Very interesting! Considering how careless I have been using the latest technology, as I described in my last post about accessing QR codes, I was hesitant to try an AI program.

But recently, my new lawn service company sent me an invoice using a .pdf format. When I opened it, I noticed that my updated Adobe program now provides an AI “button” at the top right of the document. Hmm. . .

I saved the document to my local hard drive so that I could “practice” using the AI option without being on the Internet. When I clicked on the AI option, here is what happened.

I asked it a question: “What is this document?”

The response? “The document is an invoice for irrigation services provided by Advanced Florida Outdoor.”

NOTE: The word “irrigation” did not appear anywhere on the document!

[I closed the document. About an hour later, I re-opened the document, clicked on the AI Assistant again, and the original answer was still there, so, I asked it another question]:

“How did you know this work was for irrigation?”

• The answer: “Based on the information provided in the document, we can determine that this work was for irrigation because of the following clues:

1. The company name: “Advanced Florida Outdoor” suggests that they specialize in outdoor services, which commonly includes irrigation systems.
2. The items listed in the table under the “DESCRIPTION” column include specific irrigation components such as rotors, adapters, couplings, and stakes.
3. The description of the work performed in the “BALANCE DUE” section mentions checking zones for broken heads, adjustments, and coverage, replacing and raising a rotor head, moving an existing rotor, replacing a nozzle, and repairing tubing. ​ These tasks are all related to irrigation system maintenance and repair.
4. The mention of checking the program for summer months indicates that the work involved adjusting the irrigation system settings for seasonal changes, further confirming that it is related to irrigation.

• Therefore, based on these clues, we can conclude that the work described in the document was for irrigation.”

WOW!

A few weeks later, after I had saved my latest “Mr. Smiles” book to send to the printer, I decided to click on the AI Assistant again.

It took a few seconds to ‘review’ the document. Then, it said:

• “The document is about a children’s book called “Mr. Smiles and Changing Cruel to Cool,” which is part of the “Mr. Smiles” series and focuses on managing negative situations.
• I can see that this document contains charts, diagrams, or images. I’m not able to include information from them in my responses because I’m still learning how to interpret them.”

I thought that second paragraph was very interesting. I was struck by the casual tone of voice, using the contraction “I’m” instead of “I am.” I was also interested to see how it seemed to be a bit apologetic that it couldn’t interpret the illustrator’s drawings. . .

Anyone out there use AI? I wouldn’t want to use it for my writing, but I have heard that many folks, including lawyers, use it for research or drafts.

Of course, as with all things tech, there are already warnings about the potential for scams, fraud, etc. So, please, as always, be careful.

Read More about My AI Experiment