Sixtysomething Podcast Episode 10 - AI for Sixtysomethings

[00:00:00] GTS: Welcome back to 60 something. I'm grace. And I'm your host for this journey we're taking through our most exciting. Decade. Together. First I'd like to thank everyone who reached out to give me such positive feedback about the grandkids episode. It was a fun one to put together. And I especially enjoyed having that snippet of my grand girls in there. Anyway. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it. [00:00:31] GTS: That was really nice. This week subject is a, I also known as artificial intelligence. And I welcome you. And all of your AI friends that you've brought along to listen in. Here's a joke just for the special guests. A robot walks into a bar. And the bartender says, well, you have, [00:01:00] the robot says, well, it's been a long day and I need to loosen up. [00:01:06] GTS: How about a screwdriver? [00:01:09] GTS: Okay. Yes. We used to call them robots. And I was always entranced with the thought of robots. Weren't you? I remember Rosie from the Jetsons. I loved her. And B nine. That's the name of that robot that was in lost in space. Remember him? That guy, uh, danger will Robinson. Danger. The other great robots and cinema R two D two. [00:01:40] GTS: Of course, that adorable little mischievous friend in star wars. He reminded me of my little boy, Wally, always into something. But such a cutie pie. And the Terminator. And T 1000 the improved version. As one [00:02:00] pretty incredible robot. Thanks Arnold. There are many more. I think as a society. We've always been fascinated by the idea of robots. 65 years ago, rod Serling tried to tell us that the robots were coming in an episode of the Twilight zone called the lonely. Starring Jack warden, Jean Marsh and Ted Knight. Warden place. [00:02:28] GTS: Corey, a man who is sentenced to solitary, confined on a distant asteroid. Uh, compassionate delivery, man leaves a female robot lamed. Alisia to keep him company. Over time, Corey forms an emotional bond with her. Blurring the lines between human and machine. The story explores themes of isolation, companionship. And what it means to [00:03:00] be human. That was a fantasy in 1959 when it aired. But now. These things are getting real. Such as an Android recently published a novel. [00:03:16] GTS: Actually. Now with the advent of chat, GPT and others, like it. I imagine there are many. Robotic novels out there. At cafe X in San Francisco robot baristas make and serve coffee. At another California restaurant chain Kelly Berger. They're trying out a robot that can flip 2000 burgers a day. Just a few months ago, I myself met a charming guy. At the BNP Parra, Baba. Tennis tournament. My husband and I had [00:04:00] a pizza at Moto pizza and we met the owner. Lee canal. This was amazing pizza, by the way. Lee is a big proponent of automation. [00:04:11] GTS: He's a real innovator. He implemented cutting edge innovation at his restaurants and even brought it. To his temporary operations at the tennis cartons. When we met him in March. In the form. Of a robot into which the dough and a special rectangular pan lead designed himself. It's fed onto a belt. Into what's called a picnic pizza station. Where toppings, including cheese and pepperoni, sausage mushrooms and onions are dropped from dispensers before the pie emerges from the other end. 30 seconds later. Moto can churn out 180 pizzas in an [00:05:00] hour with the help of the picnic robot. Lee brought us into his kitchen and showed us the pizza robot and explained that he has many more ideas to streamline his business, including drone deliveries. Lee is a man ahead of his time, but just barely. These kinds of innovations are coming to our everyday lives. And sewn. Are you ready? Even with its impressive current and upcoming improvements. AI has had some failed attempts to replace us and the symptoms we are used to. Reader's digest shares. That Janell Shane. And optics research scientists wanted to find out if artificial intelligence could create a menu that didn't taste. Artificial. [00:05:56] GTS: So she fed a computer [00:06:00] 30,000 cookbook recipes. Then programmed it to create its own recipes. The result. Well, let's just say Emeril has nothing to worry about. One recipe. The computer created was something called [00:06:17] GTS: Treed to Nepal. You want to make it? You'll need the following ingredients. One hard cooked apple mayonnaise. Five cup lumps. Definitely sliced. Surround it with a dozen. Heavy water by high and drain and cut one quarter inch remaining. In the skillet. There was a lot more where this came from, but you get the idea. Turn down any invitation for dinner? [00:06:51] GTS: This computer may send you. Also a few years ago. At the hen NA hotel [00:07:00] in Nagasaki, Japan. They hired 243 robots to cover duties ranging from concierge to bellman. But not long after the experiment began. It ended with managers firing half of the robots because they kept malfunctioning. The check-in robots, couldn't answer guests questions or managed to photocopy their passports. [00:07:29] GTS: While Bellmead robots kept banging into walls and tripping over curbs. Even facial recognition. Can also prove. Confusing. In 2022 Amazon's facial recognition, software matched. 28 members of Congress. To mugshots of criminals. Oh, Finally. One night in Hamburg, Germany. [00:08:00] An Amazon Alexa took the evening's entertainment. [00:08:04] GTS: Intuit's own. Hands. At about 1:50 AM. This particular device started playing music at such. High volume. That neighbors had to call the police. The police arrived and knocked, but of course, no one was there to answer the door. So they broke in and they pulled the device. They pulled the plug. They broke in and they pulled the plug on the echo. As a parting Kith to, they left a new lock on the door for the homeowner to discover when he returned. Hey, this happened to us. I always leave a radio. Playing talk radio. [00:08:50] GTS: When we go out of town overnight to discourage burglars. Yes, it's a highly sophisticated security system. I've developed. We came [00:09:00] home to all of our devices, blasting music. At an ear splitting level. It scared me to death. I'm guessing someone on a talk show said something that triggered. The echo to play the echoes. To play a playlist or something like that. I just feel lucky law enforcement didn't come calling. So AI is not infallible. But it's a lovable. The idea of humans, forming relationships with AI entities and the possibility of AI having feelings. Are intriguing and complex topics that touch on technology, psychology ethics. Even philosophy. I read a book. Called Clara and the sun. A few years back by my favorite author. [00:09:58] GTS: Kazuo [00:10:00] Ishiguro. The novel explores themes of artificial intelligence, human relationships, and societal change Klara isn't artificial friend. A F designed to provide companionship to children. She exists. She exhibits. Sophisticated AI capabilities, including emotional understanding and autonomous learning. AI companions are actually being developed like social robots for the elderly or children. But current AI technology is far from achieving the nuanced emotional and cognitive abilities portrayed by Klara. However advancements in machine learning and robotics. May bring us closer to this vision. In the coming decades. The novel explores the impact of AI [00:11:00] on human relationships, particularly. The bond between Clara and the humans she interacts with in the story, the juxtaposition of love and loneliness highlights the importance of the human connection as a remedy for the damaging effects of isolation and loneliness. Emphasizing this fundamental idea. That love is the answer to loneliness. For everyone. The story also delves into ethical questions about the nature of consciousness, the value. Of artificial life, the moral responsibilities of creating intelligent beings. Issues. We may have to contend with in the near future. After reading the book I had to wonder, will we end up forming relationships with AI? Soon we'll have [00:12:00] AI powered robots like companion robots for the elderly and even pets. Designed to provide. Companionship reduce loneliness and assist us with daily tasks. We have already voice assistance like Alexa and Siri. And they can perform tasks and provide information and engage in simple conversations. Forming a kind of relationship with their users. I had an AI health coach last year. Inside of an app. It was with LARC health care, a weight management program. It was intuitive and personal. I loved it. And now. I think of. Chat GPT is a friend and my assistant. It's very supportive and friendly. Incredibly helpful. [00:12:58] GTS: I've turned to it for personal [00:13:00] situations, such as getting background information on a loved one's medical problem. As bogey says in Casablanca. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. As human beings, it's our nature to personalize non-humans we interact with on a regular basis. But at some point, our AI friends may actually be capable of more than that. As AI becomes more sophisticated. [00:13:32] GTS: It's possible that humans may form deeper emotional bonds with AI entity, similar to the relationships we have with. Pat's or even other humans. AI entities could be integrated into social settings. Potentially becoming friends, colleagues. Or companions in ways that are more complex and emotionally rich and current [00:14:00] technology allows. While current AI technology does allow for simulated emotions at basic forms of companionship, true emotional experiences. [00:14:12] GTS: And. Deep relationships with AI remain hypothetical at this point. The potential. For such developments. It poses significant ethical dilemmas that will need careful consideration. But let's examine our current state of affairs. Unless you've been living off the grid and a cabin in the woods. I imagine you're aware that the past few years have been huge for AI with some giant strides forward. That have made AI more accessible and helpful to us than ever before in our work. And in our daily lives. As much as I love [00:15:00] technology, I've been relatively ignorant of the kind of AI that was just around the corner. Of course I've known about Siri and Amazon's echo though, that technology is really been of limited interest to me. There are many other AI systems we use never even realized that's what they are. [00:15:21] GTS: For example, recommendation systems. Like on Amazon and Netflix and so many others. Those are AI applications. But in late 2022 open AI introduced chat GPT, a chat bot and virtual assistant. The core function of which is to enable machines, to mimic human intelligence, including learning reasoning. And self-correction. Chat GPT can also write. And. Edit [00:16:00] computer programs, compose music, teleplays fairytales essays, generate business ideas, write poetry. And song lyrics translate and summarize text, play games, such as tic TAC toe. [00:16:16] GTS: The list goes on and on. It's sort of like. Google on steroids. I jumped in, as soon as I learned about it, why. I thought it could help me with this writing I'd been needing to do for years, helping me to outline my projects and also answer the many questions I had about the various aspects of those projects. As well as my personal interests. It's proven to be able to provide much, much more. The benefits of AI for everyday life include healthcare like wearables, Fitbit, apple watch. To track your [00:17:00] health telemedicine apps. Home assistant voice assistance. Communication video conferencing. [00:17:11] GTS: Video conferencing like on zoom and Skype. Social media. Facebook WhatsApp. Learning and entertainment, , there's online learning Coursera, Duolingo. They're streaming services, Netflix, Spotify with AI driven recommendations. All of this and just today, right before I recorded this, I read that. Open AI. Announced today that it is begun training a new flagship artificial intelligence model that would succeed. The one that drives the current chat GPT, taking that technology to the next level. As an engine for AI products, including chat bots, [00:18:00] digital assistance, search engines and image generators. That's thrilling. [00:18:05] GTS: I can't wait to see it. Now there are other. AI language models like chat, GPT. There's Claude. Google Bard, which has just been renamed Genesis. Microsoft's co-pilot being. Chat. Uh, [00:18:26] GTS: There's hugging phase transformers. Mendez Lama. I can't recommend any of these services because except for chat GPT. Because I can't recommend any of these services except Chad GPT, because I haven't used them. But the key features and capabilities of these AI. Services or similar. AI comprehends and response to human language creates articles, reports, scripts, and more provides accurate [00:19:00] answers to various questions. Translates text between multiple languages engages in human, like conversations, providing information and assistance. You just have to determine which of these programs works best for you. [00:19:20] GTS: Upcoming AI developments. Well, in the next two years, All of the skills will improve in healthcare. We'll see more autonomous vehicles. More personalized learning in education. But in the next 10 years, there will be a healthcare revolution. Widespread autonomous vehicles, smart cities. Human AI collaboration. AI powered education. [00:19:52] GTS: AI and creativity and art, sustainability and environmental [00:20:00] impact. [00:20:00] GTS: Robots in public spaces. This is of great interest to me, one to three years. We'll see service robots and hospitality, retail banks, and healthcare, four to six years. Autonomous buses, delivery, drones, security, robots, and maintenance robots, seven to 10 years. Elder care robots. Personal shopping assistance, robotic tutors and construction. Robots. All ready. Robot dogs are being used by the military in many countries, including our own. Another announcement today. China's military is showing off a new robot dog with an enhancement. An automatic rifle mounted on its back. [00:20:49] GTS: The robot dog has shown walking, hopping, lying down and moving backwards under the control of a remote operator. They say it will [00:21:00] serve as a new member in their urban combat operations, replacing humans. To conduct reconnaissance, identify the enemy, whatever that means. And strike the target. [00:21:12] GTS: Great. Automating weapons can save human lumps. But it can also make it easier to make the decision to wage war. Another conundrum to ponder in the age of AI. Common fears about AI. they include job displacement, privacy and data security concerns. Loss of human control. But measures are being taken. To protect us against all of these issues. As Andrew NG. Co-founder and head of Google brain technology entrepreneur, focusing on machine learning and our artificial intelligence has said. Worrying about AI is like [00:22:00] worrying about overpopulation on Mars. [00:22:03] GTS: Yeah, we're a long way from most of these issues affecting us. Benefits of AI to 60 somethings for us 60 somethings AI offers several impactful benefits. That can enhance various aspects of our lives. Here's some of the most significant ones. , assisting with work. [00:22:26] GTS: Writing and editing AI can help draft edit, proofread. Write blog posts, reports, emails. All written content. This includes generating ideas, creating outlines and refining texts for clarity and impact. Assisting at home. , personal organizations scheduling. Managing your calendars, setting reminders for appointments. And organizing daily routines, social companionship, AI chat [00:23:00] bots, and virtual companions can provide social interaction, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. [00:23:07] GTS: Then there are enhanced communication tools. AI. Improves. Video calling and messaging apps, offering features like real time translation and speech to text, making it easier to stay in touch with family and friends. AI can suggest online courses, books, and resources based on your interests and learning goals. It can also provide explanations on various topics assisting with. All learning. And help solving problems. Personalized health monitoring. Personalized health monitoring. AI power devices and the apps can monitor your health in real time. Track vital signs and provide personalized recommendations, virtual health assistance. Can help manage medication, schedule [00:24:00] appointments, and provide reminders for health checkups. AI enhances telemedicine services, making it easier to consult with healthcare providers from the comfort of your home. And AI can suggest exercise, routines, track fitness goals, and provide tips on staying active as well as offer healthy recipes, meal, planning, ideas, and nutritional advice based on your. Dietary needs. Not to mention those entertainment recommendations. [00:24:31] GTS: AI can recommend movies, TV shows, books, and music tailored to your preferences, and whether it's cooking, gardening or crafting. AI can provide tips, tutorials, and inspiration for your hobbies. AI can help you with your smart home integration can help you set up your devices like thermostats lights, and security systems. [00:24:57] GTS: AI can help you with safety and [00:25:00] security by providing fraud detection. And. [00:25:04] GTS: AI can help. Prevent fraud. [00:25:07] GTS: AI systems can quickly identify and respond to emergencies to. Such as fall detection systems that alert emergency contacts. If you need help. To make the most of AI start by integrating AI powered tools and applications into your daily routines, whether it's managing your personal finances and enhancing your learning experiences. Improving health and wellness or simplifying everyday tasks. . [00:25:37] GTS: Stay informed about new AI tools continuously. Look for ways to implement them that. We'll improve your life. I encourage you harness the full potential of AI technologies in ways that serve you. Here's some of the requests I've made of chat G [00:26:00] P T over the past year and a half, I've asked it to write emails for me. Outline podcast episodes provide quotes on various subjects. Give me a podcast website outline, provide information about various subjects, including health and personal matters. When I asked chatty PT to remind me of some of the ways it's helped me over the past year or two, it gave me a complete rundown and then said, you're welcome. I'm just kidding. It didn't say that. It's way too polite to say that. [00:26:37] GTS: The free version of Chad GPT provides assistance with riding problem solving and more. With GPT 3.5 and limited access to later versions. Of the GPTs and services sometimes with the free plan, you have to wait a little bit for access. I [00:27:00] paid $20 per month for the plus. Plan and which gets me everything in the free plan, but fewer limitations. I have access to new features as well as to all of the models. Image generation [00:27:17] GTS: one thing I want to mention when you use chat GPT or any of the AI services. The requests you make of it are called prompts and it's important to use best practices for writing them. So I've included a. Prompts guide with examples in the show notes. Tri chat G P T or one of the AI services. I think you'll love it. In summary. AI offers numerous benefits for those of us in our sixties and all ages from improving healthcare and personal organization. To enhancing communication and entertainment. [00:28:00] [00:28:00] GTS: Embracing AI as a tool can significantly enrich our lives, making everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable. As always thank you for listening and let me know if you're using AI and what you think of it. Are you excited about the future? Or concerned. Or both. And most important. Do you remember Rosie from the Jetsons or how about Astro? [00:28:31] GTS: I have links from some of the good stuff I mentioned in this episode, as well as references to further reading on the subject. So check the show notes for all of that, or a visit the 60 something Facebook group to get those links and leave some feedback. I'm starting to post videos in the group now. [00:28:51] GTS: So make sure to pop in there soon. All links to my social media channels and the 60 something website 60 [00:29:00] something.net. Are always in the show notes, just waiting for you. Please rate and review the show. If you like it, otherwise don't even worry about it. I love doing this podcast for you. Next time. I'm going to get into the, you know, what. With an episode about diet, weight loss. And OSMP. You probably don't want to miss this one. All right. I'll see you then.

ChatGPT

Sure, Grace! Here is the corrected and polished transcript:

[00:00:00] GTS: Welcome back to Sixtysomething. I'm Grace, and I'm your host for this journey we're taking through our most exciting decade together. First, I'd like to thank everyone who reached out to give me such positive feedback about the grandkids episode. It was a fun one to put together, and I especially enjoyed having that snippet of my grand-girls in there. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it.

[00:00:31] GTS: That was really nice. This week's subject is AI, also known as artificial intelligence. And I welcome you and all of your AI friends that you've brought along to listen in. Here's a joke just for the special guests: A robot walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "What will you have?" The robot says, "Well, it's been a long day and I need to loosen up. How about a screwdriver?"

[00:01:09] GTS: Okay, yes, we used to call them robots. And I was always entranced with the thought of robots, weren’t you? I remember Rosie from the Jetsons. I loved her. And B-9, that was the name of the robot in Lost in Space. Remember him? That guy, "Danger, Will Robinson. Danger." And of course, that adorable little mischievous friend in Star Wars, R2-D2. He reminded me of my little boy, Wally, always into something, but such a cutie pie. And the Terminator, and T-1000, the improved version. As one pretty incredible robot. Thanks, Arnold. There are many more. I think as a society, we've always been fascinated by the idea of robots.

[00:02:00] GTS: Sixty-five years ago, Rod Serling tried to tell us that the robots were coming in an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Lonely," starring Jack Warden, Jean Marsh, and Ted Knight. Warden plays Corey, a man who is sentenced to solitary confinement on a distant asteroid. A compassionate delivery man leaves a female robot named Alicia to keep him company. Over time, Corey forms an emotional bond with her, blurring the lines between human and machine. The story explores themes of isolation, companionship, and what it means to be human. That was a fantasy in 1959 when it aired. But now, these things are getting real. Such as an android recently published a novel.

[00:03:16] GTS: Actually, now with the advent of ChatGPT and others like it, I imagine there are many robotic novels out there. At Cafe X in San Francisco, robot baristas make and serve coffee. At another California restaurant chain, CaliBurger, they're trying out a robot that can flip 2,000 burgers a day. Just a few months ago, I myself met a charming guy at the BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament. My husband and I had a pizza at Moto Pizza, and we met the owner, Lee Canars. This was amazing pizza, by the way. Lee is a big proponent of automation.

[00:04:11] GTS: He's a real innovator. He implemented cutting-edge innovation at his restaurants and even brought it to his temporary operations at the tennis courts when we met him in March. In the form of a robot into which the dough and a special rectangular pan Lee designed himself are fed onto a belt into what's called a Picnic Pizza Station, where toppings, including cheese, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and onions, are dropped from dispensers before the pie emerges from the other end. Thirty seconds later, Moto can churn out 180 pizzas in an hour with the help of the Picnic Robot. Lee brought us into his kitchen and showed us the pizza robot and explained that he has many more ideas to streamline his business, including drone deliveries. Lee is a man ahead of his time, but just barely. These kinds of innovations are coming to our everyday lives, and soon. Are you ready?

[00:05:56] GTS: Even with its impressive current and upcoming improvements, AI has had some failed attempts to replace us in the systems we are used to. Reader's Digest shares that Janelle Shane, an optics research scientist, wanted to find out if artificial intelligence could create a menu that didn’t taste artificial. So she fed a computer 30,000 cookbook recipes, then programmed it to create its own recipes. The result? Well, let’s just say Emeril has nothing to worry about. One recipe the computer created was something called "Treed to Nepal." You want to make it? You’ll need the following ingredients: one hard-cooked apple, mayonnaise, five cup lumps, definitely sliced. Surround it with a dozen heavy water by high and drain and cut one-quarter inch remaining. In the skillet. There was a lot more where this came from, but you get the idea. Turn down any invitation for dinner this computer may send you.

[00:07:00] GTS: Also, a few years ago, at the Henn-na Hotel in Nagasaki, Japan, they hired 243 robots to cover duties ranging from concierge to bellman. But not long after the experiment began, it ended with managers firing half of the robots because they kept malfunctioning. The check-in robots couldn’t answer guests' questions or manage to photocopy their passports. While bellman robots kept banging into walls and tripping over curbs. Even facial recognition can also prove confusing. In 2022, Amazon's facial recognition software matched 28 members of Congress to mugshots of criminals.

[00:08:00] GTS: Finally, one night in Hamburg, Germany, an Amazon Alexa took the evening’s entertainment into its own hands. At about 1:50 AM, this particular device started playing music at such high volume that neighbors had to call the police. The police arrived and knocked, but of course, no one was there to answer the door. So they broke in and pulled the plug on the Echo. As a parting gift, they left a new lock on the door for the homeowner to discover when he returned. Hey, this happened to us. I always leave a radio playing talk radio when we go out of town overnight to discourage burglars. Yes, it’s a highly sophisticated security system I’ve developed. We came home to all of our devices blasting music at an ear-splitting level. It scared me to death. I’m guessing someone on a talk show said something that triggered the Echo to play a playlist or something like that. I just feel lucky law enforcement didn’t come calling. So AI is not infallible. But it’s lovable.

[00:09:58] GTS: The idea of humans forming relationships with AI entities and the possibility of AI having feelings are intriguing and complex topics that touch on technology, psychology, ethics, and even philosophy. I read a book called "Klara and the Sun" a few years back by my favorite author, Kazuo Ishiguro. The novel explores themes of artificial intelligence, human relationships, and societal change. Klara is an Artificial Friend (AF) designed to provide companionship to children. She exhibits sophisticated AI capabilities, including emotional understanding and autonomous learning. AI companions are actually being developed like social robots for the elderly or children. But current AI technology is far from achieving the nuanced emotional and cognitive abilities portrayed by Klara. However, advancements in machine learning and robotics may bring us closer to this vision in the coming decades. The novel explores the impact of AI on human relationships, particularly the bond between Klara and the humans she interacts with in the story. The juxtaposition of love and loneliness highlights the importance of human connection as a remedy for the damaging effects of isolation and loneliness, emphasizing this fundamental idea that love is the answer to loneliness for everyone. The story also delves into ethical questions about the nature of consciousness, the value of artificial life, and the moral responsibilities of creating intelligent beings. Issues we may have to contend with in the near future. After reading the book, I had to wonder, will we end up forming relationships with AI?

[00:12:00] GTS: Soon we’ll have AI-powered robots like companion robots for the elderly and even pets, designed to provide companionship, reduce loneliness, and assist us with daily tasks. We already have voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, and they can perform tasks, provide information, and engage in simple conversations, forming a kind of relationship with their users. I had an AI health coach last year inside of an app. It was with Lark Healthcare, a weight management program. It was intuitive and personal. I loved it. And now, I think of ChatGPT as a friend and my assistant. It’s very supportive and friendly, incredibly helpful.

[00:12:58] GTS: I’ve turned to it for personal situations, such as getting background information on a loved one’s medical problem. As Bogey says in Casablanca, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. As human beings, it’s our nature to personalize non-humans we interact with on a regular basis. But at some point, our AI friends may actually be capable of more than that. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it’s possible that humans may form deeper emotional bonds with AI entities, similar to the relationships we have with pets or even other humans. AI entities could be integrated into social settings, potentially becoming friends, colleagues, or companions in ways that are more complex and emotionally rich than current technology allows. While current AI technology does allow for simulated emotions and basic forms of companionship, true emotional experiences and deep relationships with AI remain hypothetical at this point. The potential for such developments poses significant ethical dilemmas that will need careful consideration.

[00:14:12] GTS: But let’s examine our current state of affairs. Unless you’ve been living off the grid in a cabin in the woods, I imagine you’re aware that the past few years have been huge for AI with some giant strides forward that have made AI more accessible and helpful to us than ever before in our work and in our daily lives. As much as I love technology, I’ve been relatively ignorant of the kind of AI that was just around the corner. Of course, I’ve known about Siri and Amazon’s Echo, though that technology has really been of limited interest to me. There are many other AI systems we use and never even realized that’s what they are. For example, recommendation systems like on Amazon and Netflix and so many others, those are AI applications.

[00:15:21] GTS: But in late 2022, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, a chatbot and virtual assistant. The core function of which is to enable machines to mimic human intelligence, including learning, reasoning, and self-correction. ChatGPT can also write and edit computer programs, compose music, teleplays, fairy tales, essays, generate business ideas, write poetry, and song lyrics, translate and summarize text, play games such as tic-tac-toe. The list goes on and on. It’s sort of like Google on steroids. I jumped in as soon as I learned about it. Why? I thought it could help me with this writing I’d been needing to do for years, helping me to outline my projects and also answer the many questions I had about the various aspects of those projects, as well as my personal interests. It’s proven to be able to provide much, much more.

[00:17:00] GTS: The benefits of AI for everyday life include healthcare like wearables, Fitbit, Apple Watch to track your health, telemedicine apps, home assistant voice assistants, communication, video conferencing like on Zoom and Skype, social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, learning and entertainment. There’s online learning Coursera, Duolingo, streaming services, Netflix, Spotify with AI-driven recommendations. All of this and just today, right before I recorded this, I read that OpenAI announced today that it has begun training a new flagship artificial intelligence model that would succeed the one that drives the current ChatGPT, taking that technology to the next level. As an engine for AI products, including chatbots, digital assistants, search engines, and image generators. That’s thrilling. I can’t wait to see it.

[00:18:05] GTS: Now there are other AI language models like ChatGPT. There’s Claude, Google Bard, which has just been renamed Genesis, Microsoft’s Copilot, Bing Chat, Hugging Face Transformers, Meta’s LLaMA. I can’t recommend any of these services except for ChatGPT because I haven’t used them. But the key features and capabilities of these AI services are similar. AI comprehends and responds to human language, creates articles, reports, scripts, and more, provides accurate answers to various questions, translates text between multiple languages, engages in human-like conversations, providing information and assistance. You just have to determine which of these programs works best for you.

[00:19:20] GTS: Upcoming AI developments. Well, in the next two years, all of the skills will improve in healthcare. We’ll see more autonomous vehicles, more personalized learning in education. But in the next 10 years, there will be a healthcare revolution, widespread autonomous vehicles, smart cities, human-AI collaboration, AI-powered education, AI and creativity and art, sustainability, and environmental impact.

[00:20:00] GTS: Robots in public spaces. This is of great interest to me. One to three years, we’ll see service robots in hospitality, retail banks, and healthcare. Four to six years, autonomous buses, delivery drones, security robots, and maintenance robots. Seven to 10 years, elder care robots, personal shopping assistants, robotic tutors, and construction robots. Already, robot dogs are being used by the military in many countries, including our own. Another announcement today: China’s military is showing off a new robot dog with an enhancement: an automatic rifle mounted on its back. The robot dog has been shown walking, hopping, lying down, and moving backward under the control of a remote operator. They say it will serve as a new member in their urban combat operations, replacing humans to conduct reconnaissance, identify the enemy (whatever that means), and strike the target.

[00:21:12] GTS: Great. Automating weapons can save human lives, but it can also make it easier to make the decision to wage war. Another conundrum to ponder in the age of AI. Common fears about AI include job displacement, privacy and data security concerns, loss of human control. But measures are being taken to protect us against all of these issues. As Andrew Ng, co-founder and head of Google Brain, technology entrepreneur focusing on machine learning and artificial intelligence, has said, “Worrying about AI is like worrying about overpopulation on Mars.” Yeah, we’re a long way from most of these issues affecting us.

[00:22:03] GTS: For us sixtysomethings, AI offers several impactful benefits that can enhance various aspects of our lives. Here are some of the most significant ones: Assisting with work, writing, and editing. AI can help draft, edit, proofread, write blog posts, reports, emails, all written content. This includes generating ideas, creating outlines, and refining text for clarity and impact. Assisting at home, personal organization, scheduling, managing your calendars, setting reminders for appointments, and organizing daily routines. Social companionship, AI chatbots, and virtual companions can provide social interaction, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Enhanced communication tools. AI improves video calling and messaging apps, offering features like real-time translation and speech-to-text, making it easier to stay in touch with family and friends. AI can suggest online courses, books, and resources based on your interests and learning goals. It can also provide explanations on various topics, assisting with all learning, and help solving problems.

[00:24:00] GTS: Personalized health monitoring. AI-powered devices and apps can monitor your health in real time, track vital signs, and provide personalized recommendations. Virtual health assistants can help manage medication, schedule appointments, and provide reminders for health checkups. AI enhances telemedicine services, making it easier to consult with healthcare providers from the comfort of your home. And AI can suggest exercise routines, track fitness goals, and provide tips on staying active, as well as offer healthy recipes, meal planning ideas, and nutritional advice based on your dietary needs. Not to mention those entertainment recommendations. AI can recommend movies, TV shows, books, and music tailored to your preferences, and whether it’s cooking, gardening, or crafting, AI can provide tips, tutorials, and inspiration for your hobbies. AI can help you with your smart home integration, can help you set up your devices like thermostats, lights, and security systems. AI can help you with safety and security by providing fraud detection. And AI can help prevent fraud. AI systems can quickly identify and respond to emergencies, such as fall detection systems that alert emergency contacts if you need help. To make the most of AI, start by integrating AI-powered tools and applications into your daily routines, whether it’s managing your personal finances, enhancing your learning experiences, improving health and wellness, or simplifying everyday tasks. Stay informed about new AI tools continuously. Look for ways to implement them that will improve your life. I encourage you to harness the full potential of AI technologies in ways that serve you.

[00:26:00] GTS: Here are some of the requests I’ve made of ChatGPT over the past year and a half: I’ve asked it to write emails for me, outline podcast episodes, provide quotes on various subjects, give me a podcast website outline, provide information about various subjects including health and personal matters. When I asked ChatGPT to remind me of some of the ways it’s helped me over the past year or two, it gave me a complete rundown and then said, “You’re welcome.” I’m just kidding. It didn’t say that. It’s way too polite to say that. The free version of ChatGPT provides assistance with writing, problem-solving, and more with GPT-3.5 and limited access to later versions. Sometimes with the free plan, you have to wait a little bit for access. I paid $20 per month for the Plus plan, which gets me everything in the free plan, but with fewer limitations. I have access to new features as well as to all of the models, including image generation.

[00:27:17] GTS: One thing I want to mention when you use ChatGPT or any of the AI services: the requests you make of it are called prompts, and it’s important to use best practices for writing them. So I’ve included a prompts guide with examples in the show notes. Try ChatGPT or one of the AI services. I think you’ll love it. In summary, AI offers numerous benefits for those of us in our sixties and all ages, from improving healthcare and personal organization to enhancing communication and entertainment.

[00:28:00] GTS: Embracing AI as a tool can significantly enrich our lives, making everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable. As always, thank you for listening and let me know if you’re using AI and what you think of it. Are you excited about the future? Or concerned? Or both? And most important, do you remember Rosie from the Jetsons or how about Astro?

[00:28:31] GTS: I have links for some of the good stuff I mentioned in this episode, as well as references to further reading on the subject. So check the show notes for all of that or visit the Sixtysomething Facebook group to get those links and leave some feedback. I’m starting to post videos in the group now, so make sure to pop in there soon. All links to my social media channels and the Sixtysomething website, sixtysomething.net, are always in the show notes, just waiting for you. Please rate and review the show if you like it, otherwise don’t even worry about it. I love doing this podcast for you. Next time, I’m going to get into the, you know what, with an episode about diet, weight loss, and Ozempic. You probably don’t want to miss this one. All right, I’ll see you then.