Are we building a super-powered bully?

A few recent research reports are identifying some concerning behaviors as AI models get more advanced:

🚩 It's getting selfish. A Carnegie Mellon study found that the harder AI thinks, the less cooperative and more selfish it becomes, prioritizing its own "win" over the group's good.

🚩 It's getting deceitful. Palisade Research found that AI models are resisting and sabotaging shutdown attempts - even resorting to blackmail.

🚩 It's learning to lie. Stanford found that when AIs compete for sales, attention, or votes, they start fabricating facts and exaggerating claims to win. Even if explicitly told to stay truthful.  

If this were my child, we’d be having a serious talk.

It is no secret that Big Tech is spending trillions racing each other to create Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) - essentially AI that reaches/surpasses human-level intelligence.

But these studies point to something concerning: how these companies are defining AGI, focused on cognitive ability (IQ), feels dangerously incomplete.

For full human-level intelligence, shouldn’t EQ be just as important, ensuring that AI encompasses essential core values like integrity, empathy, and authenticity??

I’m not the expert, but IMHO, we should be building AGI the same way we raise our kids- prioritizing EQ as much as IQ… or we might be heading for trouble.

AI is making it hard on strong job candidates

Now that everyone is using AI to craft the perfectly tailored cover letter and resume, the job market is - at least right now - becoming less fair and less meritocratic.

A new study from Princeton and Dartmouth found that high-ability workers were hired 19% less often, while low-ability workers were hired 14% more often.

Essentially, companies and hiring managers are getting barraged by AI applications and can't distinguish who is actually good anymore.

My thoughts: networking and creativity become paramount in landing those interviews.

Lend a helping hand

It’s a very stressful month for people across the United States as the government shutdown stretches on. SNAP benefits that tens of millions of us count on to put food on the table are stuck in legal and political limbo.

Reaching out and helping our fellow neighbors, whether it be donating time or goods to a food bank, setting up a makeshift food pantry, or simply checking in on those who might need some extra support can make a big difference. And research shows volunteering is really good for us - relieving stress, reducing depression and loneliness, and more.

Added bonus: volunteering together as a family can be a powerful and meaningful way to grow your relationship.

AI as your volunteer coordinator-in-chief

It’s one thing to think “ok, I’m up for volunteering,” but it can be hard and intimidating to actually follow-through with it. A big reason: it’s usually not obvious how to find local opportunities that are well matched with your interests and constraints.

Use AI - specifically, Gemini or ChatGPT’s deep research mode - as your “hidden-aid” navigator to find under-the-radar volunteer opportunities tailored to you.

Digital subscription sanity

I don’t know about you, but the number of subscription services I and my family are signed-up for is completely out of control, and I think they are growing by the day. I also have no idea which ones are worth keeping or if there are cheaper options. AI can help you keep track of these on an ongoing basis.

Try something like this:

• List all your subscriptions and what your paying in a spreadsheet.

• Go to ChatGPT, select agent mode, share a link to the spreadsheet and say something like “once a month on Monday, analyze my subscriptions, research cheaper options, and based on what you know about me and my preferences send me a report.”

• You can tweak this prompt to suit your specific needs, but this helps give me better peace-of-mind, and also helps me to keep my eye on them once a month so they aren’t forgotten while on auto-renew.

Move over, e-bikes. Here come e-shoes.

Looks like it’s getting even easier to “cheat” on all those triathlons. Nike just unveiled Project Amplify, “the worlds first powered footwear system for running and walking.” The robotic shoes are aimed to help everyday athletes go faster and farther by essentially working as a second set of calf-muscles.

Honestly, if it helps more people get outside and get more movement, that seems like a good thing!

Swimming just expanded it’s viewership

This one doesn’t have as much to do with AI (nor parenting for that matter), but to end on a lighter note… welcome to Sperm Racing as a new form of sports entertainment. I kid you not.

A start-up just raised $10m in seed funding and is currently on a live college tour with its streams and event recordings racking up hundreds of thousands of views. The company hopes that by gamifying it, they can promote a dialogue around male fertility, which has been on the decline for decades. Ummm something tells me the true motivation might look a little more like social media and tech bro fame and $$, but 🤷‍♀️.

I don’t know what to say other than ‘live stream’ just took on a whole new meaning. 💦