Personal AI: How OpenAI Employees Turn to ChatGPT for Small, Daily Decisions

At OpenAI, the people building ChatGPT are also finding unexpected ways to use it in their own lives. From organizing morning routines to preparing for conversations, the chatbot has gradually become a daily utility, even outside the lab.

Turning Commutes into Planning Sessions

For Nick Turley, who leads product development for ChatGPT, the voice feature has become something of a routine. Most mornings, he talks out loud to ChatGPT while commuting. He doesn’t use it to look things up, but to sort through his own thoughts. By the time he gets to work, he often has a clearer idea of what needs attention.

The voice interface still has some rough edges, but for Turley, it serves a different purpose. Speaking ideas aloud helps sharpen them. It’s not about answers, but about reflection.

Using AI to Navigate Meetings

Mark Chen, OpenAI’s chief research officer, turns to ChatGPT in the moments before meeting someone new. He feeds the model a few details about the other person and asks it to find common ground. It doesn’t just summarize bios, it suggests talking points. For Chen, that extra context often leads to a better first conversation.

It’s not about replacing preparation, but shaping it. In his view, it works best when users already know what they want out of an exchange.

Getting Menu Help, No Typing Required

Andrew Mayne, who formerly worked on science communication at OpenAI, uses the tool when he’s out for a meal. Instead of scrolling through options, he takes a photo of the menu and asks ChatGPT to recommend something that fits his diet. For quick decisions, the image input saves time and avoids guesswork.

• Also read: Inside ChatGPT: 11 Lesser-Known Facts That Shape the World’s Most Talked-About AI Chatbot

It’s a glimpse into how visual tools are moving beyond novelty. The model isn’t just parsing text, it’s helping people make simple, fast choices in everyday situations.

Quietly Useful, Not Flashy

CEO Sam Altman has described his own ChatGPT usage as routine. He’s mentioned using it to manage inbox overload, scan documents, and, more recently, to look up parenting advice. During an earlier podcast appearance, he said he often relies on it when trying to understand the stages of child development.

He admitted that parents have been raising children without AI forever, but added that having a second opinion, even a virtual one, helps him feel more prepared.

The latest podcast didn’t just cover tips. It revealed how the team’s relationship with the tool has evolved. Turley noted that more users, especially younger ones, are treating ChatGPT like a sounding board. People ask it questions they might hesitate to bring up elsewhere, career doubts, relationship concerns, daily decisions.

Chen said the memory feature plays a key role in how users are starting to rely on the tool. As it learns more over time, the model becomes easier to trust. Many people now expect it to remember patterns in how they work, what they prefer, or the tasks they return to. For Chen, that ongoing familiarity is what gives the tool its practical value and sense of reliability.

Notes: Image: DIW-Aigen. This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Court Slams Google Over Hidden Android Tracking, Orders $314.6 Million Payout

A California jury has ordered Google to pay $314.6 million after finding that it collected user data from Android phones without proper consent.

The case, filed back in 2019, argued that Google tracked user data even when phones weren’t in use. The data transfers happened in the background, over mobile networks, with no clear way for users to opt out. Plaintiffs claimed the process wasn’t optional, and that it quietly ate into users’ mobile data plans.

That background activity, they said, supported Google’s targeted advertising efforts. The court agreed that users had little control and weren’t given meaningful choices.

• Also read: Google’s Data Center Power Use Doubles in Four Years, Reaching 30.8 Million Megawatt-Hours in 2024

Google pushed back on the claims, saying the data was necessary for Android’s core functions, including performance and security updates. The company also pointed out that Android users agreed to the terms during device setup and said no harm was caused.

The verdict adds to Google’s growing list of legal challenges, including recent antitrust rulings. Google intends to appeal the verdict.

Notes: Image: DIW-Aigen. Post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

AI Now Helping Employees Decode Bosses, Set Goals, and Stay Sane, New Survey Reveals Shifting Work Rituals

Far from just a time-saver, AI is slipping into the background of daily work life, advising, organizing, and even calming nerves before tough conversations.

A surprising number of full-time employees are now relying on it for tasks that have little to do with writing emails or analyzing data. In some cases, it's playing the role of coach, therapist, or even sounding board.

A recent survey of U.S. workers found that about a third had used AI in the past month for work-related purposes. That group leaned most heavily on tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. But what’s interesting isn’t just which tools they used, it’s how.

Plenty of people still use AI to get through their to-do list. Writing emails was one of the most common uses, along with coming up with ideas and generating content. People also relied on it to break down long documents or articles, pull together reports, and draft presentations. Resumes and cover letters made the list, too.

How Workers Are Using AI (Task)	Percentage
Writing emails	60%
Writing content	58%
Brainstorming ideas	58%
Summarizing articles/documents	54%
Analyzing data or creating reports	50%
Preparing meeting agendas or presentations	40%
Drafting or editing resumes and cover letters	38%

But that's only part of the picture.

Some workers now treat AI as a quiet partner for personal growth. About half said they used it to set goals or think through a tough problem. Others plugged it into financial planning or asked it to reflect on their performance. A good portion used it to interpret a manager's vague comment or process tension with a colleague. A few even turned to AI just to blow off steam, without fear of judgment.

Less Traditional Ways Workers Are Using AI	Percentage
Goal setting	49%
Talk through a problem	46%
Financial planning	40%
Evaluate job performance	33%
Better understand colleagues	30%
Mental health support	28%
Career coaching	24%
Vent frustrations	20%

In many cases, these tools are helping people gear up for awkward or high-stakes conversations. Roughly 44% used AI to get ready for a performance review. Some ran scenarios through it before having difficult talks with coworkers. Others leaned on it to script out what to say when asking for a raise or promotion. The numbers weren’t minor, more than one in five said AI helped them prepare to ask for better pay.

Conversations Workers Have Used AI To Prepare For	Percentage
A performance review	44%
A difficult conversation with a manager/colleague	39%
Asking for promotion	27%
Asking for a raise	22%

What’s notable is how personal that usage has become. It’s no longer just about editing or organizing, it’s about preparing, feeling steadier, getting in the right headspace. And for many, it seems to be working.

Nearly three in four said using AI gave their productivity a boost. A majority felt mentally better during the day when they used it. Some found it sharpened their confidence. Others used it to figure out where they needed to grow, or to map out their next steps. Around 27% said it even helped them move up in their jobs, whether through a raise, a promotion, or both.

The survey didn’t just surface stats. It showed something deeper. AI, for a portion of the workforce, has become more than just a convenience. It’s a kind of daily companion, useful when drafting a spreadsheet, but just as helpful when thinking through the politics of a tough conversation.

Only a third of people in the survey said they’d used AI recently, but the way they’re folding it into their routines tells a deeper story. Without much noise or attention, these tools are slipping into everyday habit, shaping how people organize their thoughts, make decisions, and approach their work.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Cloudflare Unveils New Way for Websites to Control and Earn from AI Crawlers

Cloudflare is giving websites a new tool to take back some control as artificial intelligence companies continue to gather info and scrape huge amounts of online content. The new system helps site owners decide if AI bots can access their material, and if so, at what price. For many publishers, this could offer a chance to turn the crawling of their work into something that pays.

Websites Are Now Setting the Rules

The rise of AI-driven crawlers has caused frustration among content creators. While these bots collect material to build large language models and other AI products, they often do it without returning traffic to the original pages. This has slowly chipped away at the visitor numbers that many websites once relied on to earn advertising revenue.

Cloudflare’s latest feature gives site owners a way to manage this. They can now decide whether to block AI crawlers completely or charge them through a system that prices each visit. This approach allows publishers to step into a position where they can control how their content is used instead of simply watching it get scraped.

This system is currently available as part of Cloudflare’s Pay Per Crawl beta program. Website owners who are interested can apply for early access here.

Publishers and Platforms Are Getting Involved

Several large publishers and social platforms have come forward to support this move. Companies behind well-known outlets and websites are paying close attention to how AI is reshaping the internet. Many of them are now pushing for ways to protect their work while finding paths to new revenue.

The internet has gone through a fast shift in how traffic moves. For years, search engines gathered content and sent users to the websites where the information came from. That model worked well for content creators. It helped build audiences and supported advertising businesses. But the flow of visitors is no longer the same.

Recent patterns show that Google’s web crawlers are still active, but the company now sends back far fewer visitors than it did just months ago. Data from Cloudflare suggests the gap between crawling and referrals has widened sharply. It used to be around six crawls for every visitor sent back to a site, but now, that gap has grown to about eighteen crawls per visitor. Some of this change seems tied to Google’s newer search features that provide answers right on the results page, which means fewer people click through to the original source.

Other AI companies pull content at even higher rates without sending traffic back. OpenAI, for example, has a much wider gap between what it takes and what it gives in return.

AI Crawlers Are Challenging Old Web Habits

For a long time, the web worked on a simple pattern. Search engines crawled the web, indexed the information, and passed visitors back to the sites they found. That cycle supported the people and companies who created content.

Now, with AI bots collecting material to train chatbots and language models, much of that balance has shifted. These AI systems often provide information directly to users without pointing them to the original websites. As a result, many publishers feel cut out of the process.

Some AI companies have also found ways to bypass technical tools that are meant to block content scraping. They argue that gathering public information in this way does not break any laws. On the other side, many publishers believe their rights are being ignored.

The clash is already playing out in courts. Some companies have filed lawsuits against AI firms, accusing them of using their work without permission. At the same time, other publishers are making deals to license their content to AI companies under agreed terms.

Legal Fights and Deals Are Now Reshaping the Space

The fight over how AI companies use online content is unfolding on several fronts. Reddit, for example, recently launched legal action against an AI company it claims scraped user posts without approval. Yet, Reddit has also struck a content-sharing deal with Google, showing that some companies are choosing both paths: to sue where needed and to partner where possible.

Cloudflare’s new tool arrives as publishers are urgently looking for ways to set boundaries and, if possible, to earn fair payment when AI firms rely on their work. The growing tension around AI crawlers is pushing the internet toward new rules, and this tool may be part of that shift.

Note: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Google’s Data Center Power Use Doubles in Four Years, Reaching 30.8 Million Megawatt-Hours in 2024

Over just four years, Google’s electricity use for its data centers has more than doubled. The company’s latest environmental report shows that by 2024, these centers consumed nearly 31 million (or 30.8 million to be exact) megawatt-hours of electricity. Back in 2020, their consumption was less than half that. This steep rise reflects the company’s fast-growing need for computing power as its digital services continue to expand.

Most of Google’s Energy Is Now Spent on Data Centers

Google’s growing electricity demand is almost entirely tied to its data centers. In 2024, these centers accounted for over 95% of the company’s total energy use. Although Google only began releasing detailed data center energy figures in 2020, looking at the energy share across the years suggests that in 2014, its centers probably used just over 4 million megawatt-hours. That’s a sevenfold increase in just a decade.

Efficiency Gains Are Slowing Down

Google has made plenty of progress improving the energy efficiency of its data centers. In the past, those upgrades helped the company cut waste. But recently, improvements have become harder to achieve. The power usage effectiveness measure, which tracks how efficiently electricity is used, barely improved last year. Google is now approaching the limits of what its existing systems can save.

Building New Energy Sources

To keep up with rising energy needs while sticking to its promise of using clean electricity, Google is investing in a range of energy options. The company is focusing on geothermal energy, solar projects, and both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

Geothermal energy, which draws heat from underground, could become a reliable solution because it’s not affected by weather. Google has supported this technology by working with companies that aim to make geothermal projects successful in more regions.

On the nuclear side, Google has made long-term plans to purchase electricity from new power plants. The company has agreed to buy hundreds of megawatts from a fusion plant expected to start operating in the early 2030s. It has also arranged to get electricity from smaller fission reactors being developed by a startup. These nuclear sources won’t be available for several years, though.

Renewables Are the Fastest Option for Now

While waiting for new nuclear projects to come online, Google has been quickly securing renewable energy that can be used sooner. Earlier this year, it arranged solar power deals in Oklahoma and South Carolina. Altogether, Google is now working with partners to develop several large carbon-free power plants, with planned investments reaching around $20 billion.

Solar and wind, along with battery storage, remain the quickest paths to adding new clean power before the decade ends. Building new nuclear plants takes years of approvals and construction. Even adding more natural gas turbines now faces long waiting lists.

Although Google has purchased enough renewable energy to match its annual electricity use on paper, this doesn’t mean that carbon-free power is always available where and when it’s needed. Matching power supply to actual usage in every hour and every region is still a big challenge.

Reaching 24/7 Carbon-Free Power Remains Difficult

So far, Google has managed to power about two-thirds of its data center operations with carbon-free electricity when measured by the hour. But this average hides big differences between locations. In Latin America, clean energy covered most of Google’s needs last year, while its centers in the Middle East and Africa still rely heavily on conventional power sources.

This uneven progress is part of the reason Google continues to back long-term energy solutions like nuclear fission and fusion. Fully powering its data centers with clean energy around the clock, in every place it operates, will probably depend on whether these projects succeed in the years ahead.

Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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What Modern Parents Regret About Today’s Digital World for Their Kids

Sometimes you can’t help but wonder if life would’ve been simpler for kids without all this technology floating around them. It’s not that parents hate all of it, some of it’s useful, but you know, there’s this feeling, this small wish sitting quietly at the back of their minds. What if some things just… weren’t there?

Parents these days, they’ve seen their kids grow up surrounded by screens, apps buzzing all the time, and platforms that keep pulling them in. It’s not something older generations ever had to figure out. You get the sense that a lot of parents are just trying to keep up, while also wondering if maybe, just maybe, their children would’ve had an easier time without some of these things crowding their world.

Actually, when asked what they wish had never been invented, many parents didn’t hesitate. It wasn’t even close. The thing they wanted gone most? Online adult content. In a recent survey conducted by TheHarrisPoll, over seven out of ten parents felt life would’ve been much better for their children if that part of the internet had simply never existed. Hard to argue with them on that one.

But it didn’t stop there. Social media, in general, made a lot of parents uncomfortable. More than half wanted it out of their children’s lives. If you dig a little deeper, TikTok and X (what people used to call Twitter) were right up there, about six in ten parents would’ve gladly erased both. Instagram didn’t get much love either. More than half would’ve preferred it gone.

Then there’s the whole messaging app thing. At first glance, it seems harmless enough, right? Just texting, chatting. But nearly half the parents wished those apps weren’t part of their kids’ childhood either. It’s probably about the constant connection, that thing where kids can’t really put their phones down anymore. Speaking of phones, yeah, smartphones themselves weren’t off the hook. About four out of ten parents wanted to ditch those too. There’s this sense that smartphones made it harder for kids to just… be kids.

Video games came up as well. Some parents were okay with them, but still, about a third thought life would’ve been better without them. And surprisingly, the internet itself wasn’t completely safe from this list. Around three in ten parents would’ve preferred a world where the internet didn’t follow their kids everywhere they went.

Even streaming services, which most families use all the time now, raised some concerns. About one in five parents would’ve liked to skip those too. Funny enough, television, the old-school one that’s been around forever, still made the list. Not a huge number, but about one in six parents thought their children would’ve been better off without it.

In a way, it’s like parents are standing there watching this flood of technology sweep through childhood, and they’re not sure what to keep and what to wish away. Some tools help, sure, but deep down, a lot of them seem to carry this quiet wish, that their children could’ve grown up a little less connected, a little more free.

Mediums	Strongly Agree (%)	Somewhat Agree (%)	Total (%)
Adult online content	43%	29%	72%
Social media	26%	29%	55%
Messaging apps	20%	24%	44%
Smartphones	12%	26%	38%
Video games	11%	21%	32%
The internet	9%	19%	28%
Streaming services	9%	12%	21%
Television	6%	11%	17%

Note: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Activists Question Google’s Commitment to AI Oversight Following Gemini 2.5 Pro Release

Outside Google DeepMind’s London office, a group of protesters staged something unusual, a public courtroom scene with a gavel, a jury, and a symbolic trial. This wasn’t just theater. The group behind it, PauseAI, came with a point to make. They believe Google walked back on its public commitments around AI safety and transparency.

Image: PauseAI / X

Back in 2024, during the AI Safety Summit in Seoul, Google had agreed to involve outside experts in evaluating its AI models. It also said it would share details of that process. But when it launched Gemini 2.5 Pro in April, those steps weren’t visible. The company called the model experimental and skipped over third-party disclosures. A few weeks later, it did publish a safety summary, but the document was light on details and didn’t name the reviewers it mentioned.

For the activists, that response didn’t go far enough. They say it's not just about one model or one company. It's about setting a precedent. If Google can quietly move past a public promise, other AI labs might feel they can too.

Over 5 dozen people joined the protest, some from tech, others from different fields. The group marched through King’s Cross, eventually stopping in front of DeepMind’s offices. Chants broke out. A few passersby watched, some joined in. The message was clear: testing matters more than marketing, and public promises should count for something.

The protest also tapped into broader concerns about AI. People talked about misinformation, job losses, and lack of oversight. But this wasn’t a vague warning about the future. It focused on one clear issue, transparency.

PauseAI says it's now speaking with UK lawmakers. They're trying to raise concerns through political channels, though there's no sign yet of a formal response from Google. The company didn’t offer any public comment when asked.

Among the demonstrators were people who actively use AI tools. One of the organizers runs a software company. He works with products from Google and OpenAI, and he knows how powerful they’ve become. That’s exactly why he’s worried. If these tools are shaping the future, he says, companies shouldn’t be left to police themselves.

This wasn’t PauseAI’s largest protest, and it may not lead to immediate change. But it captured something growing in the background, an unease with how quickly AI is advancing, and how slowly the guardrails seem to be forming.

This article was edited/created using GenAI tools.

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