AI is my friend

I admire Mark Schaefer, a brilliant yet grounded marketing guru who is practical, insightful, occasionally feisty, and always humble.

- FRANCIS J. KONG

Each time I ask to feature his work, he responds warmly (and quickly). That humility is rare.

In one of his recent posts, he shared a story that resonated with me on multiple levels, not just in terms of marketing or AI but also about the human experience in a rapidly changing world.

Mark was preparing for a trip to France and used ChatGPT to brush up on his French language skills. At one point, it suggested the phrase "Je suis allergique au gluten," meaning "I am allergic to gluten"—which he is.

But how did ChatGPT know this?

Mark said that in a previous conversation, he had asked for gluten-free travel tips. AI had connected the dots—not just spitting out terms, but caring for his well-being.

At that moment, AI became a friend.

Now, of course, there are risks to the memory-based AI. There's a creep factor. But imagine the possibilities: AI that remembers what matters to you and helps protect what you value.

"The internet is not as angry as it seems," Mark claims.

If you scroll through your social media feed, it looks like the whole world is angry.

But as Mark reminds us, research shows that 98 percent of people who complain want to be acknowledged. Only two percent thrive on anger, don't they?