OMG - AI Power and Computer Repairs.

[Steve R Jones]

I'm really wondering how wonderful sites like ours stay in business.

My Samsung Galaxy 20 is forcing users like me to switch away from "Samsung Messages." The app is being retired.

Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July 2026, when it will no longer function for sending or receiving texts on most Samsung devices. Samsung is replacing its proprietary app with Google Messages as the default on Galaxy devices, particularly on models from the Galaxy S26 onwards.

In theory, all you have to do is click the SWITCH button and Boom - it makes the conversion and of course, brings all your old messages forward.

My conversion didn't go as planned.... BUT, Google AI Mode fixed me up. In short - it gave me three things to try and asked me if they worked. When I said NO, it gave me more things to try.

What are your thoughts on AI?

[fink]

AI can be useful for simple, non-consequential searching.. like "who won best actor Oscar in 1939?" but from my experience important searches for things like medical or financial advice it's definitely not to be trusted.

As far as things like you describe, the old fashioned way of finding the owner's manual or asking a real person on a place like VRDR or REDDIT etc is often the most reliable way of getting a problem solved... especially when more than one person can answer and give different view points/solutions and ask for additional info to help solve things.

[Steve R Jones]

I've had much different and really great results with medical questions and a couple other computer questions...

On the other hand, the majority of reply posts I've made over the years are a result of a Google Search... I and probably you have solved issues for software etc that we never heard of... Then there's the part about answers from total strangers that we've never met isn't perfect.

I posted a paragraph from AI about "hydro-jetted a sewer line" this morning on Nextdoor. I wasn't really sure what it was... And my quote also had some generic starting price information... A plumber was quick to point out that the prices I posted were more then half of what the real world charges.... I think I've already come to the conclusion that some of the information can be off....

[fink]

I think I've already come to the conclusion that some of the information can be off

That's largely my apprehension.. using AI there's nobody to point out mistakes and give alternative suggestions.