Are You Actively Utilizing AI Tools?

Hello, Windows Central readers! How’s everything going with you today?

If you’ve been hanging out on our site lately, you might have spotted our new and improved comment system. We’ll be officially announcing it soon, but until then, I thought it’d be fun to run a little experiment together—if you’re up for it.

Now, whether you’re on your phone or computer, you should see a “Sign In” option at the top. This allows you to dive into our fresh comment system, complete with notifications for replies, and insights into trending conversations. Our old system, which funneled everything through the forum, had its fair share of headaches. This upgrade is slicker, more intuitive, and even eases up on those pesky 2FA prompts, so you can stay connected longer.

With this in mind, I’d love to kick off regular discussion topics in the comments. We could draw inspiration from what you’re chatting about on social media and other platforms. Over time, these conversations could expand to include polls, giveaways, and maybe even your suggestions. For now, let’s keep things straightforward.

To get the ball rolling, here’s a question for you…

There’s a lot of chatter about AI these days, but is all the hype really justified?

Yes, I’m technically on vacation this week, but that hasn’t stopped me from keeping up with online debates and the latest scoops on Windows 11 and Xbox.

Just recently, Microsoft introduced Muse AI, marking Xbox’s first big step into AI for gamers. They say it focuses on idea generation and demonstrated how it could use machine learning to bring the mothballed game “Bleeding Edge” to life, creating a real-time gameplay experience based on its trained understanding. The demo was pretty eye-catching, reminiscent of those old AI videos with Will Smith that used to go viral. Though the tech’s future looks promising, the real buzz seemed to be all about how people were reacting to it.

People across the gaming media and content creation spheres haven’t been too kind to Muse AI. Developers voiced concerns over “AI junk” and the potential threat to jobs in creative industries. Microsoft, on the other hand, insists these tools are meant to complement and enhance human creativity—not replace it. But let’s be honest, big companies often say a lot of things.

Personally, I began reflecting on my own AI usage at work. Mainly, I don’t rely on AI to write content because the technology isn’t reliable enough yet. Having to repeatedly fact-check what AI tools like Copilot churn out doesn’t boost my efficiency. Sure, AI is handy for deciphering intricate scientific ideas backed by data, but when it comes to subjective or niche subjects, tools like ChatGPT often fall short, at least from my experience.

I have toyed with AI for creating header images on the site, especially when the article itself is about AI, making it fitting. Additionally, I enjoy using Photoshop’s Generative Expand for adjusting aspect ratios on product shots. And, I’ll admit, I’ve used Samsung’s photo app AI to erase unwanted photobombers from my vacation pics.

Despite this, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not fully tapping into the potential of these tools, considering the massive investments companies like OpenAI receive.

So, how about you? Are you embracing AI in any way? If not, what’s holding you back? Share your thoughts—are we just floating in a sea of hype, or is AI on the verge of transforming our world entirely? Dive into the comments and let us know what you think.