Alan Fox

In 2013, I published my NY Times bestselling book, People Tools: 54 Strategies for Building Relationships, Creating Joy, and Embracing Prosperity.  It was a book that took me years to write. It was a practical guide on how to get along with people, a skill that is the cornerstone for building a successful, joy-filled life 

People Tools was published long before programs like Chat GPT emerged. But whether it’s Siri answering questions of fact, or Google advising on medical decisions, AI is now woven into the very fabric of our lives.

Ask a question on any search engine, and AI will pop up with an answer that may have previously taken hours, or days, to research. Do you even remember flipping through a Thomas Guide to find your way around the city?

But because it applies deep learning using neural networks inspired by the human brain, AI can also simulate human interactions and seemingly read text and mimic expressions of emotions. My son, who teaches at a top university, has begun using oral exams to prevent students from using AI generated answers.

So, what does this mean for human connections and relationships? Will reliance on AI for communication weaken our ability to navigate real-life social interactions and emotional cues? Might it replace genuine human relationships and impact the quality of real human social bonds? Might emotional attachments to AI become widespread?   Maybe you can Google an answer.  (Will it understand that what I just wrote was ironic?) (of course it will)…)

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a technological trend; it’s the defining force of our times. Despite the challenges, one thing is clear: AI will play a central role in shaping the future and understanding it today will help us to prepare.

FYI – I ran the above through Chat GPT and asked it to check for accuracy. Here is what it said: “This is strong, clear writing with a solid structure and persuasive flow. The ideas are accurate at a high level, but there are a few grammar issues, phrasing problems, and minor accuracy nuances worth tightening. I’ll give you a cleaned-up revision…

In the interests of remaining human, I present to you the original, (mostly) unaltered, or chat-GPT-ified version. I hope you enjoy it, human flaws and all.

Years ago, I read a science fiction story about mankind building, in outer space, the largest computer ever made. The very first question asked was this:

“Is there a God?”

A voice boomed out the — perhaps inevitable — response.

“NOW THERE IS.”

Alan (the real one, I think)

I often write about the importance of making decisions, because, ultimately, our lives are shaped by our decisions. Where we live, who we marry, the kind of work we do, are all a reflection of the choices we’ve made. And every morning we begin our day with the seemingly mundane decision of selecting what clothes we will wear.

For me, pants are easy. I have about ten pairs of slacks, and all are similar. The problem is choosing a shirt. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the arduous process of deciding which of my many shirts I will wear. I know there are people who choose to wear the same thing every day, a uniform of sorts.  One male friend of mine always wears black.  I like variety.

And unless many shirts are at the dry cleaner I usually have about twenty to choose from.  All are custom, because I like two shirt pockets and most shirts from the store have only one. I normally order two shirts in the same fabric because there aren’t many fabrics I like, (so really, I’m only choosing between 12 different looks). What could be so difficult? Maybe I should save my mental energy for something more important. And yet…

The obvious choice would be to pick the shirt I like best each day, or as was the case last time I wrote about this process, the one I like second best. But then I’d be wearing the same shirts repeatedly. Also, I like to save my very best shirt for some unknown occasion in the future that has yet to happen.

(As an aside, I watched the Masters golf tournament over the weekend, and one of the leading professional golfers was wearing a shirt suspiciously like my own favorite, except that his shirt had NIKE on the back. Sadly, Nike has never expressed any interest in sponsoring me.)

One of these days, I might write about how I made the momentous decision to wear my very best shirt. But that is not today. Today I picked a shirt that reflects little imagination. It’s white.

Now I’m off to my office to make decisions of, hopefully, greater consequence.

Alan

As a teenager, I wanted to be a writer who could write better than Shakespeare.  Why not aim high? Perhaps, one day, someone will do it.

Maybe I was merely terrified to find a “real” job, and writing seemed fun. Also, I could do it without leaving my home. What could be better?

I remember being told that first rule of writing was, “Write what you know.”  I was sixteen. Therefore, I knew just about everything, which really meant that I knew just about nothing. And when you know not and know not that you know not…you won’t write anything of value. I don’t believe, as many do, that shared ignorance has value.

As it turns out, I did become a writer — of (mostly business) emails. Back in 1956, If you’d told me that’s what I’d be spending my days writing, I wouldn’t even have known what an email was.

Early in my law career I received a compliment from the wife of another attorney. She said that I wrote great business letters.  Well, that’s one very practical use for writing.

How do you know when you’ve found your niche in life?  There is no formal system or test you can take to find out.  No one will send you a telegram (do we still have those?) to let you know if you’re even on the right track.

Your life is not like a democracy. It isn’t ruled by “the people.” It’s an autocracy, only one person is making all the decisions.  As far as your own life is concerned you are all three branches of government combined into a single body. This means that you get to plan, execute, and judge your own life.

Good luck with that. Especially the judgmental part. I know that most of us try to do our best all the time, but I give myself, and you, permission to take a rest. Just enjoy your day. Remind yourself what you are looking forward to and then give permission to do it, even if it’s only Trader Joe’s Instant Oatmeal for breakfast.

Time does not crawl. It rushes and leaps. Suddenly I’m 86 and still wondering what I’ll be when I grow up.

Alan