Quick Dive: Come Vibe Code with Me
Diving In: From Curiosity to Creative Application
Amy Triana is no stranger to technology; with around 15 years in customer support and communications around IT at Wake Forest, she’s seen her fair share of evolving tech. She describes herself as an “intuitive user” of AI Studio, jumping in to see what it can do.
Ryan aptly described Amy’s approach: “You’re the six-year-old at the community swimming pool who hasn’t even finished your peanut butter and jelly sandwich but went right into the deep end. You didn’t dip your toe in, you dove right in!”
AI Studio: Beyond the Basic Chatbot
While many are familiar with chatbot interfaces like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Studio offers a different kind of playground:
- Model Variety: Users can experiment with different Google AI models, including various versions of Gemini (like 2.5 Pro preview). This allows for comparison and understanding how different models respond to the same prompts.
- Parameter Control: AI Studio allows users to adjust settings like “temperature” (controlling creativity vs. straightforwardness), “top P,” and “top K.” This gives more granular control over the AI’s output than a standard chatbot.
- Code Generation: Amy’s most “game-changing” use case involved generating Google Apps Script code. She had a spreadsheet with data about laptop repair coverage and wanted an automated way to create calendar appointments for each entry. “I shared with it the spreadsheet, I asked AI Studio if it could help me by finding a way for me to automate the creation of a new calendar appointment… and it did it! It gave me code… and I was just amazed.”
- Live Streaming/Screen Sharing: A particularly powerful feature is the ability to share your screen with AI Studio and have it “watch” what you’re doing, providing real-time assistance. Amy described using it to get help with image editing software, asking “Where is this button?” or “Tell me how to do this,” with the AI verbally guiding her.
Creative & Fun Uses
Beyond practical coding, Amy has explored AI Studio’s more whimsical capabilities:
- Explaining Things with Tiny Cats: One of her favorite features is the ability to ask the AI to explain a concept using “lots of tiny cats.” The AI generates a frame-by-frame visual explanation with adorable cat drawings. “I laughed out loud, and anything that can make me do that is really valuable to me,” Amy shared.
- GIF Maker: She’s also experimented with its GIF-making capabilities, turning prompts into animated GIFs.
The Learning Curve and “Playing” with AI
Amy emphasizes the importance of experimentation. “I just think it’s so fun… but of course, I gravitated to the silliest of them all,” she said, referring to the “tiny cats” feature. This playful approach helps demystify the technology and discover its potential.
She noted that AI Studio often “describes to you the different steps of its process and how it’s going to deliver something to you to answer your prompt.” This transparency can be more enlightening than a simple chatbot response.
AI Studio vs. Standard Chatbots
The key difference, Amy and the hosts discussed, is that AI Studio offers a more “bare-bones” or “raw” interaction with the underlying models. While a chatbot like Gemini (the consumer-facing product) is designed for a polished, conversational experience (e.g., being “nicer” in its responses), AI Studio provides direct access to the models’ capabilities, allowing for more technical experimentation and control.
Key Takeaway:
Google’s AI Studio is a powerful sandbox for anyone looking to understand and leverage generative AI beyond a simple chat interface. For Amy Trian, it’s been a tool for practical problem-solving (like automating a tedious task with code), a creative partner (explaining concepts with tiny cats!), and a way to engage with the cutting edge of AI development. Her experience highlights that “playing” with these tools, even in seemingly silly ways, can lead to valuable insights and unlock new possibilities.