My Weekend Encounters with Google’s AI: A Mix of Awe and Apprehension

Exploring the Power of AI: My Journey with Google’s Latest Model

In recent weeks, I dedicated my weekends to exploring Google’s latest AI model, and the experience has left me both impressed and apprehensive. As a civil engineer with a focus on design and project management, I have no formal background in coding or computer science. However, my curiosity led me to enroll in a free student license for this new AI tool, eager to explore its capabilities.

My primary goal was simple: could someone without any coding experience leverage this technology to create a small application tailored to my needs? Specifically, I wanted a tool that could help me track my various small-scale projects—nothing overly complex, just some basic financial tracking and project health assessment. While existing software could handle these tasks, I was keen on crafting my own version that matched my vision.

Spending close to eight hours last weekend, I interacted with the AI as if it were a team of seasoned developers. To my astonishment, the model generated entire code snippets for me, guiding me on what programs to download and where to input the code. This was a revelation! I successfully created a basic program that met my needs, despite my complete lack of programming knowledge.

Although the application isn’t perfect, it functions well enough for my purposes and reflects my personal style. This achievement left me deeply impressed by the model’s capabilities. However, a lingering sense of unease followed—these models are evolving rapidly, and their potential to revolutionize our interactions with technology is both exhilarating and concerning.

As I continue this exploration, I plan to develop a few more small-scale applications in the coming week. I’m both eager and wary of what advancements await.

If you’re curious about navigating AI technology without a tech background, I encourage you to dive in—just be prepared for the incredible possibilities and the challenging realities these tools can present.