Presentation

THE AI BREAKDOWN

Real Tools for Real Life — Demystifying AI for our community

📡 Presented by Adam Gurski • Updated Feb 2026

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01 / About

Who Am I?

🧑‍💻

Adam Gurski

AI Systems Integrator & Creative Technologist

⚡ Electrician 📢 Marketer 🎨 Creator 🤖 AI Builder 🎓 Trainer

“I help people do more of what they care about. AI does not replace human potential; it amplifies it.”

Adam Gurski

02 / Overview

The AI Landscape

Think of AI as a toolbox, not a single tool. Different AI systems excel at different tasks.

Featured artwork by Adam • Cosmic AI visual direction

🤖 Everyday Assistants

💬

Chatbots
Chat, write, brainstorm, analyze

🎨

Creators
Images, video, music, code

🔄

Automators
Workflows, scheduling, email

🔬 Specialists

🔍

Research
Cited answers, deep search

📊

Analysts
Data, documents, private Q&A

🧠

Reasoning
Math, logic, coding problems

03 / The Big Three

Meet the Big Three

The three most capable general-purpose AI assistants available today.

ChatGPT

OpenAI · GPT-4.5

The All-Rounder

Best for logical reasoning, data analysis, coding, and general knowledge. The most widely-used AI assistant worldwide.

Free tier + $20/mo Pro

Claude

Anthropic · 3.7 Sonnet

The Writer / Coder

Best for architectural planning, nuanced prose, and complex reasoning. Produces the most human-like text. The absolute top-tier coding assistant in 2026.

Free tier + $20/mo Pro

Gemini

Google · 2.0 Pro

The Integrator

Best for Google Workspace integration, massive file processing (up to 2M tokens), and multimodal tasks natively generating video and audio. Deeply connected to Search.

Free with Google · $20/mo Advanced

04 / Specialists

The Specialists

Focused tools that excel at specific tasks — accuracy, research, and private analysis.

Perplexity

The Search Engine Killer

Ask any question and get a direct, cited answer instead of a list of links. Real-time web search with source verification. The best research companion.

→ perplexity.ai

NotebookLM

The Private Analyst

Upload your own documents and ask questions — it answers only from your data. No hallucinations from outside sources. Perfect for studying, legal docs, or research.

→ notebooklm.google.com

DeepSeek

The Reasoning Engine

Open-source AI that rivals GPT-4 in math, logic, and coding. Runs locally or in the cloud. A powerful free alternative for technical problem-solving.

→ chat.deepseek.com

Grok

The Unfiltered Voice

xAI's assistant with real-time X/Twitter integration. Less filtered responses and unique personality. Good for current events and social media analysis.

→ grok.x.ai

05 / Applications

Practical Use Cases

AI isn't just for tech companies. Here's how real people in real industries are using it today.

Hospitality

Draft guest responses, create social media posts, write menu descriptions, translate for international guests

Real Estate

Generate property descriptions, analyze market comps, draft contracts, create neighborhood guides

Trades

Estimate materials, look up code specs, draft bids and invoices, troubleshoot with photos

Libraries

Help patrons research, summarize documents, create reading lists, write grant proposals

Retail

Write product descriptions, analyze sales data, create email campaigns, plan inventory

Job Seekers

Tailor resumes per job, practice interviews, write cover letters, research companies

Education

Create lesson plans, generate study guides, grade with rubrics, personalize tutoring

Healthcare

Summarize patient notes, draft referrals, research treatment options, simplify medical jargon

Legal

Review contracts, research case law, draft correspondence, summarize depositions

Local News

Track local stories, summarize council updates, pull weather and market snapshots, build a daily news webpage

06 / Technique

The "Power Prompt" Formula

The difference between a mediocre and amazing AI response? How you ask. Use this 4-part framework:

🎭

Role

Tell the AI who to be — "You are an expert grant writer…"

🎯

Task

State exactly what you need — "Write a 500-word proposal…"

📋

Context

Give background details — "For a rural library serving 5,000 patrons…"

📐

Format

Specify the output structure — "Use bullet points with headers…"

EXAMPLE PROMPT

Deep Research

ChatGPT 1 / 9

Role Task Context Format

One click copies a run packet with only the prompt and inputs required for the selected demo.

Quick run: open a fresh chat, add only listed inputs, paste the copied packet, and run.

07 / Safety

Safety & Ethics

AI is powerful but not infallible. Keep these critical rules in mind.

Privacy First

Never share passwords, SSNs, medical records, or financial details with AI chatbots. Assume anything you type may be used for training.

Verify Everything

AI can "hallucinate" — confidently stating incorrect facts. Always double-check critical information, especially dates, statistics, and citations.

Ownership & IP

AI-generated content exists in a legal gray area. Don't submit AI work as purely your own in academic or professional contexts without disclosure.

Disclose AI Use

Be transparent when AI helped create your work. Honesty builds trust. Most people appreciate knowing, and many industries now require disclosure.

Deepfakes & Misuse

AI can generate fake images, voices, and videos. Be skeptical of viral content. Verify sources before sharing. Report deepfakes when you spot them.

Think Critically

AI is a tool, not an oracle. Use it to augment your thinking, not replace it. The best results come from human judgment + AI capability working together.

08 / Next Steps