AI Project Gallery

Over the last couple of years I've been building things with AI. I don't have a deep technical background, but I know that the only way to really understand a hammer is to nail some boards. I've made some things I'm really proud of, and some real stinkers.

Planning and managing these projects has helped me better evaluate what AI is and isn't good for, and which are the right tools for the job.

I've paired these experiments with some old photos I've taken over a career in international development spanning four continents.

For twenty years I've been learning to use new tools to tackle old problems. AI is just the latest frontier.

Projects
6 works
Build Journal thumbnail
APP

Build journal

I created this build journal with detailed notes on what I've done, tools and skills used, challenges, and future development ideas. Thanks to the AI Daily Brief, which has inspired many of these projects.

"At first I was logging my hours per project, but eventually I had to stop - the numbers were getting embarrassing."

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"At first I was logging my hours per project, but eventually I had to stop - the numbers were getting embarrassing."

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INFOGRAPHIC

Meet your AI team

I put four leading large language models through the paces with prompt refinement, research and strategy, data analysis, visual design, and writing exercises. This infographic describes their strengths, limitations, and best use cases.

"For most tasks, context, detailed instruction, and iteration mattered more than the model."

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"For most tasks, context, detailed instruction, and iteration mattered more than the model."

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BUILD JOURNEY

How I built a meal planner with AI

I created an infographic to show the process I went through to build a meal planning app with Google AI Studio. The puppet master image was created with AI image generation.

"The infographic was pretty straightforward. The hard part was the image generation. Making simple changes was maddening, even with AI tools helping write detailed prompts."

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"The infographic was pretty straightforward. The hard part was the image generation. Making simple changes was maddening, even with AI tools helping write detailed prompts."

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RESEARCH

Testing the limits of AI deep research

I experimented with an AI deep research agent to explore potential funders for a small non-profit organization where I volunteer. I developed an hypothesis, worked out a prompt, and set the agent on it. After several iterations, I was nowhere. It's my first big failed experiment, useful lesson in what AI can and can't do.

"AI is extraordinarily good at finding what's there, and has nothing to say about what isn't."

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"AI is extraordinarily good at finding what's there, and has nothing to say about what isn't."

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BUILD JOURNEY

AI For non profits briefing

I wanted to create an automation that would send a report to my inbox once a week. The briefing has news and information on how non-profits are using AI to transform their operations — and how they are managing that change. I went through several iterations, using different models and tools, and eventual created a useful product. This build journey shows where I got lost and how I found my way again.

"AI chatbots are perfectly designed to encourage doubling down on the same approach - there is always one more small fix that will make the damn thing work."

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"AI chatbots are perfectly designed to encourage doubling down on the same approach - there is always one more small fix that will make the damn thing work."

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BUILD JOURNEY

Industry research automation pipeline

I built a tool to automate 6 discrete tasks following networking or informational meetings. This is my most complex project yet — triggering 12 steps, using 10 tools, and connecting to six APIs. It also connects to the RAG knowledge base I created as one of my first AI projects to consolidate and analyze career insights.

"It seems silly to build a tool for tasks that only take a few minutes. But those minutes add up — and the real value is clearing your mind while knowing nothing gets dropped."

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"It seems silly to build a tool for tasks that only take a few minutes. But those minutes add up — and the real value is clearing your mind while knowing nothing gets dropped."

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