Exploring Life with an AI Assistant: Navigating Modern Technology
The Pros and Cons of Relying on AI Assistants
Integrating an AI assistant, such as Gemini, into daily life leads to a range of experiences from humor to frustration. Lauren Goode recalls asking Gemini for creative gift ideas for her niece and nephew. "The next thing that it recommended was getting her an SAT book," she mentions, showcasing the sometimes amusing disconnect between AI suggestions and human expectations.
Goode humorously notes how giving an SAT book might jeopardize her "cool aunt" status, a title earned due to her online presence and notoriety as a "famous auntie." Instead, she opted for giving cash, allowing her teenage relatives the freedom to choose their own gifts. As she says, "They were very pleased with that."
The Limitations and Expectations
Michael Calore, contributing his insights, points out the limitations experienced when using AI for gift suggestions or ideation. While it can spark fresh ideas, it falters in complex, agentic tasks where direct actions need to be taken without supervision. Goode agrees, "These chatbots aren't quite sure what they're supposed to be yet in that sense." Perplexity Pro, for instance, is not ready to handle comprehensive shopping experiences yet, although it aspires to streamline the process.
Experiments in Shopping
Lauren Goode chronicled her holiday shopping experiments with AI, finding the process as fraught as traditional methods. "Everything was pretty much late," she admits, reflecting on the missed timelines and delayed deliveries. An anticipated improvement would be a seamless return process, envisioned as merely typing a request and having it automatically handled—an aspect not yet realized by current AI technology.
Ultimately, while AI assistants bring intriguing brainstorming capabilities, they remain auxiliary rather than revolutionary in managing everyday shopping logistics. Goode sums it up succinctly, "It's like a feeder service at this point in time." The future may hold more comprehensive functionality, but today's AI is still finding its way in helping with "the back end of it."