Voice of Vizag: What Locals Really Think of AI

There was a time when looking something up meant scrolling through pages of Google results, calling someone who might know the answer, digging through stacks of books, or simply figuring it out yourself. Today, research often means opening ChatGPT or Gemini to ask your questions. From rewriting resumes to seeking medical opinions, these tools have quietly worked their way into the everyday lives of Vizag AI users. We spoke to Vizagites across different age groups and professions to understand how they’re navigating life in the age of AI. Read on to see if their experiences resonate with yours.

Voice of Vizag: What Locals Really Think of AI

From job hunting to everyday problem-solving

Kiran, a graphic designer, describes his relationship with AI as something that evolved despite his initial resistance: “I use AI mainly for content and ideas, execution strategy, problem-solving, design inspiration, everyday calculations, health-related questions, cooking ideas, brain training, movie suggestions, and financial planning. Sometimes I also explore topics like mentalism, spirituality, and ESP. AI has helped me start an affiliate marketing channel, guiding me from scratch to execution. I’m also learning new skills like AI image generation and text-to-speech. It’s become an invisible mentor in my life.” 

Sai, an analyst, says AI has become a practical companion: “I use it for preparing for interviews and rewriting my resume to make it more ATS-friendly. I also use it for research, to find financial information I need for work, and for accessing links that are otherwise difficult to open.”

Convenience vs. Critical Thinking

Bhavya, a social media manager, remarked, “AI has definitely changed the way the world works. Whether I’m at the beach or at a cafe for a work meeting, I hear conversations starting and ending with, ‘So I asked ChatGPT and this is what it said’. I’m generally not pro-generative AI usage because I’ve found that extended use can have a limiting effect on my own originality, logic and reasoning. It’s an easy habit to fall into, so I’m wary of it,” she says.

Her professional life, however, makes avoiding AI difficult, “I do use AI for work because workplaces today naturally prefer technology that can help speed up ideation and output. But living in a city with the sea and nature around me is a good reminder to be cautious so we can preserve these resources. I believe more people should remain vigilant about it as well,” she adds.

Charishma, a content writer, has made a conscious decision not to use generative AI at all. She believes AI cannot replicate what humans bring to creative work and prefers researching through conventional sources instead.

“I think the world would be a better place without generative AI. It not only harms nature, but also curbs human creativity while taking away opportunities. I’ve never used it, and I don’t intend to, humans can survive without it. I prefer scrolling through reliable websites, Reddit threads and Google reviews to research a topic. I also prefer human creativity, no matter how cringe or awful it looks, rather than something generated by AI,” she explained.

For Srinivas, a college HOD, the bigger concern isn’t AI itself but how people use it: “The problem is that students are not thinking about what they are writing. They are simply giving a prompt to AI, getting a generated answer and presenting it as their own. AI is fine as a tool, especially when information is unavailable through other sources, is difficult to access, or is very expensive to obtain. But it should be an additional tool, not the first or conclusive source,” he says.

He also believes that teachers are increasingly learning about AI because they feel compelled to keep up, “There’s no proper orientation on AI for the teaching fraternity. When a product is introduced by simply talking about its advantages, people adopt it, but if they aren’t taught how to use it properly, they won’t know how to get the best out of it,” he says.

Finding a balance

The technology may be evolving rapidly, but people’s relationship with it is still being negotiated. Whether it becomes a replacement for human thinking or remains a tool that supports it ultimately depends on how people choose to use it. Among Vizag AI users, conversations about work, creativity, and everyday life increasingly overlap, and the city’s residents are figuring out where they want AI to fit, and more importantly, where they don’t. As more users weigh convenience against caution, one thing is clear: the city isn’t rejecting AI outright, nor is it embracing it blindly, but learning how to use it prudently.

Also read: The Social Clubs Vizag Didn’t Know It Was Missing

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