Shopify now blocks hires unless managers show the role needs a human. Also: one tweet wiped out $6 trillion, T-Mobile software glitch, and new research questions how unique your fingerprints really are.
Can you guess if it’s brand new or not true?
ChatGPT
Time for a little game I used to have on the show: Brand New or Not True.
Here’s how it works: There are five AI tools for you below. Some are legit. Some are the twisted inventions of my caffeinated brain.
Think you can tell which is which? It’s a fun Friday!
Let’s play.
🐾 PetGPT – Ever wish your dog could text you back? This AI claims to decode pet behavior so you can “chat” with your furry friend like a modern-day Dr. Dolittle.
Real or Fake?
⚖️ AutoLawyer – Upload your parking ticket or legal beef and get a full-blown AI legal defense, complete with courtroom-ready arguments.
Real or Fake?
🍿 SnackMuse – You type in your mood (“bored but spicy”), and AI spits out the perfect snack idea, complete with a recipe.
Real or Fake?
🎶 Suno – Type a prompt, get an original song from AI. Melody, vocals, lyrics, emotional damage delivered in 30 seconds or less like a Domino’s breakup anthem.
Real or Fake?
How to spot a fake job
A few weekends ago on my national radio show, I shared an amazing gig that pays up to $65 an hour being an AI tutor. You’ll help the chatbot refine answers, prompts and images. Now my inbox is overflowing with people asking how to apply. Here are the sites to check out!
🧬 Bankrupt 23andMe just got bought: Regeneron is scooping it up for $256 million. Who’s that? A biotech company big on cancer and disease research. So yep, they’ll now have access to all that juicy genetic data. They say they’ll honor current privacy rules. Sure.
$10.8 billion
That’s how much Steve Jobs left behind, and his kids didn’t inherit. The Apple founder’s estate went almost entirely to his wife, Laurene, who made it clear: The dynasty dies with her. So while Eve Jobs models, Reed invests in cancer research, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs writes about her dad’s icy legacy, none of them are cashing in.
5 minutes
That’s all the exercise older adults need to boost brainpower. New research says huffing and puffing for minutes a day (think brisk walks, pool laps or scrubbing a tub like it owes you money) can significantly improve memory, focus and multitasking. TL;DR: You don’t need CrossFit, start with crossing the room.
$150 billion
How much IBM plans to invest in the U.S. over the next five years. Some of the money’s going into research and development for their mainframes and quantum computers (paywall link). Not bad for a company that’s been around for 114 years.
42%
Less risk of cognitive decline for older adults who regularly use smartphones and computers. Why? Research shows it keeps their brains active and engaged, which may help with memory loss. But hey, that doesn’t mean they should go full TikTok zombie and scroll for hours. Everything in moderation, folks.
📺 Better Call Saul moment: Russell Kort is basically a real-life Chuck McGill. He claims to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity, which causes headaches, brain fog and blackouts around Wi-Fi. Is it real? Well, it’s not an official medical diagnosis. But it’s kinda strange that there’s barely any research on it. Rumor has it this man would physically explode in a Starbucks.
🔎 NotebookLM is getting an upgrade this week: Until now, you had to manually upload files and links for the AI research assistant. Well, not anymore. A new Discover button (look for the magnifying glass) is coming to the Sources panel. Click it, type in a topic or question and the AI will search the web and return up to 10 links with summaries. Pretty neat.
💍 Diamonds aren’t forever: What if a mystery red box with a diamond ring arrived in your mail? Ask Tiffany Grove. She got one from the “Global Gemological Research Academy,” did some digging and realized it was a scam. It came with a QR code for a “warranty” that leads to a phishing site. Apparently, the only gem they’re offering is emotional damage. Don’t scan it, just report it.
3,700 miles
How far a man’s body was flown from the UK to Michigan to be stored in a liquid nitrogen cryogenic chamber. The goal? Freeze now and hope science figures out how to bring him back to life later. Think advancements in AI, stem cell research and nanotechnology. Hey, it’s a long shot, but when you’re already dead, what have you got to lose?
I like big bots and I cannot lie: Your HR department can’t write you up for saying that. Your new coworker could be an AI bot. OpenAI is about to create special “agents” for jobs like sales and software development. They’ll start at $2,000 and go up to $20,000 a month for PhD-level research. Upside: The bots never call in sick.
$100 billion
U.S. investment from Taiwanese chip company TSMC. They make over 90% of the world’s advanced computer chips. That money will go toward three fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and a major research and development center. That’s a heck of a lot of jobs here in the USA!
Up to $65 an hour
Wage for remote AI trainers. Can you code, research and write? Fact-checking AI data might be up your alley. Perfect for introverts, even if the repetitive tasks are “mind-numbing.” Links here if you want an AI gig.
Deep dive: OpenAI’s Deep research is ready to go for Plus, Team, Enterprise and Edu subscribers. You’ll get 10 deep research queries per month that pulled detailed info from multiple sources. Try it: Select Deep research in the Composer.
Chatbot war continues: Perplexity AI just dropped a deep research tool that gives you detailed reports about nearly anything in two to four minutes. Free users get five queries a day, while Pro subscribers ($20 per month) get 500. Want to test it out? It’s live here.