My ChatGPT Year 2025 looked like this: coffee, coding, sticky notes.
It was surprisingly accurate. Well.... not that hard to guess this. I work on projects almost every day. I code, I learn, I debug. I ask a lot of questions. ChatGPT has become part of my daily workflow, and honestly, a very good teacher.
Still, seeing such an accurate picture (with coffee and sticky notes!) made me pause.
If I’m predictable enough for an AI to describe my desk so well, it’s not because it’s watching me. It’s because patterns are easy to form when we repeat things every day. (At least I am happy that I have changed my habit of drinking coffee to other hot drinks recently and chatgpt does not know about it yet ... haha)
That brought back something I occasionally think about:
data and awareness.
I don’t find this scary, but I do think it’s important to stay conscious. I’ve always cared about understanding influence and manipulation. Sometimes that mindset makes me feel like I’m swimming against the river. But I prefer that to drifting without noticing.
AI is powerful and helpful. But awareness still matters.
For me, this is the kind of data I’m careful not to share with AI:
passwords, tokens, or access keys
- financial information
- exact location or daily routines
- sensitive health or legal details (which I used to share! : / )
- deeply personal vulnerabilities that could be misused
Some data is harmless. Some data deserves protection.
Using AI doesn’t mean turning off your thinking.
It means using it with intention.