AI is not something that is weeks old at this time. It’s been talked about, developed and implemented in its rudimentary form over the last decade. I have worked with and continue to work with ChatGPT and Grok (x.ai). I use them both for my professional/paid job life and personally. It’s definitely a game changer in many respects. It’s definitely not anywhere close to perfect by any stretch of the imagination, as I will share with you as time permits.
It’s “baked in” to a lot of tools that I use, even our operating systems. I don’t use the “mass public” things like Microsoft’s CoPilot embedded within their aps, I see that as “bloat” at his point. I use AI for very specific reasons and for particular a purpose – and this is where I find it very useful.
What They (Mass-Rolled/Baked-In AI like MS Copilot, Apple Siri+AI) Offer:
Ubiquity: They’re everywhere. Built into the OS, browsers, Office apps, email, and search.
Convenience: No extra setup, subscription, or learning curve for casual users.
Task automation: Quick help summarizing emails, generating Excel formulas, or scheduling events.
Enterprise integration: Appeals to businesses for productivity and control over workflows.
The Trade-offs (especially for someone like me):
Lack of Flexibility
At the time of this writing, you’re pretty much forced to work within their ecosystem – Microsoft, Google, Apple. Their AI is tuned for average/general use cases, not tailored workflows like I want.
Shallow Autonomy
These tools are designed for mass passive consumption – write this, summarize that. But they don’t enable you to build. You’re interacting, not creating.
Data Control
You’re handing over everything – your writing, your files, your behavior – to a mega-corp that’s optimizing for scale, not sovereignty. Not sure there is any way around that without an on-premise setup – not even sure about that.
Overreach
Baked-in AI blurs lines between assistance and surveillance. They’re reading your files, emails, meetings—and deciding what’s “helpful.”
ChatGPT, Gemini and Others as I Use Them:
A skilled assistant
A project manager
A sounding board
A strategic partner
This version of AI is:
Deliberate: You ask, it responds. It doesn’t inject itself into your life uninvited.
Customizable: You shape the voice, style, and output. It molds to your vision.
Transparent: There’s a clean line between what it knows, does, and remembers.
Still Unreliable: In many ways… but improving.
Metaphor: Mass AI vs ClayToCode’s Use of AI
Copilot is like buying prefab IKEA furniture: clean, convenient, same as everyone else’s.
ClayToCode’s use of AI is like shaping wood or clay by hand: slower, intentional, mine, yours.