‘It’s an Incredible Tool. But It’s Going to Make Idiots’

Andy Cohen, 57, runs Bravo. He built the Real Housewives empire. He stirs the pot nightly on Watch What Happens Live. He juggles a SiriusXM channel, two young kids, and the three-ring circus that is BravoCon. He’s also the first guest in our new series, How Do You Use AI?, where we ask people with real reach how they actually use artificial intelligence. No TED Talk nonsense, just real life.

Turns out, Andy’s been using AI more than you might think. And he’s not entirely comfortable with it.

Episode 1: Andy Cohen—Reality TV King, Talk Show Host, Chaos Manager, Dad.

Gizmodo: So… how do you use AI?

Andy Cohen: I use AI to answer very random questions and to teach me how to use things I have no clue how to operate, like iMovie.

Gizmodo: What kind of random?

Andy Cohen: At this point it’s incredibly specific, stuff from my son, like “what’s the most dangerous animal” or “how fast does a cheetah run,” or things we’re arguing about at the dinner table.

Gizmodo: What’s the last thing it helped you with?

Andy Cohen: It taught me how to edit a movie using iMovie. I never would’ve figured it out on my own.

Gizmodo: Has it actually made your life easier?

Andy Cohen: I’m completely torn. It’s an incredible tool. But it’s going to make idiots out of generations to come. It’s going to inspire laziness and stupidity.

Gizmodo: Do you trust it?

Andy Cohen: I do. But it’s still going to ruin society.

Gizmodo: Would you recommend it?

Andy Cohen: Yes, but not for anything personal.

Gizmodo: Where do you draw the line?

Andy Cohen: If I don’t care about something sounding generic, I’ll use it. If it needs to feel personal, I won’t.

Gizmodo: What’s something AI should never touch?

Andy Cohen: Remarks at a funeral. A wedding speech.

Gizmodo: Has it changed how you prep for your shows?

Andy Cohen: No.

Gizmodo: Ever cringe at how someone else used it?

Andy Cohen: No.

Gizmodo: Your son sounds like an AI prompt machine. Does he know you’re using it?

Andy Cohen: I’m keeping him away from AI as long as I can. He doesn’t know where I get the answers.

Gizmodo: You think it’ll ruin society. What’s the real danger: the tech, or how we use it?

Andy Cohen: Kids using it to write and think for them.

‘How Do You Use AI?’ is Gizmodo’s new series digging into how real people are using artificial intelligence to make life easier, messier, dumber, or just more efficient. It’s about how the future is already messing with your present.