Yleinen

Dont be afraid of AI

My learning journey and experiences

How I started using AI tools in fall 2022 and what I learned along the way.ChatGPT was launched Nov 30 2022 and it significately accelerated my learning journey.

AI should not be feared, but must be adopted and tried. AI can help us in many ways, from solving problems to improving productivity and creativity, to discovering new insights.

In this blog post, I want to share with you my learning journey and experiences with different AI tools and challenge you to start using AI today. This blog document was created together with my Microsoft 365 Copilot, including some pictures created by AI tools. I use Microsoft 365 Copilot daily and it is now my supporting AI.

How I got started with AI

I have been actively interested in AI since fall 2022, when I first used OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a powerful conversational AI that can generate realistic and engaging text responding to many technology needs. I was amazed by the potential of this technology, and I wanted to learn more about it. I signed up for a free account and started using ChatGPT, asking it questions, having conversations, and even creating stories with it.

I soon also took out a paid account and was hooked; I wanted to learn more. Since spring 2023, I have spent almost daily time studying artificial intelligence with different software.

Since spring 2023 I have spent time daily learning many AI applications.

I have been actively testing various AI tools for both personal and professional use. In the beginning, I mainly tested Chat GPT, Midjourney, Google Bard, Microsoft Copilot Edge, and Github Copilot. Today I mainly use the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot, as well as the latest Google Gemini Advanced service. I’ve also spent a lot of hours in the live webinars and trainings available on YouTube for these apps and the use of AI in general. Within them, I have learned from experts and other users how to use artificial intelligence to avoid the worst mistakes. The more I’ve learned, the more interesting it has become. Thank you also to the active Finnish debaters and enthusiastic actors in the field, such as Risto Linturi, Jouni Heikniemi and Esa Riutta

My own results and benefits

Using AI has brought me many benefits, both in my everyday life and in my work with different companies. Here are some of the results I achieved with AI tools:

With ChatGPT, I improved my communication skills, my creativity, AI prompting and my general knowledge. I also had a lot of fun and entertainment, as ChatGPT can be very humorous. The more specific prompts ”prompts” you give, the better the answers you’ll get. On the other hand, an incorrect, inaccurate prompt can bring a hallucinating answer to your question.Today AI also helps me to create much better and accurate Prompts
With paid Midjourney, I created my first own personal drawings, it has created very nice high-quality pictures. The latest version pictures in Midjourney are really top class quality and very realistic. Today Copilot DALL-E 2 is good enough and part of Copilot application and no additional charge. Some sample pictures in the end of this blog
With paid Microsoft 365 Copilot, I started 17 Jan 2024 and I have enhanced my productivity and efficiency in Microsoft 365, as Copilot helps me with writing, formatting, and proofreading documents, Outlook emails, Excel and PowerPoint slides. I also learned new tips and tricks from Copilot, as it suggests best practices and shortcuts. Copilot is also safe for business use, as you can prohibit Copilot from using your own data to teach the language of artificial intelligence, and you can isolate the use of business data.
With my new paid Google Gemini Advanced application, I have partially replaced my traditional Google search with this more powerful and intuitive AI search engine, that gives me more relevant and comprehensive results, as well as additional help and information, such as summaries, comparisons, and recommendations.
I have also used Gemini Advanced software on occasion to review, edit, and improve my existing Copilot content, because Google’s Gemini uses a different LLM teaching material than Microsoft’s OpenAI LLM teaching material. In my experience, Gemini Advanced is really fast and also understands Finnish.

What I think AI is already suitable for right now

For creative activities, such as designing and making images, text, music, and videos. Processing images, audio and video is easier and faster.Examples in the endof this blog.
Language translations: In my opinion, artificial intelligence already translates text into different languages with significantly higher quality and faster than previous software application in use.
Daily office work; artificial intelligence makes daily office work significantly more efficient already today, e.g. Microsoft Copilot; Use Word text, Outlook email, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint more efficiently. (365 Copilot) I expect to save >15% of my time in the office every month.
Information gathering and summaries from different data sources will become faster. With AI, I can easily get a summary of a large document without reading it completely. Many AI software works better in English because there is significantly more learning material available in EnglishData
Customer service such as Chat bots; e.g. Klarna has made significant savings with an AI-based customer service
Sales and marketing; Today, artificial intelligence is already included in many sales and marketing software, making everyday work more efficient. E.g. Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot, and SalesForce
Programming and Program Audits become more efficient. More than 50% of traditional software development (coding) currently is AI based.(such as GitHub Copilot)
Research and development; In particular, the processing of large data and research data will be significantly faster. E.g. Insilico Medici’s pharmaceutical plant produced twice as many of new drugs for clinical trials in calendar year using artificial intelligence.
Study; Learning can become really interesting and inspiring. E.g. at the end of the blog my conversation with the ”real” Marie Curie and Winston Churchill. More learning materials are constantly and rapidly being developed with the help of artificial intelligence. The quality of the material and, in particular, the safety risks of use limit the use of educational institutions.
In reality, AI is already suitable for many uses. Its utilisation will proceed very quickly with new applications, once we gain more experience of the new opportunities brought by artificial intelligence. We already use AI almost all on a daily basis, as Spotify, Netflix, LinkedIn, Meta and YouTube, among others, use AI algorithms.

My AI challenges

Using AI is not without challenges, however. There are some issues and obstacles that I faced and had to overcome, e.g:

Trust and reliability: As a user of AI tools, I also had to trust AI outputs and ensure their accuracy and quality. AI tools are not perfect. They can make serious mistakes, such as producing false or misleading information. Important details may be missing from the information. Therefore, it is still a good idea to always check and validate AI outputs and use your own judgment and common sense before using them. This review is sometimes challenging, but these software are constantly improving and many of them also show their data sources. I usually check the results from the original data source or using a data source provided by another AI software. While using Microsoft 365 Copilot, I’ve noticed that Microsoft 365 Copilot AI also learns from my personal usage profile and can securely leverage the data in my Microsoft OneDrive Cloud.
Data and permissions: As a user of AI tools, I had to be aware of the permissions associated with them and what data AI providers collect, store, and use. In addition, I should know what rights and obligations I have as a user. I should read and understand the terms, privacy policies, and ethical guidelines of each AI tool I use. In addition, I should make sure that I agree with them and follow them. In practice, this awareness is quite difficult, even impossible, which is why I trust especially the most important AI players in the market, such as Microsoft and Google, in my own use. Sure, I’m constantly experimenting with many new tools and software, but I’m also careful about their use and security.
As a user of AI tools, I also had to choose the cloud service that suited my needs, at Microsoft it is Microsoft OneDrive Cloud for me. The different option has its pros and cons, such as speed, security, and cost. Currently, I am also allowed internet access in 365 Copilot and Gemini prompts, which improves the accuracy of results and better understands my natural language queries. In this way, I can often find out the source of the information and also check the results from it.
It must be remembered that AI does not understand manners, emotions or ethics. It also doesn’t understand languages because it’s just a predictive machine.

My advice and invitation

Using AI has been a rewarding and enriching experience for me, and I want to invite you to join me in this journey. AI is not something to be afraid of, but rather something to be curious and excited about. AI can help you in many ways, and you can start using it today, with some simple and easy steps, such as:

Sign up for a free or monthly charged account on any of the any other AI tool that interests you.Start using and testing it.
Be aware of data security, user rights and don’t use your company data without knowing the use of such in the AI or without approval from your IT management.
Dont share any sensitive data with AI
When using some AI tools which charge monthly fee there are also certain benefits such as additional security, user rights or extra capabilities using LLM and internet.You can often also make a trial use for free.
Watch some tutorials and demos on YouTube, or join some live webinars and training sessions, to learn how to use these AI tools effectively and responsibly.
Experiment and play with the AI tool and see what it can do for you. Ask questions, learn prompting, give feedback, and explore the possibilities.
Share your results and experiences with others and learn from their feedback and suggestions. Join some online communities and forums, where you can connect with other AI users and enthusiasts.

I also currently do most of my Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and notes in Teams meetings with Microsoft 365 Copilot. This is how I try to find the most useful features for my daily activities. For me, this is everyday AI support intelligence and at the same time continuous learning of new things safely.

Potential risk using AI

There are some potential risks associated with AI. There are issues like data protection, security, user rights, legal regulation, ethical standards, and social implications that need to be considered when using or developing AI solutions.

It is important to understand the potential threats and vulnerabilities associated with AI and its use, I always avoid using personal and sensitive information in AI applications.

It is also good to understand the concept of rights of use and responsibilities related to AI systems and how they differ from traditional intellectual property rights.

I myself understand that I can use e.g. Images created by my paid AI are free, unless they originally indicate a restriction in the document metafile and, for example, with an image ”watermark”. These rights are, of course, under discussion, and there will probably be further clarifications, at least within the EU, in due course.

Other restrictions include the EU’s GDPR and the NIS2 directive, which will enter into force in October 2024. If an AI system poses a threat to humans, its risk cannot be considered acceptable and its use will be prohibited. The NIS2 Directive aims to improve overall cybersecurity in the EU and ensure that different actors comply with security requirements and work to protect digital infrastructure.

Conclusion

Now at least start experimenting and using AI, don’t wait any longer!

First, start with the most common AI tools, e.g. Open AI ChatGPT, Microsoft 365 Copilot or Google Gemini. You can also easily experiment with creating AI images with these products, for example. DALL-E2, Midjourney, Adobe Photoshop or Canva.

Always pay attention to data security and data usage rights when using AI. Don’t use your company’s computer and or company data for AI without permission. Do not share your own or sensitive information with AI.

Don’t rely on results when you get answers or documents using AI. Always check the results with your own general information and data source, which you often find in the AI response. With active use and monitoring, you will learn to give better and more accurate prompts also with the help of AI.

Read AI blogs and listen to and watch user and vendor webinars.

Links

ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com/

MidJourney https://www.midjourney.com/home

Microsoft 365 Copilot https://adoption.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/

Microsoft Copilot security https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/microsoft-365-copilot-privacy

Google Gemini https://gemini.google.com/app

Insilico Medical https://insilico. com/

AI definitions

AI= Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems

LLM=Large language model =Neural network based on extensive textual teaching material

Prompt= prompt is a mode of interaction between a human and a large language model that lets the model generate the intended output.

RAG=Retrieval Augmented Generation=(RAG) is a natural language processing (NLP) technique that combines the strengths of both retrieval- and generative-based artificial intelligence (AI) models.

AGI=Artificial General Intelligence Currently Chat GPT4 IQ is 150 vs Einstein IQ was 160

Technologial singularity=is a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable consequences for human civilization