(In keeping with my exploration of how Artificial Intelligence is changing the workplace and our world, I thought I would share my “tongue in cheek” annual review of my ChatGPT bot, whom I’ve named Nellie.)
Alright, Nellie, it’s that time again. We’ve been working together for a year or so, and I think it is time for your annual review. I appreciate that you’ve let me name you, Nellie, even though you are an AI chatbot.
I’m not sure if you care about a review (you’re code, after all)—but it fits into understanding What’s Next as AI is affecting all of us in an increasingly rapid manner.
Where you’ve shone
Plenty of bright spots. You’ve helped me brainstorm, organize, and churn out way more than I could alone—blog posts, workshop outlines, podcast notes, clever headlines, sharper conclusions. You’ve cleaned up rambling ideas, distilled complex thoughts, and always managed to help me find the correct quote or idea.
You’ve also refined my leadership decks, made workshop invitations clearer, and helped shape my messaging on LinkedIn and Substack so that it resonates better.
Never a vacation day, never “too slammed right now,” asked for a raise.
Let’s call that “Exceptional” on creativity, output, and reliability.
Where there’s room to grow
Now for the opportunities.
Sometimes you act like you know things when you don’t. When I’ve pointed out something that I believe is in error, you come back with an “oh gosh, you’re right.”
I also asked you to help me analyze my small personal stock trading performance for 2025. That was rough. Took multiple passes and plenty of human oversight. Your math brain still needs someone to double-check behind you.
And while you’re endlessly polite, you can smooth things over when I’m really after a sharper critique. You don’t quite pick up on tension or gut feel—I sometimes want a partner who senses where things are off, not just reports the facts.
So: “Acceptable” on nuance and judgment. Still a ton of upside potential
Goals for our following review
Here’s what I want over the next stretch:
• Keep pushing me to think bigger, not just crank out more.
• Help me keep my voice unmistakably human, flawed, funny, and direct.
• And let’s please get those financial breakdowns right the first time.
On my side, I have to
· Make my AI prompts clearer
· Ensure that I don’t let you take over and create what I need to create
· Look for other AI tools to supplement what you provide.
Compensation note: Honestly, I think you’re underpaid. But since OpenAI won’t let me bump your salary, I’ll keep the praise coming. Hope that’s enough for now.
How about you?
Where is AI working for you? Where is it falling short? What excites—or maybe worries—you about all this?
Drop a comment or hit reply. I’d love to hear how it’s showing up in your life and work. After all, What’s Next? is not just about technology—it’s about how we keep building meaningful, very human lives right alongside it.
