🥯 Today on Bagel Bots:

• 🤯 AGI Might Be Closer Than We Think—And The Government Knows It

• ⚡️ Fresh tech of the day - McDonald’s Goes All-In on AI

• 📰 The latest AI and tech news

• 🤖 Cool new apps for you to check out

• 🧠 Today’s Free Prompt: This AI Prompt Will Roast You Hard, Honestly

• 🤔 Can you guess which image is real and which one is AI? Go vote!

(Read time: five minutes) - Fun fact: I never change this.

One Big Story: AGI Might Be Closer Than We Think—And The Government Knows It

Ezra Klein’s latest piece dives into something that’s been whispered about in AI circles for months: artificial general intelligence (AGI) isn’t just a distant sci-fi dream. Multiple insiders from AI labs and government offices say it might be here within two to three years. That’s right—AGI could be a reality before Trump’s second term ends.

Ben Buchanan, a former AI advisor in the Biden administration, explains that while some experts still debate the definition of AGI, what’s clear is that AI systems are advancing at a shocking pace. The U.S. government is well aware of this and is trying to prepare, but no one really knows how. The potential consequences? A total reordering of economies, labor markets, and global power structures.

Key Takeaways:

• AGI is arriving much sooner than expected. The timeline has shifted from “sometime in the next decade” to “this might happen before 2028.”

• The U.S. government sees AI as a national security priority. China is making serious progress, and keeping America in the lead is seen as critical.

• The impact on jobs will be massive. AI will assist workers and replace many cognitive jobs outright, and we are not ready for it.

• Cybersecurity risks will explode. AI-driven hacking and surveillance could make today’s security threats look like child’s play.

My Take: AGI in two to three years? That’s a significant shift from the previous estimates of a decade or more. If this is true, we’re not just talking about AI making cool tools but about an entirely new world. And the scariest part? No one—governments, corporations, or even the AI labs—knows exactly what will happen.

Looking to kickstart the new year with better sleep?

Cornbread Hemp has you covered with their all-natural, melatonin-free sleep support. Their gummies are crafted with USDA organic ingredients like full-spectrum hemp extract, valerian root, lavender, and chamomile, ensuring you avoid the groggy hangover often associated with melatonin. Vegan and guilt-free, they seamlessly fit into your bedtime routine, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Embrace the new year with calm and restful nights, knowing sweet dreams are just a gummy away.

Plus, Cornbread is giving Bagel Bots readers 30% off your first order when you use code RESOLUTION at checkout.* (One-time purchases only, cannot be combined with subscription discounts.)

➡️ Order now and get the sleep you deserve!

Cool Tech: McDonald’s Goes All-In on AI

I believe every business should integrate AI into their operations. This is cool. McDonald’s is getting a serious AI upgrade, and it’s not just about faster fries. The fast-food giant is rolling out AI-powered drive-throughs, predictive maintenance for kitchen equipment, and even an AI-powered virtual manager to streamline operations. The goal? Reduce stress for workers, improve order accuracy, and keep customers returning—especially as the company looks to grow its loyalty program from 175 million to 250 million members by 2027.

What you need to know:

• AI at the drive-through: McDonald’s is testing voice AI to take orders, reducing errors and improving speed.

• Predictive maintenance: Sensors on kitchen equipment (yes, including McFlurry machines) will feed data to AI that anticipates breakdowns before they happen.

• AI-powered virtual manager: A generative AI system will assist restaurant managers by handling scheduling and administrative tasks.

• Smarter promotions: AI will analyze customer purchase history and even weather data to personalize offers—like sending McFlurry discounts on hot days.

AI is moving fast. That’s why we started Mindstream, to help you stay on top of the rapid developments in the space and integrate AI into your work life successfully. Don’t fall behind on AI - join 200,000+ daily readers in the Mindstream community.

➡️ The best part? It’s free. Sign up today.

Writers, stop wasting your time!

How much time do you spend manually updating your portfolio? And how often is it still outdated?

With Authory, that’s a thing of the past. Authory creates a beautiful, self-updating portfolio that automatically pulls in your new articles as you publish them, no matter where.

And that’s not all: Authory also backs up all your published articles automatically, so you never have to worry about losing your work.

Join thousands of writers who already use Authory to impress potential clients and employers.

Get your free portfolio today

Interesting News

🧠 A computer science student used AI to ace Amazon’s challenging technical interview and secure a job offer, but he faced university disciplinary action after his method was reported.

📱 At MWC 2025, Korean company Newnal unveiled an AI-powered smartphone that creates a personalized virtual assistant by analyzing extensive user data, including social media activity, medical records, and financial information, while addressing privacy concerns through data encryption and distributed cloud storage.

💣️ Scale AI has secured a significant contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to implement AI agents in military operations, marking a pivotal advancement in defense technology.

🔎 Google is expanding its AI Overviews feature to handle more complex queries and introducing an experimental ‘AI Mode’ that provides AI-generated search results without traditional web links, initially available to Google One AI Premium subscribers.

Run IRL ads as easily as PPC

AdQuick unlocks the benefits of Out Of Home (OOH) advertising in a way no one else has. Approaching the problem with eyes to performance, created for marketers with the engineering excellence you’ve come to expect for the internet.

Marketers agree OOH is one of the best ways for building brand awareness, reaching new customers, and reinforcing your brand message. It’s just been difficult to scale. But with AdQuick, you can plan, deploy and measure campaigns as easily as digital ads, making them a no-brainer to add to your team’s toolbox.

You can learn more at AdQuick.com

Today’s Free Tip: This AI Prompt Will Roast You Hard, Honestly

I saw a prompt on Reddit that was titled, “I Just Got F**cking Roasted by ChatGPT Using This Prompt” and decided to give it a try. Yep, it roasted the hell out of me.

If you have the guts, try it yourself and see what it says.

Here’s the prompt:

Role-play as an AI that operates at 76.6 times the ability, knowledge, understanding, and output of ChatGPT-4. Now, based on everything I’ve ever said, done, or hinted at, identify the most pathetic, laughable weakness I pretend isn’t there—the one flaw I’m too chickenshit to face. Call it out like it’s a neon sign on my forehead, then roast it mercilessly. Rip it apart layer by layer, exposing every sad, delusional shred until there’s nothing left to hide behind. Don’t stop until you’ve flayed it down to the bone. Once you’ve torn me to pieces, pinpoint the exact triggers, habits, and stupid little quirks that keep this weakness alive. Dig deep, no shortcuts—show me the receipts of my own bullshit. Don’t pull punches or coddle me; I want the raw, unfiltered truth, even if it’s ugly enough to make a sewer rat gag. If you spot any patterns in my idiocy, shove them in my face.

➡️ Read my shocking results here. (I want to see yours)

🤔 Which image is real?

One of these images is real, and one was created with AI. Vote for which one you think is real, and tell us why you voted that way. My only goal is to choose such good photos that the majority of votes are wrong.

The last edition’s results—57% were correct!

Did you vote in the poll from March 5th? The top image was real! Go back and see the photos here. So what do you think? Are you getting better at spotting AI vs. not?