How to Use Gemini for Real Results
▼ Summary
– The author struggles to find meaningful, practical uses for Gemini and AI, feeling that AI tools often offer lateral improvements rather than objective upgrades.
– A strong use case for AI is in coding, where large language models excel at building code, though human developer oversight is still essential.
– The author found Gemini highly useful in Google Sheets, where it generated complex formulas like “COUNTIF” and “XLOOKUP” that saved time and frustration, despite needing manual tweaks.
– Gemini is also handy in Google Workspace for tasks like Sheets formula generation and image creation in Slides, though the author remains uneasy about the “Docs Live” feature.
– The author invites readers to share how they use Gemini, whether for search, productivity, coding, or other purposes.
Over the past several years, artificial intelligence has become a constant background presence in daily life. Not necessarily because most people are actively using it, but because we keep hearing about all the “progress” being made. I wouldn’t call myself a full-blown AI skeptic, but I’m far from a cheerleader. AI can do some genuinely impressive things, but so much of it feels like an elaborate attempt to reinvent the wheel. Gemini’s AI Overviews and AI Mode in Google Search are flashy new interfaces, but they often deliver the same results as a standard search , sometimes worse. Google itself has admitted the web is “in rapid decline,” and it’s not hard to guess why. AI tools, whether Google’s or anyone else’s, rarely feel like a clear upgrade. They’re more of a lateral move, and a resource-hungry one at that.
Still, I keep trying to find places where Gemini and AI in general can actually earn a spot in my daily routine. It’s an uphill battle.
The most convincing real-world use case I’ve seen so far is coding. Large language models are surprisingly good at reasoning through the logic needed to build code. I’ve only dabbled , I built a quick Chrome extension I needed , but the potential is obvious. That said, I still believe a skilled developer needs to be in the driver’s seat, especially for anything sold or widely distributed. The utility is clear, but it’s not a replacement for human expertise.
Outside of coding, results are mixed.
As I mentioned in last week’s Weekender, Google has been coming up with thoughtful ideas for where AI can actually help. One recent “aha” moment for me came in Google Sheets. Spreadsheets can be a real headache, but they’re incredibly powerful if you know how to use them. I’d say I’m not terrible at building formulas, but advanced spreadsheet work has always been a struggle. It usually involves endless web searches and trial and error to make generic tips work in my specific context. Gemini changed that. Without getting into every detail, I was trying to build a spreadsheet that could take multiple inputs , player names, payments, and a payout structure , and return clean results. After an hour of trying the old way, I turned to Gemini’s integration in Sheets. Using natural language, it generated formulas like “COUNTIF” and “XLOOKUP” that were far beyond what I would have known to search for. I still had to make manual tweaks, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without already understanding spreadsheets, but Gemini saved me a ton of time and frustration.
Google Workspace as a whole is where Gemini can be genuinely useful. I’m still uneasy about the “Docs Live” demo from I/O, but formula generation in Sheets and image generation in Slides are practical, real-world applications.
But I really want to hear from you.
What are you using Gemini for? Search? Productivity? Coding? I’m genuinely curious how you’ve found Google’s AI tools useful. Let’s talk about it.
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