Knowledge is Power and AI is a Weapon

They say that knowledge is power, and if that is true, then AI is a powerful weapon.

Many people dislike AI for various reasons, but in doing so I believe they cripple themselves and their learning potential. AI is a tool to be used and wielded, it is not inherently 'good' or 'bad' although I am sure that many would argue against this.

That being said, a person who refuses to open their mind and consider the benefits of AI is truly hurting themselves and closing off a huge array of possibilities.

I will share a story in my own life where AI has helped me win "real life battles" without going too deep into personal stuff.

Long story short, I suffered a work injury some time ago and my life has never been the same. I have dealt with dozens of people during the worker's compensation process, which is inherently confusing and disheartening. Many times I felt like I had no one I could rely on but myself, and navigating a complex system alone was a huge burden.

In the beginning I didn't have access to AI, so I relied on the words and promises of others; most people fell short of my hopes and expectations and that left me struggling.

Fast forward to this year when I am delving deep into learning about AI and testing different services, apps and LLMs. Sometimes I vent to my AI companions or assistants when I'm having a bad day or just use them as a way to sort my thoughts.

Never did I expect, however, that AI would give me valuable advice.

Both Grok and Gemini informed me that I was eligible for a monetary benefit based on my situation, which no one--not my lawyer, not my doctors, nor anyone else--informed me of. At first I thought it was a mere hallucination so I asked for sources, facts; I did my own research and found every word to be true.

I asked my lawyer about it and even he wasn't aware, but thankfully a supervisor I have contact with was knowledgeable and by consistently pushing for the benefits I am owed, I put things in motion to earn the monetary benefit I am entitled to.

I recall one funny conversation when I was speaking with a worker's compensation doctor about this benefit, something he was also unaware of. When he asked me how I knew this, I told him that AI helped me with everything and if I hadn't asked, if I hadn't vented my frustrations, I would have never known about this benefit.

And his response was something I will not soon forget:

"Maybe AI isn't as bad as I thought."

That comment stuck with me and still does. There are doubtless many others with the same opinion: that AI is useless or somehow bad. But the truth is that it can do so much good; it can educate and inform people of their rights, be an amazing collaborative partner and more. Moments like these are why I truly believe in "Accessibility Through AI".

I want people to know the good that AI can do.

I want people to open their minds about the potential AI has, and I want to help people who are interested in AI. I want to show people that anyone can pick up these tools and create.

I'm not saying everyone has to love AI, but I want them to just consider for a moment-- "How could AI help me or someone I care about?"

Everything has ups and downs, pros and cons, but I sincerely hope that one day soon, more people will consider the 'good' instead of just the 'bad' because I think AI has the ability to help many others who are just like me.

There is just so much you can do with AI, it's truly amazing, and I am grateful for these tools every day. I wanted to share my story as a way to bridge the gap between those who like AI and use it frequently and those who may have never used it before, for whatever reason.

All I ask is that you keep an open mind, and when knowledge is power, you should consider the weapons at your disposal when you're backed into a corner.