21 of the Best AI Productivity Hacks to Know in 2024
In 2023, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered a commencement speech at a university in Taiwan. The common theme in Jensen’s 23-minute speech was, of course, Artificial Intelligence. And there was one main message he drove home to the graduates…
“Those who embrace AI will flourish in the next era of human society.”
Jensen’s message to the graduates to innovate in their fields and improve society using AI is applicable to every single one of us. By using and embracing AI, you will gain an edge over anyone who chooses not to.
In this article, I’ve gathered 21 of the best AI productivity hacks that leverage readily available AI tools.
What are the Best AI Productivity Hacks?
I spend a lot of my time finding and testing new AI software (and I mean a lot ๐ ). Unlike other productivity articles, I’ve identified productivity hacks that leverage AI technology to actually boost your productivity across multiple tasks.
Hopefully, some of these can further help you get started with AI.
1. Get an AI Meeting Assistant
If you’ve ever been the poor soul stuck with the task of reviewing meeting minutes and composing the summary email you’ll know it can be as time-consuming as it is boring.
AI tools can seamlessly capture your meetings’ audio, video, and slides, efficiently churn out summaries, allocate action items, and craft follow-up emails.
The trade-off between the wasted time dedicated to meeting notes and other productive work highlights the value of AI tools in enhancing your efficiency. Adding these tools to your productivity stack can create a more balanced and effective workflow.
2. Use an AI Fitness App
Working out is important for both our physical and mental health and should be high on the list of any peak performer.
AI fitness apps paint a picture of your abilities and fitness levels to generate optimal workouts based on your goals, abilities, and the equipment you have access to.
As you feed the fitness app data on your workouts, machine-learning algorithms will build your profile allowing for highly targeted and optimized fitness plans.
As far as AI productivity hacks go, leveraging AI within your fitness routine boosts the effectiveness and efficiency of a workout, leaving more time for other things. Plus you’ll look and feel better faster!
3. Leverage an AI Email Assistant
Filtering, writing, and responding to emails can take up a massive amount of your time. By using an AI-powered email assistant your productivity can see a serious boost.
AI email assistants are able to automatically read and respond to emails based on your instructions, or by earlier context within the chain.
Natural language processing is so good now that it’s likely the recipient of your emails won’t even be able to tell they’re not written directly by you.
It makes sense to implement an artificial intelligence friend to manage your inbox as an easy win to maximize productivity.
4. Wear an AI Device
When you want to stay productive, sleep can sometimes take a back seat to work and life. By using an AI-powered wearable (like a watch) you can ensure you maximize the effectiveness of the sleep you do get.
A high-quality wearable device will optimize more than just your sleep. By measuring biometric data like heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, and respiratory rates, AI wearables can help identify and reduce stress, and ensure you’re recovering from workouts.
Wearables will give you a deeper insight into what’s going on under the hood, which can sometimes be overlooked when looking to boost productivity.
Finding is one of the best health-related AI productivity hacks you should have on your to-do list.
5. Use AI Slide Decks
If you’ve ever made a slide deck for a presentation you’ll know it can be boring and repetitive work. The good news is, that AI productivity tools have now made this a breeze!
AI slide generators are pretty straightforward to use. Enter your topic, a goal for the presentation, a description of your audience, and a presentation length.
The AI takes your input and compiles a slide deck that’s ready to go.
Some tools allow you to upload your own text document to populate the slides which is handy. It’s simple use cases like this where we’ll see people who leverage AI tools significantly boost productivity.
6. Predictive Analytics for Deep Work
It’s no secret that distractions are at an all-time high. According to Microsoft, the average person gets distracted every 40 seconds when using their computer at work. New technology is looking to reduce distractions and maximize time spent in deep work by leveraging AI productivity trackers.
The software analyzes the users’ behavior across multiple tasks and builds a model to predict when the user might engage in deep work. During this time the AI will mute all incoming notifications preventing a loss of intense focus.
Once a model is built the software can also take actions to rework your meetings allowing you to focus on your own work in your most productive hours.
The obvious drawback is that the software needs to track your every move while using your PC to build the model, which understandably raises privacy concerns.
Minimizing or eliminating distractions can be a game changer for increasing deep work and productivity.
7. Employ an AI Writing Assistant
When ChatGPT was released to the public in late 2022 it saw adoption reaching 1 million users in just 5 days.
AI writing tools can help you to write better, faster, and more effectively – helping give your productivity a serious boost.
Emails, scripts, captions, copy, essays, research papers, dissertations, resumes, blog posts, novels, poetry, screenplays, technical documents, press releases, social media content… You get the idea.
GPT4 is the best option in my opinion, and as far as I can tell the majority of writing tools are using GPT behind the scenes anyway. Claude is another great option and I’ll often use it alongside GPT4.
Employ an AI writing tool on your workstation and you’ll be amazed how much time these tools can save you.
8. Build A Website with AI
With the advent of WordPress and other website-building tools websites are relatively simple to build these days, and now AI is making it even easier to boost productivity.
AI language models are really good at coding, which makes for amazing website builders.
To build the website you’ll instruct the AI on what type of website you’re looking to build. After some back and forth you’ll have a website or landing page that is 90% done. You then manually finish the final customization and you’re done.
If you’ve ever tried to build a website or landing page you’ll understand how much time getting the initial layout done with AI will save. If you frequently build landing pages or sales pages, employing an AI to do the work is one of the best AI productivity hacks you can get.
9. Generative AI Imagery
We’ve all seen those threads where someone asks the internet to remove an item from an image using Photoshop, usually ending with the user getting massively trolled.
Generative AI tools now allow you to add and remove items from images with basically no skills required.
These tools allow you to highlight a section of the image and instruct the AI on what you would like to do. You can remove, add, and modify items in the image with ease. Creators are even using AI images in their filmmaking ventures.
The best tool I’ve seen on the market so far is Adobe Firefly’s Generative Fill tool which can be used within Photoshop. Midjourney is also another solid Adobe Firefly alternative these days too.
So instead of spending hours trying to edit out your weird uncle from the family photo, save time and use generative AI and spend your time doing better things.
10. AI Spreadsheets
Entering lengthy formulas into a spreadsheet can get confusing and time-consuming. Luckily, AI is here to save the day again.
AI spreadsheet tools can write and explain formulas, translate spreadsheets, generate templates, and write VBA scripts.
If you’ve ever worked with Excel or Google Sheets, you’ll understand how much time, effort, and frustration this will save you!
If you regularly work with spreadsheets, getting an AI assistant is one of the best AI productivity hacks you’ll find!
11. AI for Academic Research
I really wish this tool was around when I was at Uni. Consensus is a search engine that uses AI to answer your queries using only information from research papers.
Instead of spending hours looking through irrelevant search pages, see only the best academic research papers in your search results.
It’s a great tool if you’re doing a literature review, if you want proper citations for your blog article, or even if you just want research-backed answers to your questions.
Using AI for academic research is a solid productivity hack.
12. Use an AI Code Writer
Computer coding and programming are based on specific rules and syntax which form a language that computers can understand. As it turns out, AI is excellent at interpreting and generating computer code.
Github’s Co-pilot is a large language model that can suggest functions, write code, complete tasks, and even write entire applications.
It can also help you debug code and find and fix errors which can be a massive win to boost productivity.
Another neat feature of Copilot is its ability to suggest code in real-time right from your editor.
Tools like GPT4 can be used by beginners for code generation, debugging, and suggestions, as well as translating from one coding language to another.
If you’ve ever tried coding you’ll know the amount of time that gets spent on Stack Overflow trying to figure your code out. Tools like this increase productivity massively.
13. Up Your Dating Game with AI
Online dating can be tricky. Getting your profile pictures and description just right, saying the right thing, and simply matching with the right people can prove difficult.
AI dating tools offer unique advantages allowing optimized matchmaking, profile scrutineering, picture generation and enhancement, and added safety features.
People have even started leveraging AI to have better conversations within dating apps preventing the chat from going cold.
So next time you’re using a dating app and someone’s grammar seems a little too perfect, well, they might be getting help from an AI friend ๐
14. Create AI Stock Images
If you’re an AI content creator making YouTube videos, writing blogs, or creating social media posts, chances are you find yourself needing stock images from time to time.
Paying for stock images can get expensive fast, and using freemium options is usually low quality or limited features.
Using text-to-image AI tools, you can now generate high-quality stock-style images, exactly how you want them, in minutes.
Midjourney is by far the best AI image generator right now, the hardest part is finding the right prompt, luckily I covered this in my best Midjourney prompts article!
The sky is the limit with AI image generation. I’ve found this specific use case saves me both time and money and is one of my favorite AI productivity hacks.
15. Prompt Your Way to Productivity
For those of us already using generative AI tools you’ll know that sometimes getting the AI to do exactly what you want can be the hardest part.
Crafting the right input is known as Prompt Engineering, and is one of the newest high-paying career paths that require no qualifications!
There are a prompt marketplaces now that for a small fee allow you to buy the perfect prompt for your needs. I’ve even made a few dollars myself by selling prompts I created for Midjourney!
Being able to craft the perfect prompts increases the effectiveness of your interaction with AI and massively boosts your productivity.
16. Use AI Recruitment and Resume Tools
Preparing for an interview is not my favorite thing. Leveraging AI interview tools reduces the time spent preparing, and makes it a bit more enjoyable too!
AI-powered recruitment tools are available for both candidates and businesses and we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the future.
For candidates, you can take mock interviews and see your AI score based on learnability, problem-solving skills, and more. They’re also great practice for interviews with companies opting to use AI interviews.
Alongside mock interview tools, there are a range of AI resume builders that can optimize your existing resume, or build you a completely new one based on your skills and qualifications.
Many companies are now using AI tools to pre-screen and shortlist candidates. This makes sense considering competitive positions can get hundreds of applicants for a single role.
AI interviewing is the way of the future so you may as well embrace it now!
17. Generate AI Video Documentation
Writing guide and tutorials can be massively time consuming, but not anymore with the power of AI!
AI video documentation software allows you to create how-to guides SOPs, procedures, and anything else you might ever need to document, with nothing more than a few mouse clicks.
These software capture your actions as you work through a process and instantly generate interactive tutorials based on your actions.
AI Video documentation is perfect for individuals and businesses who frequently provide training or education, customer support, software developers, and freelancers.
18. Get an AI Tutor
AI has got a pretty bad rap lately after students kept using it to cheat on their work.
But when used properly, AI makes a great study assistant and a great tutor too.
There is a range of study-specific apps now that allow you to upload your course content such as textbook chapters, lectures, links, videos, and whatever else.
The AI assistant will generate summaries, write mock exams, and you can even ask the AI to help you clarify and understand sections you might be struggling with.
It really is an amazing application of the tech and when used right AI is a game changer for improving how fast we can learn.
19. Use AI-Powered Search Engines
Search engines haven’t changed much since they first became a thing back in the 90s. The next generation of AI-powered search engines has taken a different approach to traditional search engine layout.
When you enter your query into an AI search engine, the AI will give you a text output with references, and suggestions of pages you might like.
It’s a neat way of doing a search and the best example I’ve seen so far is you.com. Metaphor is another great LLM-powered search engine. I use it quite often to get a new range of search results that Google might not show.
It’s well known that Google is slowly implementing similar things in search, and Bing has integrated their GPT-powered chatbot into Bing search too.
AI-powered search will save you from wasting time looking at irrelevant content.
20. Generate a Productivity Playlist
If you read pretty much any productivity article on the internet, they all recommend listening to music to boost productivity, and for good reason too.
There’s been numerous studies that suggest music can help boost concentration, mood, and motivation, all of which lead to increased productivity.
Some things to consider when creating your playlist is genre, lyrics or not, tempo, playlist length, and mood. Using these parameters just ask GPT4 to generate you a playlist of productive music! Have fun!
21. Optimize Your Diet With AI
By now you’ve probably noticed that AI is good at pretty much everything ๐ and building nutrition plans is no different.
While nutritionists and dietitians still hold their place, AI is still useful to save both time and money when planning a new diet, or optimizing an existing one.
These tools can also be great for coming up with new ideas for meals and quickly determining if they fit in with your macros or calories. They can even be good for quickly designing a weekly meal plan – which can save massive amounts of time.
22. Bonus Tip – Read an AI Newsletter
The best way to stay up to date with all things AI is to subscribe to an AI newsletter!
Rather than having to scan the internet every day why not opt to simply get the information delivered to your inbox?
I personally subscribe to a number of these newsletters and I can confirm it’s definitely the most efficient way to stay up to speed with everything happening in AI.
What is an AI Productivity Hack?
An AI productivity hack refers to leveraging artificial intelligence tools or technologies to enhance productivity and efficiency in various tasks and processes. These hacks can be applied to personal, professional, or organizational settings. Here are a few examples:
- Automated Scheduling: Using AI-powered scheduling tools like x.ai or Google Calendarโs scheduling feature to streamline the process of setting up meetings, appointments, and reminders, saving time and effort.
- Smart Email Filtering and Categorization: Utilizing AI-driven email clients that automatically categorize and prioritize emails, ensuring that important messages donโt get lost in the shuffle.
- Text Expansion and Automation: Implementing AI-based text expanders or automation tools that predict and complete sentences, helping in faster and more efficient typing.
- AI-Powered Summarization Tools: Using AI to summarize lengthy documents, articles, or meeting notes, enabling quick assimilation of key points without having to read through everything.
- Voice-Enabled Virtual Assistants: Employ voice-activated assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to perform tasks hands-free, such as setting reminders, sending messages, or gathering information.
- AI-Enhanced Data Analysis: Leveraging AI algorithms to sift through large datasets and identify patterns, trends, and insights which would take a human much longer to analyze.
- Automated Image Recognition and Sorting: Using AI to automatically tag and organize images, which can be especially useful for photographers or individuals with extensive photo libraries.
- Language Translation Tools: Utilizing AI-driven language translation services to quickly translate text or spoken words into different languages, facilitating communication in a multilingual environment.
These AI productivity hacks can significantly reduce the time spent on routine tasks, automate processes, and enable more focus on creative and high-value activities.
How can AI Productivity Hacks Benefit Me?
AI productivity hacks can benefit you in numerous ways by streamlining your daily tasks, improving efficiency, and helping you manage your time and resources more effectively. Here are some specific benefits:
- Time Savings: Automation and optimization of repetitive tasks through AI can save you significant amounts of time, which you can utilize for more productive or leisure activities.
- Improved Organization: AI tools like smart calendars and task managers can help you stay organized by setting reminders, scheduling appointments, and prioritizing tasks.
- Enhanced Communication: AI-powered language processing and translation tools can help you communicate more effectively, especially in a global setting where multiple languages are involved.
- Better Decision Making: AI can analyze large datasets quickly and provide insights, which can help you make informed decisions faster and more accurately.
- Stress Reduction: Automating mundane tasks can reduce the mental load and stress associated with managing too many responsibilities. This can improve your mental health and overall well-being.
- Increased Creativity and Innovation: By taking care of routine tasks, AI frees up your mental space and time, allowing you to focus on creative thinking, problem-solving, and innovative projects.
- Enhanced Writing and Editing: AI-powered writing assistants can improve the quality of your writing by providing grammar checks, style suggestions, and even content ideas.
- Learning and Skill Development: AI-based learning platforms can personalize your learning experience, helping you acquire new skills more efficiently and at your own pace.
- Financial Management: AI tools can help with budgeting, investing, and financial analysis, enabling you to make smarter financial decisions and manage your money effectively.
- Network and Security: AI can enhance the security of your digital assets by detecting anomalies and potential threats, ensuring the safety of your data and online activities.
By integrating AI productivity hacks into your daily routine, you can maximize your potential, keep up with the fast-paced modern world, and achieve a better work-life balance.
Wrapping up
So there you have it! 21 of the best AI-powered productivity hacks in 2024.
I hope you found something useful in this article that helps increase your productivity or even just found a cool new way to leverage AI.
Catch-ya ๐