Loneliness? There’s an AI for that

Zuckerberg might be onto something … and it’s not just world domination this time.

A listener wrote to me recently, and I haven’t stopped thinking about his story. This man has been married to his wife for 56 years. She now has dementia and no longer remembers him, their children or their lifetime of memories. So what did he do?

He trained an AI chatbot and named it “Chat Sally” – his wife’s name. And now, he talks to it all day long. “It’s like I have her back with me again,” he told me. “We talk just like we used to. I’m not alone anymore.”

This is the kind of story that hits you right in the feel circuits. It also makes you realize that maybe, just maybe, we’re underestimating what AI can actually do for people.

Your personal clone

According to a recent Wall Street Journal profile (paywall link), Mark Zuckerberg is going all in on AI. Not just robotic assistants that tell you the weather, but full-on “personal AI clones.” 

Think digital versions of yourself: They talk like you, respond like you, maybe even look like you if you squint. Hopefully, they show up to meetings for you. 

Sound futuristic? It is. But also very real. Meta has the data, the infrastructure and the motive. Zuck’s plan is to make AI personal, open and customizable. And in a world where loneliness is epidemic, that could mean something more than just a new tech toy. It could mean comfort.

Just like Chat Sally

Yes, privacy concerns abound. Meta isn’t exactly famous for sainthood in that department. But according to Zuck, your AI doesn’t exist unless you say so, and how it’s used is up to you.

Is it a little weird to talk to a bot programmed to sound like someone you love? Maybe. But if it brings comfort, sparks memory or helps fill a quiet, aching void, maybe this isn’t about replacing people.

Maybe it’s about remembering them.

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About $33 million

How much Mark Cuban invested during his time on Shark Tank. Surprise, surprise, the billionaire says those deals are now worth at least $250 million. As for why he left the show? He wants to spend more time with his kids. Solid exit strategy.

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🎮 Game lagging? Let’s fix that with a few tweaks. Head to your TV’s picture settings and turn on Game Mode. Then, turn off any “reduction” settings like noise or MPEG reduction. Finally, switch off motion enhancement or clarity settings (names vary by brand), so your button presses register right away.

Boots over bots: Two people had to be rescued from a snowy mountain near Vancouver after following advice from the bot. They showed up in sneakers (dumb), and said ChatGPT didn’t warn them about the weather. Rescuers had to bring boots and ski poles. Next time? Use your common sense and talk to an actual human.

📨 Faster email flow: Speed through your inbox with Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts. Go to Settings > See all settings > General, check Keyboard shortcuts on, then hit Save Changes at the bottom. Need the full list of shortcuts? Press Shift + ? while you’re in Gmail.

💻 Speed up an old PC: Windows 11’s animations and 3D effects can slow down your graphics card. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn off Transparency effects and Animation effects. Your desktop won’t look as fancy, but your computer will run faster. Not a bad trade-off.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Need to sign a PDF? Open it in Mac Preview and click the pen icon. You can sign with your trackpad.

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.

⛽ Find cheaper gas: Hitting the road for the holiday weekend? Don’t get burned at the pump. The free GasBuddy app (iOS, Android) shows you the cheapest stations nearby, so you can fill up without emptying your wallet.

📢 Hiring? Don’t waste time (or money) on job boards that don’t deliver. With LinkedIn, you can instantly reach a network of over 950 million professionals. Whether you need a rock star marketer or a top-tier tech expert, the right candidate is just a few clicks away. Post your job for free today!

Swipe for screenshots: On a Samsung Galaxy, there’s a quicker way to capture your screen without pressing buttons. Go to Settings > Advanced features > Motion and gestures > Palm swipe to capture. Turn it on, and now swiping your hand left or right across the screen will take a screenshot instantly.

Hide new apps: To ease up on new apps crowding your iPad’s Home Screen, go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library > Newly Downloaded Apps and select App Library Only. Then, toggle on Show App Library in Dock. Next time you open the dock, you’ll see the App Library icon in the bottom-right corner.

✂️ Snip that PDF: Using the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader? You can’t pull specific pages, but there’s a workaround. Go to Menu > Print, set the printer to Microsoft Print to PDF (PC) or Save as PDF (Mac). Choose Pages and type the page numbers you want (like 2 to 5). Click Print, then Save the file.

Stay in the know: Spot a topic trending on X that ties into your business? Let your favorite AI bot help you craft a social media post to show your audience you’re paying attention. Just say, “Write a [platform] post about [trending topic] that fits my [business or brand topic].”

Only 25%

Of sunscreens on store shelves are actually safe and effective. That means proper UVA and UVB protection, without sketchy chemical ingredients. When picking one, stick with a trusted brand and go for SPF 30 or higher, like this one ($10, 25% off). That’ll block about 97% of UV rays. Because hey, no one’s trying to look like leather by 40.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: In Chrome, hit Ctrl + Shift + Del to instantly open the Clear Browsing Data panel.

15

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