I’ve been hearing our “AI slowdown” conundrum is something like:

which, if true, frustrates me to no end because with something this important, shouldn’t we just do what we believe is smart and best for humanity?!

This week, China and the US are finally in the same room and will broach the topic of AI. Trump has made his position clear (essentially the need to slow down is a hoax and there’s no way the US is going to because we have to protect our lead). It seemed that China was/is also of the view that the slow down call is ridiculous and that they have no intention of slowing down (and tbh, they are still catching up, so what would be their motivation?).

Well, a couple things became clearer to me about China’s position this week:

My thoughts: just my opinion, but having multiple big bets and taking a more diverse approach to the future feels like a good thing - as is taking responsibility and accountability in ensuring AI is used for good and always in our control.

Anyway, today’s a new day - and one where hopefully there is more meaningful discussion on AI between the two countries - so keep your bowl of popcorn handy.

I don’t know about you, but during the week I feel like our family is scheduled… with 3 boys all having different interests, after school has started to become a game of tetris - who needs to be where, when, and how are they getting there?

Well, this week is (maybe selfishly) a little reminder of the importance and value of one-on-one side-by-side time. When I say side-by-side, it’s where you’re spending time together not taking a position of authority (instructing, coaching etc) but rather just listening and chatting and/or doing something together on the same level.

Whether it’s being intentional when you’re in the car together, sitting down before bed, going outside for a short walk, or doing a puzzle, from my experience, even 15 minutes every few days can be so great for strengthening a relationship and connection with our kiddos.

You may have been hearing about “Muse” - it is a new app from Facebook/Meta that is essentially a “cute” personalized AI agent at your beck-and-call. If you’re willing to give it access to your data (big “if”, there), it’s supposedly impressively helpful.

While personally I am having a hard time getting over the idea of handing Meta yet more of my life, I have been using another personalized AI agent with similar capabilities, called Instinct.

And I admit, I’ve been really enjoying it! The use factor (I can just text it, and it also has its own email so it isn’t communicating as me) feels easy, and it’s proactive in subtle but very helpful ways.

I’ve used for things like: finding and purchasing a Detroit Lions sweatshirt that my friend mentioned was on sale at Old Navy; getting me on the waitlist for a restaurant as I was heading over; getting me a refund from Avis for a cleaning fee I shouldn’t have been charged for (that I had unsuccessfully protested).

And this, IMHO, is the killer feature and the one that everyone is raving about: AI can now capably handle the painful part of contacting, negotiating, and dealing with these companies on our behalf… tracking down refunds, finding and cancelling subscriptions we didn’t realize we’re paying for, identifying and securing better insurance rates, etc etc. Amen.

Here are a couple things to try if you want to give Instinct or Muse a go:

Side note: the “cuteness” of the Muse app is something to watch out for in case it adds to the attraction of such a service with our tweens and teens… (and maybe ourselves, LOL)

I admit I had tears watching this - in a Nuralink brain-to-voice interface trial a man with ALS is now able to communicate, in his own voice, simply by thinking the words he wants to say.