Thoughts on AI in the Everyday Lives of Ordinary People
In recent years, artificial intelligence has become an invisible assistant in our daily lives. From movie recommendations to medical diagnoses, it’s shaping our decisions without us even realizing it. But are we interacting with these technologies in a way that actually makes sense?
A few weeks ago, Deep Seak released its latest AI model, shaking up the Western market. And yet, it’s still almost unbelievable what these technologies—yes, plural, because we also have OpenAI and ChatGPT—are capable of.
At first, content creators were hit the hardest, watching AI generate ideas and creative alternatives from just a single prompt—an instruction block given to machines to perform a task. After all, the threat of losing their jobs felt imminent. Then developers and designers started debating the future of their own work. And honestly, I think we’re still having that conversation…
To better understand how AI is quietly embedding itself into our daily lives, I want to share three real-life examples of how people are using this technology in unexpected ways.
Case I – My Friend and His Many Postgraduate Degrees
I recently talked to a friend (51 years old) who told me how easy it has been for him to get his postgraduate degrees using ChatGPT. He studies through an online learning program, where everything—lectures, exams, exercises, and presentations—is done on a computer.
His approach is simple: he watches the lectures on his phone, participates just enough to meet attendance requirements, and when it’s time for an exam, he uses ChatGPT to answer the questions with a quick copy & paste. Since the tests are multiple-choice, there’s no real way to detect whether a machine-generated the answers or not.
Now, I’m not telling this story to pass judgment on how AI should or shouldn’t be used. My goal is simply to show how people are actually using AI.
For my friend, pursuing five postgraduate degrees was never about diving deep into academic knowledge. He’s a government employee, and for public servants, the more degrees you have, the better your salary. It’s a straightforward calculation. The goal is clear.
While some people use AI to make academic life easier, others use it to simplify everyday decisions—like decorating a home.
Case II – My Sister and Her New Apartment Decor
My sister recently got married, and she and her husband are now in that phase of furnishing their apartment, decorating each room, and making sure their space reflects their personalities. They’ve been using AI—not just for design inspiration but also to calculate furniture costs and plan their budget.
In a casual chat, she told me how much she’s enjoying the process thanks to a tool that generates room designs based on reference photos. Instead of buying, testing, and returning items that don’t fit, she can just visualize everything on a screen and make decisions without the guesswork.
From a business perspective, this kind of AI-generated image tool could be a game changer. Imagine home decor stores using it to generate room layouts and showcase their products, or an AI-powered design consultant helping customers furnish their homes based on photos they upload.
The possibilities are endless, and in the end, creativity is what turns ideas into profitable tools.
Case III – Web Searches
Another way people are using AI? As a search engine replacement—just like Google, Safari, or Firefox.
Take my wife, for example. She’s a very analog person. She loves her pen and notebook, but when it comes to online searches, she often turns to ChatGPT, using it just like she would use Google.
“What to do in Las Vegas for four days?”
On a recent trip with her friends, she discovered the world’s largest and most famous Coca-Cola store—thanks to an AI-generated travel itinerary. Even though the information wasn’t 100% accurate, she still managed to plan an amazing trip based on ChatGPT’s quick suggestions.
Travel planning has never been easier. Before AI, we had to map out itineraries, read blog posts, and watch hours of travel videos before finalizing a trip plan. It was exhausting. Now, in just a few minutes, you can get a complete itinerary based on your time, budget, and preferences.
AI Isn’t as Widespread as It Seems
In 2024, a Pew Research study found that while 62% of Americans had never directly used an AI chatbot, 85% had unknowingly consumed AI-generated content.
With the explosion of AI startups, it might feel like this technology is everywhere—but in reality, it’s not.
As a product designer, I interact with AI daily. But that doesn’t mean the average person engages with it in the same way. People use it differently and for different reasons, as I’ve shown in the cases above.
Years ago, Windows users had Clippy, the little paperclip assistant that tried (and often failed) to help people navigate the operating system. It was simple—if you had a question, you’d ask Clippy, and if it couldn’t help, it would direct you to a support page.
Apple users, on the other hand, have Siri—a more advanced, voice-activated assistant. But at its core, it’s still just a refined version of Clippy. It’s another example of AI interacting with people in a subtle and almost invisible way.
Subtle & Invisible
I believe AI should integrate into people’s lives in a seamless and unobtrusive way—and here’s why.
I don’t know who decided that AI should be represented by a star icon, but the tech industry has widely embraced this idea.
But why? AI isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It appears in different forms, in different contexts. A single icon isn’t enough to represent such a broad technology. Instead of a generic star, why not use icons that match the functionality? A pencil for a writing assistant. A magnifying glass for AI-powered search.
AI is already embedded in our lives in ways we don’t even think about:
1. Predictive text on iPhones – Have you ever noticed how your phone learns your writing style?
2. Google Photos – It automatically suggests organizing your pictures into albums.
3. Gmail Smart Reply – It offers quick responses like “Sounds great!” or “Thanks!”
4. WhatsApp Suggestions – It predicts relevant stickers and emojis based on your messages.
5. Google Docs Smart Compose – It suggests full sentences as you type.
1. Predictive text on iPhones – Have you ever noticed how your phone learns your writing style?
2. Google Photos – It automatically suggests organizing your pictures into albums.
3. Gmail Smart Reply – It offers quick responses like “Sounds great!” or “Thanks!”
4. WhatsApp Suggestions – It predicts relevant stickers and emojis based on your messages.
5. Google Docs Smart Compose – It suggests full sentences as you type.
In none of these examples does AI require a “star” icon or a special button. It just works.
AI Is Not Just Chat
I admire those who have successfully distilled AI into a chat format, generating intelligent and creative responses (most of the time). But AI is so much bigger than that.
Here’s where AI is making an impact beyond chatbots:
1. Google DeepMind – Predicting eye diseases and breast cancer with higher accuracy than human doctors.
2. Bank Fraud Detection – Banks like Nubank and Itaú use AI to flag suspicious transactions.
3. Amazon Go Stores – AI-powered checkout detects which items customers take and charges them automatically.
4. AI Customer Service on WhatsApp – Companies like Magalu handle inquiries without human agents.
5. Uber & Lyft – AI dynamically adjusts pricing based on demand and predicts arrival times.
1. Google DeepMind – Predicting eye diseases and breast cancer with higher accuracy than human doctors.
2. Bank Fraud Detection – Banks like Nubank and Itaú use AI to flag suspicious transactions.
3. Amazon Go Stores – AI-powered checkout detects which items customers take and charges them automatically.
4. AI Customer Service on WhatsApp – Companies like Magalu handle inquiries without human agents.
5. Uber & Lyft – AI dynamically adjusts pricing based on demand and predicts arrival times.
AI scales fast, delivers instant responses, and operates at a fraction of the cost—which is why its potential is truly limitless.
Final Thoughts
As a designer, I feel responsible for educating people on how to use AI effectively. Some call it the biggest technological shift of the 21st century—and I agree.
Design should simplify complexity. If you’re building a feature that generates insights, why label the button “Generate Data with AI” when “Generate Data” would do just fine?
Let’s be real—most people don’t care what technology runs under the hood. They care about whether it makes their lives easier.
So here’s the real question: Are we designing AI experiences that truly make sense for users? Or are we more concerned with marketing the technology than improving the experience?