AI has a Usability Problem

Welcome to another edition of the best damn newsletter in AI. Here we’ll break down AI topics that matter, open your mind to use cases, and keep you ahead of the curve.

Our #1 goal is to be useful. So please shoot us an email 📩 if you have questions or feedback, and especially if you implement something we share!

Here's what we're covering today:

• Why ChatGPT usage is declining (our take on the real problem)

• Using AI to look like a spreadsheet pro 🤌 

• But not everyone’s positive the ‘AI Hype’

Let’s get to it! 👇

TODAY'S PERSPECTIVE

ChatGPT adoption might be declining; let’s talk about the real problem

Multiple sources and reports are showing a decline in ChatGPT monthly active users (notably … still way way higher than other products in the space 👇️)

While 'school being out' and 'API usage not included' are two possible causes - we wanted to break down the bigger problem at play: AI usability.

If you're reading this and are using ChatGPT on a daily basis, congrats - you’re likely in the top couple of %.

For everyone else - AI still has a major usability problem. 

Most people have little idea of how to leverage tools like ChatGPT / LLMs / Generative AI. And everyone's waiting for someone to tell them some secret killer use case. (which btw is extremely extremely person- and work-dependent)

Take the fact that ChatGPT is being touted as a skill ...

When a product is labeled as a skill, it's meant to communicate that it's hard to use and requires training or practice to get its full value.

ChatGPT and 'AI adoption' more broadly absolutely fall in this bucket. It takes time, effort, and a significant ramp-up period to fully integrate AI into our daily work and life.

Now, here's what we see a lot of people thinking—effort versus reward, right? Should you invest the time and energy now to find breakthrough use cases with AI, or should you wait until it becomes more mainstream and user-friendly?

As the headlines tout a decline in ChatGPT usage; for those that are spending the time, learning the skill, and developing their own use cases - these headlines present a great opportunity.

USE CASE

Build spreadsheets that look like you know what you’re doing…

There are some of us on The AI Exchange team who are spreadsheet wizzes. And others that … well … let’s just say you can tell who made a spreadsheet.

But that’s quickly changing.

Google Duet AI adds ChatGPT-like instructions to many of their products... including Google Sheets 😉 

Take a look at it generating a well structured table simply from our prompt: “Customer testimonials with categories and usage consent”

One prompt and it quickly generated a spreadsheet with checkboxes, dropdowns and formatting that make us look very professional 🤌 

To get access, sign up for Google Duet in the Google Workspace Labs program. More info here.

LINKS

For your reading list 📚

Some cool AI summarizing use cases…

• Amazon adds AI-generated review summaries so you don’t have to read the comments

• AI summaries are being used to detect App Store Apps that may have sexual predators and child abuse, meet the App Danger Project

But not everyone is here for the AI hype…

• The New York Times opts out of AI using its content

• Gary Marcus’ post on ‘What if Generative AI turned out to be a dud?’

And if you’re really nerdy…

• The government keeps making strides. Next? The US Department of Defense has set up a generative AI task force

That's all!

We'll see you again on Thursday. Thoughts, feedback and questions are much appreciated - respond here or shoot us a note at [email protected].

Cheers,

🪄 The AI Exchange Team