Grateful 24 Feb: Gen AI

I was at the coffee shop this afternoon, drinking my kopi-o-kosong, when I decided to check what this new Fire Horse (丙午) year might mean for me. As a Fire Horse myself, it is considered my ben ming nian (本命年) and thus not the best year. But I also understand that the month, day and time of birth all play a part in shaping the overall outlook. So, naturally, I consulted ChatGPT. And as usual, I was impressed by what it gave me. That simple kopi moment became today’s gratitude reflection - not just for ChatGPT, but more generally for Gen AI. 

~< ••• >~

My use of Gen AI started with ChatGPT about two years ago. Since then, it has grown steadily and expanded to other apps such as DeepSeek, Gemini and Suno, to name a few. So here are my call-outs for today’s gratitude journal.

• ChatGPT. I use it daily - for monitoring my caloric and macronutrient intake, to support my blogging, amongst other things. When I first started, I used it to plan travel itineraries, improve my resume, develop career profiles, seek perspectives on financial planning, or simply to check my English when I blogged: sentence structure, grammar, coherence, flow. I would throw my entire draft in and ask it to “do the necessary”. It would return a nicely polished version - so polished that I had to rewrite major parts of it as it didn’t sound like me. I had since “trained” it, even as I have learned how to better use it. For example, in my last annual reflections, I asked ChatGPT to review a whole year’s worth of entries and suggest a theme and draft write-up. At other times, I would jot down rough bullet points and ask it to propose a structure. But I’m very clear: this is my blog, not ChatGPT’s. I will always review, refine and rewrite the writings to ensure it captures exactly what I want to say - and to say it in my voice. Sometimes the process is iterative - draft, refine, rethink, refine again - until I am certain the words are fully mine. My end-of-2025 entry, for example, took almost one and a half months to craft. The final version is totally different from what ChatGPT had proposed. Still, I am thankful - for the perspectives, the convenience and the support it brings to me these 2 years.

• DeepSeek. I started using it early last year, around the CNY period when it was first launched. Initially, it was simply an alternative to ChatGPT. Over time, however, I noticed its distinct analytical tone and subtle differences in perspectives. It may be too simplistic to say one feels “Chinese” and the other “Western”, but there are nuanced cultural differences in how they respond. These days, I log my daily food intake, blood pressure and resting heart rate into both DeepSeek and ChatGPT, using them to cross-check each others’ analysis and recommendations. Their responses are not identical - and that, in itself, is useful. In the end, I decide what works best for me. AI, to me, is a tool - helpful, but not authoritative. And I am thankful for the additional lens it provides.

• Other Gen AI apps. Beyond ChatGPT and DeepSeek, I also use others such as Gemini, Suno, Leo (previously Leonardo), Copilot, Taskade, Meta AI, as well as AI-enhanced platforms like Canva and Google. Each has its strengths. Gemini, with its Nano Banana, helps best enhancing old photos and creating images (like the one above); Leo allows me to create images and short videos; Suno lets me compose songs just for fun. They offer convenience at my fingertips - for creativity, productivity or simple curiosity. I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn and experiment with these apps in this season of my life.

My understanding of Gen AI is still basic. There is much more to explore and to learn. But I am clear that these tools are here to support me, not replace me - and I remain responsible for how I use them and what I publish. 

~< ••• >~

And as for what ChatGPT told me about this Fire Horse year - after considering my birth month, day and time - it will not be a bad one for me. It will, however, be an intense and defining one. I must not, however, mistake intensity for misfortune. I must see it as a year of consolidation. A year to stabilise my new identity - choose meaningful engagements and a slower, intentional life, without needing to prove anything to anyone. It will be a year where I get to consciously choose who I want to be next. That, to me, is power - not bad luck.