Artificial intelligence, or AI get chucked around a lot these days. You might be bored of hearing about it. Everyone talks about it, but can it make your life easier? Well in this article, we’ll break down 4 things you can start doing today that will save you time and headache.
The following table shows how many months it took various digital platforms to reach 100 million users. You’ll probably recognise all of these. For example, Uber – which took just 70 months, or 6 years – to get from 0 to 100 million users. Impressive, right? Well, not as impressive as TikTok, which took just 9 months.
However, this pales in comparison to Chat GPT, with a staggering 2 months to go from 0 to 100 million users.
So without further ado let’s get started.
One: Writing with AI
We’ve all spent too long proofreading an important email. The higher the stakes, the more edits we make. But AI can make this easier. Once you’ve drafted your email, copy and paste it into an AI chatbot. Then, before the text, type something like: “Without changing the tone or style, please correct any spelling or grammar errors” Give it a quick read, and if you’re happy, it’s ready to send.
You can also ask it to tweak the tone or structure but be careful – it might end up sounding nothing like you, which can come across inauthentic.
Two: Reading
Whether it’s a contract or a long email chain, AI can summarise, analyse, and make recommendations based on the information you provide it. You can upload PDFs and ask specific questions like, “Can you explain the termination clause?” or “What’s the payment timeline?”
Just be cautious – AI may guess when it’s unsure, due to language models being a form of predictive text. A good trick is to ask it to reference the original document (for example, contract clauses), so you can easily double-check the source.
This also works well for summarising long email chains you’ve been copied into last minute. Just paste the chain into the chatbot and ask for a summary. You can even say, “Summarise this email and list out potential actions for me.”
Three: Learning with AI
If you need to look up a word, a quick Google search gives you a definition in seconds. But when it comes to understanding a concept or complex process, that’s where AI chat bot’s really shine.
Take CVRs, for example. You could start with, “What is a CVR in construction?”. You could then ask for examples of cost and value or even ask it to run a hypothetical CVR for a road resurfacing project, outlining each step in detail.
A good tip when using AI to learn something new is to ask it to include references. You can then click on the links and validate the answers.
Four: Doing
We’ve kept this one vague because the possibilities are endless. Whether you’ve got IT issues, need help with an Excel formula, or want to write some code, AI can guide you step-by-step – or, in the case of coding or Excel formulas, even do it for you.
Sometimes it might suggest you click a button you can’t find or provide a formula that doesn’t work. Don’t be disheartened – just reply with the issue and it’ll try to work around it. Think of it like having a conversation with someone.
Introducing Metroun Learning
Metroun Learning is an online education platform, specific to Quantity Surveyors which can satisfy all your formal CPD needs. We offer over 50 hours of formal CPD, with new courses added each month. Although all courses amass to 50 hours of formal CPD, each individual course has been engineered so it can be completed during your lunch break. This can save you time, money & reduce your carbon footprint. Metroun Learning will not only satisfy your formal CPD needs, but you’ll also gain access to:
- The QS Dictionary
- Industry-Ready Templates
- Metroun AI
- And a variety of construction conversion calculators
To join Metroun Learning, simply click here
