AI is coming to laptops and iPhones: Worth having or a bad idea?

Are you ready for AI to take over your tech devices?

We're seeing new AI features from major companies this summer and fall.

While some features are free with new devices, others require you to spend money — often every month.

So are they worth the money?

New Microsoft laptops feature AI

Best Buy's Seph Swaenepoel said Microsoft's Copilot — free for the basic version, and $20 a month for Pro — is a big improvement over external AI.

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What's the advantage of having AI on your laptop?

"Having it localized as it is with Copilot Plus means it's faster, it's more efficient," Swaenepoel said.

In just ten seconds, it can write things like an employment recommendation.

Apple, LinkedIn adding AI features

This summer, Apple introduced another AI feature, Apple Intelligence. It is described as a "personal intelligence system" for the iPhone, iPad and Mac.

It's coming this fall to iOS 18.

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On LinkedIn, premium members who pay for a subscription can turn to AI for help with cover letters and resumes.

LinkedIn career expert Andrew McCaskill said, "Here's some other high-demand skills we think you have based on what you have listed here."

Is it safe to rely on?

McCaskill says AI should never be the final product as there is always a slight risk of incorrect information, often called "hallucinations."

"Use AI as a tool," McCaskill said, "and then you give it the human touch at the end."

Ayanna Howard, dean of the Ohio State University College of Engineering , said AI can enhance our lives, but cautions "over-trusting."

"At the beginning, we recognized the errors," Howard said. "It's just that we get into this mode where at some point we just stop questioning."

Best Buy laptop shopper Debbie Hondorf said she isn't sure she is ready for full AI.

For instance, she said, if AI writes a letter for you, "I'm always afraid they are going to send it somewhere it shouldn't go."

In addition, buying a high school student a fully enabled AI laptop could create problems in class if they rely on the feature to write their papers.

If you're excited about AI, however, it may be well worth the cost, typically $20 to $30 a month.

If not, stick with free versions you can try out on devices you have at home, and that way you don't waste your money.