I'm not a robot, Reader . . .

Nope, I'm a real person, really writing this note to you.

And in case you're wondering:

(Me being Darcy, not ME being some new bot, app, or digital helper.)

That said, I'm absolutely integrating AI tools into my business and day-to-day life, and I encourage you to do the same.

So if it's helpful to you, here are two tools I'm using regularly. If you're not, it's time to experiment and play.

Quick aside when you're inside the corporate firewall 🔥

Within your company there may be restrictions and rules on the use of these tools. For heavens sakes, don't violate those and don't compromise any company confidentiality!

But you do have a personal phone, computer or tablet, right? (If you don't you should, not just for this but for your own protection should things change abruptly in your organization.)

Experiment using your own tech now. Don't let the fact that your company hasn't figured out its strategy yet hold you back from learning how the tools can help you. Wait and you'll be left behind.

Now onto two main tools I'm using these days:

Tool 1: Otter.ai​

Otter is an excellent transcription service for your calls, Zooms, or even just the random voice memos to yourself.

I'll often start a written project by making a voice recording while on a walk or in the car, uploading it later to Otter when I'm on wifi, and then taking the transcript and adapting it to my needs. It gets ideas out of my head faster and onto the page--but they're still MY ideas.

Otter also lets you search within a recording or transcript easily. For example, you can ask it "what date are the files due?" It'll search the conversation and bring you to the spot where Alfie said he needed the files by the 22nd.

Finally, Otter also attempts to summarize the conversation and create tasks, an outline, and action items. It gets it right about 80% of the time, which is better than trusting all team members are writing down their own action items. ✏️

➡️ What I don't do: To protect the confidentiality of my clients and out of respect to my colleagues, I don't allow Otter to automatically connect to Zoom or to my calendar. It keeps wanting to (and pisses me off when it brags "you have no meetings today" on a day when I'm jammed). Resist the urge.

Autorecording without permission feels disrespectful, even if the conversation isn't top secret. If I'm on the phone or Zoom with you and we collectively decide it'd be good to record our chat, I can turn it on manually.

Tool 2: ChatGPT​

What AI convo would be complete without a mention of that Great People Translator, Chat GPT?

I use GPT almost every day to:

Do math. 🧮 Rather than figuring out a complex real-life equation, I talk it through. For example, "I'm teaching a workshop with four sections for X hours and we need X minutes break and X time for lunch. There are two breakouts in each segment for X minutes each. How long can each segment be?" I've also uploaded complicated spreadsheets and asked GPT to find themes and changes inside the numbers. Never say you're bad at math--numbers are the language of business and the tools exist to help you with this language!

Suggest clearer wording. ✏️ Often, a sentence makes sense to me but it doesn't read right. So, just as I'd do with a great proofreader or editor, I ask GPT to offer me rewrites of an awkward line or phrase. It usually shows me a better way to say what I'm trying to say.

Empty my brain. 🧠 Lots going on in this head. Yours too, probably. If I'm stuck or just want to get focused, I use GPT's voice mechanism on my phone and just . . .ramble. It'll play my key points back, usually showing me I'm not as confused as I'm pretending to be.

Of course, I've also used GPT to brainstorm birthday gifts, design recipes based on what's in my fridge, and to map out the quickest way to make five different errand stops around town. It can absolutely still make things up (always verify), but for the most part, it shortens my process in whatever I'm doing.

I'm also playing with a GPT of my own content, which you can access here if you have the paid GPT plan. But fair warning--the ideas it offers are still a little rudimentary and not quite the quality of help I like to provide. 🙃

That's it?

Yup, those are the two I'm using the most. Of course, if you're following the AI world at all, you know there's also Claude, Perplexity, CoPilot, Gemini and a host of others. While they're not all the same, I'm a fan of picking one and sticking until it's not doing what you need. No need to be expert in all. Right now, my tool of choice is GPT, but you do you, boo.

But what about you, Reader? Hit REPLY and tell me your thoughts and experiences with AI tools in your life at work. What's easy? What's hard? I always love hearing from you.

And if no other human has told you today, hear it here and now--the world needs you, now more than ever. Not more robots--you. 🫀 Thanks for being here.

Always, Darcy

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