👋 friends!
We are back from a dizzying and delightful Disney spring break and I’m happy it’s officially springtime. Before diving in today, I wanted to share two recent moments that deeply reminded me of our shared humanity - and that we have more that connects us than it may seem right now.
The first was walking down Main Street in Magic Kingdom with my family. I got emotional as I looked around and soaked it all in. So many families from all walks of life, cultures, and places glowing with joy, patience, and kindness for one another. I am not sure how Walt Disney created such an enduringly magical experience for the world but I will be forever grateful.
The second was watching the live NASA lunar mission launch - taking humans beyond Earth’s orbit for the first time since 1972 (and father than humans have travelled in space ever!) - with my hubby, my boys, and their best buds on Wednesday. The crowded mission control, the spectators at the launch site stretching seemingly forever, the emotion in the voices of those commentating… it gave me goose bumps and a little sense of what it might have felt like for those watching Apollo 11 so many years ago - a sense of hope, unity, excitement, and pride for team humanity.
In today’s note:
Parenting in the AI era: the adoption-sentiment gap and an optimistic take
Connection spark: the under-utilized skill of remembering names
Hands-on with AI: building a “name catcher”
The whoa zone: AI learns to smell
Let's dive in! 🤿
Parenting in the AI Era
The Adoption-Sentiment gap
A new Quinnipiac University poll found that AI usage jumped 14% this year, but that trust, optimism, and excitement all moved in the opposite direction. 70% of Americans now believe AI will shrink job opportunities (up 14 points from last year), over half believe that AI does more harm than good, and only 5% believe AI is being developed by people who represent their interests. (YIKES.)
To add another layer, Anthropic just published the largest qualitative AI study ever conducted - 81,000 users across 159 countries - and found that the tension isn't just between users and non-users. It's happening inside the same person: 81% said AI has genuinely helped them, but those same people also fear becoming too dependent on it, losing their ability to think independently, and watching it take jobs. If you have the time, check out the full study- it’s fascinating.
My thoughts: the contraction we’re feeling is probably healthy… to use these tools and to be skeptical of them… and very importantly, to teach your kids to use AI and to question it.
Source: Anthropic Research
An optimistic view of the future
There’s so much debate and uncertainty around what AI means for our future and a lot of the headlines paint an ominous and perplexing picture. I came across a point of view from Zach Kass, a respected voice in AI, that I wanted to share due to it’s hopefulness and optimism. Key points:
AI will dramatically expand our human potential and bring about massive scientific breakthroughs. Just think of the ways that AI can and will make existing cancer doctors 1000x more productive as one example. Boundaries that, to date, have held us back will be busted through.
The cost of daily life will drop dramatically. Yes, goods and services, but also the things that currently keep many families up at night: e.g. the cost of housing, healthcare, and education. Technology advancements will force dumb policies to change and an ambulance ride to the hospital will no longer bankrupt us.
We will get significantly more time back in our days - and in our lives, forcing us to reconsider how to best use our free time - and time with friends, family, and community will flourish.
He also offers tips for how to best prepare (side note, these are aligned with my “curiosity, character, and connection” framework):
Anchor on your mission, vision and values, and adapt your ways and means. E.g. hold strong and steady to what you deeply believe in and value, and be openminded, curious, and flexible when it comes to the how.
Learn to learn. “the point is not to master, it is to be capable of mastering.” Side note: this one I’ve been thinking about a lot, and in particular, how we effectively nurture this skill (and desire) in our kids… so stay tuned.
Design around the things AI cannot do: essentially, be more human. Prioritize your abilities to inspire and connect with real people, in real experiences.
My thoughts: let’s all push hard, together, for THIS outcome.
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CONNECTION SPARK
Channelling Carnegie
In the spirit of “being more human” and prioritizing our abilities to inspire and connect, I was reminded of one of my favorite books, written ages ago, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie. It’s such a fun and practical read and (IMHO) is a goldmine of simple little tips and habits we can employ to build our relational intelligence.
Something he talks about at length is the value of remembering someone’s name.
I, like many, am the worst at this (and there are concrete reasons why this is difficult for us). But remembering someone’s name creates an immediate and lasting impression. And, this is absolutely a skill and habit that we can work on and improve.
The key is that you can’t just try to remember someone’s name on its own, you’ve got to remember the association between their name and their face.
Try creating a memorable association by noticing a distinct physical feature (e.g. Rose with the red hair) or creating a mental picture (Sandra walking on a sandy beach), or picture them along with someone from your past with the same name.
Another strategy is to simply say someone’s name back to them immediately, and then again at the end of the conversation. This method gives your brain multiple chances to store the name, making the memory stronger. (bonus points: showing someone that you know their name makes them feel seen and respected).
Image source: Gemini
HANDS-ON WITH AI
A name-remembering aid
In our valiant quest to be better at remembering names, lets not forget that we have a very powerful brain with memory recall right in our pocket. Let’s put it to use! 2 ways:
The quick version: just tell your AI.
After you meet someone new, open the Gemini or ChatGPT app (make sure the memory feature is turned on) and say something like: "Remember this: I met a mom named Sarah at Leo’s soccer game today. She has a son named Jake on the team who's also in Leo’s class. She's a physical therapist and mentioned they just moved here from Austin."
ChatGPT or Gemini's memory will hold onto it. Before the next game, ask: "Who have I met at soccer?" and it'll remind you about Sarah.
The build-it version: make yourself a “name catcher”.
Ask Claude Cowork, Replit, or Lovable to build you a simple app where you can log a person's name, where you met them, what you talked about, and anything that'll help you remember them (pro tip: you can even ask it to suggest memorable associations if you’re having trouble coming up with your own!). Make sure to include a search bar so you can pull someone up before an event.
“Build me a simple name recall app where I can quickly add a person's name, where I met them, their kids' names, and any notes. When I save a new person, suggest a memory trick to help me remember their name (like a rhyme, a visual association, or connecting it to someone I already know). Include search so I can look people up before school events or parties. Make it clean and easy to use on my phone."
Sample app made with Claude Cowork
THE WHOA ZONE
What’s that smell?
AI can already see, hear, read, and speak. Now researchers are teaching it how to smell. "E-nose" technology uses sensors that can detect and distinguish aromas with about 1,000 times more precision than we can, and AI can then analyze those scents to figure out what they mean.
Already scientists are working on AIs that can scan a person’s breath to detect lung cancer, UTIs, GI disease, COVID and certain types of flu; sniff the air in a building to seek out signs of potential contaminants'; smell cow farts to detect pregnancies and disease; help people who’ve lost their sense of smell; and a create net-new scents (one for a horror movie “captures the chilling, damp stillness of a nightmare”). So yeah… quite a range.
Image source: Gemini
And that’s a wrap. If you've found this newsletter useful and know anyone else who might also, I’d be grateful if you would forward it along. 🙂 ❤️ 🙏
And, if you have any thoughts, feedback, or requests, please reply or drop a comment - I’d love to hear from you! Have a wonderful holiday weekend for those who celebrate.
Glow on!
Michaela
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