Image created in ChatGPT
Here’s an easy, healthy recipe perfect for fall evenings:
Autumn Lentil + Root Vegetable Soup
Ingredients: green or brown lentils, carrots, sweet potato, onion, garlic, celery, low-sodium broth, thyme, bay leaf, a splash of apple cider vinegar
Steps:
Sauté onion, garlic, celery in olive oil until soft.
Add diced carrots & sweet potato, stir a few minutes.
Add lentils + broth + thyme + bay leaf, bring to boil, then simmer ~25 minutes until lentils and veggies are tender.
Stir in splash of apple cider vinegar and season with salt/pepper to taste.
(Optional) Blend 1/3 of the soup for creamy texture, leave the rest chunky.
Why it works:
Lentils = plant protein, fiber
Root vegetables = seasonal, comforting
One-pot, minimal fuss, easy reheating for leftovers
Action Step: Make a batch over the weekend. Use leftovers as “lunch prep” (pair with a simple whole-grain bread or side salad). As you eat, think about the small habits (like batch cooking) that support your long-term energy and well-being.
📡 AI News You Can Use
Here are five fresh stories worth your attention:
China’s Zhipu AI says full artificial superintelligence unlikely by 2030
A leader in China’s AI space doubts we’ll reach full “superintelligence” by 2030—suggesting more moderate, incremental advances ahead.California enacts AI safety law requiring safety disclosures
California’s new law forces large AI firms (OpenAI, Google, Meta, etc.) to publish how they’re addressing “catastrophic risks” and to report incidents.AI Safety Connect to debut at UNGA 2025
A new global initiative, AI Safety Connect, will convene leaders during the UN General Assembly to push AI governance onto the diplomatic stage.Older workers reaping benefits from AI
In New Zealand, older employees are already using AI tools (for efficiency, research, etc.) and reporting meaningful gains in productivity and job satisfaction.More than half of financial advisers already use AI
According to a latest survey, 50%+ of financial advisers have started using AI to assist with planning, analysis, and client communication.
Action Step: Pick one of the above articles to read in full this weekend. Highlight one idea you found surprising or useful—and send me your takeaway. I might include your insight in next week’s newsletter!
Image courtesy of SISA
🛡️ AI Safety — Smart Habits to Stay Secure
"Safe" AI use isn’t just for tech experts. Everyone can adopt habits that reduce risk—especially when dealing with personal data, online tools, and identity. Here are practical, new best practices (recently discussed by experts):
Key Safety Principles
Think First, Verify Always (TFVA): A new paper (July 2025) recommends treating yourself as the first “firewall.” Pause before acting on AI outputs—especially ones involving money, health, or sensitive info—and verify externally.
Use strong, unique passwords & multi-factor authentication (MFA): Always guard your AI accounts (e.g. OpenAI, Claude) behind strong auth.
Limit personal data exposure: Don’t feed AI tools sensitive identifiers (SSN, full financial account numbers, medical records) unless absolutely necessary.
Cross-check facts & responses: AIs are powerful—but not infallible. When in doubt, do a quick web check or consult a trustworthy source.
Stay updated on vendor security practices: Choose AI tools whose companies publish safety practices, audits, or transparency disclosures. (California’s new disclosure law is pushing that trend.)
Watch out for adversarial inputs: Some attackers try to trick or manipulate AI models with hidden prompts. So stay alert if AI starts giving weird or off-base responses.
Action Step: This week, pick one safety habit above that you don’t yet practice. Commit to doing it for the next 7 days and note any difference in comfort or peace of mind. If you like, share which one you chose in your reply to this newsletter.
Image courtesy of YouTube
🎥 Different Retirement Perspectives — YouTube Spotlight 🎥
Title: Frances Valintine Talks AI Helping Older Workers
Creator: Leah Panapa (interview with Frances Valintine)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk57RGgvDjU
Description: In this interview, Frances Valintine (founder of Academy EX) discusses how AI is being used by older workers to stay relevant, boost productivity, and shift roles rather than stepping away from work entirely. She emphasizes mindset, continuous learning, and practical use of AI tools rather than fear.
Key Takeaway: It’s not about AI replacing older workers, but how older workers can leverage AI—combining their domain experience with new tools to stay in the game.
Tip / Action Step: Watch the video (it’s short and accessible). As you watch, think about one skill or domain you bring (experience, context, perspective) that could pair with an AI tool. Jot it down. In our next issue, I’ll invite readers to share those pairings.
Image courtesy of Anthropic
💡 AI Platform Spotlight — Trying Claude 3 Opus
Today’s tool: Claude 3 Opus (by Anthropic). If you’ve heard of ChatGPT, Claude is in that same family of “large language model” assistants—but with some different strengths.
What is Claude 3 Opus?
In simple terms: a conversational AI assistant. You send it prompts—questions, tasks, brainstorms—and it gives you responses, drafts, ideas, or steps. Claude tends to emphasize safety, guardrails, and more controlled output (fewer hallucinations or wild guesses).
Step-by-step to try it
Visit Anthropic’s site (search “Claude AI”) and sign up (there’s often a free trial).
Choose Claude 3 Opus or the available version.
In the prompt box, type something like:
❝“I’m planning a 4-week writing schedule on the theme ‘Rediscovering Purpose After 60.’ Give me a weekly outline and suggested writing prompts.”
Let Claude reply. Read its answer, then follow up:
❝“Now revise #2 to focus more on community engagement.”
(Optional) Export the response or copy it into your notes or planner.
Action Step: Try a simple task this week using Claude: ask it to summarize your email inbox subject lines (or key messages) into 3 bullet points of “what to focus on.” Use that to plan your top 3 priorities for the next few days.
Tip: Use Claude (or any AI) as a first draft assistant, not a final authority. Always review and adjust.
Image created using ChatGPT
💵 Money Talks — Rethinking Retirement Funds in the Age of AI
Let’s address a timely question: Should you re-think your retirement investments ahead of a possible AI-driven market shake-up?
A recent article from WBUR asks just that — “Should you rethink your retirement funds ahead of a potential AI crash?” whqr.org Their conclusion? It’s premature to panic, but it is smart to review positioning, stress-test your portfolio, and stress your assumptions.
At the same time, more financial advisors are adopting AI tools (analytics, modeling, scenario planning) to help clients adapt faster. Plan Adviser That means staying nimble—being able to adjust when new patterns emerge.
What you can do now:
Run “what-if” scenarios: Ask your advisor (or use a planning tool) what happens if AI-fueled disruption hits various sectors (e.g. tech, energy, manufacturing).
Diversify across “future-resilient” opportunities: Think companies or sectors likely to benefit from AI adoption (healthcare diagnostics, AI safety, automation tooling) and traditional assets (bonds, real estate).
Keep some “dry powder:” Maintain a cash reserve or low-volatility buffer so you can respond if opportunities— or volatility— arise.
Monitor regulatory, legislative developments: The new disclosure laws (e.g. in California) and global AI governance moves may influence markets. Reuters+2The Verge+2
Action Step: If you have a retirement fund or portfolio, ask your advisor (or your own tool) to simulate a “30% shift” scenario: what if AI disruptions dramatically shift revenue in a key sector over 5 years? How does that affect your projected income or withdrawal rate? Then compare with your original plan and adjust modestly if needed.
🌱Community & Next Steps
This issue’s CTA: Reply to this email (or comment) with one potential AI task you’d like to “teach” an assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.). In the next issue, I’ll share a few of your ideas (with permission).
Enjoying these AI insights?