This week we’re doing two very practical things with AI: **planning a road trip** and **writing a complaint letter that actually gets results**. Both are everyday situations where a bit of structure and the right words can save you hours of frustration, and this is exactly where AI shines for non‑tech people: thinking partner, not magic wand.

Try at least one before Sunday. That is the whole assignment.

Use Case 1 of 2

Use Case 1: Planning a road trip using AI

Picture this: Denise is 58, lives outside St. Louis, and has just promised her sister in Denver she’ll finally visit this August. It’s a two‑day drive, and she wants to make it fun instead of a slog - maybe stop at a small town with a nice downtown, avoid crazy mountain passes, and not spend a fortune on roadside motels that smell like old carpet.

It’s Tuesday night at 9:15 pm. She’s had “Plan trip to Denver” on her to‑do list for three weeks. Every time she opens Google Maps she gets overwhelmed - too many options, no sense of which route is better, and she keeps thinking, “There must be a smarter way to do this.” She’s heard people say AI can plan trips, but the examples she’s seen look like generic tourist brochures and she doesn’t want a bus tour of attractions; she wants **her** road trip, with her preferences.

This is exactly where AI can help. You give it the basics - where you’re starting, where you’re going, when, and how you like to travel - and it gives you a draft itinerary you can react to, refine, and make your own. You’re not letting it book anything. You’re using it to narrow the universe of choices and lay out a reasonable plan that you then check and adjust.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

> I’m planning a road trip and I want you to act as my road trip planner. > > Here are my details: > - Starting point: [YOUR CITY] > - Destination: [FINAL DESTINATION] > - Dates: [START DATE] to [END DATE] > - Daily driving limit: I prefer to drive no more than [X] hours per day. > - Travel style: I prefer [describe: scenic routes / small towns / avoiding big-city traffic / avoiding mountain passes / etc.]. > - Interests: I enjoy [e.g., local diners, light hikes, historical sites, bookstores, live music, etc.]. > - Budget level: [simple motels / mid-range hotels / I don’t mind splurging occasionally]. > - Who’s traveling: [solo / with partner / with kids, ages … / with a dog]. > > Please: > 1. Propose **two different route options** between my start and end points (e.g., faster vs more scenic), with a brief description of the trade‑offs for each. > 2. For the route you think best matches my preferences, create a **day‑by‑day plan** that includes: > - Suggested departure and arrival times > - Target towns or cities to stop in each night > - 2 - 3 ideas for good places to stop for meals or short walks > - 2 - 3 activity ideas in each overnight stop that match my interests > 3. Flag anything that I absolutely need to **double‑check myself** (such as road closures, seasonal issues, or current opening hours). > 4. At the end, include a short checklist of what I should verify on official maps and travel sites before I book anything. > > Before you start, ask me **three clarifying questions** about my preferences so you can make the plan more accurate.

Why this prompt works:

You’re giving the AI exactly what the trip‑planning tools need: clear origin, destination, dates, how long you want to drive, and your personal preferences. You’re also telling it to compare route options (so you see choices) and to flag what you must verify yourself, which nudges it away from pretending it knows real‑time road conditions. Asking it to start with clarifying questions forces it to tailor the plan to you instead of giving a generic tourist itinerary.

AI is **not** connected to live maps or current road conditions in a reliable way. It can suggest towns, parks, and routes, but you must double‑check things like closures, construction, weather, and opening hours using official maps, state DOT sites, or recent reviews. It may also underestimate how tiring multi‑day drives are - so if its plan looks too ambitious, trust your body, not the algorithm, and ask it to reduce each day’s driving time.

Use Case 2 of 2

Use Case 2: Writing a complaint letter that actually gets results

Now meet Victor. He’s 64, semi‑retired, and prides himself on paying his bills on time and reading the fine print. Last month, his internet went down for five days. The company’s phone support was a maze of hold music and scripts. He finally got service restored, but now he’s looking at his bill and realizes they’ve charged him full price for that period, plus a mysterious “service visit fee” that nobody mentioned.

It’s Thursday afternoon at 3:40 pm. Victor has already spent 90 minutes on the phone, talked to three different people, and gotten three different explanations. He’s angry enough to want to “give them a piece of my mind,” but he also knows that ranting rarely leads to refunds. He wants a letter or email that is firm, documented, and hard for the company to ignore - but he’s not sure how to lay it out, what tone to strike, or which details matter.

AI is ideal here, not because it can magically force a company to behave, but because it can help you assemble the facts, remove emotional fluff, and frame your request clearly: what went wrong, what policy applies, and what outcome you want. You stay in control of the story; the AI helps you polish it into something a supervisor can take seriously.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

> I want you to help me write a clear, firm, and professional complaint letter that has a good chance of getting results. > > Situation: > - Company: [COMPANY NAME] > - Type of service/product: [e.g., home internet, appliance repair, hotel stay] > - What went wrong: [describe in 4 - 6 bullet points with dates, times, and names if you have them] > - What I have already done: [phone calls, emails, chats, in‑person visits, any reference numbers] > - Impact on me: [missed work, extra expenses, stress, safety issue, etc.] > - What I am asking for: [refund amount, fee waiver, repair, credit, written apology, policy change, etc. - be specific]. > > Please draft: > 1. A short, factual **summary paragraph** that opens the letter and clearly states the issue. > 2. A numbered list of **key points**, in plain language, that lay out the timeline and facts in my favor. > 3. A paragraph that politely but firmly explains the **impact on me** and why this matters. > 4. A clear **request paragraph** that states exactly what resolution I am seeking and by when. > 5. A closing sentence that: > - keeps the door open for a constructive response > - makes it clear that I will escalate (to a supervisor, regulator, or public review) if this is not addressed. > > Use a respectful but assertive tone: calm, factual, and firm. > Avoid legal jargon and threats you can’t back up. > At the end, give me 3 - 4 short suggestions for how to adapt this letter if I send it: > - by email > - through a web form > - as a physical letter.

Why this prompt works:

Most people start complaints with emotion; this prompt starts with **structure**. By giving the AI the company name, what went wrong, what you’ve already tried, the impact, and the specific resolution you want, you feed it the raw material of a persuasive letter. Telling it to use numbered points organizes your timeline (which makes it easier for a customer‑service rep to follow), and specifying tone (“respectful but assertive”) nudges it away from both limp politeness and angry rants.

AI can be tempted to make things sound more dramatic or more “legal” than they really are. Read the draft carefully and remove any exaggerations, threats, or references to laws or regulations that you personally do not know to be true. You’re still responsible for the accuracy of what you send, and companies will ignore letters that feel like they were copied from a generic template. Make sure all dates, amounts, and facts match your actual records before you hit send.