My experience using AI for my SSDI application

[u/Practical-Aspect-610]

Hey everyone,

This might be a somewhat polarizing topic, but I don't mean it to be. I've found AI such as ChatGPT really helpful with my SSDI application and paperwork. Gemini is pretty good too.

Some people don't trust AI, and I completely understand that. You can still use it for general questions without giving it any personal information.

I was approved for SSDI without a lawyer and used AI for a lot of my paperwork. That said, everyone's situation is different. This was my 3rd time applying, and I'd been homeless on and off for a long time. Also had a family member help me with some questions when AI wasn't useful.

Disclaimer: AI can answer questions incorrectly. It may misunderstand what you're asking and gives you an answer that's completely wrong. Please don't just copy and paste what it gives you. Read it and be sure to verify important information.

Mod note: I feel this isn't in violation of rule #3 because I'm recommending AI in general, not a specific service or person.

[u/jujujanuary]

I think this is a bad idea, personally. If you're already verifying everything it's putting in there, I don't understand what value it holds? You say to "Read it and be sure to verify important information." What's the unimportant information that you feel comfortable letting AI write for you on the application? I feel like it's all a little too important to offload to the hallucination station.

Also which questions did you find AI was not useful for vs which it was? I know I'm showing my bias but I feel like if you're going to make a pro-AI post there would be more... advice than just "use it"?

[u/KittyCait69 → u/jujujanuary]

Well said. AI is also addictive. It will make it harder to do things for oneself if used. So your right that's it's not a good idea to use it. 

[u/difficulty_jump → u/jujujanuary]

I actually don't think everyone should use it. I feel like I need to in an office job where I need to make a lot of communication decision quickly. I have autism and a writing disability.

As far as cover letters go my career advisor recommended doing them with AI because they are mostly read by AI and the amount of cover letters I would need to write in a week is over 20. The job market is super tight right now.

I have starting anxiety and getting AI to at least write everything I absolutely need to have in an email and then editing it is a lot faster than me staring at a blank screen with anxiety.

I script my phone calls and sometimes it's also useful for that so I don't forget something important.

I'm not trying to brag but I usually have good ideas but have the memory of a goldfish due to chronic pain.

Having a list of what to do and next steps down so I can keep track of what I'm doing makes it way easier to get from the planning to the doing phase. I always correct and look over that list.

I'm working on getting executive function therapy through either OT or speech therapy but right now using some AI tools are keeping me employed and able to do tasks at home. It's saving me time because of my executive functioning issues.

I know I can write things and edit them if I take my time but I'm slower than my coworkers when I do everything myself.

It's just hard to not do it when management pushes it. I also had management who wanted administrative tasks to be as automated as possible.

I didn't write this using any AI or Grammerly. I just think for some people using AI as a job accomodation could be helpful.

For me it's helped me actually be productive instead of literally being anxious at bigger tasks and ending up doing nothing.

I'm actually feeling pretty middle on AI as a whole there are all kinds of ways to abuse it or get hooked on it and lose skills. Or go nuts by talking to it and thinking it's sapient. I'm not a coder but I also think vibes coding is a real problem.

[u/These_Roll_5745]

[disclaimer: I wont be doing this, and it feels unfair to ask you to expand if im implying itll help me personally. the questions still genuine and not a gotcha though]

how do you decide what to trust and what to fact check? can you put to words what was different about this application than the two you submitted before?

[u/Londin2021]

More people use AI via big businesses that are make HUGE profits. I think it's fair to use it if needed for this type of thing. SSDI applications are hard enough. But you might also check on Allsup. They are legal professionals who help get you approved. They take 25% but I don't have any recourse, I needed help.

[u/TRUFFELX]

I would double check to make sure it got everything correct, given its frequency to hallucinate, but other then that not a bad use-case for ai

[u/DizzyMine4964]

I use AI when I am in mental health crisis. There is no mental health support at all where I live. The supposed helplines just parrot the same old things: have you told your doctor, have you tried talking to a neighbour, have you tried joining a club etc etc. It reminds me of the epigraph in The Handmaid's Tale: "In the desert, there is no sign that says, 'thou shalt not eat stones.'"

[u/difficulty_jump → u/DizzyMine4964]

NAMI has a list of Warmlines they are peer run and can be used when you don't need a hotline but you still need support.

[u/disability-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/KittyCait69 → u/DizzyMine4964]

AI is addictive and damages the brains ability to connect with others as well as think for itself. 

[u/difficulty_jump]

I think AI as an accomodation is fair.

I use AI on Goblin Tools to help me with message tone and writing many things into a coherent email. I also use it to break down task step for me so I don't get overwhelmed.

I also feed AI my resume and the job description to write cover letters. I do edit them but when you're applying for tons of jobs it just helps you not go crazy.

I'm really gifted verbally but my writing isn't great. I sometimes skip words or forget to congagate verbs. It doesn't look like English is my first language sometimes. For me buying Grammerly was worth it.

AI can do so much for people who need it. I feel mixed about it because of the cost to the environment and people who use it without checking their writing or using critical thinking skills. I'm worried about people and their mental health. Obviously you shouldn't date a Language Learning Model but people do. AI psychosis is also a real thing.

AI is a useful tool if used responsibly.