12 min · Free
What AI is for
Assistants, search, and agents — without the launch-event language.
Three jobs get mixed up in conversation:
| Job | What it does well | What it fakes |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant | Drafts, rewrites, outlines, explains | Facts it was not given |
| Search-plus | Finds pages and quotes them | Confidence when the source is thin |
| Agent | Calls tools in a loop (mail, files, a browser) | Judgement about money and people |
An assistant is a fast intern who has read the public internet and will still invent a citation. That is useful if you already know the domain well enough to catch the invention.
Everyday uses that hold up
- Turning a voice note into a structured message to a supplier.
- Explaining an error message in plain language.
- Suggesting three layouts for a price list you will still edit by hand.
- Practising interview questions — then checking the answers against a real syllabus.
Uses that fail in our markets
- Asking it for today’s official exam timetable, visa fee, or MoMo limit as if it were the regulator.
- Letting it “sign” anything.
- Trusting a medical or legal answer because the tone was calm.