HomeTechHacker: How I Use AI to Simplify Life and Work Smarter

By Marlon Buchanan

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for tech companies or coders. 

It already is a part of everyday life. AI tools can help you save time, stay organized, and even improve your health. 

Over the past couple of years, I’ve integrated AI into my daily routines to work smarter, not harder.

One of the ways I rely on AI the most is for brainstorming. 

Chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot help me come up with new article ideas, book concepts, and social media content. They also help refine my plans and provide perspectives I might not have considered. Sometimes I’ll even compare ideas from multiple AI tools to see which approach feels strongest.

AI also helps with writing and editing. 

I use it to create outlines, improve drafts, and polish my writing. Tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT make it easier to check for clarity and tone so that what I write comes across the way I intend.

When it comes to technical work, AI saves me hours. 

I use it to create automations in Home Assistant and to generate complicated Excel formulas that would have taken me a long time to figure out on my own. Having a digital assistant that understands code and logic makes many projects much more approachable.

AI is also part of my creative process. It helps me draft social media captions, schedule posts, and generate images that fit my content. I still bring my own ideas and style to everything I post, but AI helps me stay consistent without spending endless time designing or writing.

I even use AI in fitness. By analyzing data from my Polar and Withings devices, AI can suggest workouts, track recovery, and provide insight into progress. It keeps me accountable and helps me understand how my body is responding to training.

What I like most about using AI is that it takes care of repetitive or time-consuming tasks, leaving more space for what matters most. 

That idea—using technology to reclaim time and focus—is a key theme in my book Life by Design. The book explores how to use automation and smart tools to make daily life more intentional and productive.

If you want to learn how to use AI tools yourself, start small. My free course AI Simplified: Essential Tools You Can Use Todayat HomeTechHacker Academy is a great place to begin. It walks through simple, practical ways to make AI work for you.

AI isn’t all about replacing people. It’s about using technology thoughtfully to make life easier, more efficient, and more balanced.

Marlon Buchanan

Marlon Buchanan is a best-selling author, IT Director, and founder of HomeTechHacker.com, a website with free resources to help you make the most of your home technology.

If you have questions or comments about this article, you can contact Marlon through his website or X (Twitter).

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