Just like computers have improved over the last couple decades, AI will continue to improve. In teh 80’s did you think almost everything you do would involve some sort of “computer”?
March 06, 2026, 12:42 PM
Jupiter
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund: Another caution to not rely on one AI answer.
With some of the spectacularly wrong information I've seen first hand returned by AI, I don't know how anyone would depend on it without checking behind every answer it spits out.
Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
March 06, 2026, 01:48 PM
sigfreund
quote:
Originally posted by Jupiter: I don't know how anyone would depend on it without checking behind every answer it spits out.
Bears repeating. Going back to the data in my previous post, the calculator on my computer (however that works) gives answers to about 30 significant digits, so I was confident that what the AI told me was correct.
► 6.0/94.0
“I can’t give you brains, but I can give you a diploma.” — The Wizard of Oz
March 06, 2026, 02:23 PM
Jupiter
^^^^^^ No doubt it will continue to improve.
Several months back, I started noticing a rash of online news articles that made no sense at all. Turns out, they were AI generated. Last week, I was doing some research on a Kubota skid steer. The AI generated results contained info./specs. on the skid steer mixed with info./specs. from one of their excavators.
Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
March 06, 2026, 02:27 PM
myrottiety
Was having issues with a Netgear 5G hotspot. It helped me trouble shoot it and fix the APN had somehow been tricked into identifying as a cell phone instead of a hotspot. So network was rejecting it.
Fixed and up and running. Fed it a photo of the error and it took me through the steps to fix.
Train how you intend to Fight
Remember - Training is not sparring. Sparring is not fighting. Fighting is not combat.
March 06, 2026, 10:29 PM
Rey HRH
I just started using Grok for the second important and useful function.
Besides using any AI as a supercharged search engine, my biggest use to date for Grok is to help me manage my portfolio.
This week, I started using it as a productivity assistant in that I feed it my schedule for the week, my scheduled tasks for the day, and my "When Ready / As Time Permits" items.
It's now a component of my organization system that includes Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook To-Do List, and Microsoft OneNote notebook functionality.
It helps me prioritize my to-do list and it gives me reminders as I update it. It carries over uncompleted tasks from previous days to the next day.
The third useful thing it's good for is I use it to find items on Amazon. It saves me the trouble of going through the many offerings of a specific item. I ask it to go look and it gives me the top 3 it recommends.
"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.
March 07, 2026, 06:43 AM
220-9er
Recently tried a feature on X that’s handy. There is a Grok symbol in the top right corner of each post now that will do an AI check of the post and the author of the post.
I’ve asked things like what would have happened if the Japanese hadn’t bombed Pearl Harbor, and it does all the complex analysis to give a reasonable answer.
For you guys/gals that say you refuse to use it or have no use for it. That's fine.
Just know it's not going anywhere. It's only going to get integrated with more parts of our lives over time. As well as become quickly more complex and "smarter" the better they hone the models.
Use it some. Play with it a bit. I think you'll find something you can tinker with it about.
Train how you intend to Fight
Remember - Training is not sparring. Sparring is not fighting. Fighting is not combat.
March 07, 2026, 03:40 PM
sigfreund
quote:
Originally posted by myrottiety: I think you'll find something you can tinker with it about.
I agree. There’s no reason to fall in love with it or start believing you’re communicating with a real person, and keep in mind that like any Internet activity, a record of it will remain forever someplace. I have no reason to let it run my life, and wouldn’t if I did, but it’s a tool like other tools: use it properly and sensibly, and it can be useful.
► 6.0/94.0
“I can’t give you brains, but I can give you a diploma.” — The Wizard of Oz
March 25, 2026, 08:27 PM
StorminNormin
AI is a powerful thing and as anything, it can be used for good or bad.
I use it personally to help research things and it does an amazing job at gathering information from so many sources to give me a concise answer in seconds and provides me the sources to look at on my own if I want to. It does in seconds what would take me a while.
At work, I have used it, since I am not a medical professional, to help me interpret radiology or medical reports to put it into plain English that a lay person can understand. Recently during a cell search, officers found a bunch of letters written to an inmate by an officer. There were so many letters and it was going to take a while to try to figure out the order of the pages or grouping of letters. These were photocopies of handwritten letters, yet AI was able to within seconds figure out the order and how many sets of letters they were. I was amazed. I just make sure I never provide AI any personal identifying information related to work.
Sadly, just recently my agency has banned the use of AI in any shape or form, which I disagree with when you are not giving it any personal information but I have to follow their rules.
NRA Benefactor Life Member
March 25, 2026, 08:36 PM
tatortodd
quote:
Sadly, just recently my agency has banned the use of AI in any shape or form, which I disagree with when you are not giving it any personal information but I have to follow their rules.
enterprise grade AI is the business friendly version where supposedly there is no chance of confidential business being sucked back out into the public. Microsoft 365 copilot and grok enterprise are two examples.
Samsung's 2023 data breach due to ChatGPT is probably the most famous AI data breach. Actually, it wasn't one data breach but instead it was three in a period of 20 days.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
March 25, 2026, 09:12 PM
ibanda
I'm not averse to new technologies but I haven't yet found anything in my life that I had to have AI for. Maybe it would speed up a few things for me, but I like to use my brain to figure things out.
I have received emails from other people that were obviously using AI. My experience in that regard is that it makes dumb people dumber. I don't think I'm missing out by not being an early adopter at this point.
"The left can't applaud me because their hands are in other people's pockets." - Javier Milei
March 27, 2026, 03:43 AM
bendable
After 40 minutes of telephone number pushing , the A.I. not at Amazon told the neighbor lady that it would refund her the $18.00 for the lotion that did not in fact get.
This is the third time that A.I. told her that it had been delivered , no picture offered.
"Progress" from the Amazon paradigm has yet to be realized.
Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency.
Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first
March 27, 2026, 05:45 AM
mrvmax
I say find out how it can save you time and utilize it for that. I just really started playing with it and it has been useful. It’s not to the point where we can rely on it 100% but it can save us time.
All technology starts off basic and it people find it useful then it gets developed and refined more and more. I think everyone can find a use for it with something they really doing.
No thank you, why would we want to abrogate human intelligence and creativity to a generated “sameness” void of regional customs and flavors?
We dehumanize ourselves by merely using AI in my opinion.
Humans need to use their minds, to think, to create even at a lowly pedestrian level.
AI can be used for certain things, things that the human eye may not catch such as comparing two medical images and denoting difference that can then be followed up with further examination by a human.
Truth is, if you cease using your brain you will lose its best qualities.
quote:
Originally posted by myrottiety: I mean.. basically whatever you want or need. Unless you start playing with Gen AI. It's hard to explain.
But a random list I had created by AI would include:
Home & Daily Life Create grocery shopping lists
Suggest easy-to-make meals
Recommend simple home exercises
Set up daily routines for energy and structure
Help organize medications into a schedule
Suggest low-maintenance houseplants
Provide reminders for appointments (via writing templates)
Explain how to clean/maintain household appliances
Provide simple home repair advice
Recommend ways to declutter safely
Tech Help & Troubleshooting Explain how to use a smartphone
Walk through how to send an email
Help identify scam/phishing emails
Guide how to download a new app
Explain what Wi-Fi is and how to reset it
Teach how to use Zoom or FaceTime
Help organize and label digital photos
Give step-by-step instructions for online shopping
Guide how to unsubscribe from spam
Recommend easy-to-use tablets or phones for seniors
Writing & Communication Help write a birthday message or card
Draft thank-you notes or holiday letters
Create invitations for family gatherings
Rewrite something in simpler language
Turn stories into poems or short essays
Help write a journal or memoir entry
Summarize long articles or news stories
Translate text into another language
Write letters to local representatives
Create a family newsletter
Mental Fitness & Learning Suggest brain games or riddles
Teach fun facts or trivia
Share daily “on this day in history” facts
Explain how things work (like microwaves or AI)
Answer curious “Why?” or “What if?” questions
Give gentle math puzzles or logic exercises
Teach something new (like a new word daily)
Provide “Did you know?” history facts
Explain how to start learning something like knitting or watercolor painting
Help recall lyrics or finish song lines
Entertainment & Fun Suggest good movies from their generation
Recommend music playlists (Golden Oldies, Jazz, etc.)
Share jokes or light humor
Create fun stories starring their grandkids
Recommend free games online
Make up a bedtime story for grandchildren
Provide lyrics to favorite songs
Explain plot summaries of classic books
Help plan a themed movie night
Create fictional stories based on their life
Travel & Exploration (Real or Virtual) Describe famous places as a virtual tour
Recommend scenic road trips nearby
Share historical facts about places they’ve visited
Suggest senior-friendly travel destinations
Explain airport or cruise procedures simply
Help plan a day trip or weekend getaway
Make a packing checklist
Suggest comfortable travel shoes or gear
Convert currency or translate travel phrases
Simulate a “travel conversation” in a different language
Family & Legacy Help organize family history info
Suggest questions to ask relatives in interviews
Draft obituary templates (if needed)
Write a story about their childhood for the grandkids
Create a timeline of their life
Help compile recipes into a family cookbook
Write captions for old family photos
Format a family tree
Draft a letter to future generations
Record special memories or favorite sayings
Time & Organization Help set weekly goals
Recommend free printable calendars
Create a daily or monthly checklist
Organize reminders for birthdays and anniversaries
Provide ideas for “theme days” to add structure (e.g., Puzzle Tuesdays)
