Simply thinking about coffee can get a person’s morning moving in a positive direction. In this case, AI nearly brewed the coffee.
Last week’s TGIF 2 Minutes featured compelling details about the use of AI, or Artificial Intelligence, by individuals and “normal” people. The majority of reader feedback was positive – and led a number of folks to try an AI assistant for the first time! A handful of perceptive readers expressed lingering hesitation about the potential dangers of AI in general. Understandable.
The following story – specifically relating to fresh brewed coffee – may be encouraging. Even if tea is your hot beverage of choice, the story is still relatable.
Have you ever found yourself at a friend’s home or higher-end hotel or resort where a personal Nespresso machine is at your disposal? Your mouth is watering for a cup of the luxurious taste of “elevated coffee,” Nespresso style.
What if the Nespresso machine has no instructions – and is a sleek, later model with hardly a way to understand where to insert the coffee pod? The water is ready in the cannister, the light is blinking …but for the love of God, the mystery remains how to start the coffee brewing! Solving the mystery may wind up breaking the machine. At a friend’s home, this is not an option.
In walks the opportunity to use an AI assistant such as Grok or ChatGPT – or an iPhone 16 combined with an AI assistant. Here is what happens next:
- Using the iPhone, a photo is taken of the Nespresso machine
- The photo is scanned by Siri (a version of an AI agent)
- Questions are asked to Siri, Grok, ChatGPT or the AI assistant to the effect of, “how to work the latest Nespresso machine”
- Approximately 10 seconds later, Siri or the AI assistant has broken down in numbered steps exactly what to do to open the machine (without breaking it), insert the coffee pod and which button to press to start brewing the coffee.
- Approximately 20-30 seconds later, fresh, hot brewed coffee is in your coffee mug.
True story. This is AI – an extremely basic, practical application of AI. Imagine what AI could do for the more complicated parts of our lives over time.
Final detail: AI is not meant to replace human interaction and humans. Robots and AI agents are not able to be freely, randomly creative but rather are amazing at following directions and compiling/distributing information. Having a few laughs – perhaps around a table over a few cups of fresh brewed coffee – with a group of fun humans (otherwise known as friends or family) and sharing discoveries may start demystifying AI.
This material has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, tax, legal or accounting advice.