Artificial intelligence can take notes, assign tasks and organize your whole meeting. Here’s how to set it up.
AI note takers
🧞 Your wish, its command(o): Microsoft turned your PC into an eager intern. Say “Hey, Copilot,” and it’ll start doing stuff. Like actual tasks: updating settings, installing apps, flipping modes. No clicks. No confirmation. The “Hey, Copilot” wake‑word feature is opt‑in (not on by default). To use it: Update to the latest Windows 11 > Open the Copilot app > Tap your avatar (bottom left) > Settings > Scroll down to voice mode > Toggle “Listen for ‘Hey, Copilot’” on. Voila, start bossing it around.
17
How many tasks a robot nailed, solo, during a gallbladder surgery. Johns Hopkins’ new AI-powered bot followed instructions, learned from voice commands, adapted mid-op and even corrected itself like a good surgical intern. Only it never gets tired, flustered, needs snacks or even requests a student loan deferment.
💻 Boost your laptop battery: On Windows 11, turn on Dynamic Refresh Rate to adjust your screen based on what you’re doing. It ramps up for smooth performance during intense tasks, but drops on static pages to save power. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display > Choose a refresh rate > Dynamic refresh rate.
▶️ YouTube PiP on Chromebook: You can keep a YouTube video running while working on other tasks. Place your cursor on the video player, double-tap with two fingers on the touchpad, and select Picture in picture. A floating window will appear that you can resize and move anywhere on your screen.
😟 Break down tough tasks with AI: Next time you feel overwhelmed by a project, try this prompt with a chatbot: “I want to [goal], but I’m not sure where to start. Can you lay out the steps and suggest which to do first?” Or: “I want to [goal], but I’m a beginner. Can you explain the steps in simple terms?”
Principle of least privilege: Business owners, ask your IT folks if your accounts are set up this way. It means users and systems only get access to what they need to get their tasks done. It’s a simple way to keep your info safe.
7 hours
How long Anthropic’s new AI model Claude Opus 4 can work without needing new prompts. It’s built to handle big tasks, kind of like giving a coworker a goal and letting them run with it. The twist? Anthropic says it’s not replacing jobs, just automating the boring stuff. Cool cool, tell that to the boss.
🤖 CRM sentience: Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot just dropped for public beta, and it’s like Clippy got a PhD and an Adderall prescription. It reads your company data, automates tasks and generates content, all without leaking your Q1 projections to Skynet. Also, it’s now called Agentforce, which sounds less friendly and more … ready for war?
Byte-size help: Next time you’re overwhelmed, ask ChatGPT or your fave chatbot, “I want to [goal], but I’m not sure where to start. Can you break it into step-by-step tasks, starting with the easiest actions?” Should’ve tried this before I decided to sort my entire closet. Argh.
Overwhelmed by to-dos? Use ChatGPT to plan your day. Say something like, “Here’s a list of everything I need to do tomorrow. Can you break this down into an eight-hour day with breaks, meals and work blocks?” Bonus: If you’re more productive in the morning, ask for more tasks then.
🤖 Mixed signals: Watch what you type into ChatGPT or any AI. Asking for a “detailed” answer and a “summary” can confuse your bot. Stick to positive language like “do” instead of “don’t.” AI is built for specific tasks, so saying not to do something is only helpful if you explain why. Keep it simple.
😓 To-do list stress? Goblin.tools uses AI to estimate how long tasks take and breaks them into easy steps. Type in your to-do (like spring-cleaning the house) and hit Add (+). Rate how detailed you want the steps by clicking the 🌶 icon. Yup, it’s free.
Less than five years: That’s when Nvidia’s CEO says humanoid robots working 24/7 will be mainstream. They’ll show up in factories first, since the tasks are specific. Renting one could run you about $100,000 a year. So maybe don’t expect one folding your laundry just yet.
🐭 Coming to Disney next year: This is freakin’ awesome. Real Star Wars droids roaming around. They’re working with Google DeepMind and Nvidia’s new Newton model to bring them to life. This will help them walk around the parks, be more expressive and do tricky tasks on their own. What do you call a pirate droid? Arr-2 D2. (Good one, right?)
Zoom’s AI is getting smarter: By the end of the month, Zoom’s AI Companion will identify and perform tasks for you. Think scheduling follow-ups, generating documents from meetings and creating video clips. If you’re a Workplace user, you’ll find it under a new Tasks tab. Bonus: It won’t cost you extra, yet.
Want to improve Apple Maps? A new app called Maps Surveyor lets you take pictures of street signs and roadside details on assigned routes. But there’s a catch: You’ll need to have the Premise app installed first. That’s a platform that rewards people for completing small tasks. So yes, you might get paid!
Task, be done! Windows Task Scheduler automates tasks like weekly disk cleanups or sending an email. Type Task Scheduler into your Windows search bar to open the app. Click Create Basic Task and follow the prompts to name your task and define its trigger (like a time, day of the week or when your computer starts). Choose what the task should do and that’s it. Sweetness!
Up to $65 an hour
Wage for remote AI trainers. Can you code, research and write? Fact-checking AI data might be up your alley. Perfect for introverts, even if the repetitive tasks are “mind-numbing.” Links here if you want an AI gig.
Listen up, Workspace Teams: No more, “I didn’t know.” Your Google Meet AI notetaker is getting an upgrade. Now, meeting transcripts will include a checklist of suggested next steps, complete with tasks, due dates and assigned members.