Can AI be your OS?
How Gen Z uses ChatGPT as a digital command centre (and how you can too)
Sam Altman made a pretty bold statement at Sequoia's AI Ascent conference earlier this month. He said, “Older people use ChatGPT as a Google replacement. People in their 20s and 30s use it like a life advisor, then people in college use it as an operating system.” (To his credit, he did call it a “gross oversimplification.”)
The 20s and 30s thing checks out. (Check out last week’s post about how people are using AI as a companion or life advisor.)
So I tried to figure out how someone could use ChatGPT like an operating system. Because, as an elder millennial, I think we should learn from the youth instead of writing clickbait about how they ruin everything.
So let’s get into the ins and outs of what it means to use AI as an OS.
AI isn’t an operating system, but it can be a digital command centre
I want to acknowledge here that if we’re going by the definition of a real OS, AI isn’t it. But let’s try to understand what Altman meant. Gen Z uses ChatGPT to store files, to have conversations in which they parse out problems, and they’re saving all of that work within the tool itself instead of something like Google Drive.
It’s possible you’re still asking ChatGPT basic questions like an upgraded Google, but your Gen Z coworker is running their entire life through it.
The numbers back this up: Over 60% of Gen Z regularly uses ChatGPT compared to just 6% of Americans over 65. Among 18-29 year-olds, 43% are active users. Most striking: 26% of teens now use ChatGPT for schoolwork—double the number from just twelve months ago.
But it's not just that they're using it more. It's how they're using it that shows the real transformation.
Your step-by-step guide to building a digital command center
Here are ways to get started on transforming ChatGPT into your personal productivity hub, regardless of your technical background. Note that several key features mentioned require ChatGPT Plus, which is a paid subscription.
Step 1: Map your daily digital friction points
Start by identifying 3-5 repetitive tasks that require jumping between multiple apps or feel unnecessarily time-consuming:
Weekly planning: Coordinating appointments, errands, and meal prep across different apps
Family calendar management: Tracking school pickups, medical appointments, and activities
Work communication: Drafting emails, summarizing reports, and managing follow-ups
Financial organization: Tracking expenses, categorizing spending, and setting savings goals
Personal projects: Research for hobbies, travel planning, or skill development
Focus on your biggest time sucks. These represent the highest-impact opportunities for streamlining your workflow.
This prompt comes from Superhuman:
I feel mentally cluttered with too many thoughts, tasks, and worries. Help me organize everything using the Eisenhower Matrix. Ask me what’s on my mind, and then sort it into:
- Urgent and important
- Important but not urgent
- Urgent but not important
- Neither (should be eliminated or ignored)
Then suggest what I should do next, delegate, or drop to declutter my mental space.Step 2: Create your ChatGPT workspace
Choose your primary interface: If you're a desktop user, maintain a dedicated browser tab for ChatGPT. Mobile users can install the app and pin it prominently. The goal is to reduce friction. Your AI tool will be as accessible as your phone's native apps.
Enable memory features: If you have ChatGPT Plus, activate the Memory feature in Settings. This allows ChatGPT to remember your preferences, family details, work routines, and preferred formats.
Build your prompt library: Create a simple document (in Notes app or Google Docs) containing standardized prompts for each routine task:
Task: Weekly Planning
Prompt: [Your refined prompt text]
Notes: [Format preferences, tweaks to remember]This becomes your personal command centre.
Step 3: Turn ChatGPT into your personal CFO
Young professionals paste budget spreadsheets into ChatGPT and prompt: "Create a categorized spending report with savings targets." The AI analyzes patterns, suggests practical cost-cutting measures, and organizes financial data in ways that make budgeting feel less overwhelming.
Try this prompt:
I'm tracking my monthly expenses. My rent is $X, utilities are $Y, groceries typically $Z. Analyze my spending patterns and suggest a realistic savings plan that accounts for [your lifestyle factors].Step 4: Transform ChatGPT into your teaching assistant
Generation Z has turned ChatGPT into their personal tutor. Students upload entire lecture slide decks and prompt: "Summarize each section in bullet points and generate five quiz questions." Within seconds, they have a personalized study guide that would traditionally take hours to create manually.
You might not be a student, but if you’re looking to learn a new skill or better understand what your stakeholders do, you can prompt:
Act as my personal teaching assistant for learning [YOUR TOPIC]. I’m uploading [a slide deck, an article, a case study]. Please:
1. Summarize each section in 3–5 bullet points.
2. Define any jargon or key terms in plain language.
3. Recommend two real-world examples or case studies.
4. Generate five quiz questions (with answers) that test my understanding.
5. Suggest three next steps or further resources to deepen my knowledge.Step 5: Make ChatGPT your career counsellor
Perhaps most intriguingly, 41% of Gen Z trust AI more than humans in workplace settings. They're asking ChatGPT to "compare job options based on salary, commute, and career growth potential." Gen Z is using AI as their main advisor for major life decisions.
Act as my career counsellor. Here’s my background and priorities:
- Current role/title: [YOUR CURRENT ROLE]
- Top three priorities: [salary, commute, work–life balance, growth potential]
- Skills and strengths: [content strategy, stakeholder management, UX research]
- Opportunities I’m considering:
1. [Option A: e.g. Product Manager at Bank X]
2. [Option B: e.g. Customer Experience at Fintech Y]
3. [Option C: e.g. Freelance Consultant]
Please:
1. Compare each option on my priorities (salary, commute, growth).
2. List pros and cons for each role in bullet points.
3. Recommend which opportunity best aligns with my goals and why.
4. Suggest three actionable next steps I can take this week.
5. Provide two resources (articles, courses, networks) to help me prepare for that path.Step 6: Develop your workflow prompts
For common tasks, create reusable prompts:
Email drafting: "To: [recipient], Subject: [topic], Context: [situation]. Draft a professional email that [your specific goal]."
Meeting preparation: "I have a meeting about [topic] with [stakeholders]. Based on [context], help me prepare talking points and anticipate questions."
Report summarization: "Summarize this [document/report] in [format you prefer] focusing on [key areas relevant to your role]."
Step 7: Establish your daily routine
Consistency transforms ChatGPT from novelty into necessity:
Morning check-in (5 minutes): Open ChatGPT and run your daily planning prompt. Review your schedule, identify priorities, and flag potential conflicts.
Work sessions: Use task-specific prompts for email drafting, report summarization, and meeting prep throughout the day.
Evening wrap-up (5 minutes): Update your planning, review expenses, and prepare tomorrow's priorities using your established prompts.
True workflow automation requires connecting ChatGPT to your existing digital infrastructure:
Calendar Integration: Connect Google Calendar or Outlook through official ChatGPT plugins or Zapier for AI-powered schedule management and meeting preparation.
Document Management: Link OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox for AI-powered document analysis and summarization.
Email Workflow: Develop prompts for common email scenarios. Paste context like "To: [recipient], Subject: [topic], Context: [situation]" and let ChatGPT draft professional communications.
Task Management: Integrate with Todoist, Microsoft To Do, or similar platforms to have ChatGPT help organize and prioritize your task lists.
Start with one integration at a time. Master calendar management before adding document workflows.
3 features that make this possible
When people describe ChatGPT as their “OS”, they're pointing to three recent technological developments:
Memory features transform user experience: ChatGPT remembers your previous conversations, preferences, and working patterns. Unlike traditional software that starts fresh each session, ChatGPT builds a persistent understanding of how you work.
AI integration tools connect your digital life: Modern ChatGPT integrates with platforms like OneDrive, GitHub, Google Calendar, and dozens of other services through official plugins and tools like Zapier.
Expanded processing power handles complex tasks: Current ChatGPT versions can process entire research papers, analyze comprehensive datasets, or work through lengthy documents in a single conversation.
Together, these capabilities create what feels like a conversational interface where you can accomplish most of your daily digital tasks through natural language commands.
Maintain and evolve your system
Monthly system review: Assess which prompts are still serving you well. Create new templates for emerging needs like project kickoffs, travel planning, or seasonal tasks.
Backup your prompt library: Store copies in cloud storage and email yourself a backup. These customized prompts represent hours of refinement.
Privacy considerations: Never include passwords, account numbers, or highly sensitive personal information in your ChatGPT conversations. Use general descriptions rather than specific financial details.
Common concerns
Q: Is it safe to store personal information in ChatGPT? A: Avoid sensitive data like passwords or account numbers. Use general categories and descriptions rather than specific details. If you don't like being tracked by large corporations, then this might not be the right system for you because it remembers what you're writing and could later use that information to target you with ads.
Q: What if my AI tool is ever down or unavailable? A: Maintain backup methods for critical tasks. Your command centre should enhance productivity, not create single points of failure.
Q: Can ChatGPT really replace multiple productivity apps? A: ChatGPT excels as a central hub and interface, but you'll still need underlying apps for execution. Think of it as your command centre, not a complete replacement.
The shift toward conversational computing
What Gen Z intuitively understands is that we're witnessing a fundamental shift in human-computer interaction. For thirty years, we've organized our digital lives around files, folders, and applications. That paradigm is giving way to conversation as our primary interface.
Give this approach consistent use, and you'll understand why Gen Z considers ChatGPT their digital command centre.
AI in the news this week
By putting AI into everything, Google wants to make it invisible (MIT Technology Review) At Google I/O 2025, Google showcased how it’s embedding its latest multimodal AI models—like Imagen 4 and Veo 3—seamlessly into consumer products via the unified Gemini app, along with features such as Gemini Live and AI Mode in Search. The event highlighted a shift from competing on raw model power to competing on slick, invisible product integrations that deliver AI to billions without users even realizing it’s AI.
How this year’s Pulitzer awardees used AI in their reporting (Nieman Lab) At the 2025 Pulitzers—where entrants were required for the second year to disclose any AI use—one winner and three finalists reported relying not on generative LLMs but on earlier machine-learning tools such as text and image embeddings, custom image-recognition algorithms, and OCR. These AI-driven techniques powered four investigative projects—from mapping Elon Musk’s rhetorical shift on X and mining handwritten 19th-century land grants to forensic analysis of satellite imagery in Gaza and building a national “lethal restraint” database—showcasing how responsible AI adds depth, rigor, and scale to modern journalism.
Former Apple Design guru Jony Ive to take expansive role at OpenAI (WSJ) Jony Ive, a chief architect of the iPhone, and his design firm are taking over creative and design control at OpenAI, where they will develop consumer devices and other projects that will shape the future look and feel of AI.