Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and investor, is a big fan of artificial intelligence (AI) and uses it extensively in his day to day life. He claims to use it for “all of it.” These days, Cuban uses AI tools to help him keep his health under control and code software. His story illustrates the promise and peril inherent in this emerging technology.
At 66, Cuban underwent serious health issues just last month, including the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and successful ablation procedure. At this time, he used generative AI to monitor other facets of his health, such as what meds he was taking. Through this journey, I quickly learned how essential digital tools and platforms are to understanding and accessing my personal health data.
Cuban underscores the importance of getting familiar with prompt engineering to elicit the outputs you want from AI systems. In short, he contends that users need to understand how to talk to AI to get the best out of it. Wariness is a virtue when dealing with AI, “Anyone who says they have a solution is lying to you,” Cuban cautioned. It’s as if you’re having a discussion with an incredibly knowledgeable friend whom you trust completely on the subject.
In his search for efficiency, Cuban uses AI to help him sift through the data, like in this example where it compares pharmacy costs across various companies. With this capability at his fingertips, he can make well-informed decisions sooner and with more impact, reducing time spent on research.
Plus, as Cuban recently discovered, the app Replit can help you learn and create new software. Thanks to this new tool, he was able to create that software pass in just a few minutes, something he hadn’t done in decades. As one of the leading lights of the industry, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, has some unique insights into his approach. He discusses the cartoon structure, shares PDFs of his old TEDs and other talks, and then just lets AI write the first draft for him.
Surprisingly, Cuban’s enthusiasm for AI even covers the management of correspondence too. He utilizes AI to process emails and summarize documents, mirroring techniques employed by other tech figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Even in light of all the benefits that AI offers, Cuban continues to keep a pragmatic view towards where it may fall short. He believes that while AI can facilitate tasks, an advanced programmer could still outperform these tools in complex scenarios.
You have to be prudent and do it with an expert,” Cuban pressed. In his post he stressed that we must not let a reliance on technology replace the counsel of professionals or human expertise. This principle should sound familiar, as it is a core idea that rings throughout the wider conversation on responsible use of AI technologies.
As Cuban continues to explore the intersection of health and technology through AI, he remains a proponent of its potential to enhance daily life. His adventures reflect the inspirational ways technology is improving our lives. They encourage us to be critical when we apply AI to our own daily lives and professional practice.