since I I saw the Disney Channel original movie smart home As a child, I was fascinated by futuristic visions of technology in our daily lives. While writing about AI tools and providing tips for using them at WIRED over the past two years, it became very clear to me that the software is nothing like what’s shown in these sci-fi movies or AI marketing materials. focused on advertising. companies would have you believe.
Even with this in mind, I still find the current crop of generative AI tools to be sometimes useful, sometimes entertaining, and almost always a little frustrating.
And that belief was my motivation to write a second season of our Unlocked AI information sheet. It’s been a passion project for me over the past few months to work on this: talking to experts in the field, trying out different tools, and soliciting reader responses to last year’s newsletter. The new season focuses on helping you experiment even more with AI tools, while still being realistic about their possibilities.
Honestly, I need to pause for a second and directly thank everyone who interacted with us about using AI. Between my inbox and reader responses to our survey, we heard from over 1,000 people and spent hours analyzing every question, tip, and comment. That data served as a cornerstone for the making of Season 2, and their input helped me better understand their varied perspectives as WIRED readers. Overwhelmingly, readers seem interested in how AI can help them with personal tasks, how they can develop more confidence in speed typing, and what new tools are worth experimenting with.
Since it’s season 2, we decided to bring double the action to Unlocked AI and expanded the newsletter to publish it in 10 daily installments, instead of just five. Each edition focuses on a different topic related to the use of AI tools. We’ll cover everything from how you can be more productive while using AI to the dangers of relying on AI for medical advice right now.
Some newsletters will include a “Quick Pro Tip” that will include an example to help you practice your skills. Others will explain the broader context that will help you get the most out of your interactions with AI tools. On top of that, you submitted so many interesting questions that I decided to add a “Mailbag” section at the end of the newsletter to share my thoughts and perspectives on important topics.