The useful part begins when AI can take action. So does the risk. Last week I gave an AI agent a real job. I asked it to research housing alternatives for us. It looked at apartments, condos, independent living and other possibilities. It eliminated some choices, narrowed others and produced a report that was useful even though it did not make the decision for us. But I gave it one very important limitation: don’t do anything. Don’t call anyone. Don’t make appointments. Don’t submit applications. Don’t send personal information. Don’t make commitments. Research. Compare. Report back. That worked pretty well. Which raises the next question: what happens when we remove those restrictions? That is where agents become much more interesting — and potentially much more…

Last week I wrote about AI agents and asked a fairly basic question: Why would someone like me want one? I understand why businesses are interested. An agent that can process invoices, answer customer questions, write software or manage inventory might save a company considerable time and money. But I don’t run or try to run a company anymore. I wanted to know whether an AI agent could do something useful for me. So instead of asking another question about agents, I decided to give one a real job. It turns out I had a pretty good one waiting. Where Should We Live? My wife and I live in a house in northwest Reno. At some point, whether soon or several years from now, we…

“Is there a teenager around?” I’ve heard that more times than I can count. Sometimes it’s a television that suddenly refuses to cooperate. Sometimes it’s a smartphone, a streaming service, or a computer that seems to have developed a mind of its own. The assumption is that anyone under twenty-five can solve the problem in a matter of seconds. Sometimes they can and sometimes they can’t. But the times they can leave a lasting impression. But I’ve also noticed something else. Many of my friends have simply stopped experimenting. No social media. No phone-based payment options. No Roomba. And certainly, no AI tools. I think that’s unfortunate, because the people who stop trying are often the very people who could benefit the most. The goal…