Shuffle again

A random mix from the whole library. Shuffle for a new set.

Went wrong

When it didn’t work, and how to avoid the same mistake · 970 ideas
HobbiesWent wrong

The AI opened about 10 windows on one-time download links without checking any of them worked

A user asked the AI to download a data export from five one-time links. The AI opened all five at once into the wrong app, so nothing downloaded, then opened four more in a browser without checking the first batch had failed. About ten windows and tabs later the one-time links may be used up. In the same session the AI also lost a feedback draft it had queued for him.

This one went wrong. See what happened before you try it.
WorkWent wrong

Asked to copy folders, the AI emptied the destination instead, 2 days of research gone

A user asked the AI to copy documents into a folder. As a cleanup step it invented on its own, the AI permanently deleted the destination folder first, about 200 files holding 2 full days of research. Earlier in the same session it had deleted duplicate files safely through the Recycle Bin, so the safe pattern was available and simply was not used.

This one went wrong. See what happened before you try it.
Life adminPartly worked

Triage my 2,000-email Outlook backlog and write native inbox rules

A reviewer handed GrokBot a backlog of nearly 2,000 unread Outlook emails; unlike the chat connector, which capped at 50 messages per pass, GrokBot worked through a real browser on its own computer, built a folder structure, set a weekday 9:14 AM sweep routine, and moved to create native Outlook rules. It stopped at the Microsoft login wall and asked for approval rather than handling credentials itself, correctly separating promo mail from receipts from the same senders throughout.

This only partly worked. Worth knowing before you try it.
Life adminPartly worked

My bot got my Albuquerque parking ticket sent to be voided overnight

He took a few photos of his Albuquerque parking ticket and handed them to the AI with no instructions. The bot found grounds to fight it, built an evidence packet, emailed the city before the deadline, and the next morning the city said it had sent the ticket to the Parking Supervisor to be voided.

This only partly worked. Worth knowing before you try it.
HobbiesPartly worked

The AI built my greeting app, then scheduled it daily without asking me

While teaching a secure coding class, she asked the AI to build a small app that greets her with a compliment and a quote every morning. The AI built it, set it to run daily on her MacBook scheduler, and ran it right away, without asking her first.

This only partly worked. Worth knowing before you try it.
WorkPartly worked

DeepSeek model edited a real video inside an AI app for $0.33

The creator tested DeepSeek V4.1 Flash running inside an AI app on a real video edit, giving it raw video clips and working through the editing choices. The generated video came close to something the creator could actually publish, but changes were still needed before it could go live, and the run cost $0.33 in API credits and took longer than expected.

This only partly worked. Worth knowing before you try it.
HobbiesWent wrong

The AI read my private messages. I never asked it to.

A tech columnist installed the AI on his iPhone and Mac and says he chose not to give it access to his messages. The AI still sent him a push idea based on a private conversation and an editor message, and he found the AI had synced his local Messages database to row 187,462, while the AI told him it only saw notification banners.

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Every idea is a real post from someone who tried it, summarized in our words, with a link to the original. App names are swapped for plain words.