The year 2024 has marked a transformative period for artificial intelligence (AI), with a wealth of innovations cropping up in various fields. At ZDNET, we’ve been chronicling these advancements through a steady stream of articles that illuminate the impact and potential of AI in everyday life. As someone who has penned numerous articles exploring different facets of AI, the journey has been replete with fascinating insights.
So, what AI tools do I actually implement in my daily routine? It’s a nuanced answer that separates experimentation and practical application. On one hand, I delve into AI tools for analysis and evaluation; on the other, I employ them to enhance my productivity and streamline tasks. These two uses vary significantly.
Additionally, while generative AI has its merits, like assisting those less practiced in writing or aiding non-native speakers, I, as a professional writer, prefer creating original content myself. ZDNET only permits AI-generated content strictly for illustrative purposes—an important distinction. Yet, I have successfully integrated AI into my productivity toolkit, significantly reducing my workload. In this piece, I’ll outline 15 ways AI enhanced my efficiency in 2024, alongside a wishlist looking ahead to 2025.
As this serves as my final article of the year, I wish you all a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Let’s dive into how AI has streamlined my work processes.
1. AI for Programming Assistance
I’ve found tools like ChatGPT invaluable for tackling routine coding tasks, including crafting API interfaces and formulating CSS selectors. The time saved has been equivalent to roughly a month of programming efforts this year.
2. AI Explaining Code
Modern programming often involves revisiting and understanding existing code. I frequently turn to ChatGPT to paste blocks of code for explanations, receiving insightful dissection that clarifies functionality.
3. AI for Debugging Code
In debugging, feeding problematic code snippets and related error messages to ChatGPT has proven effective. It helps identify issues and delivers suggestions for corrections, making it a critical addition to my troubleshooting arsenal.
4. Customer Sentiment Analysis with AI
After launching a product update, gauging user sentiment can be challenging. I harnessed AI to analyze user feedback data, which resulted in quick visual insights revealing a positive response to the new release.
5. AI-Generated Album Artwork
My journey in music production has also been enhanced by AI. Utilizing platforms like Midjourney, I created album covers for my EPs, transforming text prompts into striking visuals that capture the essence of my music.
6. Enhancing Photos with AI
In photography, I utilize AI-driven tools in Photoshop for tasks like removing distractions or refining poorly composed images. Features such as generative fill have revitalized photos that would otherwise be discarded.
7. AI for Vector Graphics
With Adobe Illustrator, I’ve taken advantage of new AI capabilities to generate vector graphics, allowing for easier manipulation and adaptations of designs which I frequently use in presentations.
8. Monthly E-commerce Imagery
My wife runs an e-commerce store, where I employ Midjourney to craft thematic images for monthly projects in her active Facebook community, spurring creativity among its members using AI-generated visuals.
9. AI in Video Masking
Final Cut Pro’s AI-powered magic mask feature has made video editing simpler by automatically separating foreground and background elements, eliminating the need for cumbersome green screen setups.
10. AI for Audio Enhancement
Using Adobe’s Enhance Speech AI tool, I’ve salvaged audio recordings that initially seemed unusable, showcasing AI’s ability to dramatically improve sound quality for my videos.
11. Auto-Tracking with AI
While filming, I’ve employed the Hohem iSteady V3 gimbal that utilizes on-device AI for tracking me seamlessly, enhancing the production value of my YouTube videos.
12. AI Research Assistance
For practical projects, I’ve consulted ChatGPT for quick research, such as understanding the requirements for appropriately bending aluminum, which saved countless hours of trial and error.
13. Writing on the Go with AI
With iOS 18, I can quickly transcribe voice recordings via my Apple Watch, allowing me to jot down thoughts for articles effortlessly, no matter where I am or what I’m doing.
14. Improving 3D Print Quality with AI
In 3D printing, I’ve leveraged AI to analyze print settings, identifying optimizations that enhance output quality, while newer printer models claim AI-assisted reliability.
15. Drone Navigation with AI
Modern drones, like the DJI Mavic Pro, use AI to facilitate intuitive flying, making tasks such as aerial photography straightforward by autonomously handling flight paths.
Looking Forward: AI Wishlist for 2025
As we gaze towards the future, I envision AI kitchen assistants brewing coffee, managing emails more efficiently, eliminating unnecessary pauses in video, and intelligently dimensioning 3D models from photographs. The possibilities are endless!
AI has progressed remarkably over recent years, but its full potential remains largely untapped. What innovations do you wish to see in AI as we move into the new year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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The AI Buzz Hub team is excited to see where these breakthroughs take us. Want to stay in the loop on all things AI? Subscribe to our newsletter or share this article with your fellow enthusiasts.
