🥯 Today on Bagel Bots:

• 🤯 Apple's iOS 18.2 – A Mixed Bag of AI Updates

• ⚡️ Fresh tech of the day - Artisan AI’s “Stop Hiring Humans” Campaign

• 📰 The latest AI and tech news

• 🤖 Cool new apps for you to check out

• 🧠 Holiday Cooking Made Smarter with AI

• 🤔 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: Apple's iOS 18.2 – A Mixed Bag of AI Updates

Apple just rolled out iOS 18.2, packed with many new Apple Intelligence features, and honestly? It’s a head-scratcher. For a company as innovative as Apple, it feels like they’re playing catch-up—and not doing a great job.

Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the downright baffling.

What’s New (and Not So Great):

• ChatGPT for Siri: Finally, right? Except… it still doesn’t work well. Siri continues to trip over basic tasks, making me wonder what Apple’s been doing while everyone else is making serious AI strides.

• Notification Summaries: This was supposed to save time, but instead, it’s causing panic with wildly inaccurate summaries—like falsely claiming family members were in accidents. It's not exactly the kind of "helpful" we signed up for.

• Buggy Features: Many users cannot access the new tools. What’s the point of innovation if it doesn’t actually work?

The one bright spot is the Writing Tools update, with its "Describe Your Change" feature. This feature lets you tweak text by giving more specific instructions, like “make this more enthusiastic.” It's cool but not groundbreaking.

And Genmoji? It’s fun for five minutes, but unless you’re a hardcore emoji fan, it won’t change your life.

My take: Apple is supposed to lead the way, not stumble to catch up. This update reminds us that while Apple has big ambitions for AI, it has a long way to go before it delivers something worthy of its reputation.

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Let’s Connect!

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Cool Tech: Artisan AI’s “Stop Hiring Humans” Campaign

See your sponsor above? They are making big noise for their latest marketing campaigns! Silicon Valley’s latest headline-grabber comes courtesy of Artisan AI, a startup pushing its “AI Employees” product with a campaign as subtle as a sledgehammer. Their billboards plastered across San Francisco boldly declare things like:

• “Artisans won’t complain about work-life balance.”

• “Hire Artisans, not humans.”

• “The era of AI employees is here.”

Predictably, people aren’t thrilled about being told they’re replaceable by software. Let’s examine the controversy and why this campaign is gaining so much attention.

The campaign reflects a bigger shift in how AI companies approach marketing. Gone are the days of “we’re here to help humanity”; Artisan seems to embrace the darker realities of AI’s impact on society. While this approach guarantees buzz, it raises important questions:

• Does messaging like this deepen people’s distrust of AI?

• Should companies be held to higher standards when advertising disruptive tech?

Want to learn more about Artisan? Scroll up and click on the link near the top of this post.

Interesting News

🛑  A recent AI Safety Index evaluated six leading AI companies on their risk assessment efforts and safety procedures, with Anthropic achieving the highest grade of C, while Google DeepMind, Meta, OpenAI, xAI, and Zhipu AI received grades of D+ or lower, with Meta failing outright.

🪖 The Department of Defense has established a new office dedicated to accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into military operations. The goal is to deploy autonomous weapons systems soon.

📖 Harvard University is releasing a free, high-quality dataset of nearly one million public-domain books, funded by Microsoft and OpenAI, to support AI training and research.

📹️ Klarna's CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, announced that the company has halted hiring, attributing the decision to the efficiency gains from AI chatbots; however, numerous job openings remain advertised.

Fresh Apps to Play With

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Today’s Tip: Holiday Cooking Made Smarter with AI

Sometimes, we all need a little creative spark in the kitchen—finding new holiday recipes, putting a fun twist on a classic dish, or figuring out how to make something delicious that meets our dietary needs. That’s where this prompt comes in. It’s like having a personal chef and recipe genius on speed dial, ready to whip up ideas tailored just for you.

All you have to do is share a few details—your favorite ingredients, the kind of recipes you want, and how much time you’re willing to spend—and you’ll get back creative, practical, and delicious results. Whether you’re cooking for two or hosting a crowd, this is your go-to for dishes that wow, fit your style, and make the holidays feel a little extra special.

Give it a try, and remember: the more context you provide, the better your insights will be.

Create new holiday recipes, creative twists on classic dishes, or dietary alternatives tailored to my specific needs. Use the details I provide below to deliver unique and delicious results.

Fill in the Placeholders Below:

What type of recipes are you looking for?
(Examples: Appetizers, main courses, desserts, drinks, or a full meal plan.)

Do you want twists on classic dishes or entirely new recipes?
(Examples: Twists on classic pies, reimagined turkey dishes, or brand-new ideas.)

Are there any dietary restrictions or preferences?
(Examples: Vegan, gluten-free, keto, nut-free, low-sugar, etc.)

What are your favorite ingredients or flavors?
(Examples: Cranberries, garlic, truffle oil, cinnamon, sweet potatoes.)

Do you prefer easy and quick recipes, or are you open to complex, time-consuming dishes?
(Examples: Quick 30-minute meals, simple crockpot dishes, or gourmet recipes with multiple steps.)

How many people will the recipe serve?
(Example: 2 people, 6 people, a large party.)

Do you want recipes inspired by any particular culture, cuisine, or theme?
(Examples: Italian, Southern comfort food, Japanese fusion, Middle Eastern.)

What kitchen tools or equipment will you use?
(Examples: Slow cooker, air fryer, blender, oven, standard stovetop.)

Optional Guidelines for ChatGPT to Follow:
Provide a creative name for each dish.
Include sections: Ingredients (with quantities for the serving size) and Step-by-step instructions.
Suggest 2-3 variations or tips (e.g., how to make it spicier, swap out an ingredient, or speed up prep time).

Are you interested in getting a customized version of the prompt above? Do you have a prompt you want created? Email us at [email protected].

🤔 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—we had a 57% were correct!

Did you vote in the poll from December 15th? The top image was real! Go back and see the photos here.

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