” to “ChatGPT it,” and that’s massive.

Part of the reason I’m writing this post is to create a kind of time capsule—documenting how I’m using ChatGPT in November 2024. I don’t trust my mediocre memory, so here it is for future me to look back on.

I’d love to hear about how you’re using ChatGPT or other AI tools. What’s been useful for you? What’s surprised you?