• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Another Ai thread (Artificial Intelligence) practical applications in "regular folks" lives

biomedtechguy

Accelerati Rapidus Maximus
FBBO Gold Member
Local time
4:06 PM
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
35,456
Reaction score
58,599
Location
South Louisiana
I'm posting this in the General Discussion forum to reach as many forum members as possible.
Just a few personal experiences from the very limited interaction I've had with Artificial Intelligence.
Since I'm a 1 man small business, and I'm looking for additional business opportunities, I'll discuss 2 topics I presented to Grok 3 and one of those same topics with a different Ai engine.
¹ One topic was to find out: "What other companies are most like (a company) that I receive job opportunities from?" Basically the company I've been working on behalf of for 8+ years or so acts as a service broker and contract manager. They set pricing and terms with their clients, aka the "end user", and then reach out to contractors like me in their "vendor database" to provide the services.
So I gave Grok 3 (the Ai engine) some background on my business and the nature of the work I do, and I asked for the companies most like the one I'm already on board with.
WOW!!
Not only did I get a list of four companies like the one I'm already connected with, Grok broke down the similarities and differences!! It's hard to express what a great, helpful answer that is. I'm going to use that information to contact those companies for the purpose of getting into their database of vendors and hopefully I'll have similar success from working on their behalf. Knowing the details of the similarities and differences allows me to prioritize which one to start with, how much time and effort to put forth in getting onboard, maybe even guide my quote(s).
* I asked a different Ai engine the same question and the first answer was actually wrong! The company I work with is very similar in spelling to another, but they do entirely different things in a completely different field. After I corrected the Ai, making it aware of its error, I added background in my next question and I got a better response but no where near as thorough as Grok 3 gave.
So that was a big deal and interesting experience, and I'm confident those leads will get me on board with at least one or two of them. I could ask for a draft of the most appropriate email message to introduce my company and services to them and Grok would post it in seconds, for editing or tweaking, and I could copy and paste it.
² The second of two topics I asked Grok 3 to help me with is setting up a FREE website. It already "knew" my business background from the first discussion and listed about 5 services to make a website for free. The pros and cons of each, and the best one for my purposes and WHY Grok "thought" it was best.
I am not even scratching the surface of what Ai can do to HELP, but I also found it didn't do well at all with the concept of my electronic business card. I attached a copy of it and asked for some variations on its layout and appearance. Grok generated 4 images but only one even remotely looked like a business card and there's no way I'd use it! When I commented on the utter failure to get the concept of my request, Grok generated 4 more that at least looked like business cards, but I still wouldn't use them.
In summary, Ai is VERY different one service to another, some results are outstanding and helpful and some are like talking to my dogs or maybe my microwave. It seems like the more information, the more background, goals, and intentions you give the better, more appropriate response you'll get.
 
I am currently involved in a ground floor launch of a fairly specific AI application.
I am a financial backer and part-time technical consultant (not for the AI interface it's self, but for server and networking requirements and GUI testing)
Unfortunately at this stage that is about all I can say, although I have seen the preliminary work and it is quite promising, including potential customers.
 
I'm posting this in the General Discussion forum to reach as many forum members as possible.
Just a few personal experiences from the very limited interaction I've had with Artificial Intelligence.
Since I'm a 1 man small business, and I'm looking for additional business opportunities, I'll discuss 2 topics I presented to Grok 3 and one of those same topics with a different Ai engine.
¹ One topic was to find out: "What other companies are most like (a company) that I receive job opportunities from?" Basically the company I've been working on behalf of for 8+ years or so acts as a service broker and contract manager. They set pricing and terms with their clients, aka the "end user", and then reach out to contractors like me in their "vendor database" to provide the services.
So I gave Grok 3 (the Ai engine) some background on my business and the nature of the work I do, and I asked for the companies most like the one I'm already on board with.
WOW!!
Not only did I get a list of four companies like the one I'm already connected with, Grok broke down the similarities and differences!! It's hard to express what a great, helpful answer that is. I'm going to use that information to contact those companies for the purpose of getting into their database of vendors and hopefully I'll have similar success from working on their behalf. Knowing the details of the similarities and differences allows me to prioritize which one to start with, how much time and effort to put forth in getting onboard, maybe even guide my quote(s).
* I asked a different Ai engine the same question and the first answer was actually wrong! The company I work with is very similar in spelling to another, but they do entirely different things in a completely different field. After I corrected the Ai, making it aware of its error, I added background in my next question and I got a better response but no where near as thorough as Grok 3 gave.
So that was a big deal and interesting experience, and I'm confident those leads will get me on board with at least one or two of them. I could ask for a draft of the most appropriate email message to introduce my company and services to them and Grok would post it in seconds, for editing or tweaking, and I could copy and paste it.
² The second of two topics I asked Grok 3 to help me with is setting up a FREE website. It already "knew" my business background from the first discussion and listed about 5 services to make a website for free. The pros and cons of each, and the best one for my purposes and WHY Grok "thought" it was best.
I am not even scratching the surface of what Ai can do to HELP, but I also found it didn't do well at all with the concept of my electronic business card. I attached a copy of it and asked for some variations on its layout and appearance. Grok generated 4 images but only one even remotely looked like a business card and there's no way I'd use it! When I commented on the utter failure to get the concept of my request, Grok generated 4 more that at least looked like business cards, but I still wouldn't use them.
In summary, Ai is VERY different one service to another, some results are outstanding and helpful and some are like talking to my dogs or maybe my microwave. It seems like the more information, the more background, goals, and intentions you give the better, more appropriate response you'll get.
Thanks for this information. How does one get Grok and what are the costs?
 
Thanks for this information. How does one get Grok and what are the costs?
I'm using the FREE service. Otherwise it's $1/day billed as $30/month or $300 year.
Grok 3 was the default when I went here:
https://grok.com/
Today I worked on my FREE website. Grok gave me several websites to use (free) to get free artwork and free photo editing.
I have a digital business card with a number of elements I want on the website but between hard drive crashes (before I got WISE and bought a solid state hard drive) and the 10 years since I pulled together the various things that make up the card, I have to pull some of the artwork off of the card copy I have.
I remain absolutely amazed and pleased with the help I get from Grok 3.
 
I use a lot of AI, mainly ChatGPT and Copilot to help me write Python. I have big ideas but am a sucky developer so it’s enabled me to do thing I never would be able to on my own. Biggest thing I fight against is from one version of code to another it will break something, and when confronted about it, usually it says something along the lines of someone removed lines to clean up the code to clean it up, forgetting it just gave me that code. But my prompts continue to get better and I have most of the year to figure it out for this current project which is a testing framework for windows applications.
 
I use a lot of AI, mainly ChatGPT and Copilot
So Microsoft Copilot that relatively recently popped up on my desktop and Surface Pro are Ai ? Maybe I'll give it a spin...
I'll say again, I was shocked at how inept the response was from another Ai when I asked about the similar companies to the one I've been working for. Granted, the company the Ai substituted for the one I entered has an extra "i" in the name and it certainly sounds identical when pronounced, BUT I was typing my input and absolutely did not misspell the name. To be fair, I would have to enter the exact same data on background information and word my query the same. The most disappointing thing Grok 3 did as I mentioned was rendering modified versions of my business card. The results were just WAY off target.
 
Just today on radio news was an announcement that microsoft, under investigation, has partnered with OpenAI and is scaling back their in-house AI product (copilot?)
 
Just today on radio news was an announcement that microsoft, under investigation, has partnered with OpenAI and is scaling back their in-house AI product (copilot?)
I just read a summary of this topic from a web search and I take away the opposite conclusion.
You posted:
"microsoft, under investigation, has partnered with OpenAI and is scaling back their in-house AI product"
From the web:
Microsoft, while under investigation and maintaining its partnership with OpenAI, is reportedly developing in-house AI models to diversify its AI capabilities and potentially reduce reliance on OpenAI, particularly for products like Copilot.
 
Interesting.
Since I don't know what you heard I don't know if the source presented the information in a manner that would result in your summation, misspoke, or what, and I'm not trying to point a finger of blame. I don't know what the truth is but I am leaning towards the summary that Microsoft is taking Ai more in-house and relying less on outside platforms.
That seems intuitive, after all it is Microsoft. It seems funny to think they have relied on others to provide "computer related" services. That would be like the Goodyear Tires delivery truck using B.F. Goodrich tires..
The takeaway is twofold to me.
Ai is so unique a category that a company like Microsoft has relied on outside companies to provide an Ai service
AND
How a topic can have opposite conclusions drawn, both believing it is an informed opinion.
Thanks
 
Technology often displays this model.
I've seen it dozens of times, and I'm sure you have too.

Company A has been in business for years making video related items.

A new technology comes along called "VidNEW".

Company A may or may not invest in new tooling in order to offer the new technology, or may be slow to do that because of the size and scale of the company.

Along comes company B that may be a new startup or a company offering unrelated products.
...and launches a new product line of "VidNEW", and corners the market in a short time.

Company A may or may not develop their own version of VidNEW, or may license that technology from Company B, even if Company B is a market rival.
 
Absolutely yes!
Switching back topics to how I'm using Ai, I will continue working on my website today. I find it fascinating that Grok "knows" how the dashboard of several online programs work, with maybe an error or two regarding feature names or functions which is likely from recent updates or changes by the provider.
What I mean is Grok is directing me to use "tool A" (or B or C) and giving step-by-step instructions to accomplish the task at hand.
THEN it has me attach the result to the message so Grok can "look at" the result, and then we go from there. Given how badly the business card tweaks, which were "picture based" came out, I'm amazed how Grok can evaluate a picture I take and it goes from there.
 
Are you training "it" or is "it" training you?
 
I'm using Copilot at work to write job descriptions, lay out presentation decks from bulleted outlines, summarize things, etc. In office work you're wasting time if you're not using it.
 
Technology often displays this model.
I've seen it dozens of times, and I'm sure you have too.

Company A has been in business for years making video related items.

A new technology comes along called "VidNEW".

Company A may or may not invest in new tooling in order to offer the new technology, or may be slow to do that because of the size and scale of the company.

Along comes company B that may be a new startup or a company offering unrelated products.
...and launches a new product line of "VidNEW", and corners the market in a short time.

Company A may or may not develop their own version of VidNEW, or may license that technology from Company B, even if Company B is a market rival.

A "Kodak moment"
:lol:
 
So Microsoft Copilot that relatively recently popped up on my desktop and Surface Pro are Ai ? Maybe I'll give it a spin...
I'm not sure if they are or the same AI anyway. With Microsoft and the different suite of products it would not surprise me if it shares the name but is different that what I use, which is Microsoft Copilot, but it is a plug in added to my python development software PyCharm. I don't have a new enough windows machine with Copilot in the OS to run a comparison yet.
Are you training "it" or is "it" training you?
In my case I can say Both. Its a new kind of cooperative working relationship.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top