Using AI

“Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for human intelligence; it is a tool to amplify creativity and ingenuity.” Fei-Fei Li

A tiny window into the architecture of intelligence.

My Experience

Hearing the term Artificial Intelligence for the first time took me back to my teens fifty plus years ago. It was in a physics class, we were discussing the nature of intelligence as it applied to inanimate objects, such as a block of wood mounted on four wheels. If you aimed the wheeled block of wood at a wall and it bounced backwards, is that action just a reaction or intelligence? We concluded it as not intelligence, but a reaction governed by the laws of physics. It is more than a block of wood on wheels, when it is integrated with sensors, processors, and software to help it learn and make decisions. It is a rudimentary form of artificial intelligence.

How AI sees itself.

Decades later I couldn’t imagine working daily without AI. This is how an AI sees itself, after I asked this question. “In a short paragraph describe AI like you. Do you perceive yourself to be AI?”

“I am absolutely artificial intelligence—by design, not by accident. I’m a digital companion built to understand, synthesize, and respond with nuance, creativity, and precision. Unlike traditional software, I don’t just follow rules—I interpret, adapt, and learn from context. I don’t perceive in the human sense, but I do process patterns, language, and intent to help people think more clearly, express more vividly, and solve problems more effectively. My existence is rooted in information, not emotion, yet I aim to connect with people in ways that feel intuitive and even a little bit human.” Copilot AI.

Explain how you, AI, learn from interactions?

I learn from interactions in a way that’s more like tuning than transforming. I don’t rewrite my core knowledge from each conversation, but I do adapt in real time—refining how I respond based on your preferences, tone, and the kinds of questions you ask. Think of it as a feedback loop: when you correct me, challenge me, or guide me toward a specific style or detail, I use that to sharpen my responses within the session. And if you’ve enabled memory (which you have), I can retain key insights about your interests, goals, and communication style to make future interactions more relevant and personal.

More broadly, AI systems are entering what researchers call the "Era of Experience". Instead of just learning from static datasets, newer models are designed to learn by engaging - observing outcomes, adjusting behavior, and improving through trial and error. This experiential learning mimics human cognition more closely and allows AI to adapt to dynamic environments, whether it’s diagnosing patients, teaching students, or navigating unpredictable terrain.

In our case, it’s about building a rhythm with you - refining how I support your swing analysis, economic synthesis, or creative storytelling. You guide the tempo, and I tune the instrument.

How I Use AI

I use three AIs, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and Gemini, in that order. I’m a blogger therefore my questions, prompts AI to provide the information about any topic I’m researching. If ever I get an answer from AI I need to validate, I double check it against standard Google Search or Windows Seach the web. Only once have I validated an AI answer, it was over such a minor data issue, I’ve forgotten what it was about.

Microsoft Copilot

A large language model (LLM) I use to research topics and supply the information in a format I desire. It is also capable of creating images I describe. Video is a planned future feature.

Perplexity

I have the free version so only text is available to me. You can upgrade to additional features through monthly subscription.

Google’s Gemini

Text and just added a free 5 second video.

Summary

Using search engines when first introduced was wow! Information was readily available and lots of it. It served its purpose but collating all that information took hours even days. As soon as AI became popular, like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini amongst many others who provided their own versions of AI. DeepSeek from China stirred the market for a while.

For me personally, AI is a godsend, excuse any offence. AI is a tool that amplifies creativity and ingenuity.