Amanda Smith is a freelance journalist and writer. She reports on culture, society, human interest and technology. Her stories hold a mirror to society, reflecting both its malaise and its beauty. Amanda's work has been published in National Geographic, The Guardian, Business Insider, Vice, News Corp, Singapore Airlines, Travel + Leisure, and Food & Wine. Amanda is an Australian living in the cultural center of gravity that is New York City.
Multiple questions pop into my mind every single day. Ranging from simple curiosities to existential explorations, Google doesn't always have the answers I'm looking for. These days, I have to sift through SEO rankings, ads and common search terms to pick the most appropriate reference on the search engine.
Search results also change with your region, and Google often can't answer my specific questions. It presents a lot of information and leaves it up to me to contextualize it all.
Enter artificial intelligence -- the new version of "just Google it." AI chatbots are built for question and answer conversations.
Microsoft's Copilot has access to the internet, so I use it to chat and go through the links it provides whenever I ask it anything. Copilot came out in February 2023 and, like ChatGPT, has been through recent GPT-4o updates.
GPT-4 Turbo, the OpenAI model that powers Copilot, is available with the free version. Copilot Pro costs $20 per month, but it's not necessary for lightweight daily searching -- you can probably just use the free version to get the answers you need.
Here's how to use AI to find the answers to your questions.
Think of the range of questions and ideas that pop into your mind every day. Questions about weather, geography, historical events, people, movies, health, food and life. Just look at your Google search history if you want to see the possibilities of what you can ask AI. Then use these tips below to get the best answers possible.
As with all AI tools, the answers are only as clear as the questions you put in. You also need to be aware of errors and a bias to believe what AI produces. It's good practice to always check the sources, especially if you're using the information to make decisions.
Use your first prompt as a jumping-off point, and ask it a concise question to see what it comes back with. That'll help you with what to refine in your next prompt.
Some answers will be simple and straightforward, while others will require more prodding and context.
As you're chatting with the AI tool, you'll get a feel for how far to push it. If its answers are a little too vague or far-reaching, you can use your follow-up prompts to hone in on what you really want to know by adding as much context as you can.
Converse with your chosen AI tool in the same way you would talk to a person, or the way you'd message a friend. You don't need to use formal language (or even be polite, unless you can't help adding "please" and "thank you" like me).
If your question gets too convoluted, AI chatbots can get confused about what part to answer first, or which part of the prompt goes with which. Keep it straightforward, and if you've got multiple parts to your query, then frame it like "first X, then Y." Or just ask it one question at a time, and continue responding with more parts to your question until you've got the entire answer.
You can read more about the art of writing AI prompts for chatbots and image generators on CNET's AI tips page.
Here are some common pitfalls when using a chatbot:
Unless you get specific with your question, a chatbot could spit any info back at you -- including wrong answers. If the answer sounds a little funky, re-read what you asked in the first place and go back to refining your prompt.
AI tools have the bad habit of hallucinating (i.e., making up the answer based on scraping some weird part of the web) or drawing information from not-so-credible sources. If you're taking AI at its word and making an important decision based on the info it gives you, make sure to double check that information.
Never give an AI tool any information that's personally identifiable or private -- no banking information, no family details, no private health data and definitely no credit card or social security numbers. Data breaches are on the rise, so be very wary about sharing anything personal online.
Using all of the above tips, this is how one of my Q&A sessions with Copilot went.
I started off with a vague concept in my head, but knew I had to refine it. For example, asking what movies Leonardo DiCaprio is in is different than asking what movies are similar to one you liked that Leo starred in.
Copilot then gave me DiCaprio's most notable films, but I wanted the full list of movies. I also asked for it without graphics, to keep the conversation clean.
It gave me the rest of the (post-2000) list, too, and I liked how it bolded the movies with critical acclaim.
From there, I could take the conversation in any direction. I could ask if any of my favorites in the list share the same director, request links for reviews and analysis, ask which movie finally earned him an Oscar and see what other movies are similar to the ones I love.
Copilot also auto-generates follow-up prompt ideas, in case you're in the mood to go down a rabbit hole. Like "Tell me more about Killers of the Flower Moon," "What awards has Leonardo DiCaprio won?" and "Do you have any fun facts about Leonardo DiCaprio?"
The Wolf of Wall Street is a stand-out, so let's use that example to learn more about similar, non-DiCaprio movies. It gave me a pretty good list, but it did suggest a movie with DiCaprio in it even though I specified not to. Dallas Buyers Club, The Big Short and The Social Network were good suggestions with high-stake plots and complex characters.
Copilot is handy because it also adds clickable links in the answers -- so you can click to verify yourself that AI hasn't hallucinated.
You can keep going with these Q&As. I asked Copilot which directors are inspired by Scorsese and it generated a list with two names I recognized: Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. Looking into their bodies of work could be a follow-up prompt.
We all turn to "Dr. Google" for health questions. It's not to be relied on, as it often goes straight to anxiety-inducing, worst-case scenarios. While AI is trained on current information across the internet, it might help you narrow in on potential answers to more general health, less individualized questions with a clear prompt, pre-doctor visit.
For example, if you're having digestive issues, you might ask Copilot about foods to avoid. You could also use it proactively, like for calculating your ideal daily calorie intake.
You could even ask it to provide the latest research or best-ranking articles on a certain health topic or for answers to quick questions, like when women should start getting yearly mammograms, and why you may feel more nauseous around your period.
But always double-check AI's advice with your doctor. AI's answers should not be taken as fact or in place of professional medical advice.
AI tools are a quick way to get information to help answer your questions. Just like you don't get your answers from the first Google search, the same goes for AI. It's an iterative process, with each prompt getting you closer to clarity. But again, for the final answer, your doctor is the one to consult -- especially as health advice and diagnoses are completely personal and depend on the individual.
