Types of AI user, explained in 3 everyday situations

Two friends discover the same AI app. The first opens it, taps everywhere and asks it a question within two minutes. The second reads the home page, wonders where their answers will go and would rather wait for someone to show them. Neither is wrong. They’re simply different types of AI user. The differences come down to three everyday traits, and three simple situations are enough to bring them out.

Why we don’t all use AI the same way

We bring our habits with us when we use AI. Our taste for new things, the way we organise ourselves and our relationship with information can influence how we use AI, along with our goals, experience and context. These traits matter more than technical skill in deciding whether a use helps us or gets on our nerves.

Our test offers a self-assessment along these three dimensions. Each one contrasts two useful attitudes, and neither is better than the other. The three situations below help you recognise them.

Situation 1: a new AI has just come out

Everyone has been talking about it since this morning. Some installed it before lunch and have already tried it on three questions. Others wait for the first reviews, look at how it uses data and decide they’ll see later.

This is the first dimension, how you approach AI, which runs from enthusiastic to cautious. Enthusiastic people first see what AI can do for them and get things moving. Cautious people first spot what to avoid, which saves everyone a few missteps. A team or a family needs both.

Situation 2: you’re planning a weekend away

The first sets off with an idea and improvises on the spot. They take a detour, find somewhere to eat on the way and change plans when it rains. The second sorts out the times, the bookings and the packing list, and enjoys the trip all the more because nothing is left to chance.

This is the second dimension, how you get things done, which runs from explorer to methodical. With AI, explorers try unexpected requests and learn as they go. Methodical people build a few solid uses that they keep and reuse.

Situation 3: a surprising figure is going round

In the family group chat, someone shares a startling statistic. The first wonders where it comes from and looks for the source. The second trusts the person who shared it and moves on.

This is the third dimension, how you handle information, which runs from verifier to trusting. It matters a lot with AI, which can be wrong with great confidence. Verifiers cross-check and spot mistakes. Trusting people move fast and rely on sources they know. To know what to check and when, read how to check an AI answer.

How the three dimensions combine

Everyone sits somewhere on each of the three dimensions. Combining them gives eight profiles, grouped into four families.

• The Trailblazers, enthusiastic explorers, are the Pioneer and the Experimenter.
• The Builders, enthusiastic and methodical, are the Accelerator and the Architect.
• The Scouts, cautious explorers, are the Observer and the Investigator.
• The Stewards, cautious and methodical, are the Pillar and the Guardian.

Within each family, the third dimension makes the difference. The Pioneer trusts the answers they get, while the Experimenter checks them. To compare the eight profiles, their strengths and their uses, see the 8 AI profiles.

There’s no such thing as a good or bad AI user

We often imagine that the good AI user is the one who uses it most. Yet a Pioneer who tests everything without checking can end up with the wrong train time, and a Guardian who checks everything can miss a tool that would help them. Each profile has its strengths and gains from having different profiles around. The Pioneer helps the Guardian get started, and the Guardian saves the Pioneer a few missteps.

Your profile suggests ways to use AI that suit you, to adapt to your level and needs.

So, what kind of AI user are you?

In each situation, one reaction probably rang a bell. Most of us sit somewhere in between. You can be cautious about a new AI and very much an explorer when planning a weekend.

The simplest way to find out is to take the test. It has 21 questions, takes about 3 minutes and needs no account. You get your profile, where you sit on the three dimensions and a first tip to try. Then, to get started, read our guide on how to use AI in everyday life.