Part 1 - Introduction

• Where is AI being used around the house and work?

People have used AI for years without even fully realizing what it is. Google maps, and its like, for example, is an example of an AI engine that uses patterns to make decisions. 

• Describe an example of when you used/witnessed someone else use AI?  (Alexa, Siri, etc)

One of the silly games we play in my house is to ask absurdist questions of Alexa or Google Assistant then laugh at their terribly off-key responses. Siri seems to do the best at recognizing when she is being teased and used as the butt of the joke, but Google Assistant will endless dive into impossible searches, or try to answer lengthy questions of dubious purpose. 

• How, if at all, has this impacted your life?

I do not think my life has been impacted very much by AI yet, but we need to remember that ChatGPT has only been around and available to the public for the past 18 months. I was speaking with a close friend last weekend, who works for the digital library company EBSCO-host. She told my wife and I that she was working with ChatGPT to create summaries of scholarly articles, much like an abstract, after analyzing the article or peer-reviewed piece. I found this incredible! What a great application for AI! It really made me think about the unexpected ways AI will be integrated into our day-to-day lives as time goes on. 

Where is AI being used around the house and work?
Describe an example of when you used/witnessed someone else use AI?  (Alexa, Siri, etc)
How, if at all, has this impacted your life?

AI has been used for several years now and even though many have already adopted it into their daily lives, the introduction of tools like Chat GPT and other generative AI tools seems to have sparked a massive debate over its use.

I have used tools like Siri and Alexa in my home and vehicles for many years now.  From operating a FireTV using voice controls, to communicating to my whole house through a connected intercom system using several echo devices, this has been around and useful for a long time it seems.  I have gotten comfortable with the knowledge that Alexa/Siri are always listening to what is going on in my home.  If they were not always listening, they wouldn't be able to "hear" the wake word ALEXA, when I want a timer for cooking or to shuffle a music playlist. I might argue that hands-free texting and replying to text messages in my car is one of the most convenient features that this technology offers.  Having British Siri talk to me when I drive makes me feel very James Bond-like.

Using Chat GPT at home and work has been a big time saving tool.  My middle school boys and I have used it as idea generators for some assignments that they have had.  It beats banging your head against the kitchen countertop trying to come up with an idea that they are willing to do.  If there is one they like, prompting GPT to breaking it down into steps and an outline of what has to happen to get it done is amazing.  

AI is present everywhere these days.  We are using it even when we do not realize it.  In doing these badges I actually realized how much I use it and did not even make the connection.  At work I often use AI for searches to find content.  I have used the blatant AI in Chat GPT to help me find documents and primary source passages to use with students.  At home AI is very present among myself and my family members.  Using google maps for driving directions and planning trips is a common one I never even thought of as AI use until Badge 1.  We have an Echo Show in our kitchen and every bedroom as well.  The screen pans continuously throughout the day with news, recipes, and fun facts.  Looking at what shows up it is clear this content is all driven by our conversations that the device is listening to.  The security cameras we have and water detection sensors in our basement with motion detecting technology are all forms of AI.  My kids ask Siri through the echo shows and their I Pads questions regularly.  Most recently my daughter had it generate a new playlist for her based on her favorite movies and shows.  It is incredible the speed at which things can be created and how young our kids are learning to master these tools.  AI can be scary but if harnessed properly it is pretty amazing to see.

AI is being used on the homefront and workplace with tools such as Siri, Alexa & speech to text.  My daughters have an Amazon Echo dot (for kids) in their bedroom.  This was given to my eldest as a birthday gift.  She loves listening to music, setting an alarm/timer to wake up each morning & read for school and ask a million questions about the weather, count-downs to holidays, etc.  
As a parent Alexa has made the task of waking up the kids each morning so much easier.  The girls have set a repeated alarm and choose the artist/song they would like to wake up to each day.   Alexa has some limitations and often doesn't fully answer some of the kids' questions; however, as a parent, I like that we can set parental controls and that there are "guard rails" to ensure that the technology is not being abused or misused.   For example, the kids asked Alexa what were the chances of the Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl.  Instead of giving us some statistics or odds, Alexa told us she was not a Bills fan and only rooted for the Seattle Seahawks.  Such a disappointment :)