Superpower with AI: My Personal Journey
Ethan Mollick shared in the LinkedIn post: “Right now the advantages from AI accrue to workers, not firms.” This observation struck a chord with me, as I’ve experienced firsthand how AI has granted me what I can only describe as “superpowers.”
Becoming a Speed Reader
I can glance at a page in my native language and grasp the gist, but not in English, though I’ve lived in the U.S. for over thirty years, reading the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, magazines, and books daily. However, last year, when I started using OpenAI, something changed. As I followed ChatGPT’s streaming responses, I read faster and faster. One day, while reading a book, I suddenly noticed that I had become a speed reader, turning the pages and grasping the relevant points. What a delight! Now, I can speed up or slow down my reading depending on the situation — a newfound productivity and joy for which I’m incredibly grateful.
2. Coding Resurgence and Ideation Speedup
AI has become indispensable in my daily work as a professional software architect. I regularly use tools like ChatGPT, Cloud AI, and Gemini. These tools have different personalities and capabilities, but they all enhance my productivity. I no longer need to remember the syntax when I want to write code. I simply share my ideas with AI, which generates the code. If there’s a bug, I enjoy debugging, which re-awakes my muscle memory from years of intensive programming. AI has become my best programming partner, creating proofs of concept and validating my architectural ideas. This allows me to dedicate more time to product ideas, system architecture, and strategic planning.
At a previous job, my manager was kind enough to hire a smart developer to be my right-hand man so I could focus on “architecting.” Now, AI tools serve as my many hands, accelerating and improving my work. Here, I like to argue with Professor Mollick that professional gains do accrue to their firms.
3. Discovering the Joy of Writing
Interestingly, AI has also transformed my relationship with writing. Despite being eloquent, writing never came naturally to me. But with AI, I’ve discovered a newfound enjoyment in writing. This morning, I wanted to update my family on my business ventures and professional life. I opened ChatGPT, tapped voice input, and dictated a long message. ChatGPT transcribed it faithfully and fixed my repetitions and grammatical errors, and I only needed to make a few minor edits before sending the message to my family group. Amusingly, the message ended with “Charlie” — a sign-off I use for work messages but not for family messages. I hope my kids find it funny that “Dad” is now “Charlie.”
This is the first time ChatGPT has not lost my long dictation. I had to re-dictate in small dosages before. But this was such a flow experience that I kept talking. If anyone from OpenAI happens to read this, why don’t you always reliably record my voice messages, whether you can transcribe them immediately?
4. Satisfying My Child-like Curiosity
AI has reignited my child-like curiosity. Growing up in a poor rural village, I had more questions than anyone would or could answer. Once, I saw a tall column structure in a city that puzzled me for years. Last night, while walking, I saw a similar structure again. I snapped a picture and asked ChatGPT what it was. To my delight, it confirmed my long-held suspicion: it was a water tower. Today, whenever curiosity strikes, I ask ChatGPT. I understand that AI isn’t always 100% reliable, but I have other tools to verify important information. This combination of AI and other tools encourages and satisfies my curiosity like never before.
Conclusion
AI has provided me with tools and capabilities that feel like superpowers — speed reading, ready coding, enjoyable writing, and the ability to explore my endless curiosity. For these gifts, I’m truly grateful. I’d love to hear your own stories of how AI has impacted your life.
