Artificial Intelligence: A Life Hack for the Busy Entrepreneur

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic lately, as people consider its potential applications and implications. While I knew about AI, it wasn't until recently that I really understood its power and how it could be applied to simplify my life.

This realization came about during an email conversation with a fellow entrepreneur, Maisha Cannon. Maisha leads The Collab Lab, Inc., a consulting and training business that focuses on skill development for people working at the intersection of recruiting and technology. When I mentioned my curiosity about using AI to scale new businesses, Maisha shared her own experiences of using ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model, as a strategic advisor. She jokingly referred to her AI assistant as "ChatGPTisha," which helped me to see AI in a more personal and relatable way.

Since then, my use of AI has shifted. While I still have some concerns about its impact on people, I also believe that AI can and hopefully will be used responsibly to unblock, accelerate, and enhance how we work and live. From encoded bias to intellectual property, thoughtful assessment and decision making are needed to set appropriate guidelines and guardrails around its use. Still, I see the endless potential and almost inevitable impact that artificial intelligence will have on our lives. AI isn’t going anywhere so the opportunity is using it effectively and responsibly.

How AI Can Help You Save Time and Money

As a business owner and first-time mom to a 5-month-old, life hacks are not only appreciated, but required. AI helps me in those moments of decision fatigue when I need to inform my thinking quickly. Whether I'm feeling overwhelmed or simply don't know enough about a topic, AI makes managing my life easier.

Where I might have used Google or Reddit in the past, I now use AI prompts that gather answers from sources or vantage points I trust. For example, when I needed help with my son’s nap schedule, I used AI to scan recommendations from cognitive and behavioral specialists because those perspectives are valuable to me. As a busy entrepreneur, time is a limited commodity so I also prioritized recommendations that required less time.

Here are a few of my recent AI prompts, including the one about my son’s sleep schedule:

Troubleshooting my son’s nap schedule

Trimming my streaming budget

Planning a special dinner for my husband

These are just a few examples of how I use AI in my everyday life. What life hacks and unconventional uses have you found for AI? Let me know in the comments.