I remember the first time I heard about ChatGPT. It was during a professional development class in my bachelor’s program. Our tutor asked if we knew what ChatGPT was. Most of the class already did, but I didn’t. She then explained the concept behind it and encouraged us to register.
At the time, my first thought was: I don’t need it. Why would I need this if I can write things myself and search everything on Google? Little did I know it would completely change not only my academic journey, but also my life.
Today, I can’t imagine a day without ChatGPT, and to be honest, it’s scary.
I use it for everything:
- I need to research something for my classes? ChatGPT is my starting point.
- I want to study a new language? ChatGPT becomes my tutor.
- I want to cook something with the ingredients I already have at home? I just ask ChatGPT for a recipe.
- I am on a holiday and see a statue but I’m curious about its story? I send a picture to ChatGPT and get the history instantly.
- I am having personal problems or need comforting words? I use ChatGPT as my therapist (the speaking version does a great job).
- Some simple, basic questions randomly pop up in my mind? I just ask ChatGPT.
It has reached a point where sometimes I don’t even want to use my own thinking, because it feels easier to just ask ChatGPT. This makes me wonder: could this be considered a kind of addiction? Is it dangerous? And if so, how can we protect ourselves from the potential negative consequences? I also experienced some downsides: sometimes it makes information up. Moreover, it collects my private information and my questions are used to train the model further (Tyler, 2025) which is even more scary. But still, I feel the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Of course, ChatGPT is just one example of what I can use AI for. The possibilities go far beyond that. Recently, I came across a Facebook group* called “We edit photos – bring them to life, restore them, colorize them”, where people post their photos and ask others to edit them. Usually the requests are simple like changing the colour of a dress or changing a background. Then of course responses often turn into funny jokes. But other posts are deeply emotional. Some users share photos of parents, siblings, friends or grandparents who have passed away and ask the community to use AI to bring the picture to life. The results are astonishing: from a photo, AI can generate a moving video of a person smiling, blinking or turning their head. One post that particularly struck me was from a mother whose son was born without a leg. She asked the group to animate his picture so he could see himself with both legs. The videos were touching, and the gratitude in her response was unforgettable.
These posts always make me emotional, and eventually, they inspired me to try it myself. I used an AI-powered tool on a platform called Artlist, which offers an Image-to-Video feature. It lets you upload a photo, add a text prompt (or use an automatically generated one), select the duration and then generate a video with motion (Artlist, n.d.). I decided to use it with a photo of my grandpa, who passed away two years ago. I had no videos of him while he was alive and now, thanks to this tool, I do. That video has become one of my most treasured possessions.
Although I recognize that AI comes with real risks, moments like these remind me that the opportunities it creates can be even more meaningful.
References:
Artlist. (n.d.). Transform your ideas into stunning visuals. Artlist. https://artlist.io/image-to-video-ai
Tyler, D. (2025, July 10). Myth vs. Fact: “My Conversations with ChatGPT are Private”. Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/myth-vs-fact-my-conversations-chatgpt-private-dontae-tyler-bzase
*The original name of the Facebook group is „PRZERABIAMY ZDJĘCIA – OŻYWIAMY, ODNAWIAMY, KOLORUJEMY”
