The A.I. Future is here !

At the beginning of 2024, I had predicted in my Projects and Ideas that I would and did want to use A.I. technologies more in my life.
This prediction has more than come true. Not only do I use A.I. more:
A.I. tools have now become an integral, almost indispensable part of my everyday life!
I consciously rely on a wide range of tools and technologies. Whether for creative processes, analytical tasks or everyday assistance – it always comes down to selecting the right tool for the respective task.
A particular highlight for me is the integration of A.I. into various areas of work and life. From automated data analysis to creative text and image generation, these technologies have practically taken my efficiency and abilities to a new level.
For me, 2024 will be remembered not only as the year of A.I., but also as the year in which A.I. went from being a tool to becoming a true partner in my personal and professional life.

Language models (LLM)

Language models like ChatGPT are an enormous assistance for me when it comes to putting my often chaotic thoughts and ideas on (digital) paper in a clearer and more understandable form. They support me in a variety of ways:

• Inspiration and idea generation: When it comes to topic-related suggestions for texts, creative advertising slogans, social media posts or convincing e-mails – A.I. often provides helpful approaches.
• Text revision and elaboration: From fine-tuning existing articles to creating flowing texts from simple bullet point lists. Exactly what I need for all my chaotic thoughts.
• Research assistance: When I need an overview of basic information on a specific topic, A.I. provides precise and structured answers. Often better than Google or Bing.
• Optimization of keywords and hashtags: For social media posts on platforms like X, A.I. can suggest relevant keywords and hashtags to maximize the visibility and reach of my posts. Almost like a personal SEO agency.
• Programming: AIs are a great support for simple algorithms, especially when I’m not yet completely familiar with the language, such as C or JavaScript.
• And there are many other possible applications: from creative projects to technical challenges – the possibilities are almost endless.

Thanks to this support, my productivity, especially with regard to my blog articles, has almost doubled. For me, language models are much more than just tools – they are reliable partners in my daily creative and professional life.

Translation Systems

Thanks to translation systems like DeepL, I can now easily write my blog in two languages (German and English). These tools not only help me translate texts, but also with learning vocabulary. This enables me to become more familiar with the Dutch language faster and more efficiently and to continuously expand my language skills.
In addition, I use the editor function of DeepL Write to give my texts a professional, serious and business-like form. It not only shows me grammatical and stylistic improvements, but also suggests alternative formulations. This helps me to ensure that my content is not only linguistically correct, but also clearly and attractively formulated.
I appreciate that these tools save me time and allow me to focus on the quality of my content. They are not only translation tools, but also valuable aids for creative writing and language development.

Generative A.I.

Generative A.I. – Since I have always been interested in image editing and design, it was clear that this would become the biggest, most elaborate and most important aspect of A.I. for me. The possibilities and applications are almost endless: from basics (“stock images”) for posters, flyers, banners and logos to complex illustrations and photorealistic representations.
However, I would like to make one thing clear (for what feels like the 2^100th time!):
high-quality images that exactly match your own ideas are not created at the push of a button. The road to getting there is paved with extensive trial and error sessions, countless adjustments and constant refinement.
It starts with the search for the perfect prompt – a task that can often be frustrating and time-consuming. Added to this are the sometimes opaque censorship rules and technical limits, such as the maximum number of 100 generated images per day. After hundreds of iterations, you might finally get THE one image that at least comes close to your expectations.
But the process doesn’t end there. It is often followed by intensive post-processing in Photoshop to refine details, adjust colors or remove distracting elements. All this effort may seem excessive, but the results speak for themselves – they are definitely worth it.
So if you think you can just quickly (one-click) generate perfect images that look exactly like the images in your head, you’ll be disappointed.
There are only two ways: either quickly and with little effort, in which case you get generic, general stock photos with no specific reference to the topic. Or with a lot of time and effort, in which case you get well-thought-out images that precisely match the topic, mood and situation.
Incidentally, there were also projects that I was unable to solve satisfactorily using generative A.I. One example is the neon sign logo of a movie theater in a 1930s Art Deco style. In the end, this called for classic handwork in Photoshop – from the proverbial blank page.
Conclusion: generative A.I. is a powerful tool, but it remains just that – a tool. It takes know-how, patience and often a good deal of rework to achieve truly impressive results.

Linking A.I.s

The efficient use of A.I. tools for creative projects.
The true potential of artificial intelligence unfolds when you combine the strengths and capabilities of different A.I. tools to implement a joint project. An excellent example of this is the workflow I developed to create high-quality sales flyers for my wife’s Etsy shops [LINK] [LINK].

My A.I.-based workflow for sales flyers:

• GROK – Photorealistic Image Generation
  GROK proved particularly adept at generating photos, often more realistic than DALL-E.
• Topaz GigaPixel AI – Resolution Optimization
  I used Topaz GigaPixel AI to upscale the generated images to ensure that they would appear crisp even at high print resolutions.
• Photoshop Firefly – image area expansion and aspect ratio adjustment
  Firefly allowed me to expand the images from a 3:4 format to a 16:9 format and seamlessly add motifs.
• Luminar Neo – image editing and creative effects
  With Luminar Neo, I optimized the exposure, colors, and added effects such as fog or bokeh to enhance the visual impact.
• ChatGPT – creative advertising slogans and texts
  ChatGPT provided me with creative ideas for suitable advertising slogans and product descriptions.
• DeepL Write – text revision and fine-tuning
  DeepL Write helped me to further refine the language of these texts and make them more appealing.
• DeepL – translation for international target groups
  The finished texts were accurately translated into English using DeepL.

Thanks to this structured workflow, I was able to create two unique flyers a day during the Black Friday weeks. Although the initial effort to perfect the prompts and the basic layout was high, once this basis was in place, the time required per flyer was reduced to less than 20 minutes.
This approach shows how the combination of specialized A.I. tools can not only make creative processes more efficient, but also improve their quality.

2025 and beyond

In 2025, I will of course continue to use A.I. tools intensively and expand them even further. The possibilities offered by A.I. are simply too exciting not to take full advantage of.
One thing I definitely plan to do is to develop a short story together with A.I.. I am particularly excited by the creative collaboration between humans and machines to create unique stories that I would not be able to create on my own.
Furthermore, I am curious to see what new applications and possibilities I will discover in the course of the year. Whether it’s productive assistance, creative impulses or even completely new ways of thinking and looking at things – the potential is huge.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether regulatory restrictions on the part of the EU or unexpected changes in future versions of A.I. systems, as happened with GROK, will get in my way. But until then, the motto is: experiment, learn and create – with A.I. tools as an integral, indispensable part of my everyday life.

Additional note

This post also started out as a chaotic rough list of ideas and thoughts about what should be included in this article. And it is only thanks to the support of ChatGPT and DeepL that it has become this (hopefully) readable and appealing blog article…

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Keywords: Artificial Intelligence 2024, AI integration in daily life, Language models (LLM), Generative AI tools, AI in creative processes, AI for data analysis, AI-assisted programming, Future of AI technology, AI advancements 2024, AI as a personal assistant
Hashtags: #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #LanguageModels #ChatGPT #GenerativeAI #TechInnovation #FutureOfWork #AIIntegration #DigitalTransformation #AIInEverydayLife #AICompanion #AI2024 #AIRevolution #AITrends #nerd #geek #geeklife