We were deep in conversation, driving to Florida. Talking at some length about the 2026 strategy for AI Bits & Pieces. What stays. What evolves. What new ideas might want a little room to grow. After a lot of back and forth, there was a pause. The kind that means someone is thinking, not finished. Then Michael started thinking out loud — as he does. I was listening. Or so I thought. Michael was reciting a finished thought — pulling together all the pieces of the conversation we’d just had about AI Bits & Pieces and its next chapter. Naturally, I answered. Quickly. Confidently. Like a spouse who’s been married a long time and knows the rhythm of these conversations. And then ChatGPT started talking. And then it just… stopped. Like, oh — sorry, go ahead. I remember thinking, "Why did it start talking?" Completely forgetting that Michael had ChatGPT set to voice mode to capture our thoughts and notes. So, I kept going. Added a little more context. And then, suddenly, ChatGPT jumped back in and essentially said, “Yes, I agree with Michele.” 😳 I looked at Michael with that "what just happened" face. That’s when it clicked. He wasn’t asking me. He was asking "TARS" (yes, from *Interstellar*) — as Michael calls ChatGPT. And somehow, without meaning to, I had jumped into a three-way conversation… and the AI wasn’t waiting at all — more like a cat behind the couch, ready to spring. I didn’t know whether to laugh or shake my head in bewilderment. Probably both 😂 And I thought to myself — "damn… it’s already here." Woven quietly into our conversations, our thinking, our planning. It made me wonder — where else is AI showing up that I’m not even consciously aware of? We’re just going on about our day — the kind of conversation I’ve had a thousand times with my partner of 27 years — and it’s already inserting itself into our lives. And maybe that’s how the biggest changes arrive — already settled in, before we realize we’ve adjusted. And that's AI in Real Life...

I’m excited to share something special with our AI Bits & Pieces community, especially the AI-curious members of our community. 🥁 🚀 Starting this week, my wife Michele will be contributing a new series called AI in Real Life — a warm, honest look at what it actually feels like to learn and use AI from the perspective of an everyday, real-world user. ✨ AI in Real Life is for anyone who’s ever thought: “I’m curious… but where do I begin?” This series will follow her personal journey with ChatGPT and other AI tools as she explores how they show up in everyday life — conversations with family, planning and organizing, trying new ideas, and even navigating the hesitation many of us felt in the beginning. Each week, Michele will share a short story, a small discovery, or a real-life moment that brought AI into her world in a simple, human way. My hope is that her voice helps make this community feel even more welcoming for those who are just getting started. ________ 🕰️ By way of background, Michele (@Michele Wacht ) spent twenty years as an executive selling services to the automotive OEM industry. She came from a corporate marketing and sales background, achieving top salesperson status at her company for many years before stepping away eight years ago to prioritize our family and be fully present for our daughter during her teen years. Now that Emma is off to college and recently turned 21, Michele felt ready to re-engage. And to my delight, she decided to join AI Bits and Pieces in helping people understand the benefits of AI — not from the perspective of an engineer or a strategist, but from the vantage point of someone discovering her own curiosity and how AI fits in as a life skill. If you’ve read Michele’s writing — as I and many of her friends have — you know she has a gift for turning simple moments into meaningful reflections. She approaches AI the same way — with curiosity, humor, and a down-to-earth honesty that reminds us that learning something new doesn’t always start with confidence. Sometimes it starts with dinner plans for friends, a college-age daughter on speed dial, and a willingness to try (a preview of her first post).

We just crossed the 500-member mark here at AI Bits & Pieces. Wow! When I started this community, I simply felt that AI was becoming something bigger than tools or trends. It felt like true a shift in the way we would interact with technology — and I wanted to create a place where people could learn, explore, and apply it in a thoughtful way. What makes this milestone meaningful isn’t just the number. It’s the people. We have members who are: - Just beginning their AI journey - Deepening their prompting fluency - Building real systems and automations - Applying AI inside established businesses That range matters. It creates perspective. It creates better conversations. It creates learning in both directions. To everyone who has contributed, asked questions, shared insight, encouraged others, or quietly followed along — thank you. Your presence shapes this space. We’re going to continue refining the classroom, adding live sessions, and building clearer paths for each stage of the AI journey. I’m grateful you’re here. Thank you, @Michael Wacht