15 Things to Ask AI That You Probably Haven’t Thought Of
Most lists of things to ask AI say the same stuff: write an email, plan a meal, summarize an article.
Those are fine. But today I want to go deeper.
The 15 things I’m sharing aren’t about doing more or producing more output. They’re about thinking more clearly, feeling less overwhelmed, and moving through your day with a little more ease. Some are practical. Some are emotional. Some might surprise you.
Pick the one that makes you go “oh, I could actually use that.” Then open your AI tool and try it today.
Group 1: Understand Yourself Better
1. Name what you’re actually feeling.
You know those days where you just feel off — can’t really explain it. You’re not sad exactly, you’re not angry, you’re just something, and you can’t figure out what.
Try this. Tell AI what’s going on in whatever messy language comes out. Don’t try to be articulate. Just ramble. Then say: “Help me figure out what emotion this might be and what I might actually need right now.”
It doesn’t diagnose you. It doesn’t play therapist. It just helps you find the word. And sometimes naming the feeling is enough to take the pressure off.
2. Find the pattern in what you keep avoiding.
We all have that list. The things we keep putting off. And usually we beat ourselves up about it. But what if the reason you’re avoiding those things isn’t laziness? What if there’s an emotional pattern underneath?
List out the things you keep avoiding, then ask AI: “What do these have in common? And what might be the smallest next step?”
It won’t shame you. It’ll help you see what’s actually going on, then give you something small enough to actually do.
3. Find the patterns in what you keep saying.
If you journal, write notes to yourself, or just notice that you keep complaining about the same things, paste those into AI and ask: “Look for patterns in what I keep saying. What am I repeatedly frustrated by, wanting, or ignoring?”
It’s like having a mirror that doesn’t judge you. It just shows you what’s there.
Group 2: Make Hard Conversations Easier
4. Read a confusing text message with generosity instead of anxiety.
You know that text from a family member that you read six times and still can’t tell if they’re mad at you? Take it. Paste it into AI and say: “Help me read this in the most generous way possible. Then also tell me what boundary I might need.”
AI gives you both sides. The kind interpretation and the boundary check. So you’re not spiraling and you’re not being a doormat.
5. Write the hard message you’ve been avoiding.
Whether it’s a text to a friend, an email to a family member, or a note to your neighbor — sometimes you know what you need to say but can’t find the right words. You don’t want to over-explain. You don’t want to apologize too much. And you definitely don’t want to sound harsh.
Tell AI what you need to say and ask it to help you say it honestly, kindly, and firmly. This is one of the things AI does better than almost anything else. It helps you say the thing you feel but can’t find the words for. And remember: you are always the final eyes on everything.
6. Reconnect with someone without making it weird.
You haven’t talked to them in months, maybe years. You think about them. But every time you go to text, you freeze.
Tell AI: “I haven’t talked to this person in a while. Help me write something warm and casual, not weird.”
Done. No more overthinking. Just send it.
Group 3: Handle the Stuff That Overwhelms You
7. Translate confusing documents into plain English.
Insurance letters. Medicare paperwork. That notice from legal that feels like it was written specifically to confuse you. Paste it into AI and say: “Explain this like I’m smart but tired. What do I need to know and what can I ignore right now?”
I love that prompt. “Smart but tired” is exactly how most of us feel staring at a four-page insurance denial. AI reads it and translates it into real English, not lawyer English.
8. Shrink the impossible into something doable.
Cleaning the garage. Organizing paperwork. Planning a move. Whatever’s been sitting on your to-do list making you feel terrible every time you look at it.
Ask AI: “I’m overwhelmed by this. Give me the version I can do in 20 minutes today. Just the first step.”
Not the whole thing. Just the first 20 minutes. And once you start, you’ll probably keep going. But even if you don’t, you did something. And that’s everything.
9. Plan your day by energy, not by hours.
Most planners assume you have the same energy all day. You don’t. Nobody does.
Tell AI: “I have low energy today but I still need to function. Help me organize my day by what takes the least emotional effort first.”
It rearranges your day around how you actually feel, not how a planner thinks you should feel. That’s huge.
Group 4: Prepare for What Matters
10. Rehearse your doctor’s appointment before you go.
Raise your hand if you’ve walked out of a doctor’s appointment and immediately thought of five things you forgot to ask. Me too.
Before your next appointment, tell AI: “Pretend you’re my doctor. Ask me questions so I can practice explaining my symptoms.”
It asks you the questions your doctor will probably ask. You practice answering them. You walk in prepared and walk out feeling heard, instead of sitting in the parking lot thinking “why didn’t I ask that?”
11. Time-travel through your choices before you make them.
You have a big decision coming up. Instead of a pros and cons list, ask AI: “Walk me through how each option might feel one week from now, six months from now, and three years from now. Help me imagine the emotional and practical consequences of each choice over time.”
AI doesn’t make the decision for you. It helps you feel the decision before you live it. That’s the exoskeleton right there.
Group 5: Take Care of Your Life and Your Legacy
12. Design a routine that matches how you actually live.
Your kitchen counter is a dumping ground. Your entryway has shoes, mail, and mystery items. You’ve tried organizing it before and it didn’t stick.
Tell AI: “My kitchen counter always becomes a dumping ground. Help me create a system that matches how I actually live.”
It won’t tell you to buy bins. It’ll look at your habits and build a system around them.
13. Preserve the memories that matter.
Your grandmother’s recipes on handwritten cards with no real instructions. Stories your parents told that nobody wrote down. Photos with a story behind them that only you know.
Tell AI: “Ask me questions about this memory and turn my answers into a short family story.”
AI interviews you, then writes it up in a way you can print, share, or put into a book for your grandkids. I consider these legacy projects. Things that matter. And AI can help you actually finish them instead of just thinking about them.
Group 6: See Yourself Differently
14. Borrow your own wisdom.
This one might sound a little out there, but stay with me.
Ask AI to respond as the wiser version of you — the you who already got through whatever you’re dealing with right now. “Answer as my calm, grounded future self. What would she tell me about this?”
It’s not giving you someone else’s advice. It’s giving you your own advice from the version of you who’s already on the other side. And honestly, sometimes that’s the only voice you’ll actually listen to.
15. Challenge the story you tell yourself.
We all carry beliefs about ourselves that we treat like facts.
“I’m bad at technology.” “I’m not creative.” “It’s too late for me to learn something new.”
Tell AI: “I believe I’m bad at technology. Challenge that belief gently, using evidence from what I’ve already learned.”
And if you’re watching this video right now? You’ve already proved that belief wrong. You showed up. You’re learning. That story you’ve been telling yourself — it’s old. It’s not you anymore.
Pick One. Try It Today.
Here’s what I want you to notice. Not one of those 15 things was “write me a blog post” or “summarize this article.” And don’t get me wrong, those are fine. But they’re not why AI matters.
AI matters because it can help you think more clearly. Communicate more calmly. Make decisions faster. Understand confusing information. Preserve what matters. And see yourself a little more honestly.
You don’t need to try all 15. Pick the one that made you go “oh, I could actually use that.” Open your AI tool. Try it today.
In the next video I’m answering the question I hear constantly: is AI safe? We’re going to talk about privacy, security, and what you actually need to know. No fear, just facts.
→ Watch it here
And if you haven’t found your right AI tool yet, take the free quiz. Two minutes, and it matches you to the best fit for how you think.
→ Take the quiz
Alright, my friends. Take care. Bye bye.
About Kris Voelker: Kris is the founder of Second Act with AI and the creator of the RECIPE Framework for AI prompt writing. She teaches AI tools and digital literacy to people over 60 at secondactwithai.com.
