5 ways AI can make your life easier – as recommended by Which? experts

AI tools might still be new to you, but the conversation around them is hard to miss. A growing number of smartphone apps and PC tools are introducing AI features, all aimed at helping you automate dull or tedious tasks.

With so much chatter about the 'power and potential of AI,' you might be wondering how you can put the technology to work yourself. For some inspiration, we quizzed Which? staff to see how they’re using AI apps to supercharge their own routines and tasks.

Below, we share some tips on how to use AI for travel planning, food prep, home improvements and more. Plus, if you're a complete beginner, we explain how to get started in simple terms.

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How to try AI for free

A vast array of AI tools are competing for your attention, and there’s a good chance you already have complete, free access to some of them without even realising it.

Arguably the most well-known AI app is ChatGPT, which has a free tier on PC or smartphone (iOS, Android). Google's Gemini (iOS, Android) is a popular alternative and comes pre-installed on newer Google Pixel smartphones. on iPhone, you can try Apple Intelligence.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot, once known as Bing Chat, is built right into Windows 11 and lives on the Taskbar next to the Search box or icon, and Perplexity is a free AI search tool accessible from a browser or app.

1. Plan your next holiday

At a glance: Prepare your holiday itinerary and create a packing list in seconds.

Planning a holiday can be hard work at times, especially if you're visiting a new country and want to tick off all the must-see spots in a short space of time. But using the power of AI, you can create a rough schedule that offers up some inspiration.

The beauty of using AI for travel tips is that you can be as detailed as you want. For example, you might simply want to ask your digital assistant for a shortlist of activity suggestions, or you could provide a full breakdown of the areas you'll be visiting and for how long – and ask AI to give you an hour-by-hour plan of things to do.

Luke Jeffery, Senior Content Producer, says: 'I use ChatGPT for travel itinerary ideas when I go on holiday. It focuses on the main tourist hotspots by default, but you can always ask for alternatives. I’m visiting the Dolomites this year for a walking holiday, and it helped provide the routes and additional information on where to go.'

You can also use AI to create a packing list for your trip. There are dedicated apps for this (PackPoint on iOS and Android is popular), but AI can generate a complete list in seconds without the need to download anything. Simply provide some basic details, such as your destination, the duration of your stay, and the activities you'll be doing.

Explore expert travel advice from Which? – plan better holidays and activities to experience more of what you love.

2. Get creative with food

At a glance: Generate recipes and meal ideas based on specific dietary requirements.

Whether you're looking for new recipes to try or simply want instructions on how best to prepare your meals, a capable AI assistant can act as your trusty kitchen sidekick. But remember that, although AI can help you with general meal planning, it can't replace the personalised advice you'd receive from a professional nutritionist.

Chad England, Product Content Lead, says: 'I was recently feeling completely uninspired when it came to cooking dinner and didn’t want to make a trip to the supermarket. To solve this, I decided to input everything I had in my fridge and cupboards and let AI generate meal ideas based on what I already had.

'AI was incredibly helpful in coming up with meal ideas. In fact, I plan to update the list regularly and have the tool plan my meals for the week. I've even asked it to suggest recipes based on my preferences, such as high-protein, low-calorie options, and more. It's been great.'

Jenny Harby, Content Editor, has also found AI to be a game-changer. She says: 'I've been using AI to help expand the culinary horizons of my fussy nine-year-old. I enter in the limited number of meals he currently eats, and ChatGPT suggests some recipes to get him to try a few new things.

'Not everything works, but it does mean we don't feel quite so stuck in the same meal routines. I've also used AI to suggest a few healthier recipes for my husband and I.'

See our food and drink advice and discover products that have topped our taste tests.

3. Transform your home

At a glance: ask for guidance and design inspiration to make DIY less daunting.

DIY can be intimidating if you're new to home improvements, but we've found that AI can act as a reassuring tutor. You can ask for beginner-friendly, step-by-step instructions on how to complete a project, tips on using tools, or advice on selecting the right materials.

Lanna Rosgen, Market Analyst, says: 'I've been asking Perplexity AI a lot of questions like, 'how to tell if a wall is structural,' 'where might I find asbestos in a UK home,' and 'what is this unusual pipe next to the toilet for?' It provides useful link references, making it a great starting point for further research.'

AI can also provide decorating inspiration for areas that you think are lacking character or simply in need of a refresh, both indoors and in the garden.

In the example below, we've uploaded a picture of an empty room to ChatGPT and asked: 'Redesign this empty room as a modern living space featuring a bold statement wall. Use neutral tones for the furniture and flooring, and incorporate a large rug, statement lighting and indoor plants.'

When making changes, our home improvements guides are here to help. If you need help tackling a DIY project, find a local professional using Which? Trusted Traders.

4. Learn a new skill

At a glance: create a personalised learning plan and get feedback on your progress.

If you fancy tackling a new hobby, AI can be a great tool to help you learn. You can use it for basic web searches or instead request personalised tips and advice tailored to your interests. Plus, you can get instant feedback to help you improve.

Conor Houlihan, Technical Support Advisor at Which? Tech Support, says: 'I often use AI to help with coding. It's so useful to either write code or pick out bugs.'

We also heard from Sonja Walde, Head of Talent, who says: 'I use ChatGPT to assist with spreadsheet formulas. The Help functions in both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel aren’t very useful in my opinion, because you need to know the right terminology to find the solution you need.

'The great thing is that if something doesn’t work, I can simply tell ChatGPT what happened, and it’ll provide me with the correct solution. I love the friendly tone, too – when you're hesitant to use something, it’s really encouraging.'

For more help with tech, you can join Which? Tech Support. Our experts explain things clearly so you can resolve issues and feel more confident using your devices.

5. Improve your pictures

At a glance: Restore old photos or use free tools to remove imperfections.

You can use AI to instantly enhance your photos, whether making subtle touch-ups or getting creative by adding entirely new elements to the scene.

The image editing powers of ChatGPT and Google Gemini are still a bit rough around the edges – they're better at generating completely original images than editing existing ones. With that in mind, we recommend trying the AI editing tools built into your smartphone instead.

For example, the Google Photos app (iOS, Android) has a host of AI-powered tools, including Magic Eraser. Open a photo in the app, then tap Edit > Tools > Magic Eraser. Now, you can draw a circle with your finger around an object in the photo and your phone will attempt to remove it from the picture. For best results, make sure the object is clearly defined and has good contrast with the background.

Other AI tools within Google Photos include Unblur, which fixes slightly out-of-focus images, and Zoom Enhance, which restores detail when enlarging parts of a photo. 

The Magic Editor tool is also worth a look. Pick a photo, then tap Edit and select the icon in the bottom-left corner. Tap an area of the image, then choose Reimagine. You can now adjust the image by swapping out elements or adding new ones. In the example below, we selected a dreary sky and typed in 'turn the sky blue.'

On iPhone, you can try Apple Intelligence features on the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, as well as all models in the iPhone 16 series. The Clean Up tool works in a similar way to Magic Eraser. To try it for yourself, go to the Photos app, open a snap, then tap Clean Up. Tap, brush or circle what you want to remove. When you're finished, tap Done.

If you're due a phone upgrade, check in with our guide to the best smartphones before parting with your money.

Even more ways to use AI

• Get help with complex sums – Daniella Delaney Mendes, Senior Content Editor, says: I use AI to solve maths problems when I don't know how to do them on a calculator. I can ask ‘how to find X’ and it instantly gives me the calculation and the answer. It's an excellent tool if you're rubbish at maths.'
• Create bedtime stories – Dr Steph Kipling, Science Team Manager, says: 'I've used AI to write a personalised fairy tale for our son. We came up with some ideas for characters, locations and situations and ChatGPT wrote a story for us. Our son still loves reading his adventure story.'
• Quick web searches – Conor Houlihan, Technical Support Advisor at Which? Tech Support, says: 'Using AI to answer questions without going to Google can be really handy.' Lisa Barber, Which? Tech Editor, adds: 'You can ask quick questions instead of sifting through a website. For example, I asked whether Kew Gardens is dog-friendly – it isn’t, but the tool suggested an alternative spot that is. It was worth double-checking the answer, but it saved me from trawling through Kew’s webpages.'
• Transcribe notes from an image – If you need a digital copy of a physical document, AI can quickly type it up for you – often much faster than using a scanner.
• Create a fitness plan –  use your AI assistant as a personal trainer by creating a custom fitness plan and getting tailored workout routines.

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