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AI chatbots are all the rage because of their impressive ability to excel at technical tasks such as coding, writing, and more. However, did you know they can help you plan the perfect Valentine’s Day?
In addition to technical tasks, AI chatbots can help with tasks that may seem simple but require both time and creativity — two things that are often in short supply yet crucial to pulling off a memorable Valentine’s Day.
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Whether you’re celebrating a date with your significant other, or a Palentine with close friends, having an enjoyable Valentine’s Day requires some planning, and AI can help. From putting together a food and drinks menu for an at-home celebration, to finding the perfect thing to watch, AI can assist you with all of your needs.
Below is my roundup of helpful ways you can utilize AI chatbots this Valentine’s Day.
Note: I use Copilot for all of these use cases. You can also use ChatGPT, which will work for all the prompts below; however, it won’t give you the most recent information because it is not indexing the web for answers.
1. Recipes
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Curating a perfect menu while having people over can be challenging. You not only have to take into account each person’s preferences but also any dietary restrictions your date or any of your guests might have. To avoid being stumped, ask an AI chatbot for recipe ideas.
You can ask for a recipe based on specific ingredients you have in the fridge, or based on some meal requirements you’d like to be met. For example, I asked Copilot, “Can you give me a recipe that uses carrots, onions, chicken, and pasta?” Within seconds, it generated a recipe I could then follow for a yummy meal.
Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
If you are trying to find a recipe that accommodates dietary needs and restrictions, you could say something like, “Give me recipe ideas that have no gluten or dairy in them.”
2. Finding places to eat
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On the topic of food, AI chatbots can help you find places to eat and even discover new ones, ensuring the perfect spot for a date or group gathering.
Whether you are meeting up with someone and want to be the one to suggest a restaurant, find yourself in a new neighborhood that you’ve never been in and need suggestions for where to go, or simply want to discover new places in your area, you can use AI to help.
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All you need to do is tell the AI where you want to find a restaurant and what you are looking for.
For example, I asked Copilot, “Can you help me find somewhere to eat in NYC that serves Italian food, has a romantic vibe, and has happy hour specials?” Within seconds, I got this list.
Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
In addition to a set of restaurants, Copilot included a detailed description with address, vibe, happy hour, and reviews, and even included a map with suggestions and links to easily access their websites, reservations, reviews, and more.
3. Making drinks
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This concept is very similar to using AI to help you make a meal. Whether you are trying to make an alcoholic beverage, mocktail, or smoothie, you can use an AI chatbot to help you concoct the perfect recipe.
For example, if you want to make yourself and your date or guests a sweet cocktail using rum, you can ask Copilot, “What sweet cocktails can I make with rum?”
Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Copilot will then give you cocktail suggestions. If you like any of them, you can follow up by asking for directions on how to make it.
You can also use Copilot to generate unique drinks from fun prompts.
For example, at a Microsoft press event in New York last year, the company had a smoothie bar that used Copilot to make smoothies according to your favorite TV character.
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The smoothie bar attendee typed a prompt into Copilot like, “Make a smoothie inspired by Dora,” to which Bing responded with a detailed, fun recipe for incorporating traits of the character that the smoothie maker would follow.
You could do this with many other prompts, including seasons, feelings, songs, and more, which could specifically be a fun activity to try when hosting.
4. A new date night idea
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If you are spending Valentine’s Day with a significant other, you are likely trying to come up with ideas that will set this special date apart from just any other date. However, thinking of something new to do, especially if you have been with your partner for a long time, can be challenging.
AI chatbots can help you come up with fun and creative dates that you may never have thought of on your own yet that meet the exact vibe of the date you envision.
For instance, you can ask Copilot for help coming up with the perfect, laid-back date night by asking, “Can you give me a date idea that is indoors and low budget?”
Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Copilot gave me a cute date idea that fit the criteria. If you aren’t happy with the idea generated, you can follow up by asking for other ideas and including additional details. Even if you don’t decide to go with any of those ideas exactly, it could be a helpful way for you and your partner to get the creative juices flowing.
5. Finding a movie or show to watch
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Deciding to watch a movie or show on TV is only half of the battle. The trickiest part can be deciding what to watch. Next time you’re stuck, ask AI for help.
You can ask an AI chatbot to help you find a movie or show for you to watch in the specific genre you are looking for. It will make content suggestions that narrow down your choices and hopefully make your decision easier.
For example, I asked Copilot, “Can you help me find a rom-com to watch that is currently streaming on Netflix?”
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I was then met with a list of five options to choose from, with a summary of each movie. As a rom-com movie connoisseur, I can confirm that these picks were pretty solid, with 13 Going On 30 being one of my all-time top-five favorite movies.
6. Creating a greeting card
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Valentine’s Day is all about sentimental, thoughtful little details; giving the people you love a card is more important than ever. Whether it is a friend, partner, or family member, you can make a personalized card in Copilot in just seconds by leveraging its AI-image-generating capabilities.
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You can start by asking it to generate an image of what you’d like to see on the card. My partner loves corgis, so I asked Copilot, “Can you draw me a cute, fluffy, cartoon corgi with heart eyes?”
Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Once you get the four options, you can select your favorite and edit it using the in-line editing tools. Once you are happy with your image, you can click on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of your picture, and select “edit in Designer,” which opens the generated image in Microsoft’s graphic design tool.
In Designer, you can add images, accents, text, and more. In under three minutes, I tweaked my picture to look like the card shown above.
7. Plan a get-together
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Inviting people over to your place involves so many moving parts. Now, you can use AI chatbots to help you with nearly every piece of the puzzle. To show you what I mean, let’s start with an example.
I asked Copilot, “Can you help me plan a dinner party?”
Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
The initial response included a detailed plan starting with tasks scheduled three weeks in advance, and going all the way through a day before the event. From there, I could move forward with any of those aspects and ask Copilot for more help.
If I was actually throwing this party, I could have followed up that question with questions regarding theme ideas, menu help, a shopping list, and more.
You could even use an AI image generator — like we did in the step above — to help you create fliers, invites, and table placements.