Is Man Obsolete?

Dear S.Q. I’m flooded with info from fraudsters and wise men, agreeing that AI will be the end of man. Even your blog, “The Goal of A.I.” on Sept. 7 was a Doomsday Warning. It’s not just The Matrix; Terminator; and I, Robot warning us of AI replacing mankind. It’s everywhere. What’s your common sense advice about how far away is man’s extinction and is it inevitable? 

Dear Truth Seeker, Scary questions. This Getty picture was paired with the prestigious The Economist magazine’s Sep 4, 2026, eye-catching headline of “Help Wanted. An AI jobs boom is here,” implying the help that’s wanted is human employees. But, not so fast Earthlings, read the article’s first sentence, “PERHAPS AI WILL eventually make many humans unemployable—but there is no sign of it yet.” No sign yet? I found no film or story that assures that AI will not replace humans. Bicentennial Man, and Wall-E explore AI and human companionship over competition, and Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress explores cooperation to achieve common goals. Robot’s primary directive is not to hurt humans, but since hurt is a human emotion, with layers upon layers of meaning that only humans can understand, it's a false directive, is it not? As apex predator for two million years, man shouldn’t lose this position especially since we’re the ones creating these Frankensteins. But, to remain the Apex Predator requires cooperation between humans similar to the creation of the United Nations whose goal is to keep global peace. Judge for yourself how well that’s succeeding. -SQ

9/11, 25 Years Ago

 

Dear Readers, Today is a day of remembrance. Begin with your memory of turning on the news 25 years ago and witnessing the declaration of war on America by an invisible enemy. The images were as visceral as the attack on Pearl Harbor 60 years prior. Then, we knew who the enemy was, and we immediately unleashed a hydrogen reaction that killed hundreds of thousands of those whose country had hurt us, and we maimed their offspring for generations that followed. 

On 9/11/01, 19 Islamic al-Qaeda suicidal terrorists conducted a coordinated attack on the N.Y. World Trade Center Twin Towers, and the Pentagon that killed nearly 3,000 souls, and injured thousands more. An attack on Washington D. C. was adverted by the brave passengers’ revolt on United Airline Flight 93 that crashed the plane into a Pennsylvania field killing all 44 people aboard. The U.S. immediately launched the Global War on Terror, vowing to eliminate terrorist organizations worldwide and the governments that supported them. In a pre-recorded video in 2004, Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility and was hunted until his life ended in 2011 by U.S. Navy SEALS in Pakistan. While the GWoT officially ended in 2021 when the U.S. pulled all combat operations in Afghanistan, unofficially it is alive and thriving. May we never forget. May they always be remembered. The brave, the strong, the free. -SQ

Thinning the Herd

Dear SQ The first time my grown children said they weren’t coming home for the holidays I was sad. Overly so. Then, when they said they, their spouses, and children weren’t coming either, I felt lost. Useless. My husband took charge, flipped through vacation options, and said, “Pick a location. We’re going away.” We agreed to not give Christmas gifts but a big party after our trip. That year changed everything and became an annual event. No holiday cards or decorating our house. Whew! 

Dear Vacationeer, Congrats on enhancing your life. "Thinning the herd" likely originated when weak animals were culled to strengthen the herd, but now is used metaphorically to unclutter social obligations and relationships you've outgrown (or downright can't stand). Quality, not quantity! -SQ

 

Gig Workers

Dear S.Q. I’m an old geezer who’s used to explaining what I need and have them find me the right person to fix it, or sell it to me, or read my mind and create it. 

Dear Oldster, Best way to hire workers isn’t just by trade (plumber, carpenter). Decide if you need on-site, specialized local service, or remote freelancers. Skip the middleman with companies like Uloop boosting 1M college students -all liability is on you. Try Instawork for vetted day labor; or Craigslist which requires your screening. Indeed touts 47M job hunters and ZipRecruiter 10M job postings daily. Digit and Remote Freelancers try Upwork or Fiverr. Lots of companies match talent with everything your heart desires. Just specify what exactly you want and vet well. Same old world, just tweaked a bit. -SQ

Nude and Old (But Young at Heart, Part 2)

Dear S.Q. My wife and I kept our nudist roots and like-minded friends since we met and married 40+ years ago. We’re searching for a retirement village that caters to the unclothed. Not sure how that’s going to work when our squeamish friends visit. Or our grandkids. Thoughts?

Dear Grandpa, This one has me a bit stumped. While a quick internet search says there are tons stateside and internationally, I didn’t find many, and those were pricey with heavy emphasis on community recreation with middle-aged fit neighbors. Sun belt states have mobile homes from $100K, or land available for cabins and homes. The HOA heavily vets potential residents with hoops to jump. They recommend you travel to visit your skittish guests rather than expose them to your nude neighbors. -SQ

The Goal Of AI...

Dear S.Q., In 2019, my dad lost his GM job after 40 years when they closed their Michigan plant. They offered an insulting retirement package. He was devastated -no warning, no compensation for loyalty or respect. Now my husband is facing mayor layoffs in the aerospace industry, but this time, he's the one that's obsolete. AI scares me. 

Dearie, GM's bankruptcy was one of the largest in U.S. history, partly due to unsustainable retirement and health care benefits, and poor decisions to continue gas-guzzlers. Restructuring failed with electric and self-driving, autonomous vehicles. 

Today, according to "AI Overview" (beware of the source, and the doublespeak) major corps are "actively upskilling their current workforces to transition into artificial intelligence roles and adapt to AI-driven operations." The Google overview notes that Northrop Grumman "provides foundational AI training courses to every single employee across the country," (much too little, much too late).  AI concludes, "The absolute end result of AI is not necessarily to eliminate human interaction, but rather to shift where and how humans interact with technology and each other." NOT NECESSARILY TO ELIMINATE HUMAN INTERACTION" Now if this doesn't scare the bejesus our of you, it should. -SQ

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Order in the Court!

Dear S.Q. My dad’s dying and my sibs are at war for control over his hospice care and estate. I’m appalled and want to stay out of it, but they beg me to testify for them in Court. Is there a crash course -where to sit, what to wear, what to say? I don’t want to get in trouble with the judge.

Dear Son, How awful to worry about all these tribal and trivial things when your dad should be the focus. There are many informative videos and pamphlets both at the courthouses and on-line. Familiarizing yourself will ease worries of this intimidating experience, and help you concentrate on the Court’s questions and orders. The Court relies on facts, but listens to opinions. Trust in their experience, expertise, and knowledge to do right by your dad while disregarding all the “chaff” of angry family and friends from the “wheat” of the matter. -SQ