Your AI chatbot can do a lot more than draft emails or summarize articles. New features can turn ChatGPT, Claude and other AI tools into even better personal researchers, problem-solvers and amateur app developers.

• Why it matters: You don't need to be a tech expert to get more out of AI. Sometimes, you just need a few practical ideas for putting it to work.

Inspired by The Washington Post's new guide to AI "power-ups," here are five ways to put your chatbot to work:

1. 🔧 Fix something around the house: Snap a photo of a confusing error message on your dishwasher, thermostat or washing machine. Upload it with the model number, and ask AI to identify possible causes and suggest safe troubleshooting steps. I recently used AI to help authenticate a Herman Miller chair I bought secondhand on Facebook Marketplace, comparing its design details with changes in the chair's production over the years.
2. 🗂️ Turn a pile of documents into a personal assistant: Upload vacation itineraries, travel confirmations and reservations into a ChatGPT Project or Google's NotebookLM. Ask it to build a day-by-day schedule, flag conflicts and answer questions about your trip. My color-coded honeymoon itinerary for Argentina and Chile next month is courtesy of Claude, not my spreadsheet skills. It was right on the suggestion to book a rental car in Bariloche; brushing up on my Spanish is on me.
3. 🔎 Research a big purchase: Use a chatbot's Deep Research feature to compare refrigerators, mattresses or cars. Give it your budget and must-haves, and request a side-by-side breakdown of reliability, long-term costs and independent reviews. You can do the same for local services: AI helped me compare dog walkers and led me to Parkside Pups, which now walks my sweet poodle-beagle a few times a week.
4. 🛠️ Build something just for you: Want a family trivia game, holiday gift tracker or personal website? Describe it in plain English and ask AI to build a working version — no coding experience required. It's called "vibe coding," and if you've checked out a journalist friend's portfolio lately, you may have seen it in action.
5. 📑 Decode the fine print: That confusing clause buried in your 50-page homeowners insurance policy or warranty? Ask AI to explain exclusions, deductibles and coverage limits in plain English — and point you to the exact passages supporting its answers.

Between the lines: AI can be confidently wrong. Double-check important advice and research, and run consequential decisions by a human you trust.

• Security is essential: Remove sensitive personal information before uploading documents, and check your chatbot's privacy settings.

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• Have you had an experience with a chatbot lately that saved you time or taught you something? Write us at [email protected].

I snapped this photo yesterday while visiting Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City, Queens, after spending the afternoon at MoMA PS1.

• 🎨 MoMA PS1 is now free to visit through 2028, thanks to a gift from philanthropist Sonya Yu marking the museum's 50th anniversary.
• My subway take: Make all museums free!