How can AI help me solve problems and make decisions?

AI is like having someone to think through problems with—someone who helps you see options you might have missed, asks good questions, and helps you organize your thinking when things feel complicated. Whether you're trying to solve a specific problem, make a difficult decision, plan something complex, or troubleshoot what's not working, AI helps you think more thoroughly and systematically.

The Steps: Using AI for problem-solving

How can AI help me brainstorm solutions? - Generate multiple approaches to a problem, think creatively about alternatives, and expand your options beyond your first instinct.

How can AI help me think through pros and cons? - Evaluate trade-offs, identify factors you might not have considered, and structure your thinking when making decisions with uncertainty.

How can AI help me plan and organize projects? - Break complex projects into manageable steps, think through logistics, and organize information so nothing falls through the cracks.

How can AI help me troubleshoot when something isn't working? - Diagnose problems systematically, identify likely causes, and work through solutions when something breaks or doesn't go as planned.

A Real Example: Deciding whether to move for a job

Let's walk through how someone might use AI to work through a complex decision that involves multiple factors and uncertainty.

Marcus receives a job offer in another city. The role is perfect for his career goals, the pay is significantly higher, and the company is well-regarded. But he'd have to leave his current city where his partner has a stable job, his aging parents live nearby, and he has a strong friend network. He's not sure how to think through a decision with this many moving pieces.

He starts by using AI to brainstorm the full scope of what he's actually deciding.

AI prompt: "I got a job offer that would require relocating to another city. The career opportunity is excellent, but I'd be leaving a lot behind. Can you help me think through all the factors I should consider?"

AI helps him identify the full decision landscape: career implications (growth potential, industry positioning, what happens to his career if he doesn't take it), financial considerations (salary difference vs. cost of living, moving expenses, long-term wealth building), relationship impacts (his partner's career, maintaining the relationship with a potential move), family considerations (proximity to aging parents, potential caregiving needs), lifestyle changes (urban vs. suburban, climate, hobbies and community), and reversibility (how easy is it to return if it doesn't work out).

Marcus realizes he's been focused primarily on the salary and career opportunity, but there are several major factors he hasn't fully thought through.

He decides to start by evaluating the relationship and career implications more systematically.

AI prompt: "My partner has a good job here and isn't sure about moving. How do I think through this decision while considering both our careers?"

AI suggests approaches: Can his partner find comparable work in the new city (research job market there)? Would his partner consider the move if they found a good opportunity? What happens to their relationship if he moves but they don't want to? Is remote work an option for either of them? What does "good for the relationship" look like compared to "good for individual careers"?

Marcus realizes he needs to have a real conversation with his partner about their shared priorities, not just assume the answer. But AI has helped him identify the specific questions to discuss.

AI prompt: "What questions should I ask my partner when we talk about this?"

AI suggests framing: "What would you need in order to feel good about moving?" "If the roles were reversed and you had this opportunity, what would you want from me?" "What are you most worried about if we move?" "What might actually be exciting about it?" "What would success look like in the new city?"

These questions help Marcus have a productive conversation instead of just presenting the dilemma.

After talking with his partner, Marcus learns they'd be willing to move if they could find decent work, but they're worried about starting over socially and being far from both their families. He decides to gather more information before deciding.

AI prompt: "What specific information should I find out to make this decision well?"

AI creates a research list: Job market for his partner's field in the new city, cost of living comparison (housing, taxes, daily expenses), flight costs and frequency to visit family, what the new city offers for their hobbies and interests, company's remote work policy (could he eventually work remotely from current city part-time), probation period for the new job, and whether the offer timeline allows for this research.

Now Marcus has a concrete action plan instead of just feeling overwhelmed by the decision.

Over the next week, Marcus researches and finds that his partner could likely find work, though maybe not at the same level initially. The cost of living is higher but the salary increase more than offsets it. Flights back home are reasonable and frequent. He brings this information back to AI to think through the decision.

AI prompt: "I've done the research. The practical stuff seems workable. But I'm still uncertain about whether this is the right choice. How do I actually decide?"

AI helps him think about decision frameworks: What matters most to him at this life stage—career acceleration, financial stability, being near family, relationship strength? Which of those does each choice serve better? What's he optimizing for in the next 5 years? What would he regret more—taking the risk and it not working, or playing it safe and wondering what could have been?

AI prompt: "I think my biggest fear is that we move, my partner struggles to find good work, they resent the move, and it damages our relationship."

AI helps him address the fear directly: What would you do if that started happening? How long would you give it before deciding the move was a mistake? Could you move back? What supports could you put in place upfront to reduce this risk (partner starts job searching before you move, you commit to visiting home regularly, you set a check-in point at 6 months to assess honestly)?

Marcus realizes the decision feels less scary when he has a plan for handling the worst-case scenario.

AI prompt: "Can you help me create a comparison of staying vs. moving across the factors that matter most?"

AI organizes his thinking into a clear framework:

Career growth: Moving wins significantly Financial: Moving wins moderately (higher expenses, but salary more than compensates)
Relationship: Uncertain, but workable if partner finds good work Family proximity: Staying wins (aging parents are a real consideration) Lifestyle/community: Slight advantage to staying (established roots vs. starting over) Risk level: Moving is higher risk, but reversible with some cost

Looking at this structure, Marcus sees that career and finances favor moving, while family and community favor staying. The relationship factor could go either way depending on execution.

AI prompt: "Given my partner is willing to try it if they find decent work first, and my parents are healthy now but won't always be, when would be the right time to take a career risk like this?"

AI reframes the timing question: If you wait until it feels safer (parents' health declining, partner more established, stronger roots), will opportunities like this still exist? What does your career look like in 5 years if you take this vs. if you don't? Can you support your parents from another city if needed (financially, visiting frequently)? What makes this a better or worse time than future opportunities might be?

This helps Marcus see that there may not be a "perfect" time, but right now isn't clearly worse than later—and the career opportunity is concrete while future opportunities are hypothetical.

After all this thinking, Marcus decides to accept the offer with some conditions: his partner starts job searching immediately, they commit to living there for at least a year before evaluating, and he builds regular visits home into his budget and calendar. If it's not working after a year, they'll reassess.

He didn't use AI to make the decision—he made it based on his values and priorities. But AI helped him think through all the factors, have better conversations, gather the right information, and feel confident he'd considered the decision thoroughly.

Tools: What you need

Any general AI chat tool (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) works well for problem-solving and decision-making. You don't need specialized tools for most situations.

The value comes from the back-and-forth conversation where you can refine AI's suggestions, add context, and dig deeper into the factors that matter most to you.

For very complex decisions with many quantifiable factors, you might eventually want a spreadsheet or decision matrix, but AI can help you create that structure.

Important Reminders

AI helps you think more thoroughly, but it doesn't have the answer. You know your values, priorities, constraints, and what success looks like for you. AI's job is to help you organize your own thinking, not to tell you what to do.

Good problem-solving and decision-making isn't about eliminating all uncertainty. It's about understanding the situation well enough to make an informed choice you can commit to. AI helps you get to that point faster and more completely.

If you find yourself asking AI again and again hoping for a different answer or more clarity, that's usually a sign you've done enough analysis and need to decide rather than continuing to deliberate. AI can help you recognize when you have enough information.

Not every problem or decision needs this level of analysis. Small stuff and easily reversible choices don't require extensive thinking. Save AI-assisted problem-solving for decisions that actually matter and where thoughtful analysis adds real value.