How a Masters of Social Work Grad Student Uses AI to Supercharge His Research

My journey to getting a Masters of Social Work (MSW) was somewhat winding. Ever since I was a kid, people would come to me for advice. Then in college, I found myself on the other side of the equation; I was struggling with my sense of identity after leaving my school’s football team. I sought counseling and eventually switched my major from engineering to psychology before pursuing a graduate degree in social work. I completed my MSW in December, and I can't wait to help people.

I was introduced to the Google AI Essentials course during my Master’s program. It was like learning to ride a bike, a bit wobbly at first, but the more I learned, the more fascinated I became. The course expanded my knowledge of all these different resources, including Google AI Studio, which is great because it’s so customizable, and showed me how to build my own APIs to help me with my research. It was fascinating to learn how to create something so tailored to my specific needs.

Beyond the specific tools, the course taught me how to think about AI—how to ask the right questions to get the best results. One crucial takeaway was the importance of being as detailed as possible in my prompts. By providing more context, specifying the format I needed, and even outlining the kind of reasoning I was looking for, I could significantly improve the quality of the results. This was particularly helpful when I was working on structuring my research API to assume the role of a leading mental health researcher.

It’s literally cutting that part of my workflow down from one month to one day, freeing me up to spend more time being creative and actually thinking about the research instead of getting bogged down in the logistics. It almost feels too good to be true. It's incredibly reassuring to see how consistently Gemini models outperforms in various benchmarks. This track record gives me a strong sense of confidence in the quality of the information and insights I can gather for my research.

This newfound efficiency from integrating Google AI in my workflow has also allowed me to pursue other passions, like my podcast, and dedicate more energy to building my personal brand and growing my business.

When I initially started down the path of pursuing social work, the thought of AI playing a significant role in my work and research didn't even cross my mind. My focus was primarily on direct client interaction and understanding the human elements of the profession. But that perspective quickly shifted. Now, I see AI as a powerful tool that can significantly enhance our ability to conduct research, identify trends, and ultimately provide better support for individuals and communities. It's definitely an evolving landscape, and I'm committed to understanding and navigating it effectively.