Beyond Chatting, What Are Practical Ways To Put AI To Work?
Think of AI less like a chatbot and more like a personal assistant—an extra set of hands—for everyday work. For any ongoing effort, like a home renovation, marketing campaign or nonprofit initiative, create one dedicated “project” and upload the budget, decisions, examples and deadlines. Every conversation inside that project then begins with the context already in place.
It can also simplify comparisons. Upload contractor bids, insurance options, contracts, school materials, spreadsheets, customer reviews or other lengthy documents, then ask AI to line up costs, what’s included, what’s excluded, deadlines and open questions. You’ll get a checklist of differences to verify.
For customer feedback, upload reviews, survey comments or interview notes after removing personal details. Ask AI to group frustrations by stage—buying, delivery or service—and keep unusual complaints visible since outliers often reveal problems that averages hide. With a spreadsheet, explain which totals should match and ask AI to flag missing values, numbers buried in formulas and broken calculations. Request expected, best- and worst-case scenarios—but always verify figures before acting.
Wondering how you stack up against the competition? Use Deep Research tools with your website, competitors’ links and factors customers value most: price, convenience, guarantees or reviews. Ask for a table with a source for every fact, so you can see where you stand and what needs further checking.
For recurring work—monthly reports, proposal reviews, event plans—turn your process into a reusable “skill.” Give it steps, an example, format and common mistakes once, and the next time, AI will follow the same playbook. It can also track grant deadlines, local agendas and changing regulations that affect your business and competitor pricing. Define what to watch for and request an alert only when something changes.
Interested in learning more about how AI can help with something you’re working on? Email mjohnson@cofcu.org.
Melissa Johnson works at the intersection of data, AI, business strategy and execution with a focus on translating emerging capabilities into practical choices. Her perspective—shaped by business and consumer retail, housing finance and credit union banking—centers on modernizing fragmented environments, strengthening decisions and advancing responsible approaches to innovation.
Credentials
– Certified Analytics Professional Expert (CAP-X), Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
– Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), DAMA International
– Master of Science in Business Analytics, William & Mary
Specialties
– Data and AI strategy, data and analytics modernization, intelligent automation, and practical, responsible AI adoption across complex organizations.