#SoITriedIt: I Let AI Decide What To Do for a Day

AI is more than just a buzzword nowadays; it’s already starting to show up in our productivity routines, smartphones, and even smart devices. It’s said that AI can predict our patterns and behavior—but is it smart enough to tell us what to do, and how we can live our lives?

Because I’m the perennially curious sort, I set out to try it.

Going Gemini

For my experiment, I used Gemini, Google’s AI chatbot. When we started writing about AI on Next Upgrade, Gemini (the bot formerly known as Bard) wasn’t available in the Philippines yet.

Full disclosure: I have used a similar tool, ChatGPT, in the past for specific projects. I wanted to see how it fared in content generation and brainstorming. While AI has helped in my line of work, I still make sure to produce the output needed from my own research and, well, brain.

Anyway, I had a free day coming up, so I wanted to see what Gemini suggested I do while at home. My prompt was: “Hey, Gemini. It’s my day off. What fun activities can I do with the Internet at home?”

Screenshot from Gemini/Courtesy Karess Rubrico

Other than creative pursuits, Gemini also suggested that I learn something new, relax, or binge-watch something.

The third option appealed to me because I was especially feeling lazy that day—and I quite liked what HBO Go had to offer. So, I decided to ask Gemini what it had in mind:

Screenshot from Gemini/Courtesy Karess Rubrico

I particularly like that Gemini also recommended movies—and Dune was definitely something to consider, given that Dune 2 was still in cinemas as of this writing.

Of course, Gemini also recommended HBO’s more popular Originals, such as Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and Succession. But I wasn’t really in the mood for something long and epic—I needed a laugh. So Barry it was.After a few episodes, I was ready to do something else. And so another prompt: “What else can I do on my day off after binge-watching some shows?”

Screenshot from Gemini/Courtesy Karess Rubrico

I liked the emphasis on “screen time balance.”—Gemini suggested that I try getting active, playing some games, or inviting friends over for dinner. But I wanted to recharge my social and physical battery, so I opted to take a short nap instead.

When I woke up, I was feeling a bit hungry, so I asked Gemini for dinner suggestions to stay true to the experiment.

Screenshot from Gemini/Courtesy Karess Rubrico

Here’s what I found interesting—I was not in Cagayan Valley but was in a different province in Central Luzon. So I’m not entirely sure how and why Gemini “thought” I was there. I did like that it made location-based recommendations, with local food items to boot. I think the geotagging would generate more accurate results if, say, I were in Metro Manila. Either way, I ended up looking for a recipe (as Gemini suggested) so I could try something new.

Lastly, because I was single and bored (not always a good combination, right?), I threw out a wild card:

Screenshot from Gemini/Courtesy Karess Rubrico

This made me laugh out loud. While Gemini suggested I go to the beach or on hiking trips, it didn’t exactly give me concrete answers on how I could snag a date in my home province. And while its first answer wasn’t something I expected at all—it was definitely aligned with my sense of humor, so props for that!

Should you let AI decide your life for you?

AI has its merits and pitfalls—which is to be expected, considering that the technology is still evolving. The good thing about these tools is that they aid in making things more efficient—or, in this case, when you’re looking for different options that can help in daily decision-making.

AI, in my view, should remain that way: a tool. At the end of the day, it’s still up to us how to leverage it and use it accordingly to our needs.

EDITOR'S NOTE

This article is part of our social experiment on nextupgrade.ph called "So I Tried It" (stylized via hashtag #SoITriedIt).

#SoITriedIt is a special series featuring the personal experiences of the Next Upgrade Editorial Team as we embrace the smart home lifestyle ourselves. As we take that first step to do things better and smarter, we hope we will inspire all of you to jumpstart your smart home journey.