The short answer
Artificial intelligence increases efficiency at work by taking over repetitive reading, writing and analysis tasks, leaving decisions and judgment to people. Language models (LLMs) and machine learning tools already help with data analysis, marketing, customer service, project management, hiring and financial planning.
Have you ever stopped to think how many hours of your week go into tasks a machine could get started for you? The use of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) has opened a huge range of possibilities to gain efficiency and productivity in many areas.
From theory to daily use
I, Douglas Henrique, have used AI and LLMs such as GPT-2, GPT-3, GPT-3.5, Llama and Alpaca to improve résumés, cover letters, spreadsheets, payment plans, app development, websites, documentation and project coordination for startups. And the potential of these technologies goes far beyond those tasks.
Note (Oct 2026): these were the models available in April 2023. Much more capable generations exist today, including open models that run on your own infrastructure, but the way of using them described here remains the same.
Where AI improves professional performance
- Data analysis. Libraries and models such as XGBoost, TensorFlow and PyTorch help analyze large volumes of data, identifying patterns and trends that make decisions easier and reveal business opportunities.
- Research and development. LLMs speed up research by mapping areas of interest and shortening the search for solutions.
- Marketing and sales. LLMs help segment audiences, personalize campaigns and anticipate consumer preferences.
- Customer service. LLMs answer frequent questions and solve simple problems quickly, freeing the team for the hard cases.
- Project management. LLMs help set priorities, allocate resources and track progress.
- Recruiting and hiring. LLMs analyze résumés, identify matching profiles and support the first interview stages.
- Training and development. LLMs personalize training programs to each professional's needs.
- Financial planning. LLMs help analyze historical data and project future scenarios.
Combining AI with work processes can change the way we work, sharpening skills and raising productivity across a wide range of tasks and sectors. As the technology advances, its impact on professional life is likely to grow even larger.
What Geoffrey Hinton proved
Geoffrey Hinton, called the "godfather of artificial intelligence", once asked whether a large neural network could learn just by adjusting the strength of the connections between neurons, with no prior knowledge. Many experts in traditional AI thought the idea was absurd, but advances in machine learning showed Hinton was right. In 2024 he received the Nobel Prize in Physics for discoveries that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.
To see neural networks learning in practice, watch the AlphaGo documentary by Google DeepMind, about the system that beat champion Lee Sedol at Go in 2016.
It is not all roses. AI is also used to create fake photos, videos and audio (deepfakes), and there is fear that it will replace many jobs. Nick Frosst, co-founder of Cohere and a former student of Hinton, argues that AI will not replace workers but transform the nature of what they do, making many jobs easier and faster. For him and other experts, the fear of a Terminator-style "artificial general intelligence" that would surpass human abilities and act on its own is exaggerated.
Lessons inspired by Ready Player One
Ready Player One, Ernest Cline's science fiction novel adapted for film by Steven Spielberg, shows a dystopian future in which humanity spends most of its time in a virtual universe called the OASIS. The story deals with technology, competition and the impact of virtual realities on our lives.
AI is transforming efficiency in many areas just as the OASIS revolutionized the world in the book. And just as the OASIS became the center of people's lives in the fiction, AI is likely to take an ever more central place in real work. The difference is that, outside fiction, we can choose how it enters our routine and avoid the dystopian scenarios the novel explores.
Frequently asked questions
Will AI replace my job? For experts such as Nick Frosst, the trend is to transform tasks, not eliminate people. Those who learn to use the tool gain time.
Do I need to code to use AI at work? No. Language assistants already help with writing, spreadsheets and organization without a single line of code.
Are we prepared?
The impact of AI on our future calls for careful reflection, even if it does not happen all at once. AI has the power to transform performance in countless areas of life, knowledge and production, and that requires humanity to arm itself with the knowledge and wisdom needed to face the obstacles and reap the rewards of this technology. And you, are you already using AI in your favor?
Douglas Henrique, DOUVRAS Labs. Originally published on LinkedIn on April 6, 2023.