There are more apps available on your smartphone than you could explore in a thousand lifetimes, but only a few that most people use on a regular basis. The most essential are built right into your device. Those tend to be the ones that do just one thing, and usually do it pretty well. But you may not need some of them as much anymore, thanks to AI tools like ChatGPT.
Turns out that app can take over for many of those roles. Sometimes it can do it even better, or faster, or both. I’m not saying you can immediately delete every other app on your phone, but you might find yourself staying in the ChatGPT app longer than you ever thought you would because you’re not switching to some of the others.
Notes app to AI collaborating
I use the Notes app extensively. Everything from personal reminders about grocery lists and events to funny ideas I don’t want to forget, and even extended details and quotes marked down during interviews, fills the app. Now, it’s not always well-organized, though I have tried to keep on top of it. Still, there’s a lot of searching for keywords when it comes to the older notes in particular.
But now, when I have an idea or something I want to remember, I just tell ChatGPT. And instead of silently accepting my rambling, it can fill in details I ask for that I don’t have time to look up, like ideas for meals with what’s on the grocery list. It also keeps the various notes organized to make it easy to find them again, with my personal plans in one folder, my professional note-taking in another, and one just for whatever I can remember of last night’s dreams. And it even acts as a reminder tool. If I say “remind me to call Sam next week to make dinner plans in the neighborhood,” ChatGPT lets me know about the planned call, the reason, and even suggestions of where to go.
Linguistic partners
Trying to learn a language on your own is difficult, and while there are plenty of dedicated apps aimed at helping you become fluent in any number of languages, I sometimes just want to get comfortable with a more basic level of French rather than pursue true fluency.
And while I can appreciate the gamification those apps offer, it’s not my speed. So now, I practice with ChatGPT. I tell it, “Pretend you’re a Parisian café owner and I’m a lost tourist with very bad French,” and off we go. We talk back and forth about pastries and coffee for 10 minutes. If I mess up, it corrects me with a slightly sarcastic joke, just like I would expect at the imaginary cafe. The personality and flexibility make for a more relaxed learning experience, which for me means I learn better overall.
Calculating with context
You can’t get more basic than a calculator, but the most popular time to use the app is probably at a restaurant. There are even specialized versions for working out the tip or how to split a complicated bill among many people. But even they may struggle when you have a dinner bill for six people, with one person not drinking and someone else tipping in cash.
ChatGPT can handle those details easily because you can just tell it the situation. Even better, you can show them the bill. Just take a picture of the bill and ask, “How do I split this five ways if one person isn’t paying for wine and another didn’t have dessert? What’s the appropriate tip for each person to give?” It’s much easier than breaking it down into pure numbers.
Sure, there’s comfort in familiar apps. They’ve been with us through airport layovers, late-night impulse math, and the occasional panic-typed grocery list. But once you realize that ChatGPT can do it all and a little more besides, you might be okay seeing your calculator and other apps gather dust.
