Welcome to a tech-spectacular Sunday, friend. Sam dropped me a question this past week: “Do earbuds cause cancer?” Bluetooth emits nonionizing radiation, unlike X‑rays. Numerous studies have found zero evidence linking wireless devices (e.g., earbuds) to cancer or other health issues. Now, as far as eggs go … One day, they’re bad for you; the next day, it’s all good. I eat one egg almost daily because I hope to become a comedi‑hen.

0️⃣ Zero, zilch, nada. I get no spam phone calls and texts after using Incogni. It wiped my DOB, address, Social Security number, phone number and more from over 380 data-broker and people-search sites that sell your data to anyone willing to pay. Use code KIM60 to get 60% off. It’s fabulous! — Kim

Let me tell you a little about Sam Altman, one of the leading figures pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence. He’s 39, from Chicago and worth about $1 billion, give or take. He dropped out of Stanford after two years to start Loopt, a location-based social media app that sold for $43.4 million in 2005.

Afterward, he played a big role in putting together the money and people for Dropbox, Airbnb and Stripe, and he got a piece of the action for each one. In 2015, Altman founded OpenAI with Elon Musk. They butted heads on OpenAI’s strategy, Musk left in 2018, and Altman became OpenAI’s CEO in 2019.

His daily driver? A gorgeous red McLaren P1, valued at around $20 million. I know this firsthand; I see him in it from time to time. Oh, and he says a psychedelic retreat in Mexico cured him of anxiety.

Now, back to AI. Sam Altman predicts a game-changing, superintelligent form of AI will take over our lives and interact with us in as little as “a few thousand days.” That’s eight to ten years from now.

Triumph of intelligence over imagination

The AI we use today can do things like translate languages, play chess and compile info. It relies on data that’s been uploaded and the human-written algorithms that control it. But we’re also pretty darn close to AGI, or artificial general intelligence. AGI matches human intelligence and performs tasks without training.

The next step up from AGI is what's called "superintelligence,” and this is what Sam Altman expects within the next decade. With superintelligent AI, we’re talking about something capable of solving longstanding scientific mysteries, curing all diseases and creating truly unique works of art — not just versions of things it’s already seen.

As you might expect, superintelligence is terrifying within the machine-learning world. Some scientists are committing their work to developing a superintelligence to protect us non-bots. We definitely need that.

Welcome to your new life

From 1870 to 1914, the Industrial Age changed lives dramatically with railroads, electricity, combustion engines and a push to move to cities to work in factories. Altman has called the time we’re in now the “Intelligence Age,” and he’s right — you have to know we’re on the verge of something that will change the world forever.

The next level of AI will bring AI assistants and even "personal AI teams" to make our lives a whole lot easier, Altman predicts. That goes beyond AI doing your laundry and scheduling meetings; we could be looking at massive breakthroughs in fields like health care, education and software development.

A wise man once said …

… Nothing; he only listened. Curing cancer and preventing dementia sounds amazing, but let’s not forget what constitutes being “smart.” Possessing lots of knowledge is a must. Altman says ChatGPT will have digested all human knowledge that’s existed since the beginning of time, so to speak, within about two years.

But that knowledge is more or less taken without the consent of those who created it to begin with, making much of what ChatGPT tells you stolen and plagiarized. The algorithm just isn't smart enough to know it’s stealing.

There’s another big component to intelligence. Without the ability to understand and experience happiness and joy, sorrow, grief, rage, forgiveness, compassion, and empathy, it’s not very “smart.” In fact, without these qualities, AI will very, very likely hurt us all one day.

Love is all you need

Nope — you also need water and rations. I find it interesting Altman’s a doomsday prepper. He’s mentioned in several interviews he’s prepared for potential future global disasters by investing in survival supplies and even land in remote locations. I have supplies on hand, too, just in case.

Do you think AI superintelligence will be a good thing for humanity? I’d love to know your thoughts. Leave a comment when you rate this email at the very end or drop a note here on my site.

⏱️ I’m setting a countdown clock for 1,000 days. I’ll update you then! Or maybe my army of Kimbots will …

Data breaches are happening more frequently, but that doesn’t mean you should just tune them out. In fact, it’s time to get even more serious about protecting your private information online.

Over 107 million records of U.S. citizens were recently exposed due to “human error” when a major background check company left a file completely unprotected. I’m talking about encrypted passwords, legal records and employment histories, all exposed to anyone who stumbled upon them. It’s a massive screwup.

That’s where Incogni comes in. Incogni has already removed my personal info from over 380 data-broker and people-search sites, with regular removal requests sent to keep me off these invasive platforms. Incogni puts your name on data suppression lists, too, which is amazing. This means these companies cannot sneak you back on.

🚨 Seven years of slacking: Meta’s been slapped with a $101 million fine for storing up to 600 million Facebook and Instagram passwords in plain-text format. That’s a major security no-no. Even worse? The breach was discovered in 2019, but some passwords had been unprotected since 2012 and were searchable by over 20,000 Meta employees. The fine isn’t big enough.

Extremists are using AI to rebrand Adolf Hitler: The goal is to characterize him as a “misunderstood” figure for a new generation. Over the past month, AI-cloned audio and video clips of Hitler, spewing English versions of his fanatical speeches, have reached millions on social media. The comments? Disturbingly, things like, “Maybe he is NOT the villain.” If you see these posts, report them so platforms can take them down faster.

Don’t buy Apple gear right now: Rumor has it their next reveal is Oct. 22, with Macs and iPads on the menu. Expect a Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips. Plus, we might see a new iPad and an iPad mini powerful enough for Apple Intelligence.

✈️ U.S. air control systems are outdated: They won’t be modernized until 2030 at the earliest. Why the delay? Because some systems are over 40 years old, making parts hard to find. Add in FAA management issues (slow to start new projects, poor oversight and planning), and we’re running on seriously old tech. Reassuring, right?

📧 “Email apnea”: That’s a new term for the moment when you open your inbox, get overwhelmed by all the messages and unknowingly hold your breath to focus. A study found 80% of us do this. The fix is simple: Breathe naturally and take screen time breaks.

🌍 Coming soon to Google Earth: See the world as it looked 80 years ago with satellite and aerial images from major cities like London, Berlin and Paris dating back to the 1930s. It’s neat to see San Francisco's ports in 1938, once bustling with shipping.

Stop buying movies on Apple, Amazon and others: A new California law will force digital stores to admit you’re licensing content and you don’t actually own it. This is in response to companies like PlayStation and Ubisoft deleting games from players' accounts after shutting down the servers.

Someone call nine-wine-wine: A 79-year-old woman hiking alone took a bad fall and broke her leg. She was at High Rock Lookout in Washington, where she scattered her mother’s ashes 23 years ago. A passing U.S. airman carried her on his back all the way to safety. What a guy! If you hike solo, please bring a phone that can text via satellite or carry a Spot satellite GPS messenger.

There’s an emergency and your phone is out of commission. Don’t panic — grab an emergency radio. It can be the difference between staying safe and being trapped with no communication. My husband, Barry, owns several!

• The Midland ER310 ($69.66) recharges by hand crank, solar power or battery. It’s got a built-in SOS beacon, weather alerts and an ultrasonic dog whistle so rescue teams can find you more easily.
• The Midland ER210 model ($49.99) is a more affordable option with the same features, but it’s smaller and has a shorter battery life.
• Want a reliable budget option? Here’s one for around $35 with all the essential features you’d need.

🐱💤 = Catnap: Most think this smiley-faced emoji — 🙂 — is the digital equivalent of a fake smile. Don’t use it. Instead, pick something happier. I like 🤗, 🥰 and 😃. But lately, it’s hard to beat the 🫶.

GPS dog collars are smart: Use Battery Optimization mode so you don’t have to charge the collar so frequently. As long as your furbaby stays in a safe zone, it’ll check less often, saving your battery. If they leave the safe zone, real-time tracking will kick in. My golden retriever, Abby, wears a Fi collar, and this is her favorite ball (10% off today!).

⚠️ This one’s not for Windows newbies: Disk Cleanup may not clean as much as you’d like. Remove hidden files using Advanced Disk Cleanup. First, make a backup. Then, press Windows key + R, type cleanmgr /sageset:1 and hit OK. Select the file categories you want to zap and click OK again. Start the deep clean by going to either Run or cmd (Command Prompt) and typing cleanmgr /sagerun:1. Optimize this prompt by creating multiple lists; just change the number at the end, like /sageset:2.

Your to-do list won’t stand a chance: Use Mac’s free Automator app to do repetitive tasks. You can make a variety of workflows and applications. Here’s a full guide. If you’re a coder, you’ll love this!

🧱 Don’t buy a brick: Before you buy a used phone, check its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Here’s how: Just dial *#06# on the phone to display its IMEI. Now, pop that number into the Stolen Phone Checker to see if the phone has been reported lost, stolen or blocked by a carrier.

• Entrepreneur Jack Liu was over dating apps, so he spent $1,000 on online ads to market, well, himself. Spoiler: It worked.
• David in Las Cruces, New Mexico, loves to cook and prints his favorite recipes. He has hundreds and wants a smart way to get them organized and searchable.
• Mark in Kingman, Arizona, is a radio host ready to make the move to podcasting. I talk him through the options and how to make money doing it.

Plus, Stacey wants a website for her home improvement biz, Carter wonders who’s investigating his finances online, John needs help with Do Not Disturb mode, Holly looks to secure her tech after a scammer tricked her, and so much more!

📺 Watch: My USC graduate son, Ian, is now on the “Kim Komando Today” podcast doing a special weekly segment called “Gen Z Made Easy.” Spoiler: He’s so handsome.

Stretch: After you’ve been looking down at your phone too long. Try a big, exaggerated nod up and down to relax things. Here are more solid stretches.

🗣️ “What’d you say?” If these words ever come out of your mouth, see if you qualify for a 45-day risk-free trial of the new, dual-processor, almost invisible Horizon IX hearing aids.* The company has an A+ BBB rating!

Glow up: Your Halloween decor with flameless candles. Only $7 for a dozen!

🐓 Cook: A chicken Caesar waffle sandwich that checks all your protein boxes.

Maybe you’ll find something good to watch on this list.

Speaking of movies … “A Fistful of Dollars” is a good western that really jump-started Clint Eastwood's career. It doesn't surprise me he did a sequel called “For a Few Dollars More.” 🙂 (You have to know it to get it. I’ll do better tomorrow.)

✅ Don’t forget to check out today’s sponsor, Incogni. I’m so happy to hear from all of you who’ve reached out because Incogni’s working so well for you. Doesn’t it feel good to take back your privacy? It sure does!

Don’t miss these early Prime Big Deal Days sales: I put together a list of the best of the best. (There are a few good Christmas presents in there, too!) See you right back here tomorrow at the same time, same place, with apps that give you somethin’ for nothin’, plus all you need to stay tech-ahead with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim