I'm not gonna write you a newsletter...today. ????????? (Part II)

This is newsletter #53. I started writing this newsletter, Humans of AI, in March 2022 as a way of counterbalancing the "Breaking News" that seemed to dominate the conversation about AI in the months following the release of ChatGPT. For a hot minute before March, I had been playing with image generators, learning the code (yes natural language is code) of communicating with a machine and it struck me as one of the most intimately human acts.

Inspired by my friend Les Guessing , I'm resharing one of my early issues written from the floor of a live music concert with my daughter, Elle. It's particularly meaningful because just last night she invited me to join her to see Lizzie McAlpine at Radio City Music Hall, a more refined venue where we have real seats and don't need to camp out all day. She's old enough now not to need a chaperone, so this invitation is voluntary. The kid got a job and bought the tickets with her own money. What a difference a year makes!

Reflecting back, this article could just as easily have been written today, as there is very little that's changed in the conversation about AI. Just a few weeks ago, a tweet by author Joanna Maciejewska went viral saying, "I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes." Her sentiments echo those I have heard from many women who have fought hard for the right to pursue impactful paid work and are still left to finish the unpaid labor.

The biggest technological difference is that last year I was typing this conversation with ChatGPT with a short context window and no long term memory. This year, I'm having it by voice with a Custom GPT that's connected by API to my Google Calendar and has agency to schedule, modify and delete appointments using my voice commands. It's not yet doing my dishes or laundry, but honestly, those are the humbling activities that remind me that much of the world earns money off their bodies. It also seems that people on LinkedIn find my feet pics more entertaining than my newsletter, so not giving up my labor anytime soon!

Lately, my talks to corporations have all begun like this: "Let's assume that in the next 10 years, the line between what humans can do and what machines can do will be negligible. What choices will you make?"

Because it's all a matter of choices. How we spend our time, how we deploy machines (inclusive of simple ones like pulleys and ramps and complex ones like neural networks and robotics), and what we do with our virility - these are the privileges of human intelligence. The choices we eliminate for people are also our cross to bear.

So tonight, instead of writing you a fresh newsletter, I'm making the choice to share with you the one I wrote on a night not dissimilar to tonight.

Part I: (Because I'm too busy being a M.O.M)

May 11, 2023

I had a clear calendar today ?? and every intention of prioritizing my weekly newsletter. I started my day the way I always do, firing up ChatGPT ?? and planning my day.

This week, I was teaching a webinar to marketing executives, demonstrating how ChatGPT could be used for scheduling and task management. I asked for examples of things they needed to get done today. In addition to meetings, they had proposals to write, RFPs to respond to, and social media posts to draft. They also had kids to pick up, nails to do, groceries to buy....

As the participants shared their lists, I couldn't help but reflect on how AI, like ChatGPT, could be beneficial in managing both professional and personal tasks. There is a lot of talk about how AI will eliminate jobs, and I'm not insensitive to that. There stands to be tremendous disruption to the global economy due to the efficiencies that can be gained. However, let's also acknowledge that some of those jobs are the multiple jobs that M.O.Ms (maternally oriented mammals) have, simultaneously.

According to the OECD, women in the United States spend 37% more time on unpaid care and domestic work than men. This disproportionate burden of unpaid work can limit women's ability to participate in the labor market and contribute to income inequality. The gender pay gap persists, with women earning on average 16% less than men according to the World Economic Forum. So it's interesting to me that when I asked women about what they wanted AI to do, it was not to do their work. It was to do all the other things that keep them from doing their work.

Establishing a Schedule

?? GM (because I think it's important to speak politely to a bot even though I know it's not human), It's Wednesday at 9:00 AM. I have [X] meetings on my calendar and [Y]^N things to do. These are my top three priorities: A) Revenue generating activities; B) Progress on Long-Term Project; C) Community Building (that's y'all!).

?? Good morning! Considering your meeting and preferences, here's a schedule for today:

1. 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Revenue generating activities - Reach out to potential clients, follow up on leads, and brainstorm new marketing strategies.

2. 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM: Progress on Long-Term Project - Review the project timeline, complete pending tasks, and coordinate with team members.

3. 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Bike ride - Enjoy some outdoor exercise and recharge for the afternoon tasks.

4. 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM: Work on your newsletter - Draft content and outline ideas for community building.

5. 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Meeting - Discuss project updates and collaboration opportunities.

6. 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM: Continue working on the newsletter - Edit, finalize, and schedule for distribution.

Don't forget to take short breaks in between tasks. If you need any assistance, feel free to ask. Have a great day!

?? It's now 9:15, and the world looks bright. I have a plan and the entire day ahead. I set my timer for my first 90-minute work block.

I'm on fire. I send an email, clear out that inbox, sequence my website edits, discount codes, links to registrations, squeeze in a few DM responses just for sport. I'm in and out and all around. I'm on a roll. So far, so good.

? Alarm ??

Fuck.

I'm nowhere near through that chunk of work. I'm supposed to take a 15-minute break and then start writing, but I'm in no headspace to write right now. If I could just wrap up this ONE EMAIL.

?? No one even reads these things anymore. Don't waste your time, kid. It's not worth it.

Revising Schedule

?? No, I'm doing this, I'm doing this. Can you help me decide between the following options:

A) Do this thing

B) Do that thing

C) Do both this thing and that thing

D) Do a lot of this thing and a little of that thing.

?? According to your priorities, you should do a lot of this thing and a little of that thing.

?? I did this thing and that thing and now I'm ready for the next thing. I'm running behind. What can I put off?

?? Good for you for getting this thing and that thing done. ? Let me revise your schedule for you. These things are not a priority. You can do them tomorrow. Focus on his thing and a little bit of that thing. You are almost there.

? Alarm ??

Ah$&?3

Time for my meeting.

?? Hi, real person in a square on my screen ?? Zoom zoom blah blah blah AI blah blah AI blah blah that's so awesome! I'd love to do that project with you. It's so nice connecting! I have a hard stop ?? Yup, let's do this again real soon.

?? OK, so I'm almost done. I know I can get this across the line. It's out, I'm back in action, just a few more little things before I can get to the big thing.

?? Not happening. It's OK, I have a million excuses for that. Get the work done. Get it done.

Done ?

? Alarm ??

Check text messages.

?? Mother...

Bye, Bye Schedule

As I stand on the floor of the concert venue, typing this on my phone between acts, let me give you a little context. My daughter ?? had been sitting outside all day to be first in line for this concert (I let her skip school for this because I'm a cool M.O.M. and she was dedicated). But then, she found out that she needed a chaperone. So, I had to scrap my plans, buy a ticket, and rally to the concert.

Now, as I stand on the floor of the concert venue writing this in between acts, I'm reminded that sometimes being a M.O.M. means putting our work on hold and being present for the people who depend upon us.

As I stand here, surrounded by thousands of teenagers, standing so close that when one moves it sends ripples through the crowd, I feel alive.?We are in between acts and everyone is singing along to a Taylor Swift track at the top of their lungs.?The energy is palpable and honest.?I don’t have to wonder if it is a real or simulated experience.?I am here.?I can feel the breath of the person next to me.?I can feel the bass reverberate through the floor and through my bones.?We will leave here and there will be mediated reminders, but I will have my own fully constructed with all five senses memory of this place and this time, of photographs I took with my own camera.?Perhaps the fact that this experience was taken from us for so long and indefinitely makes me appreciate the intimacy of the crowd even more.

This is living, and while technology can undoubtedly help us navigate our increasingly complex lives, it's essential not to let it replace the human connections that truly matter.

In the chaos of knitting together work and personal life, I've learned to appreciate the support of AI tools like ChatGPT ??, which can save us time and energy, wherever we need it. However, I also recognize that it's up to us to use that saved time wisely and focus on what really counts.

So, next time you find yourself in a scheduling frenzy, remember to take a step back and appreciate the M.O.M. moments in your life. Because it's not always about crossing items off your to-do list, but about making space for the things that truly matter.

As I wrap up this newsletter, hastily written from the floor of a concert venue ??, I am reminded that while AI can be a fantastic tool for managing our hectic lives, it's ultimately up to us to create the moments that make life worth living. So, to all the M.O.Ms out there, embrace the chaos, cherish the memories, and remember that sometimes, it's okay not to write a newsletter...today. ??????????

I'm Lori Mazor. I teach AI with a Human Touch.? I'm reinventing how we educate, strategize, and build the future one article at a time. If you enjoy this newsletter.

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