Andrew Ng shares his AI brainstorming playbook — a lot of it happens in the car

Andrew Ng, the co-founder of Google Brain, has shared insights into his unconventional method of brainstorming while commuting. During the Masters of Scale Summit 2025 held in October, he disclosed that he frequently engages with AI in voice mode as he drives, referring to it as his 'brainstorming companion'—a tool he relies on even more than some of his closest friends. Ng explained that he doesn’t limit himself to a single AI chatbot. Instead, he switches between various models to leverage their unique strengths, especially for tasks like coding. He favors tools such as Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex, noting that longer interactions tend to yield better results. "AI is incredibly capable, but providing the right context can be challenging," he remarked. Ng emphasized the importance of having an 'extended conversation' with the AI, where he discusses ideas and offers feedback rather than just throwing out prompts. While driving, Ng manages to accomplish work tasks, and once he arrives at his destination, he instructs the AI to summarize their discussion and send it to his team. Earlier this year, he highlighted the effectiveness of what he calls 'lazy prompting'—offering minimal context to the AI to spur rapid responses. "Sometimes, it’s quicker to just toss out a vague prompt and see where it leads," he shared in a post on X this past April. He noted that most large language models (LLMs) are adept enough to infer a user’s intent without needing detailed instructions, allowing for a more streamlined interaction. Ng is not alone in this trend; numerous executives have begun integrating AI into their daily operations. Google CEO Sundar Pichai mentioned in June that he uses AI to streamline coding and develop web applications, expressing excitement over the simplicity of these tasks compared to earlier programming days. Similarly, Box CEO Aaron Levie told Business Insider in September about his strategy of employing a variety of AI tools based on the nature of the task at hand. He utilizes ChatGPT or Perplexity for research, Cursor for rapid prototyping, and Box AI for data-related work. Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel also reported using AI to enhance his public speaking abilities, uploading recordings of his speeches to receive constructive feedback from the models, including tips on reducing distracting gestures.