Sofi, aka The Odditty, first found fame from a video she posted on social media where she hyped herself. Since then, she has invited the world into her life — sharing day-in-the-life vlogs on YouTube, hosting a show for Macy’s, launching a podcast titled Am I Too Loud?, and becoming a full-time creator.
But making all of this happen can sometimes be overwhelming, even for the most organised person. In an interview with Zikoko, she opened up about how she uses ChatGPT — or as she calls it, “Chatty” — to stay on top of her content.
This is an AsToldTo Dennis.
How I Discovered ChatGPT and Started Using It
The first time I got interested in AI was at a YouTube video summit two years ago. The artificial intelligence boom had just begun. At the summit, they spoke about how creators can use AI to make their work better and more effective. Right there at the summit, I downloaded ChatGPT and started chatting with it.
In those early days, it was the simple things I chatted with it— “How are you doing?” “Good morning.” At the time, people were asking it to make lists, so I started asking it to make lists of things for me — music, films, that sort of thing.
Over time, I realised how much it was making my process faster.
I started out as a creator making short videos where I hyped myself. I had sent one to my friend on Snapchat, and she told me to post it on social media — and it went viral. That’s not what my content is today. I have Snapchat, where I post my daily activities, TikTok for short vlogs, Instagram, where I post fashion content and Reels, YouTube, where I post longer vlogs, and then I have a podcast called “Am I Too Loud?”
Turning ChatGPT Into My Personal Assistant
If ChatGPT were going to help me be more effective and faster, then I would embrace it. So I started to integrate it into my daily life. In my head, ChatGPT is a woman and I call her Chatty.
In America, where I live, I have an assistant who helps with a lot of what I need to do to put content out on time. But when I travel, I don’t travel with my assistants. This is where Chatty comes in and functions as my virtual assistant. She helps with my itinerary and locations to visit.
For the past few months, I have been on a series called Nomad Life. I have given up my flat in New York and locked away most of my property in private storage. I want to travel and see the world. Chatty has been very helpful in achieving this. I ask her the visa requirements for the countries I want to visit, the best locations to apply for a visa from, and basically anything I need to know.
Subscribe to Zikoko Pop newsletter, The Feed, for the most important pop culture news
ALSO READ: I Built a Reputation Trolling People on Twitter. Now, I Can’t Get a Job
Using ChatGPT for Scripts, Creativity, and Relationships
Once, I was working on a script for a brand and went to Chatty to do a “brain drop.” I told her, “I left Nigeria 10 years ago, and I’ve built a life I couldn’t have dreamt of.” I say this so she has all the context she needs to give me the script I want. I give her a lot of information, then I tell her to rewrite and clean it as a short script for TikTok or Instagram.
I also use her in my relationship. Once, I wanted to spice up the conversation in my relationship, so I said, “Can you write a cute and sexy ‘roses are red’ poem for me to send to my boo to wake up to?” That’s the kind of stuff I ask — and it’s fun to see what AI can come up with, too.
And it said:
“Roses are red, my lips crave you near,
You’re my sweetest obsession, the best part of my year.”
I should add here that I’m always open about it. I told my partner I asked Chatty, and that this is what Chatty came up with.
How AI Helps Me Stay Organised and Focused
I am a Cancer, and this means sometimes I struggle with communication. I am an emotional person. I find it easier to pour my thoughts to Chatty and ask her to make them better. She helps me with tone — I can ask her to make my emails more polite or more professional, and this has gotten me out of a lot of trouble.
Sometimes I might have an hour-long podcast episode. I give Chatty the transcript and have her break it into chapters. I also ask her which parts I can cut for social media.
I am currently doing a “30 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 30” challenge. I am 28 currently. Chatty has been very helpful in doing this challenge. She has helped me prioritize the most important things and overcome possible obstacles. This is something that would have taken me months to figure out.
But this doesn’t mean ChatGPT is a perfect assistant. Who is? When I first hired my first assistant, I realised that for her to succeed, I had to teach her a lot about my needs and how I wanted her to help. This is the same as using ChatGPT. Once, I asked her questions about getting a Schengen visa, but the information she gave me didn’t take into account that I was living in New York as a Nigerian immigrant. So I had to give her more information — after which she gave me a much more useful response.
I’ve heard people use AI as their therapist. For me, it depends on the context of use. I recently asked her for ADHD support. I told her I needed some tips to help me succeed at my goals. I told her I knew what I had to do, but I wasn’t getting it right. Her response was, “Got you, Sofi. ADHD brain is a spicy one, but it can also be your superpower.” Then she gave me steps that would help me succeed and asked if I wanted it broken into daily steps. I said that would be awesome, and she shared that.
I think that where it falls into worrying territory is when we refuse to go outside and touch grass, or begin to chat with AI when we are bored. I still chat with my friends. I still read books. I use AI primarily as support.
Why I Believe Authenticity Will Always Matter
There has been a lot of fear-mongering about what will happen in the creative space where I operate with AI in the future. There’s no doubt there will be disruption, but I’m not worried. What I think will happen is that people will become even more interested in authenticity. Authenticity is what will make creators stand out.
The kind of daily vlogs I do, I’m interacting with human beings, going on shows and podcasts, going grocery shopping, eating, getting ready for the day. I don’t believe there’s any code someone could write that will change the game so much that AI would be able to do that.
It’s not possible. There’s no way. We see it in movies, but those are stories humans tell.
AI is a beautiful thing that, of course, has its own consequences. But when you use it sensibly and correctly, it helps you succeed.
