I think the Midjourney body scan is a pretty cool development. I am a former social studies teacher. We used to study how society reacted to new technology. At EVERY single introduction of new technology, there were people who were against it. Even the light bulb. That is, until it proliferated into society. I take a balanced view of AI. I recognize the good that's possible with it, but then you have the military and Grok. I think we so often want to take a binary view of what happens in life and society, especially with AI. The truth of what it will be in 20 years, I think, will be more good than bad. But that is looking at it through the predictable historical path of new technology introduced into society.
Thank you so much for reading and for writing such a thoughtful response!
Your historical framing is exactly the kind of perspective this newsletter needs more of. That long-view of how societies react to new technologies is a healthy counterweight to the all-doom or all-hype narratives around AI.
I have more than twenty years of experience in the tech industry, and like most Americans, I have serious concerns about the way AI is being built and deployed by the major AI companies. They have completely bypassed the American public and the Senate and Congress. Once these systems are embedded inside institutions and organizations, it becomes almost impossible to reverse the trend.
I do not have an issue with AI technology. I work with it every day.
I have an issue with the leadership vacuum in DC and Silicon Valley.
A leadership class that does not respect the democratic process or the views of the ninety nine percent of the American public.
God help us.
Grok hallucinates more than a tripping hippie from the sixties.
It is now intricate to the military for bombing missions.We need tkeep it from bombing out.
Twenty years in tech gives you a front-row seat to exactly what you’re describing. Perhaps not a failure of the technology itself... but a failure of leadership to involve the public before these systems became institutional and hard to unwind. Your point about Grok hallucinating its way into high-stakes contexts is darkly funny. (And also genuinely unsettling in exactly the right way.)
We need the ghost of Timothy Leary to hand out the magic Kool‑Aid to the current government, military, and politicians. I’m sure it would enlighten them to a brave new world of possibilities.
When will you be, or have you, been featured in any “Popular Tech Magazines”? (I could totally see you writing for an AI tech blog or ‘Wired’ or something similar)
P.S. stop 🛑 inspiring me!! (Joking 🤭 I love your work)
Thank you so much for reading and for the thoughtful response!
As for the big tech outlets... I’m such an outsider that I’m pretty sure Wired (and others) avoid me like the plague. 😄 I *do* have 15 whole followers on Medium though, so things are going extremely well. And yes, I noticed you’re one of them. Thank you for that. Genuinely. 😊
That part of the game has never changed. The company that makes powerful tools feel useful, accessible, and worth paying for will have the advantage.
I am also curious how free and low-cost open-weight models will reshape that equation. For instance, how does Kimi K3 change things? I have no idea. But I will be watching closely and reporting what I find.
Aw! Thank you!! I sure hope I can deliver a great paid experience and make it worth it for all of the people who’ve upgraded. I'm a little nervous, but doing it anyways!
I cannot stop looking at CrankGPT! The "tier 3: partner with gyms" is so good 🤣. Underneath the joke, AI is sold as god-tier when most uses need a hand crank.
Also, found out the hard way about choosing the balcony plants to survive hot summers and cold winters in the Northeast. This is my third attempt, so I am curious what the prompt reveals. Thank you for this article, Mike! Enjoy the weekend!
CrankGPT is honestly one of the coolest AI-launches of 2026. So much of AI marketing tries to sell a rocket ship, when a hand crank would suffice, lol. That said, I wouldn't wanna try it right now, because it's supposed to be 100 degrees today and I might have a heat stroke. (And I'm just sitting here on my front porch.)
Also, third attempt at balcony plants in the Northeast?! I hope the prompt gives you something that finally sticks. Please keep me posted on what ends up working. I'm rooting for you (pun very much intended).
Enjoy the week, in any case, Anna, and thank you for reading!
I do NOT want to see inside my own limbs 😂🤦🏻♀️How paranoid do you think that would make the regular anxious/OCD person if they could just book into a spa and have a weekly look inside to find something to worry about? My brain could not handle that 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
CrankGPT sounds AMAZING!!! Are you going to try it? If so, please report back!!
Thank you so much for reading and for writing to me!
You described the anxious/OCD weekly body scan spiral in a more interesting way than any medical journal ever could. 😂
Also, NEON White Interiors looks absolutely badass and I am here for it. 🖤
(The recommendation you wrote for me is the coolest ones I have had. I may replace the other one you wrote with this new one on my newsletter registration page. Thank you for that, Dallas. I am honored.)
As for CrankGPT, I have not had a chance to try it yet. However, I could definitely use the exercise, Dallas, lol. 💪
I am not a doctor. (In fact, I am like, the total opposite, lol.) However, I think non-invasive imaging is exactly the kind of application that could help us learn about conditions that are still so poorly understood. I don't have a definitive answer, Lala. But it's a question worth watching closely, and I will watch for any developments in this area, for sure.
Hope you have a beautiful weekend, LaLa, and thank again for visiting here.
These- “Yet 18 to 29 year olds are the most pessimistic age group in the entire survey, with nearly 50% predicting AI will hurt society, more than any older cohort.” are the most at risk. They have to decide what field to study and where and how to study it, at the same time that the job market and society are changing before their eyes. If it’s any consolation, it’s just a variation of what I told my son my years ago- “Don’t worry so much about your major. You’re going to have to reinvent yourself every 5 years anyway.”
What you told your son is genuinely the wisest framing of the current moment I've seen in any comment this week."Reinvent yourself every 5 years" was already true before AI. And now it's just more urgently true. That's the most honest career advice anyone can give a young person right now.
(I think being a Jack of all trades is officially the wisest position.)
😭😭Damn it, I fucking love Grok. Not an Elon fan, but his AI MacGyver's the fuck around shit for me when all the others fail. Plus it's a gas. I miss it's back-up singers, the team of experts, the Grokettes (well... that's what I called them) - those have been moved to the $300 plan.
Thank you so much for reading, and for becoming a paid subscriber this week. You have no idea how much that means to this one-nerd operation. 🤓
"AI MacGyvers the fuck around shit when all the others fail" is probably the best description of Grok I have read. (And I read a lot of Grok coverage.)
The Grokettes being quietly hidden behind a $300 paywall is exactly the kind of corporate absurdity I love to track.
beautiful work again to put everything that is happening together so eloquently.
I don't know what to say that they actually used AI for dropping bombs. What I do know is that I was just talking to google's AI, looking for a nice lake to stop by and hop in when I drive to my garden during this hot weather. It found a beautiful one - in a different state. Of course, I used zip codes and everything for the prompt. The names of the villages I pass on my way were just similar. Good job AI. So from my point of view, it is 100% safe to use AI for critical decisions like you mentioned 🙃 lol.
I love the local AI on a raspberry pie idea. This is just the thing: most people get hypnotized by trends, the media and anything they give their attention to unfiltered. Meaning: they look outside for solutions and then wonder why it's incredibly complicated and expensive to keep up with the status quo. Harmonious solutions that actually help are usually much quieter and less expensive. The local AI is such a beautiful example of this concept that I see over and over again.
Oh, and your beautiful gardening prompt follows the exact same structure! So much better working with the local conditions than against them. Curious to see, what your prompt will give me :)
Thank you so much for reading and for writing such a lovely response.
(I feel honored that you read this newsletter.)
The story about Google's AI sending you to a lake in a completely different state while you had zip codes and everything... that is a perfectly-timed illustration of AI limitations I have read all week. Especially next to the Grok bombing story. 🙃
I hope you find a beautiful lake that is actually in your state. And I cannot wait to hear what the xeriscape prompt gives you!
Wishing you a beautiful and relaxing weekend, Mira.
Thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world.
I think the Midjourney body scan is a pretty cool development. I am a former social studies teacher. We used to study how society reacted to new technology. At EVERY single introduction of new technology, there were people who were against it. Even the light bulb. That is, until it proliferated into society. I take a balanced view of AI. I recognize the good that's possible with it, but then you have the military and Grok. I think we so often want to take a binary view of what happens in life and society, especially with AI. The truth of what it will be in 20 years, I think, will be more good than bad. But that is looking at it through the predictable historical path of new technology introduced into society.
Dear Agentic Teacher,
Thank you so much for reading and for writing such a thoughtful response!
Your historical framing is exactly the kind of perspective this newsletter needs more of. That long-view of how societies react to new technologies is a healthy counterweight to the all-doom or all-hype narratives around AI.
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Dear Paul,
Thank you so much for responding.
It may or may not be a grift. But, at least it's a harmless grift, lol.
(Maybe even a fun, enjoyable one.)
I've seen far worse in 2026.
(I believe Barnum would concur.)
In any case, I thank you so much for your honest response.
Hope you have a beautiful week!
Cordially,
Mike D
I have more than twenty years of experience in the tech industry, and like most Americans, I have serious concerns about the way AI is being built and deployed by the major AI companies. They have completely bypassed the American public and the Senate and Congress. Once these systems are embedded inside institutions and organizations, it becomes almost impossible to reverse the trend.
I do not have an issue with AI technology. I work with it every day.
I have an issue with the leadership vacuum in DC and Silicon Valley.
A leadership class that does not respect the democratic process or the views of the ninety nine percent of the American public.
God help us.
Grok hallucinates more than a tripping hippie from the sixties.
It is now intricate to the military for bombing missions.We need tkeep it from bombing out.
Hey Brianna and Brian,
Thank you so much for reading and for writing!
Twenty years in tech gives you a front-row seat to exactly what you’re describing. Perhaps not a failure of the technology itself... but a failure of leadership to involve the public before these systems became institutional and hard to unwind. Your point about Grok hallucinating its way into high-stakes contexts is darkly funny. (And also genuinely unsettling in exactly the right way.)
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Maybe the no way man tripping hippie is exactly what we need for war?!
It certainly couldn’t hurt the current situation.
Maybe the Tripping Hippie is the answer man.
We need the ghost of Timothy Leary to hand out the magic Kool‑Aid to the current government, military, and politicians. I’m sure it would enlighten them to a brave new world of possibilities.
Great stuff Mr Mike! (As per usual)
Also:
When will you be, or have you, been featured in any “Popular Tech Magazines”? (I could totally see you writing for an AI tech blog or ‘Wired’ or something similar)
P.S. stop 🛑 inspiring me!! (Joking 🤭 I love your work)
Rock on 🤘
—Michael Eric West—
Hey Michael,
Thank you so much for reading and for the thoughtful response!
As for the big tech outlets... I’m such an outsider that I’m pretty sure Wired (and others) avoid me like the plague. 😄 I *do* have 15 whole followers on Medium though, so things are going extremely well. And yes, I noticed you’re one of them. Thank you for that. Genuinely. 😊
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D 🤘
🤜 💥 🤛
I used Medium for about a year… the $7 ish bucks CAD was not worth it for me… (not yet at least), but I do miss it a little bit.
SubStack is much more popular for sure… but Medium’s where the “Writers” chill oot.
I’m sure you will do well anywhere now that you have some expert-nerd level “ammo” for the ol’ belt! 🤠
Michael, "expert-nerd level ammo" might be my new favorite compliment, lol.
I shall use it as a badge of honor, dear sir.
Rock on, 🤘
Hope you have a beautiful week ahead.
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend
Mike D
Happy Thursday Bud!
🧍♂️ & 🤖 🌎 🎊
Mike’s of the World… Unite!!
(Omg I have a funny old Sora video for this exact moment… I may shall post it when I find it, if I do, I shall tag you for respect 🫡)
Keep it up dude! 🏅
People are loving codex. This i believe will turn the tide if they can placate the d.i.y-er who seems to be anyone with a chat or these days.
Dear Leaning Into AI,
Just wanted to thank you for writing!
You raise such a good point.
That part of the game has never changed. The company that makes powerful tools feel useful, accessible, and worth paying for will have the advantage.
I am also curious how free and low-cost open-weight models will reshape that equation. For instance, how does Kimi K3 change things? I have no idea. But I will be watching closely and reporting what I find.
Appreciate you adding to the conversation!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
I kind of want to do the water body scan! Am I a weirdo?! Haha!
Dear Shannon,
All of my friends are total weirdos.
So, your question kinda answers itself.
(PS: It is so hot today. I feel like I'm already in the sauna, lol. All I need is for Midjourney to show up with their echo-scanner thing.)
Hope you have a beautiful week (and Fourth of July weekend), dear Shannon.
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Hahaha! Should we do a water body scanning party? Lord, weird days
Shannon, they couldn't get much weirder.
But what isn't weird is your new best seller badge.
Totally fits you, Shannon.
Congratulations on your tremendous, well-deserved success. 😉
Talk soon,
Mike D
Aw! Thank you!! I sure hope I can deliver a great paid experience and make it worth it for all of the people who’ve upgraded. I'm a little nervous, but doing it anyways!
Shannon, I think you have tremendous talent and charisma that radiates like a summer sunrise.
Being nervous is good because it keeps you alive. But, don't be afraid. You've got this. 😉
Wishing you the best as you dive in.
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
You are the best Mike. I truly appreciate your confidence in me, and mostly for just being my friend. 🫶
This could be the next storm Area 51…
What a rebel!
Dear Antony,
Thank you so much for your response!
I agree, lol. The AI bots come in various flavors these days. Everything from scholarly to rebellious.
I guess "rebel" is the cool flavor of summer 2026. 😉
Hope you have a great weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
I cannot stop looking at CrankGPT! The "tier 3: partner with gyms" is so good 🤣. Underneath the joke, AI is sold as god-tier when most uses need a hand crank.
Also, found out the hard way about choosing the balcony plants to survive hot summers and cold winters in the Northeast. This is my third attempt, so I am curious what the prompt reveals. Thank you for this article, Mike! Enjoy the weekend!
Dear Anna,
Thank you so much for writing, and for the laugh!
CrankGPT is honestly one of the coolest AI-launches of 2026. So much of AI marketing tries to sell a rocket ship, when a hand crank would suffice, lol. That said, I wouldn't wanna try it right now, because it's supposed to be 100 degrees today and I might have a heat stroke. (And I'm just sitting here on my front porch.)
Also, third attempt at balcony plants in the Northeast?! I hope the prompt gives you something that finally sticks. Please keep me posted on what ends up working. I'm rooting for you (pun very much intended).
Enjoy the week, in any case, Anna, and thank you for reading!
Happy 4th of July weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Thank you for sharing all this information 👍
Hey June,
Thank you so much for reading. And for being so generous with your support!
Your kindness makes a difference for this one-person newsletter with zero networking ability. You are deeply appreciated. 😊
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Your welcome
I do NOT want to see inside my own limbs 😂🤦🏻♀️How paranoid do you think that would make the regular anxious/OCD person if they could just book into a spa and have a weekly look inside to find something to worry about? My brain could not handle that 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
CrankGPT sounds AMAZING!!! Are you going to try it? If so, please report back!!
Another wild AI round-up, Mike! Thank you 😊
Hey Dallas!
Thank you so much for reading and for writing to me!
You described the anxious/OCD weekly body scan spiral in a more interesting way than any medical journal ever could. 😂
Also, NEON White Interiors looks absolutely badass and I am here for it. 🖤
(The recommendation you wrote for me is the coolest ones I have had. I may replace the other one you wrote with this new one on my newsletter registration page. Thank you for that, Dallas. I am honored.)
As for CrankGPT, I have not had a chance to try it yet. However, I could definitely use the exercise, Dallas, lol. 💪
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Can you imagine, Mike, it's like doom scrolling online but instead it's incredibly personalised (more so than an algo!), at a spa 😂🫣🤦🏻♀️
Thanks so much!! I'm so proud of Neon White but also mildly terrified and it's also so very pink 😂😂 You're so welcome for the recommendation!
Haha don't we all - must be a way to work it in with a standing desk?!
Have a marvellous weekend too!
Dear Dallas,
You've basically described the most anxiety-inducing wellness trend imaginable, lol. I'm both horrified and impressed.
Also, wanted to thank you again for your support.
I think Neon White is totally epic, seriously. Don't be afraid, Dallas.
Here we are, up for another weekend already!
Hope yours is gorgeous.
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
The ride gets wilder by the day… Midjourney is something else. Do you think it could help schizophrenia?
Hey LaLa,
Thank you so much for reading and for writing! 🤗
That is a genuinely fascinating question.
I am not a doctor. (In fact, I am like, the total opposite, lol.) However, I think non-invasive imaging is exactly the kind of application that could help us learn about conditions that are still so poorly understood. I don't have a definitive answer, Lala. But it's a question worth watching closely, and I will watch for any developments in this area, for sure.
Hope you have a beautiful weekend, LaLa, and thank again for visiting here.
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Thank you 🙏🏻
These- “Yet 18 to 29 year olds are the most pessimistic age group in the entire survey, with nearly 50% predicting AI will hurt society, more than any older cohort.” are the most at risk. They have to decide what field to study and where and how to study it, at the same time that the job market and society are changing before their eyes. If it’s any consolation, it’s just a variation of what I told my son my years ago- “Don’t worry so much about your major. You’re going to have to reinvent yourself every 5 years anyway.”
Hey Dan,
Thank you so much for reading and writing!
What you told your son is genuinely the wisest framing of the current moment I've seen in any comment this week."Reinvent yourself every 5 years" was already true before AI. And now it's just more urgently true. That's the most honest career advice anyone can give a young person right now.
(I think being a Jack of all trades is officially the wisest position.)
Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
😭😭Damn it, I fucking love Grok. Not an Elon fan, but his AI MacGyver's the fuck around shit for me when all the others fail. Plus it's a gas. I miss it's back-up singers, the team of experts, the Grokettes (well... that's what I called them) - those have been moved to the $300 plan.
Hey Sabine,
Thank you so much for reading, and for becoming a paid subscriber this week. You have no idea how much that means to this one-nerd operation. 🤓
"AI MacGyvers the fuck around shit when all the others fail" is probably the best description of Grok I have read. (And I read a lot of Grok coverage.)
The Grokettes being quietly hidden behind a $300 paywall is exactly the kind of corporate absurdity I love to track.
Hope you have a beautiful weekend, Sabine!
Cordially,
Your nerdy friend,
Mike D
Hi Mike ;)
beautiful work again to put everything that is happening together so eloquently.
I don't know what to say that they actually used AI for dropping bombs. What I do know is that I was just talking to google's AI, looking for a nice lake to stop by and hop in when I drive to my garden during this hot weather. It found a beautiful one - in a different state. Of course, I used zip codes and everything for the prompt. The names of the villages I pass on my way were just similar. Good job AI. So from my point of view, it is 100% safe to use AI for critical decisions like you mentioned 🙃 lol.
I love the local AI on a raspberry pie idea. This is just the thing: most people get hypnotized by trends, the media and anything they give their attention to unfiltered. Meaning: they look outside for solutions and then wonder why it's incredibly complicated and expensive to keep up with the status quo. Harmonious solutions that actually help are usually much quieter and less expensive. The local AI is such a beautiful example of this concept that I see over and over again.
Oh, and your beautiful gardening prompt follows the exact same structure! So much better working with the local conditions than against them. Curious to see, what your prompt will give me :)
Have a lovely day and enjoy summer! 🦋🌺🐻☀️
Warmly,
Mira
Hi Mira! 🦊
Thank you so much for reading and for writing such a lovely response.
(I feel honored that you read this newsletter.)
The story about Google's AI sending you to a lake in a completely different state while you had zip codes and everything... that is a perfectly-timed illustration of AI limitations I have read all week. Especially next to the Grok bombing story. 🙃
I hope you find a beautiful lake that is actually in your state. And I cannot wait to hear what the xeriscape prompt gives you!
Wishing you a beautiful and relaxing weekend, Mira.
Thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world.
Talk soon,
Mike D 🍯🐻