Okay. So I have a confession. Last

week, I lost a battle with an automated phone

system. You know, the ones press 1 for this, 2 for

that. I swear it took 20 minutes just to get

where I needed to be. It got me thinking.

Is AI out to get us? Or with

all the buzz about this technology, could it make our

lives easier? As a woman over 50,

I want answers. So today,

we're venturing into a topic that's both fascinating

and a bit mystifying for many of us. It's

artificial intelligence or AI. Is

it our friend or foe? And how

it's changing things for women like us.

Hello, beautiful ladies. Welcome back to another episode of 5

to Thrive. I'm your host, Valerie Hatcher. Our

mission is to provide empowering tips for women over 50 to

help us navigate this vibrant stage in life with grace,

style, and a whole lot of fun. Each week, I

bring you 5 practical and engaging tips on a specific

topic. I hope you find them relevant and relatable,

and we'll come back for more. Ready for today's episode?

Then let's go.

So let's start with the basics. Artificial

intelligence in its simplest form, it's about

creating computers that can perform tasks, which

typically require human intelligence. This includes

things like understanding natural language,

recognizing patterns, making decisions, and

even creating art. It's not about creating

machines that think exactly like humans, but

about solving problems in a way that's inspired

by human thought processes.

AI has been around for a while. Actually, the

concept dates back to the mid 20th century,

but it's only in the recent years that technology

has caught up with the vision. Thanks to advances in

computing power and data collection. Now

I know what you might be thinking. AI,

isn't that for techies or the younger crowd?

But stay with me. 1st, let's

get rid of that scary sci fi image of robots

taking over. Yes. AI is powerful,

but it's essentially smart software.

It learns from data, but it doesn't have a mind of its

own. It's not about to walk out of your computer and

steal your job. It's becoming a part

of our everyday lives. Here's the thing.

You're probably using bits of a AI every

day and don't even realize it. Ever wonder

how your email magically filters out

spam or how Netflix knows

that you'll love that cheesy show. It's

AI. Your photos getting sorted by faces

or maps finding the fastest route

even with traffic. AI again,

you don't have to be a tech genius to benefit. It's for

everyone. Think of it like a supercharged

assistant, always learning in the background.

Honestly, AI has some serious potential to make

our lives better. Now let's get practical for a

minute. You want those old family recipes

to be readable again? Well, snap a photo,

and AI can trans transcribe the faded handwriting.

Or maybe you're feeling overwhelmed by errands.

AI can suggest the best time to hit the grocery store to

avoid crowds. Even in the kitchen, it

can help. If you are maybe struggling for dinner

ideas based on what's in your fridge, AI can help with

that. Maybe you want workouts tailored to

you without a pricey trainer. AI

can do it. So let's be honest. Some of

us could use a digital assistant, and AI can

fill that role. So here's a fun story.

I got this smart vacuum, you know, one of those little robots

that scoots across your house cleaning floors. Now I haven't

named it yet, but I thought about naming it Rosie

after the robot maid in The Jetsons. You remember The

Jetsons. Right? But it's a perfect example

of a practical, everyday use of AI,

saving time and effort on a chore that none

of us love doing. Well, I certainly don't.

I know you're saying, okay, Valerie. That's

great. But how can I use AI?

Okay. Let me share a few ways that I use it.

So think about organization. There are

AI based apps out there that can help manage your calendar,

sort your email, or even curate

personalized meal plans. And for those of us who are looking

to spark some creativity, there are writing

aids, art generators, and music composition

apps. But let me give you some specific

examples to get you started. So for organization,

try to doist, to do IST.

Now this is one of my go to apps to stay organized. It

really is. This is a to do list per se, but

it's great for managing task with the help of AI.

Or another app that I use is called Grammarly, grammarly,

and it can help improve your writing, making sure that your

message is clear and error free. And

then for the learners that are out there, Duolingo,

it uses AI to tailor language learning at

your own pace. Then there's Spotify. I know we all

know about Spotify. Well, Spotify employs AR

to curate, personalized playlist and to

recommend new songs based on your listing listening history,

which kinda enhances that music experience. And

there's Pinterest. I know we've all been on Pinterest at one time

or another. Well, Pinterest uses AI to

recommend pins and boards tailored to your interest,

making it easier to discover new ideas and inspirations.

Lately, I've been on Pinterest a lot as I'm trying to work through this

home remodel. I'm on there looking for stuff for the

kitchen and the bathroom, and it's cool because now it's

picked up on that. So when I sign on, it's giving me recommendations.

And then there's Waze. That's the app that I use for

maps, but it's a r AI powered

and it provides real time traffic updates,

route suggestions, and alerts about road conditions,

making driving safer and maybe more efficient.

And there's one that's interesting. It's called RoboKiller. So it

uses AI to block spam calls and protect users from

phone scams by analyzing call patterns and

blocking unwanted numbers. Now

speaking of a creative assistant, there's a

tool that I have to mention, and I'm sure you guys have all heard about

it. It's Chat GPT by OpenAI.

It's, a conversational AI that can

write with you, brainstorm ideas, or just

honestly simply chat about almost any topic

under the sun. It's kinda like having a brainstorming

buddy available 247, making it an

excellent way for anyone to dip their toes into the world

of AI. So I use chat g p t often.

Okay. Let me be honest. I probably use it every day for something,

but I've used it to help me with menus when I have no idea what

to cook. I've used it for a meal plan. I

think one day I asked it for a low carb meal plan,

and it put together 1. I've used it for a workout plan.

One time I was super busy, and so I added

all that I had to do. And I asked asked it to help me

with the schedule, and it did. We started my day, like,

at 7, and I ended it maybe around

8 PM. And so we allocated the

time, of course, that I needed to work. But even breaks through my workout

my work day, like, is there something I can fit in at noon or

something I can fit in before work? And it helped me put together

a schedule. Then sometimes when I'm writing, I'm a

little wordy, and so I've actually used it to help me

condense what I'm writing or even to brainstorm

on topics. There's a free version of chat

GPT. If you want to try it. Now

you can always use it as the gospel. Now, sometimes

AI has what they call hallucinations

where it can create false information. So I

wouldn't use it, like, to write a book, or do

anything like that where maybe statistics are needed. And

if you do make sure that you fact check,

I've also used several other AI powered tools to

help me with editing this podcast, but let's

not get carried away. AI isn't perfect.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows. AI is a powerful

tool, and like any tool, it can be used for

good or not so good. Remember that time that your bank

maybe flagged suspicious activity and saved your savings?

Well, scammers use AI too. They craft fake

emails that are so real, they'd fool your mom or

even you. Criminals can use AI to do

voice clones or create realistic photos

just to scam. I heard of an incident where

they cloned a voice and called someone saying they

were their grandson and

they were in trouble and needed money. And so people have

actually sent money to help who they thought was their

grandchild or somebody else in the family.

Sometimes AI, just like anything else, it ends up

in the wrong hands, which is a reminder that being

tech savvy is about staying aware,

not just knowing how to swipe and tap.

And let's address the elephant in the room. There's a lot of

concern out there about AI, especially replacing

human jobs. I have no magic ball, but I

don't see that happening to the extreme of the

conversations that I've heard. Remember,

AI is a tool. It's one that can take our

repetitive task or analyze data

faster than we ever could, which then frees

us up for more meaningful work. So friend

or foe? I believe it's a friend, but

actually, it's a bit of both. The key

isn't fearing AI. It's understanding it and using

it wisely. So when used

responsibly, it can enhance our lives in

countless ways. It's about understanding

and engaging with AI. It's about using

it and not letting it use us. We need to

advocate for AI that works for us, not against

us and stay in the driver's seat. Think of

it as a tool, a powerful one, but it's up to

us to decide how to use it.

So how does AI show up in your life? Are you

benefiting or you may be may be struggling?

Because understanding AI isn't just about the future,

it's about making our lives better right now.

I hope today's episode has demystified AI a bit for

you and maybe even spark some curiosity.

AI isn't just for the young or the tech obsessed. It's

for all of us offering opportunities to simply task

or to simplify tasks to enhance

creativity and even tackle big

challenges. As always, I'd love to hear your

thoughts. Have you had an interesting encounter

with AI? Are there concerns that you'd like to discuss

further? Let's keep the conversation going.

Thank you so much for joining me for 5 to Thrive Tuesday. If you

haven't already done so, please subscribe so that you don't miss an episode.

If you enjoyed this segment, please rate, review, and share it with

a friend. Let's stay connected on Instagram,

Facebook, and or threads at I am Valerie Hatcher,

or email me at hello at aging with grace and style.com.

Until next time, let's continue to age with grace,

style, and a touch of sass.