Express writer Jane Warren with the specific light AI suggested she buy for her DIY shepherd’s hut (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Express)
Ancient civilisations dreamed of beings that could act without human control – including golden handmaidens in Greek mythology, described as having human-like understanding and speech. However, although the idea of a non-human personal assistant was science fiction as recently as just a few years ago, since 2020, machine learning has led to an AI boom and a rapid expansion of free generative AI – models capable of generating images, text, music and more.
According to the global management consultants McKinsey & Company, there was a 23-percentage point increase in AI usage in businesses from early 2023 to 2024, with 78% stating they now incorporate it.
But just how reliable is it, and are the free AI models accessible to the public refined enough for day-to-day use?
My children and I decided to live by AI for a week to find out if outsourcing decision-making would save money and time. After only a few days on the system, I’m already £500 a year better off – so how did the rest of the experiment go?
SUNDAY
Our evening meal is accompanied not by the usual family chat, but by my 16-year-old son Willem having an animated conversation with ChatGPT about the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing dispute over Western Sahara – all delivered by the AI tool in a friendly, even mildly ironic style, that is remarkably human, even down to the pauses for breath.
“It feels as though I have a university-level tutor available to me in my pocket at all times,” says Willem. “It is so engaging, eager to help and accessible, and I use it for everything from gym programming to research about current affairs.”
If the AI that I plan to use for my decision-making this week is as switched on as my son’s“personal assistant”, this bodes well.
MONDAY
Being a Monday morning, it’s time to think about a holiday – travel websites often report strong browsing on Sunday evening, rolling into employees firming up plans at work the following day.
My partner and I are planning a 10-day trip to Morocco in October. Can AI beat search engines like Skyscanner?
Using “Google flights” – a built-in tool that incorporates AI for “price optimisation” – I uncover £40 return flights to Marrakesh with Wizz Air. This compares favourably with the traditional comparison sites, on which the cheapest return flight is £49 with Ryanair.
When it comes to options for coach and rail travel within Morocco, AI comes into its own. Within seconds of asking imean.ai, a “free AI travel planner”, to produce a travel outline for a proposed 10-day coach and rail travel plan including Essaouira on the Atlantic coast and the blue city of Chefchaouen in the north, I am presented with a detailed itinerary including the correct Moroccan websites for booking tickets.
Soon, I’m visiting Paris for four days with my daughter Bea, 20, to visit art galleries so Bea asks Chat GPT to suggest which we should visit based around her interests, including taxidermy and oil painting.
“Within seconds it has created a four-day curated itinerary – streamlining our route by theme and proximity,” enthuses Bea, who was expecting to spend hours planning this herself. Day One includes Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie, telling us they are just a nine-minute walk from each other.
Says Bea: “AI has made planning our trip a lot less overwhelming by providing these immediate insights, and it’s even suggested ‘sketchbook time’ in specific cafés close by.”
Jane uses AI to calcuate the cheapest way of paying her household bills (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Express)
TUESDAY
THIS evening, I’m trying to fit in a post-work trip to my gym while simultaneously awaiting Bea’s return home, so I ask ChatGPT: “I want to go to my gym for 90 minutes; it’s 20 minutes each way. My daughter is currently on the M1 near Crick. What is the latest time I can leave to ensure I am back home for her arrival?
After asking where I live (I input the postcode), I am informed that I need to leave in 35 minutes to be back in time “because traffic on the M1 is currently a bit slow”.
It suggests leaving a “buffer zone” of 15 minutes and revises my departure time to 20 minutes. Result.
Is there anything I can make for her to eat before I go and with what I have in the fridge? I input cheese, milk, egg, green beans, bacon, onion, shallots and store cupboard essentials.
Within seconds, it offers a 20-minute recipe for Cheesy Bacon, Green Bean and Onion Frittata. So, I could go to the gym and still cook her dinner ready for her arrival. Excellent.
WEDNESDAY
Emboldened by last night’s recipe success, I turn to AI for help with groceries. I’ve used the meal-kit company Hello Fresh for six years. It’s currently £36.48 a week for three meals, including delivery. Is there a cheaper equivalent?
Gemini suggests EveryPlate (a subsidiary of HelloFresh), describing it as a budget-friendly option that is £11 a week cheaper. But when I try to order, I find it is only available in the United States. I complain and Gemini responds: “I apologise. EveryPlate is no longer active.” This is a slight red flag, but the app redeems itself by suggesting Gousto for £35.74 – albeit a very modest saving.
Next, I look for savings on my broadband package. BT is costing me £63 a month and Willem says our bandwidth is excessive for our relatively light usage, so what would his personal assistant suggest for a better deal?
After some discussion with Gemini (which initially suggested Elon Musk’s satellite Starlink when we mentioned we were rural – we’re not that rural), it proposes a 145mbps broadband and landline plan with budget network provider Plusnet for £33 per month, slashing our current bill in half.
Jane Warren, pictured with daughter Bea, used AI to try to find cheaper car insurance (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Express)
AI suggested Jane visit Lancing Beach, a beach she’s never visited before, for some late summer sun (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Express)
THURSDAY
GCSE results day, and we are off for a celebration breakfast. Once home, Willem falls asleep for four hours. I tell Meta AI it’s been a big day and ask: “At what point should I wake him up?” The app responds: “Let him sleep! Four hours might not be enough to recharge after all the excitement and emotional rollercoaster. His body will tell him when he’s ready to wake up and celebrate some more!”
I add further: “What’s the best way to congratulate my modest 16-year-old son on fantastic results?” After inititally suggesting I say, ‘Well done mate’, I remind it that I am his mother. Meta AI pivots to “I’m so proud of all your hard work paying off”.
That’s exactly right. Well done, Meta AI. And well done Willem – who spends the evening chatting over career options with his AI PA.
Later, I ask Gemini AI to help me hunt down a new light fitting for my DIY shepherd’s hut. After searching eBay for a red glass flycatcher ceiling shade for under £50. I’ve turned up very little with a manual search.
Gemini suggests a change in search terms: “While many listings for ‘flycatcher’ shades are over your budget, there are often broader searches for ‘red glass lampshade’ or ‘Art Deco glass ceiling shade’ that may turn up suitable items.”
Within a minute on eBay, I’ve found the perfect shade for £39.99 and confirm my order for an orb of red glass that is exactly what I was hoping for – and £10 under budget.
FRIDAY
Today’s task is sorting out family car stuff. Bea passed her test last September and needs new insurance on her Citroen C1. As she hasn’t made a claim this year, I am hoping for hefty savings on last year’s policy, which cost £791. This year the renewal price is £536. Could AI beat this?
Perplexity AI includes sources shown in the answer. “This enables you to feel confident that it is actually looking things up rather than making an ‘educated’ guess,” explains Willem.
It recommends trying GoCompare, suggesting that the comparison site “frequently delivers the cheapest quotes for young drivers aged 17-24”. I input Bea’s details, but the best we can get is £601.47 – so no AI saving there.
SATURDAY
I want to go swimming today, but only if the water is warm enough. I consult with Co-Pilot, free with my Microsoft subscription: “I want a nearby beach with the warmest water in the area and easy parking. What do you recommend?”
To my surprise, it recommends Lancing Beach, a 45-minute drive from my West Sussex home. Co-Pilot is effusive, describing it as “a laid-back spot with a mix of shingle and sand, perfect for a quick dip”, adding that parking is easy and the beach is “usually not crowded”.
It even proposes 2pm as my “golden hour”, adding that this timing will “catch the low tide, warm air, and the sun at its peak”. And there is a beach-side café.
I’m sceptical about finding a sandy spot this close to Brighton, allowing myself visions of a sandy cove. More fool me: Lancing beach is yet another long stretch of shingle. As I sip my overpriced “ultimate hot chocolate”, I discover a watery lagoon beneath the whipped cream and toasted marshmallows – all promise and no real substance, a bit like AI.
For although our week-long experiment has saved me money, the results are hit and miss. It’s clear that while AI has its uses, it is not quite ready to take over the world.
Additional reporting by Willem Mulder
