Forget the usual "use AI to write emails" advice. Let's talk about more interesting ways AI is changing how we work and live. We explore the six applications that make you think "I didn't know that was possible."
1. Hunt down hidden savings you are missing
Here is something most people don't think about: AI can become your personal savings detective. But we are not just talking about finding discount codes at checkout.
Ask AI to analyse your recurring business expenses and identify where you might be overpaying. "I'm spending $X on cloud storage, $Y on software subscriptions and $Z on telecom services – what am I missing?"
AI can research current market rates, flag promotional offers you are not aware of, identify bundling opportunities and even spot subscriptions you have forgotten about. It is particularly powerful for IT services where pricing structures change frequently and loyalty often means you are paying more than new customers.
The unconventional part? Use AI to draft the negotiation email to your current vendors. Give it your usage data and competitive quotes and ask it to write a retention request that's professional but firm. You wouldd be surprised how often this works.
Try: Perplexity AI for current market research, Microsoft 365 Copilot for analysing internal expenses and drafting negotiation approaches.
2. Create your personal "second brain" analyst
Pull up your meeting notes, project documents and strategic plans from the past year. Ask AI to identify patterns you have missed: Which projects consistently run over budget? What types of decisions do you later regret? Where do you waste the most time?
It is like having a business analyst review your entire operation but the analyst is looking at your personal decision-making patterns. The insights can be uncomfortably accurate and incredibly valuable.
Try: Claude (excellent with document analysis) or Microsoft 365 Copilot for in-depth analysis of your internal organisation’s SharePoint environment.
3. Rehearse difficult conversations
Got a challenging client discussion coming up? A performance review that is going to be awkward? Ask AI to roleplay as the other person. Give it context about their personality, concerns and likely objections.
Practice your approach, test different angles and refine your responses. It is like having a sparring partner who can adopt any personality you need to prepare for. When the real conversation happens, you have already navigated the tricky parts.
Try: ChatGPT or Claude. Provide detailed context and ask them to "play the role of [person] and challenge my approach".
4. Create your personal "Pre-Mortem" analyst
Before launching a project or initiative, ask AI to conduct a pre-mortem: "Assume this project failed spectacularly. What are the 10 most likely reasons why?"
This flips traditional planning on its head. Instead of optimistically planning for success, you are forcing yourself to confront potential failure points before they happen. AI generates scenarios you might be too close to see or too optimistic to consider.
Try: ChatGPT or Claude – give full project context and ask for a "pre-mortem analysis"
5. Translate your expertise into different contexts
You're brilliant at what you do. But can you explain it to your teenage kid? Your non-technical board member? A potential client who knows nothing about your industry?
AI can take your expert-level explanation and translate it into any context or language level you need. This isn't just about dumbing things down, it is about finding the right analogies and framing that resonates with different audiences.
Try: Any major AI platform, ask it to "explain this concept as if I'm [specific audience]".
6. Turn your scattered thoughts into strategy
Ever have those bursts of inspiration during your commute, while picking up your morning coffee or right before sleep? Voice-record your rambling, half-formed ideas and feed them to AI. It will extract the coherent strategy buried in your stream of consciousness and structure it into an actionable plan.
This works brilliantly for processing those "random thoughts" that usually evaporate before you can capture them properly. Your brain does its best creative work when you are not trying and AI helps you capture and refine that output.
Try: ChatGPT Voice Mode or Claude – just talk through your ideas naturally, then ask it to "extract the key insights and create a structured plan".
The uncomfortable truth
The most powerful use of AI isn't saving time on routine tasks – it is using it to think differently. To challenge your assumptions. To see patterns you are too close to notice. To prepare for conversations you are dreading. To consider perspectives you naturally resist.
Start experimenting. The tools are straightforward: Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity AI can handle most of these applications. The trick isn't learning the technology, it is changing how you think about using it.