The landscape of artificial intelligence has transformed dramatically. What once seemed like science fiction—AI creating content from scratch—has quietly woven itself into our everyday lives in ways both surprising and profound.

TLDR:

• AI for therapy and companionship ranks as the #1 use case, with users seeking emotional support and empathetic responses

• People are using AI as a thinking partner for deep personal questions, finding purpose, and boosting confidence
• Life organization applications include personalized schedules, health plans, and travel itineraries
• Enhanced learning through AI offers personalized education with "infinite patience" and judgment-free explanations
• Creative uses range from generating memes and jokes to suggesting recipes based on available ingredients
• Technical assistance for everyday problems empowers users to fix everything from audio settings to car parts

Mark Zell Sanders' 2025 Top 100 Gen AI Use Case Report offers a fascinating window into this evolution, not through hypothetical scenarios but by examining authentic online conversations about how real people are actually using these tools.

The methodology itself speaks volumes—curating public discussions from platforms like Reddit provides insights that traditional surveys simply miss, capturing the genuine, unfiltered ways AI is being incorporated into daily routines.
What emerges from this deep dive is a remarkable shift away from purely technical applications toward deeply personal ones. "Therapy companionship" now ranks as the #1 use case, with people seeking emotional support, empathetic responses, and virtual companionship from AI.

One user with a brain injury credited AI with "saving my sanity" by helping manage family interactions, brain fog, and memory problems. Others use AI as a thinking partner for self-reflection, exploring values, and navigating life paths—some even reporting tangible life changes like returning to education after these AI-facilitated introspections.
The practical applications are equally fascinating. Users create detailed life organization systems, personalized health plans, and custom travel itineraries. They leverage AI for judgment-free learning experiences, recipe suggestions based on available ingredients, and troubleshooting everything from audio settings to car repairs. Each example illustrates how generative AI is becoming less a specialized tool and more an integrated companion across multiple dimensions of human experience.
As you listen to these diverse examples, consider how the line between human assistance and AI support might continue to blur in your own life. What new possibilities—or challenges—might this present? We'd love to hear about your experiences with generative AI as this remarkable technology continues its rapid evolution.

Report: The 2025 Top-100 Gen AI Use Case Report.pdf

Support the show

For more information:
🌎 Visit my website: https://KieranGilmurray.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kierangilmurray/
🦉 X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/KieranGilmurray
📽 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KieranGilmurray
📕 Buy my book 'The A-Z of Organizational Digital Transformation' - https://kierangilmurray.com/product/the-a-z-organizational-digital-transformation-digital-book/
📕 Buy my book 'The A-Z of Generative AI - A Guide to Leveraging AI for Business' - The A-Z of Generative AI – Digital Book Kieran Gilmurray