Forgetting important dates.
Misplacing the house keys.
Struggling to keep track of an ever growing to-do list.
How many of us joke around if we could just have an assistant, we’d have enough time to get everything done and we’d never miss a deadline?
Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and the changing landscape of machine learning, this has never been closer to reality.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the same technology that brought us self-driving cars and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. It includes a variety of different types of tech, all of which are designed to complete the types of tasks commonly thought could only be done by humans.
Websites that can write term papers. Software that can convert your English literature professor’s most recent lecture into nice, tidy notes. Tools to optimize your daily schedule so you complete tasks more efficiently.
AI is changing the landscape of how we complete tasks and how we can organize our lives. What used to seem like far-fetched scenes from a sci-fi novel are now common in the households of teens and young adults. And while the thought of a machine organizing a calendar is a bit terrifying, there are so many benefits available to individuals who struggle with executive functioning skills.
Let’s check out these 5 tools as examples of how AI is revolutionizing executive functioning skills.
5 AI Tools To Help Boost Executive Functioning
ChatGPT
Every respectable list of AI tools right now has to have ChatGPT included. It’s by far one of the most innovative (and free) AI tools available to users right now. A language model created by OpenAI, ChatGPT is capable of processing and generating natural language responses, including writing emails, texts, paragraphs–even full length reports.
ChatGPT has been trained on a vast amount of data to understand and generate human-like language. As a result, it can engage in a wide range of conversations on various topics and provide informative and relevant responses.
ChatGPT has big applications for executive functioning. Not only can it be a helpful tool to overcome brain blocks when trying to craft written language. It can also be used to develop step-by-step instructions for common household tasks:
For example, type in the query:
“How do I organize the clothes in my closet for spring?
And ChatGPT produces an easy to follow task analysis:
Pros:
- Totally free (as of this writing, they also have a $20/month paid version)
- Incredibly fast. ChatGPT produces large amounts of text back in seconds.
- Easy to use platform. If you can ask a question, ChatGPT can assist.
- Targets many different EF skills with new uses of the platform developed every week.
Cons:
- It’s trained on 2021 data so some of the information may be factually inaccurate.
- You still have to have an original idea or question–ChatGPT only builds on what you can provide it.
- May produce information that discriminates, provides misinformation, or creates further bias.
- Increases the temptation to plagiarize and/or cheat.
Grammarly
In the world of AI, there’s so much more than spell check. Grammarly (affiliate link) is an online tool that allows you to upload text and instantly check common editing issues like spelling, grammar and word choice. But where it can really boost productivity and executive functioning is capturing more nuanced elements of communication like clarity and tone.
If you tend to ramble in emails or struggle to write with humor or confidence, Grammarly is an easy-to-use option that can be installed right into your web browser.
Pros:
- Highly accurate database of grammar, spelling and punctuation use.
- Easy to set up and operate, not a lot of learning curve here.
- Operates on a web-based platform and in a browser.
Cons:
- It doesn’t work on every platform and has major limitations on mobile devices.
- Free version is limited; annual pro version tops at over $130 per year.
Powerpoint Speaker Coach
While not specifically an EF skills tool, including Microsoft Powerpoint’s new “practice with a coach” feature on this list for anyone who struggles with EF skills when presenting in a group setting.
Unsure if your presentation slides make sense? Want feedback on your pacing, word choice, or how many times you say “ummmm…”? The speaker coach can provide you real-time feedback on presentation skills, helping you better plan, organize, and prepare for being in front of a group.
Pros:
- Free for anyone who has access to Powerpoint.
- Helps prepare in private, without social pressure.
- Statistics report at the end allows you to track progress towards public speaking goals.
Cons:
- Not as well developed as some of the other tools on this list
- Requires Microsoft PowerPoint integration; doesn’t function with other presentation platforms.
Motion
Planning, organization, and prioritizing tasks are some of the biggest challenges we work on with our clients in executive function coaching. Motion has become well-known as an easy to use platform to help gather items from a variety of to-do lists and then organize them into an effective daily or weekly calendar. Motion (affiliate link) can collect meetings, appointments, important events, tasks and personal goals and then integrate them directly into your existing calendar app.
This is a game-changer for individuals who have to manage their time on both work, school, and personal calendar platforms. Motion uses AI technology to learn your routines and more effectively get things done.
Pros:
- The platform suggests it can help boost productivity by up to 25%.
- Automatically generates project plans and timelines to help you break down bigger projects into smaller steps.
- Will automatically re-prioritize calendar events if an appointment is canceled or rescheduled.
Cons:
- Works best for individuals who use time blocking
- Spendy pricing plans to get access to full organization potential.
LightKey
One of the ways that AI can help us with EF skills is to improve our speed at tasks that may otherwise take us longer. Putting back even just a few minutes into our day can build up over time, allowing us more time for problem-solving and fewer instances where decision fatigue sets in.
LightKey (affiliate link) is one of those AI tools, giving you fractional amounts of speed on your day-to-day tasks that add up to big time management savings. LightKey is an AI-powered writing assistant that learns your language and typing patterns over time, creating industry-leading auto-fill generation.
LightKey will integrate into Windows applications across a variety of platforms and will gradually learn to produce accurate text suggestions based on your own writing style and word choice. Unlike ChatGPT and other AI language generation tools, LightKey learns your language patterns specifically, a fully customized experience.
Pros:
- Customizable AI – LightKey learns from your own habits and patterns.
- Write the way you normally would, only faster.
- Allows you to easily override the auto-generated text, and then learns from those overrides to make better text recommendations the next time.
- Includes writing productivity metrics.
- Covers 85 different languages.
Cons:
- Not MacOS compatible
- Free plan only covers 1000 keystrokes per month – not a lot of text generation.
- Pricing is based on the number of devices installed and not the user. The platform is expensive if you aim to use it on work and personal devices.
A Caution About AI and Executive Functioning Skills
We included this before in our review of how AI is changing the executive functioning landscape, but it’s worth saying again. AI can be a helpful tool, but it shouldn’t be a replacement for using our own EF skill set.
There’s an inherent risk in depending on AI solely for scheduling, productivity, and for task management. What if someday these platforms go away? Just as relying on other humans to help us with organization, planning and time management brings a risk of human errors, none of these platforms is without the risk of computer error.
Know the limits, know the risks to your privacy and the data you supply to AI companies, and continue to evaluate how your own skills are influenced as you embed AI into your routines.
How to Get Started with AI Tools for Executive Functioning
Before you take the leap, it’s important to know and understand what area of executive function you may benefit the most from additional AI tools. Pinpointing areas of EF challenge will give you the best idea of what AI tools are right for you.
To conduct a free, fast evaluation of EF skills, download our free .pdf Executive Functioning Assessment Workbook. These fillable questionnaires can quickly help you determine what areas of executive functioning may need a boost.
Further Reading
- Life Skills Advocate – How AI is Changing the Executive Functioning Landscape
- Life Skills Advocate – What Household Skills Does Your Teen Need to Know?
- Life Skills Advocate – Executive Functioning Assessment
- Life Skills Advocate – What is Executive Functioning?
- Popular Science – A simple guide to the expansive world of artificial intelligence