Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way we live, work, and create. Yet, despite its growing presence, many of us aren’t tapping into its full potential. I’m Matthew Berman, and I use AI tools like ChatGPT daily to supercharge productivity, creativity, and decision-making. Together with my team, we’ve compiled an extensive list of AI use cases that can truly power up your life.
This comprehensive guide covers everything from coding and legal contract review to life advice, image manipulation, research, and beyond. Whether you’re a developer, entrepreneur, creative, or simply curious, these examples will inspire you to harness AI in ways you might not have imagined.
Table of Contents
- 💻 AI for Coding: From Simple Scripts to Complex Apps
- 📄 Contract and Legal Document Review: Save Time and Money
- ☁️ Introducing Vultr: Your AI Cloud Infrastructure Partner
- 🌱 Life Advice and Decision Making with AI
- 📸 Image Analysis: Identify, Diagnose, and Learn
- 🎨 Image Generation: Creativity Unleashed
- 🖼️ Image Editing: Perfecting Visuals with AI
- 🌐 Translation and Transcription: Breaking Language Barriers
- 🎙️ Advanced Voice Mode: AI On-The-Go
- 📚 Deep Research: Holistic, In-Depth Insights
- 🔍 Basic Search: Smarter, Faster Answers
- 🍳 Recipes: Personalized and Ingredient-Based Cooking
- ✍️ Writing: Emails, Titles, and More
- 🎬 Entertainment Suggestions: Personalized Movie and Book Recommendations
- 🩺 Medical Diagnosis Breakdown: Understanding Your Health
- 🛒 Shopping Comparisons: Smart Buying Decisions
- ✈️ Trip Planning: Customized Itineraries Made Easy
- 📝 Crafting Better Prompts: Let AI Help You Help It
- ⏰ Reminders: Reliable Notifications with AI
- Conclusion
- FAQ 🤖
💻 AI for Coding: From Simple Scripts to Complex Apps
Coding is arguably one of the most powerful applications of AI right now. Whether you want to automate repetitive tasks or build full-fledged applications, AI can speed up development and help you overcome knowledge gaps.
For example, I recently asked ChatGPT to create a drawing app that uses hand tracking via my camera as the user interface. Using the OpenAI GPT-4 API (you’ll need a paid account for this level of access), it generated the code in under three minutes. The app lets me select colors by making a peace sign with my hand and draw freely on the screen. This simple project took just 30 seconds to create once I had the code—showcasing how AI can accelerate prototyping and development.
My colleague Alex uses AI to generate scripts that manage file organization for his video editing workflow. He simply describes his folder structure and what he wants to delete or keep, and AI creates custom scripts that save him hours of manual work. For example, Alex asked AI to delete raw footage folders older than one month while preserving recent files. AI generated a script that he runs safely on his system.
These examples scratch the surface of AI’s coding potential. Whether you need simple automation, productivity tools, or complex applications, AI can be your coding partner.
📄 Contract and Legal Document Review: Save Time and Money
Contracts can be dense and intimidating, especially if you’re not a legal expert. I use ChatGPT to review NDAs, job offers, and other agreements before consulting a lawyer. This approach saves me time and reduces unnecessary legal fees.
For instance, when I receive an NDA, I upload the PDF and ask ChatGPT to identify any nonstandard or problematic clauses. It points out issues like indefinite confidentiality, vague use restrictions, or missing governing law clauses. AI even suggests how to negotiate these terms with the counterparty, providing language you can use to redline the contract. This empowers you to negotiate confidently without legal jargon holding you back.
Negotiation is another area where AI excels. Many people find negotiating difficult or uncomfortable, and AI can help draft polite yet firm negotiation emails. For example, if you receive a job offer but want a higher salary or better equity, AI can generate a professional response tailored to your experience and market benchmarks. This makes negotiation accessible and less stressful.
☁️ Introducing Vultr: Your AI Cloud Infrastructure Partner
Before diving into more use cases, I want to introduce you to Vultr, a fantastic partner that powers many of my AI projects. Vultr is the world’s largest independent cloud provider offering GPU provisioning across 32 locations on six continents. This means you get low latency, high reliability, and competitive pricing for AI workloads.
Whether you’re experimenting with open source AI models or scaling production applications, Vultr’s composable cloud infrastructure and Kubernetes engine give you flexibility and freedom from vendor lock-in. If you want to try out any of these AI use cases yourself, Vultr offers $300 in credits for your first 30 days with promo code BERMAN300. Check out getvultr.com/forwardfutureai to get started.
🌱 Life Advice and Decision Making with AI
One of the most underutilized AI use cases is life advice and personal decision-making. Despite accounting for only about 2% of AI usage according to Anthropic, I find this to be incredibly valuable. AI can help you think through complex life choices by asking the right questions and presenting options you might not have considered.
For example, I recently debated whether to move from Los Angeles to the Bay Area. I uploaded a detailed prompt explaining my situation: ten years in the Bay, currently building an AI-focused media company, a new house in LA with an ADU for my parents, cost of living concerns, and more. AI responded with thoughtful questions about networking needs, housing budgets, school priorities, commute times, and family logistics.
By answering these questions, I received a nuanced analysis weighing pros and cons, including commute times to AI events, cost implications, and social factors. This helped me clarify what matters most and explore alternatives like quarterly trips instead of a full relocation. You can even ask AI to role-play different perspectives—like a pessimist or optimist—to get balanced viewpoints.
📸 Image Analysis: Identify, Diagnose, and Learn
AI’s ability to analyze images is another powerful tool. I often take pictures of plants to diagnose issues or broken household items to get repair suggestions. For instance, I uploaded a photo of an apple and asked ChatGPT to identify its type. It correctly identified it as a Gala apple, describing its color and striping.
Image analysis also extends to geolocation. I tested this by uploading a Google Maps photo of Catalina Island. AI accurately identified the location as Little Harbor on Santa Catalina Island, California, even providing exact coordinates. This geo-guessing feature can be fun or practical when you need to identify unknown places from photos.
🎨 Image Generation: Creativity Unleashed
The world of AI-generated images is vast and exciting. I’ve created fun projects like Pokémon-style cards featuring top AI researchers and showed my son how AI can generate imaginative scenes like a rocket-powered building. AI can also design graphics for merchandise such as mugs and water bottles.
Memes are another playful use case. I asked AI to create a meme of the band *NSYNC singing “Bye Bye Bye” when the market is down, which it did perfectly. AI also helps generate thumbnails for videos—even if it means creating a surreal image of me with three hands!
AI can transform photos into different artistic styles like anime, Minecraft, Simpsons, or South Park, opening up countless creative possibilities. If you enjoy visual creativity, experimenting with AI image generation is a must.
🖼️ Image Editing: Perfecting Visuals with AI
My colleague Alex uses AI extensively for image editing, especially for video thumbnails and intros. He often starts with an image prompt from Twitter or elsewhere and asks AI to modify it—changing perspectives, adjusting colors, and swapping faces.
For example, he transformed an overhead image into a more thumbnail-friendly version featuring Sam Altman’s face with adjusted tones and a simple contrasting background. This process is intuitive and doesn’t require perfect English; AI understands casual instructions well.
Alex also creates logos by referencing existing brand images and asking AI to generate similar styles with custom text. This rapid prototyping accelerates creative workflows and reduces reliance on expensive graphic design tools.
🌐 Translation and Transcription: Breaking Language Barriers
Translation is one of AI’s strongest suits. I uploaded a photo of a Japanese stop sign and asked what it said. AI quickly translated the text, confirming it meant “stop.” This capability extends to documents and PDFs in foreign languages as well, making it easier to access information from around the world.
Transcription is another invaluable feature. I use a digital writing tablet called reMarkable to jot down notes, then upload PDFs of my handwritten notes to ChatGPT for transcription. AI accurately converts them into readable text, saving me time on manual typing.
🎙️ Advanced Voice Mode: AI On-The-Go
To make AI even more accessible, I mapped advanced voice mode to the side button on my phone. This lets me hold the button, ask questions, and get instant answers—whether identifying a snake in my neighborhood or checking the health of my tomato plants.
Voice mode isn’t just for quick queries; I use it to learn on the road. For example, I asked why the Roman Empire fell and received a concise explanation covering political instability, economic troubles, military defeats, and barbarian invasions. I even asked for life lessons from history, which AI framed in terms of adaptability and resilience.
This conversational style of learning transforms mundane moments like car rides into opportunities for education and exploration.
📚 Deep Research: Holistic, In-Depth Insights
When it comes to deep research, AI shines by synthesizing large volumes of information and generating novel insights. Recently, I uploaded extensive notes on life risk—covering types of risk, age considerations, and behavioral patterns—and asked AI to analyze them holistically.
Using the GPT-4 API, it spent over 30 minutes processing the data and referenced 33 different sources to provide comprehensive answers and fresh ideas. This level of deep research is invaluable for complex topics that require critical thinking and cross-referencing multiple studies.
Even free tools like Perplexity offer deep research capabilities, making this accessible to everyone interested in thorough, evidence-backed exploration.
🔍 Basic Search: Smarter, Faster Answers
Traditional search engines often lead to ad-filled pages and irrelevant content. I’ve shifted to using AI for most of my search needs. For example, when I wanted to know how to pick a ripe cantaloupe, AI gave me a clear, concise answer: check the smell, color, weight, texture, and netting without the distractions of ads or personal anecdotes.
One caveat: if you’re looking for a specific website or brand, traditional search might be faster. But for most queries, AI delivers better, more direct results.
My colleague Alex uses AI to assist with video editing tasks like color correction. He uploads screenshots and asks AI how to adjust settings in Premiere Pro’s Lumetri Color panel to achieve the desired look. AI provides step-by-step instructions, which he can then tweak manually. This saves time and effort compared to searching through forums or tutorials.
🍳 Recipes: Personalized and Ingredient-Based Cooking
AI is an excellent kitchen assistant. I asked for a recipe for pork belly made in an Instant Pot with Japanese flavors. AI provided a simple, delicious recipe that I tried and loved.
You can also upload photos of your fridge contents, and AI will suggest recipes based on available ingredients. For example, I uploaded a fridge photo and requested an easy dinner recipe. AI suggested a strawberry Greek yogurt egg bowl and even offered a savory alternative when I asked.
Want recipes tailored to specific diets? No problem. I asked for keto-friendly recipes based on my fridge, and AI delivered customized meal ideas. This makes meal planning easier and reduces food waste.
✍️ Writing: Emails, Titles, and More
Whether it’s professional emails, YouTube titles, or creative writing, AI can assist. I often ask ChatGPT to draft emails—like proposing a new business idea to my boss. The AI-generated email is polite, clear, and concise, saving me the hassle of staring at a blank screen.
While AI may struggle with highly creative writing, it excels at structured, goal-oriented tasks. Use it for brainstorming, editing, and refining your written communication to boost productivity.
🎬 Entertainment Suggestions: Personalized Movie and Book Recommendations
Here’s a unique use case: I keep a running list of movies I’ve watched and rated within ChatGPT. Whenever I want a recommendation, I ask AI to suggest movies I haven’t seen yet, tailored to my tastes. For example, based on liking “Looper” and “The Matrix,” AI recommended “Predestination” (2014) as a sci-fi film I would enjoy.
This system works for books, articles, and other media too, helping you discover content that matches your preferences without endless scrolling or guesswork.
🩺 Medical Diagnosis Breakdown: Understanding Your Health
AI is helpful for interpreting medical results before consulting a doctor. When my mother hurt her shoulder, I uploaded her diagnosis report and asked ChatGPT to explain it in simple terms. It translated complex medical jargon into understandable language, outlining what torn tendons, arthritis, and other findings meant.
While AI is not a replacement for professional medical advice, it can provide clarity and prepare you for conversations with healthcare providers.
🛒 Shopping Comparisons: Smart Buying Decisions
Before buying anything, I do thorough research with AI’s help. For example, I asked AI to compare the specs of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Pixel 9 Pro. It generated a detailed table highlighting key differences and linked to sources. I also received personalized recommendations based on my priorities like video recording or photography.
Similarly, I compared e-readers like Kindle Scribe and reMarkable Paper Pro, assessing writing experience, display quality, ecosystem, and battery life. AI’s ability to synthesize specs and user needs makes shopping decisions easier and more informed.
✈️ Trip Planning: Customized Itineraries Made Easy
Planning a trip can be overwhelming with many constraints—dates, budget, family needs, preferred activities. AI simplifies this by integrating all your preferences into a cohesive plan.
For example, I asked AI to suggest European destinations in July, then narrowed it down to Amsterdam. AI helped select luxury hotels, find first-class nonstop flights from San Francisco, and even provided pricing. You can have a back-and-forth conversation refining every detail.
With AI browser agents like ChatGPT Operator, you might even automate bookings, making travel planning seamless.
📝 Crafting Better Prompts: Let AI Help You Help It
Writing effective prompts can be challenging. Instead of laboring over detailed instructions, I ask AI to draft the perfect prompt for me. For example, I requested a prompt to create a calendar app with editable hourly blocks and persistent storage. AI generated a comprehensive prompt I could use directly in coding or other AI tools.
This approach works across text-to-image, text-to-video, and other AI modalities, saving time and improving results.
⏰ Reminders: Reliable Notifications with AI
My teammate Alex swears by AI for reminders. Unlike phone apps that sometimes fail to notify on time, he uses ChatGPT to remind him and his wife about important events like car payments. He programs recurring reminders with exact times and dates, and ChatGPT reliably sends them on schedule.
This simple use case highlights how AI can improve everyday productivity beyond complex tasks.
Conclusion
AI is a versatile, powerful tool that can enhance almost every aspect of your life. From coding and legal contract review to image editing, life advice, and trip planning, the possibilities are vast and growing. By embracing these use cases, you can save time, reduce stress, boost creativity, and make better decisions.
Special thanks to Vultr for enabling many of these AI applications with their cloud infrastructure. If you’re ready to dive into AI yourself, Vultr offers $300 in credits for your first 30 days with promo code BERMAN300. Visit getvultr.com/forwardfutureai to get started.
If you found this guide helpful, consider exploring AI tools and integrating them into your daily routine. AI isn’t just for experts anymore—it’s for everyone ready to unlock the future.
FAQ 🤖
Q: Do I need a paid ChatGPT account to use these AI features?
A: Some advanced features, like coding with GPT-4 or deep research, require a paid subscription. However, many use cases such as basic search, writing assistance, and image analysis can be done with free models or open source alternatives.
Q: Can AI replace professionals like lawyers or doctors?
A: AI is a helpful tool for initial understanding and advice but should never replace professional consultation. Always verify legal documents and medical diagnoses with qualified experts.
Q: How accurate is AI for translation and transcription?
A: AI translations and transcriptions are generally accurate and directionally correct but may not capture every nuance. For critical documents, professional human translation is recommended.
Q: Is AI safe to use for personal data and sensitive information?
A: Always be cautious when uploading sensitive data. Use trusted platforms and understand their privacy policies. For highly confidential information, consider on-premise or private AI models.
Q: How can I improve my AI prompt writing skills?
A: Start simple and use AI itself to help craft better prompts. Specify your goals clearly, provide context, and iterate based on AI responses. Many online resources and communities offer prompt engineering tips.
