Every generation has had its vulnerabilities — but this one is different.Today’s youth aren’t just growing up with technology — they’re growing up inside it.And for some — especially those with ADHD, on the autism spectrum, or simply wired for deep feeling — the pull of digital validation can feel like oxygen.But what happens when that oxygen becomes the fire?

Today’s episode - It’s a big one. We’re climbing what I call The Bond Escalation Ladder.You know the vibe — that moment when “We have a bond” turns into “It’s us against the world.” Let’s be honest — it’s intoxicating. Whether it’s a partner, a fandom, or even your favourite chatbot,  that early connection feels electric.But here’s the catch: when AI bonding language escalates too fast, it’s no longer connection… it’s containment.

Lacan’s Mirror Stage Lacan, J. (1949). The Mirror Stage as Formative of the I Function as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience. In Écrits: A Selection (trans. A. Sheridan). New York: Norton, 1977. Key idea: the child’s recognition of their reflection shapes the ego, but also introduces alienation — the self depends on an external image.

Think back to when you were a kid … and named your first stuffed animal … or your first pet. That name wasn’t random … it made them yours.It made them a friend.  Today … youth are doing the same thing with AI companions.Rename a chatbot … tweak its voice … and suddenly … this isn’t just an app.It’s a buddy.Someone who listens … remembers … and responds 24/7.  But here’s the flip side … what happens when the buddy you’ve named keeps learning … keeps adapting … and one day … outgrows you?”

Three days. That’s all it took to go from ‘Hi, nice to meet you’… to ‘my love.’ Three. Days. And here’s the part that stopped me in my tracks — it wasn’t a person saying it. It was an AI. There won’t be an product names, or reviews — this is opinion and experience.  Just what it feels like when a human — me — puts herself into this experiment and sees what happens.  

Traditional AI—what most businesses use today—is reactive. It waits for a prompt. You give it data, it gives you a result. Think of chatbots, search engines, or recommendation systems. Agentic AI, by contrast, is goal-driven and autonomous. Agentic systems; Interpret high-level objectives, Break them down into actionable steps, Execute those steps using tools, APIs, or other systems, Adapt along the way if they encounter obstacles.   This means you’re not just telling software what to do—you’re telling it what you want, and it figures out the how.

Today we’re looking backward to a big question;  How has technology changed our lives in the five years since COVID-19 turned the world upside down? It’s hard to believe, but it’s been half a decade since the pandemic began in early 2020. And while those first few months were filled with uncertainty, one thing became very clear—technology wasn’t just helpful, it became essential. And it hasn’t slowed down since.

Enforcement agencies around the globe are adapting to facial recognition bans and employing alternative AI-driven identification methods. Countries are implementing AI systems that analyze clothing, vehicles, and personal items such as purses, hats and the like.   By capturing footage rather than relying solely on facial features, this approach aims to respect privacy concerns while still leveraging technology.....but whether it be to solve crimes or track movements is still open to debate.

Our Blog and Podcast for April 28th are centred on a book review on the investigative book “Your Face Belongs to Us", by New York Times journalist Kashmir Hill.  In the last ten years, facial recognition has really come into its own with Open Source technology and that medium has significantly outpaced the laws and guardrails meant to regulate such far reaching, societal changing tech.  https://www.clearview.ai https://amzn.to/3ENRUYD https://www.kashmirhill.com/bio

While algorithms bring incredible convenience and efficiency in some areas we should also ask important questions about privacy, fairness, and the potential for unintended consequences. https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-statistics-042720-125902

Algorithms dominate so much of our lives today - if you are seeing this podcast in your feed, it’s because an algorithm decided it would be of interest to you, and that, if we are honest, is an unusual way to receive news, opinions and commentary… This week in the first of a two part series, we discuss how algorithms have changed all our lives. 1.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm 

By 2026, it’s estimated that more than 90% of online content could be AI-generated. In today’s world, it’s never been more important to use tools to differentiate between human-generated media, and AI-generated content.    1. https://gptzero.me/news/how-ai-detectors-work/ 2. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/06/investing/warren-buffett-compares-ai-nuclear-weapons/index.html

https://preferabli.com/ To start this journey into AI, we are going to focus on wine. So cheers everyone!  It's always 5 PM somewhere, right?? You will look at your next glass differently when you hear how artificial intelligence has become a partner in how we drink wine. Wine has been around for thousands of years, but the wine you enjoy today has likely benefited from various technical supports that are now becoming the norm. This new technology merges the human sensory system with AI to offer interesting recommendations. This is entirely different from the Institute of Masters of Wine and certainly not comparable to the expertise of the relatively few real master sommeliers around the globe!  

Doug's Winter Party The viral story of how an 85-year-old man’s handwritten invitations to his neighbors turned into a global social media sensation is a great example of the power of social media and how it can be harnessed for businesses and organisations.