Which ChatGPT Models Should I Use and When
HBR Top AI Use Cases, What should my college student study and events.
OpenAI provides a nice overview of the current models and when to use each one: GPT-4o - Omni model for real-time, multimodal tasks in everyday workflows
GPT-4.5 - Broader knowledge and better tone control - ideal for writing, coding and quick problem-solving
o4-mini - Fast, cost-efficient reasoning for code, math and visual tasks
o4-mini-high - o4-mini with extra depth for more thorough technical answers
o3 - The most powerful engine for complex, multi-step analysis. https://kendratech.substack.com/p/build-a-landing-page-with-o3-under
o1-pro - Legacy model tuned for high-stakes, long-form analytic work
OpenAI is working on a system where you give a prompt, and it decides which model would best be suited for the task.
Thank you, Tibor, for the image.
Harvard Business Review shared the Top AI Use Cases
The latest AI adoption, in the latest HBR article, we can see that we have moved from primarily technical applications to emotional ones. https://hbr.org/2025/04/how-people-are-really-using-gen-ai-in-2025
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆/𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, with "organizing my life" and "finding purpose" rounding out the top three.
This marks a significant shift toward using AI for self-actualization rather than just for coding.
Here are the key takeaways from the research:
1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆/𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 #1 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲, replacing technical applications. This is primarily visible in China.
2. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝟯𝟭% 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀.
3. 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 and more skepticism about AI ethics.
4. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 across their workforce.
This shift reveals something interesting about human nature. When given powerful technology, we ultimately use it to meet our deepest needs: connection, meaning, and self-improvement.
While we should 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, I'm encouraged by how people find creative ways to use these tools for personal growth.
Fire Award: Honored to have our work with CincyAI recognized by the Business Courier Innovation. The award honors the trailblazers and visionaries driving innovation in our region. Thank you so much! https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/inno/event/171986
Stop Asking What College Students Should Study. Start Asking This Instead.
I get this question all the time from parents, educators, and business leaders:
“What should students be studying to be future-ready?”
It’s an honest question. But in a world changing as fast as ours, it's not the right one.
The better question?
“What human skills will matter no matter how technology evolves?”
If we reframe the conversation around what won’t go out of style, we land here:
Emotional intelligence: understanding people, building trust, and resolving conflict.
Adaptability: the ability to pivot when things change (because they will).
Creativity: imagining what doesn’t exist yet and solving new problems.
Continuous learning: staying curious, humble, and willing to grow.
These aren’t just soft skills. They’re core survival skills in the age of AI.
The people who thrive in the future of work won’t be the ones who know everything.
They’ll be the ones who keep learning, keep asking, and keep evolving.
Let’s mentor the next generation or navigate your own mid-career pivot. This is your compass.
AI Is the Buzzword Today. Tomorrow, It’ll Just Be Work.
Remember when the internet first went mainstream?
Everyone was talking about “the web.” There were news segments about sending an email. We said things like “surfing the internet.”
It was novel. It was exciting. And it was everywhere.
Fast forward to today.
We don’t say “I used the internet” anymore. We just… use it. It’s invisible. It’s assumed. It’s embedded in everything we do.
The same thing is happening with AI.
Right now, AI is the headline.
We say things like “AI can do this!” and “That tool is powered by AI!”
But kids born today? They won’t call it AI.
They won’t even think about it as a separate thing. It’ll just be how work gets done.
The AI writing assistant? Normal.
The customer support bot? Expected.
The job interview simulation, the logistics route optimizer, the career coach that lives in your phone? Baseline.
So instead of obsessing over which tools to chase or which buzzwords to follow, let’s ask better questions:
How do we help people become fluent in change?
How do we prepare teams for a world where adaptability, ethics, and emotional intelligence matter more than memorization?
How do we raise a generation of thinkers, not just users?
Because if we do that right, the tools will come and go.
But the people? They’ll be ready for anything.
2025 AI Adventures
New events are added weekly. Since our community spans over 32 states, we’re making it easier than ever for you to join the conversation from anywhere. These virtual sessions are designed to be interactive and packed with real use cases you can apply immediately.
May
May 16 Power to Pursue 9-5 pm at Music Hall. Every woman deserves to be seen, heard, and loved. That is the foundational belief of the Power to Pursue Summit, an annual event where women gather to eliminate barriers and embrace the power of their authentic selves. I am leading a session at 9:50-10:45 on Empowering Women with AI, and with 8 other AI Coaches to assist all the women with some AI practice. https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/power-to-pursue-25
June
June 10-12 Cincy AI Week https://www.cincyaiweek.com/
Over 1000 attendees last year and 150 speakers. Use discount code CincyAI50.
June 17 CincyAI from 3-5 EST at UC Digital Futures building. Free to attend. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cincyai-for-humans-tickets-1234879430619?aff=oddtdtcreator
June 20 from 9-12 EST. Introduction to AI in partnership with Max Technical Training. This is a virtual live class led by Kendra Ramirez. Several hands on exercises in class. This class is eligible for Tech Cred which is reimbursed by the State of Ohio. Reimbursement process is easy. https://maxtrain.com/artificial-intelligence/general-artificial-intelligence-and-business-applications/introduction-to-ai/
I love answering your AI questions. Feel free to message me.
Where AI and inspiration collide!
Kendra Ramirez
KendraRamirez.com
We provide AI Speaking and Training, AI Readiness Assessments, AI Strategy, AI roadmap and implementation, and AI Coaching for small to mid-size businesses and nonprofits.
**For those new to my work, I have been in tech my whole career. Over 15 years of running my digital agency (website, social media, and lead generation) and 7 years of helping businesses navigate AI. Over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of leading over 100 training and speaking sessions, empowering businesses to embrace the transformative potential of AI. My passion lies in simplifying complex technologies to help organizations grow, innovate, and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
I am so excited that you are on this journey with me! Thank you! 🤗
I have been writing weekly about AI here for over two years. You can search all of my enewsletters here if you are looking to brush up on a certain topic. kendratech.substack.com