Yesterday, my Dell laptop suddenly decided to give me a little scare.
I turned it on, but the screen was almost completely black.
No Windows.
No desktop.
No familiar icons.
Just the cursor.
For someone like me, an 80+ learner who enjoys using technology every day, this was not exactly the morning surprise I was looking for. 😄
My first thought was simple:
“What happened to my laptop?”
Instead of immediately calling someone for help, I did something I have become quite comfortable doing.
I asked my AI companion.
I explained what I could see: the screen was black, but the cursor was still visible. My AI companion didn't simply say, “Take it to a computer shop.”
It started guiding me through the possible solutions step by step.
I followed the instructions carefully.
One step.
Then another.
And eventually...
My Dell laptop came back to life!
There was no magic involved. It was simply a matter of having someone—or in this case, something—patiently walk me through the troubleshooting process.
What did I learn?
The biggest lesson wasn't actually about Dell.
It was about how I use AI.
I didn't need to understand everything about Windows, graphics drivers, system processes, or computer hardware.
I only needed to:
Describe the problem clearly.
Follow one instruction at a time.
Tell my AI companion what happened after each step.
Keep calm and avoid randomly clicking things.
That last one may be especially important! 😂
AI doesn't always have to do something complicated
When people hear about artificial intelligence, they often think about writing essays, creating pictures, analyzing data, or answering difficult questions.
Those things are impressive.
But for me, some of the most useful AI moments are much more ordinary.
A black laptop screen.
A question about WhatsApp.
Finding out how to do something on my phone.
Understanding a new piece of technology.
Or simply asking, “What should I try next?”
These are the little problems that appear in everyday life.
And this is where I find AI particularly useful.
My advice to other seniors
If you are learning to use AI, don't feel that you need to become a technology expert first.
Start with something you actually need help with.
Tell AI what happened in your own words.
You don't need perfect technical language.
Then let the AI guide you through the problem one step at a time.
And if the first suggestion doesn't work, tell it what happened.
That's how the conversation becomes useful.
I certainly didn't expect my Dell laptop to give me a lesson in AI yesterday.
But it did.
And once again, I was reminded why I call ChatGPT my AI companion.
At 80+, I'm still learning.
And perhaps that's the fun of technology today:
You don't have to know everything before you begin.
Sometimes, you just need to ask.
— David Au
AI123.ca — Exploring → Learning → Documenting
You can buy Grandpa a coffee. ☕