With ICE (U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement) offices opening in multiple places across the U.S., it’s worth paying attention to what’s already happened in places like Minneapolis–St. Paul. There, increased ICE presence didn’t appear overnight — it started gradually with expanded presence, broader enforcement, and normalizing fear. What began there locally is now repeating nationally.
Using funding from the Big Beautiful Bill, and fast-tracking leases under an “unusual or compelling urgency” statute, ICE offices are aggressively expanding across the US. This rapid expansion includes many locations in California, including OC’s Irvine and Santa Ana, according to a Feb 11 Orange County Register article. One proposed office space is at 2020 Main Street in Irvine, in a privately owned high-rise office complex. The Irvine space is located by a childcare agency, an Equinox gym, and John Wayne Airport.
“This is news to me,” said Irvine Mayor Larry Agran. “We try to maintain some channel of communication with Border Patrol, with ICE, with Homeland Security. It’s not easy to do.”
The Santa Ana Federal Building in Santa Ana is another proposed ICE site, situated blocks from a church and high school sports stadium. Other alleged federal properties proposed for the ICE expansion include the John E. Moss building in Sacramento, and the Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse and federal building in San Diego. Los AngelesICE operations are thought to be expanding to the Van NuysJames C. Corman federal building as well.
This isn’t just a Minneapolis issue anymore- it’s a national pattern that is coming to neighborhoods like ours. Such increases to ICE facilities don’t stay contained — they ripple outward into everyday communities. Neighborhoods must pay attention.
The aloha spirit of kindness and connection was in evidence in a tragic event on June 15, 1925.
That day, the beach at Newport Beach CA was the scene of a tragic boating accident. A fishing vessel capsized while trying to enter the city’s harbor in heavy surf. According to the NB police chief later, the “most superhuman surfboard rescue act the world has ever seen” then ensued- bystander Duke Kahanamoku used his surfboard to make repeated trips to the capsized ship, rescuing several people. Two fellow surfers saved four more fisherman- only 5 of the sinking ship’s fisherman were lost to the rough seas. Duke and the other surfers were credited with saving the lives of thirteen people. The publicity caused lifeguards across the US to begin the use of surfboards as standard equipment for water rescue. It was just one more unique way that Duke Kahanamoku’s life showcased Hawaii’s aloha spirit to the world.
Early Beginnings
Born in 1890, Duke Kahanamoku was from a large native Hawaiian family of nobility, blood relatives to Hawaiian royalty- even as that Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in 1893. Duke lived to see the Hawaiian territory become a state, and became a U.S. citizen. Duke’s life evolved into an introduction for the world to the Hawaiian tradition of surfing, and to the Hawaiian way of life and true aloha.
He developed his strong swimming and surfing skills on the beaches of Waikiki. His surf board was fashioned after the ancient Hawaiian boards- 16 feet long and 114 pounds of hardwood koa wood. He easily qualified for the 1912 US Olympics, taking gold and silver medals in swimming events. The 1920 Olympics brought him 2 gold medals, and in the 1924 Olympics, a silver.
Olympics and Beyond
During and after his Olympic career, he became an ambassador to the art of surfing, sparking interest in the sport all over the world. In 1914, he introduced surfing to the US Atlantic coast, Australia, and New Zealand. When Duke lived in LA and played in 30 Hollywood movies from 1915-1932, Southern California caught onto his surf craze and became a water-sports Mecca. His milestones continued- in 1929 he rode a monster wave for 1 1/8 miles at his homeland of Waikiki. It’s a feat considered the longest surf ride in modern times- never to be repeated in that location since development of the coastline has changed the surf patterns.
As late as 1960, Duke was appointed the new state of Hawaii’s Official Ambassador of Aloha, until his death in 1968. Just as Duke’s life embodied the aloha spirit, Hawaiians still revere its meaning- the Aloha Spirit Law was written into state law in 1986.
In 1990, in that spirit of aloha, a 9 foot bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku was dedicated at his beloved Waikiki Beach. Though Duke loved the ocean, his statue faces away from the water for a reason. Its public facing orientation exhibits a welcoming spirit of aloha to visitors and public visiting Kuhio Beach Park, Kalakaua Avenue, and Waikiki. His statue is always adorned with honorary leis, left in homage to a man of true Hawaiian spirit.
“He has honored his name, he has honored his race, he has honored his state, he has honored us all.” (Written on his statue’s bronze plaque)
Senator Bernie Moreno of OH has proposed an “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025”– a bill that would require all current dual citizens to choose within one year which citizenship they want to hold. Those who fail to pick will be deemed to have voluntarily relinquished US citizenship.
Millions of Americans- both naturalized citizens and U.S.born citizens who acquired second passports through ancestry- would be impacted if such a bill passed. Dual citizenry spans all levels of American society- even First Lady Melania Trump and her son Barron are dual citizens of Slovenia. Senator Moreno’s legislation attempts to redefine whether millions of dual citizens- including the First Lady and son- are “real” fully American citizens.
Predictably there is significant backlash to Moreno’s proposed bill:
Loving America is possible even if you love where your family came from.
Layered identities formed by families who built lives in the U.S. should be celebrated, not outlawed, particularly given America’s long history as a nation of immigrants.
Nationalism framed as patriotism redefines who counts as a “real American”- treating certain citizens as less legitimate based on origin, ancestry or legal pathway to citizenship.
Setting legal precedents for persecution against specific groups is troubling, since history shows how revoking citizenship has been used as a tool of persecution (e.g. the Jews in Germany who were stripped of rights and targeted).
Dual citizenship is not inherently disloyal to America, but simply practical for many- second passports facilitate care for elderly family members abroad, or enable participation in international business interests where a local passport may be required.
Employment of dual citizens in global businesses- such as aviation, shipping, manufacturing, or finance- helps companies operate seamlessly across borders, without legal or logistical delays.
Moreno’s proposed bill runs counter to the law and Constitution. The US Constitution’s 14th Amendment states that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” The State Department acknowledges that U.S. citizens can hold dual citizenship. Various Supreme Court precedents (Afroyim v. Rusk, Vance v. Terrazas) reinforce that Congress has no power to strip a person of U.S. citizenship without a person’s voluntary renunciation that is intentional and volitional. Additionally, voluntarily renouncing American citizenship is a complex, expensive, and irreversible process.
Moreno’s “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” bill is less about loyalty to the United States or national security, than about policing identity- using the law to decide who qualifies as a “real American.” Ultimately citizenship in America should rest on constitutional rights- and not be turned into a dangerous political weapon.
Starting a new year always causes me to become introspective. This past year in particular was heavy- marked with deepening political divisions, and repeated acts of violence. There was a massacre at the Annunciation Catholic School church attack in Minneapolis, the killings of 2 young Israeli staff members at a DC museum, the fatalities of MN State Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband in a home ambush, or the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a UT university during a speech.
These ugly events challenge my idealistic view that if people could experience one another’s lives somehow, it would soften the divisions between their political, religious or cultural identities. Could a simple exchange of someone from a rural setting spending time in an iconic urban setting- and vice versa- begin to negate current divisions? Maybe it would work just like travel educator Rick Steves’ international travel outreach does- broadening a person’s horizon when they briefly immerse into another culture or country.
With this idealism in mind, I envision nothing more iconically urban than a visit to NYC’s Broadway Theatre District. Broadway- America’s first fully electrically lighted street from 1880- became the heart of the Broadway Theatre District. Over the years, its theaters, restaurants, hotels, TV studios, record labels and theatrical agencies have cycled through a flow of boom, decline, and current revival.
“A play should make you understand something new. If it tells you what you already know, you leave it as ignorant as when you went in…” (Our Country’s Good, Act II, Scene 7)
So then, cultural immersion for a small town American would be attending their first ever NYC Broadway play. They’d have to start in Times Square on their way to the theatre, and that initial introduction would likely be quite a jolt. A first time visitor who’d only seen Times Square on TV at the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop would not be prepared for the place’s actual reality. There’s traffic, overwhelming noise and energy, and swarms of pedestrians- plus those multiple street performers such as Elmo or Naked Cowboy. Electronic billboards bring their visual assault to viewers with Coca Cola ads, movie promos, NASDAQ stock numbers, and BMW car spots. There’s nothing at all small town about this place called Times Square.
The next portion of Small Towner’s urban experience would be a pre-theatre stop at continental Sardi’s Restaurant. Begun in 1927, this restaurant and nightspot is where actors and playwrights historically gathered to await their reviews or celebrate play openings with cast and crew. Its dark maroon walls are lined with caricature portraits of Broadway stars- sketched since 1921. Small Towner would start to realize the long-time institution that theatre has been in NYC over the years. He might even appreciate an artist’s struggle, when he learns that Sardi’s original caricature artist, Alex Gard, began doing his drawings of famous theater folk in exchange for one free meal a day for many years. Despite the sticker shock of the menu prices, Small Towner wouldn’t just devour his tasty filet mignon medallions with cabernet sauvignon beef jus reduction, asparagus, whipped potatoes, and New York cheesecake- he’d absorb its theatre culture (and maybe spot a Broadway star dining at Sardi’s too).
But our Small Towner’s highlight urban dining would lead into the main theatre performance itself. What notable show could he choose? Let’s say that our Small Towner opts to see Hamilton as his first theatre experience. It would be an immersive experience into the intrigues of America’s beginnings- with scrappy immigrant Alexander Hamilton, competitive nemesis Aaron Burr, haughty King George III, and beleaguered beloved George Washington. The ornate trappings of the physical theater building where Small Towner sits would morph into the American Revolution’s vibrant costumes and long-ago bars and parties where alliances, friendships, and marriages were formed.
Good theater is always a time machine to other worlds- like Hamilton’s battles of the Continental Army, the shaky birth of America, and her infant struggles to survive. But experiencing such theater would also give our Small Towner an awesome glimpse into the amazing complexity of background teamwork and talents creating their entertainment magic. Those workers may contend with much different realities than Small Towner, with lives lived out in a competitive crowded urban setting. But such urban realities can actually be seen as comparable to a rural coping with weather impacts, the coordinated efforts needed to accomplish successful farming, or the practical economics of any agrarian-based small town.
“Be nice. (The world is a small town).”writer Austin Kleon
So now I imagine my Urbanite experiencing their first quintessential small town rural experience. Any such experience would have to involve a local basketball game. After all, basketball is integral to multiple small towns and reservations. Basketball is a frugal sport, not requiring lots of costly equipment. It is practical- can be played outdoors, or indoors when the weather is bad. And basketball is realistic- needing a fairly small number of players for a team- perfect for little towns with limited youth populations. Any Urbanite could gain insight into the back story of those small town values from their basketball culture.
Our Urbanite attending a small-town high school basketball game would see small town life up close. During that Friday night sport ritual, there’s kids selling popcorn to raise money for their band trips, families, farmers, and teachers cheering for each other’s kids, neighbors catching up with other neighbors. Everyone attends, and everyone knows each other. Such an event showcases those values and rhythms of a slower paced small town world, where weather, land, community, and seasons are central to a residents’ daily life and decisions. Time doesn’t rush so much as unfold. A person and their entire family being known by a community is a fact of life- both a blessing and a curse- a safe supportive network with accountability, or maybe a stifling force against privacy, reinvention, or anonymity.
But before any sports, there’d have to be a stop at the main town square. No Times Square lights and noise here- Urbanite would find an unassuming small square patch of grass with a solitary white gazebo, circled by the road, off an interstate highway. Along the roadside there’d probably be the post office, tiny library building, and the Courthouse/City Hall combination building. Of course City Hall is in imposing red brick with a donated brass plaque from the founding Miller family. The all-important Dairy Queen/kids’ hangout would be set slightly to one side of the hardware store. The diner, barbershop, and salon would be found a block further down the main highway, near the sheriffs and fire departments. There’d be two church options- the smaller Catholic one differentiated from the Protestant church by their “Thursday Bingo” sign out front. The movie theatre and bowling alley are two towns over, as is the Walmart.
“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.” chef Paul Prudhomme
Eating at a local diner would be the Urbanite’s introductory food experience to small town life. Breakfast is served all day at the diner- eggs, pancakes, hash browns and bottomless coffee. Unlike urban eateries that cater to vegetarians or offer various ethnic foods, small town eateries mostly specialize in basic comfort food-chicken-fried steak, open faced roast beef or hot turkey sandwiches, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. The nearby Dairy Queen is only an option for dessert in the unlikely event that the vast array of the diner’s pie offerings (pecan, apple, key lime, or berry cobblers) are somehow not enough.
There could be regional specialties in any small town diner though- Minnesota’s tater tot hot dishes, cheese curds in Wisconsin, Hatch Chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico, grits or biscuits and gravy throughout the South. Small town diners do not apologize for carbs, and everyone is likely to call the waitress and the cook at the grill by name. Our Urbanite would eat well in his first small town diner, and be well-fortified for an iconic basketball game experience.
This is how I idealistically imagined my Urbanite and Small Towner experiencing each other’s worlds. I wanted to believe that such a trade-off might collapse stereotypes, soften judgments, and narrow divisions. I hoped that each person would come away changed for the better – able to clearly see the benefits and downsides of both Urban and Small Town life. Maybe they’d conclude that no one person is better, just different, that no one way of living is better, just different. Maybe they’d listen more, disagree and hate less, respect other’s opinions more. Maybe.
But America, whatever its reasons, began this new year with renewed conflict- an invasion of another country- with other countries apparently in expansionist sights as well. Citizens are once again deeply divided- over the pros and cons, the implications, the legality or illegality of actions, the costs, the morality and human fallout. Against this backdrop, my imagined idealistic grand experiment for improved relationships among Americans seems very imaginary indeed.
Maybe one day such a “trading places” experiment could really happen- and perhaps help with healing America. Maybe. For now, my imagined urban-rural switch experiment towards understanding is just a naive idealistic exercise- out of step for now.
“We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years.” comic George Carlin
There are recent reports of the US military’s follow-on military strikes against boats in the Caribbean that are alleged to be involved in narcotics trafficking. These operations have sparked fierce debate. What rules should govern the use of force in any military operations? What are the international laws, rules of engagement (ROE), and military conduct (within or outside of declared war) that should be followed? And do these rules of engagement hinder, or strengthen national security?
Are Military Rules Arbitrary?
Current US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appears to believe that America’s warriors are being constrained by “arbitrary” rules and international expectations that he argues cost lives and hinder victory. In an excerpt from his book The Laws of War, For Winners (from Chapter 10 entitled “More Lethality, Less Lawyers”) he says:
“If our warriors are forced to follow rules arbitrarily and asked to sacrifice more lives so that international tribunals feel better about themselves, aren’t we just better off winning our wars according to our own rules?! Who cares what other countries think. The question we have to ask ourselves is, if we are forced to fight, are we going to fight to win? Or will we fight to make leftists feel good- which means not winning and fighting forever.”
This passage illustrates Hegseth’s apparent sentiments that rules of engagement (ROE), the Geneva Conventions, and other long-held pillars of international humanitarian law are bureaucratic political hinderances- apparently imposed by outsiders that have no real battlefield experiences. But he does not seem to acknowledge that rules of engagement were not arbitrarily dreamed up by ivory tower academics. They were begun with WWII participants from across the world- senior military officers, strategists, and combat-experienced practitioners. They brought their firsthand knowledge in industrial warfare, battlefield medicine, POW handling, civilian protection issues, etc.- gritty empirical battlefield realities of war. Additionally, these contributors to ROE were well-acquainted in the realities of winning wars.
The Framework Behind the Rules
So with this current debate rekindled, it’s worth briefly reviewing what these wartime rules actually are, what they’re intended to do, and why professional international militaries rely on them- not as obstacles, but tools that support lawful, effective, and legitimate operations.
Wartime rules fall under the framework of what is called international humanitarian law (IHL).IHL applies universally to all parties in any armed conflicts, with the GenevaConventions at its core. Since 1949, The Geneva Conventions established the common standards for the protection of civilians, wounded soldiers, prisoners of war, and other noncombatants, with additional interpretations and applications added over the years.
The core rules of engagement (ROE) for wartime are based upon three principals: military necessity, military proportionality, and the distinction between combatants and civilians.
Military necessity: The use of force should only achieve a legitimate military objective. It must be proportionate to the threat, and expended at the minimal force that accomplishes the mission.
Example– During the 1968 My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War, military necessity was not followed. Excessive force was used when there was no direct threat, no hostile fire from unarmed civilians, with a lack of clear mission achieved. Hundreds of noncombatant men, women, children, and infant villagers were killed.The US was technically held accountable later, though it was considered inconsistent with the severity of the massacre.
Military proportionality: Force must not be excessive to the military advantage gained.
Example– This rule of military proportionality was broken by Russia during the Chechen War in 1999. Their military objective to neutralize a small number of Chechen fighters- possibly located in the city of Grozny- was disproportionate to their heavy unguided rocket and artillery bombardments. Vast portions of Grozny were flattened or damaged, and thousands of civilians who were unable to flee, were killed or injured. The scale of destruction clearly outweighed military objectives, and Russia was condemned by the UN and other human-rights organizations, though Russia is not part of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and was never held accountable.
Distinguishing combatants: There are lawful targets for military attack. Protected persons are civilian noncombatants (particularly medical and religious personnel). Protected objects are civilian areas, especially infrastructure such as hospitals or schools.
Example– After some heavy-handed military missteps (e.g. Bloody Sunday in 1972), the British forces in Northern Ireland in 1969-1998 successfully distinguished combatants by implementing “minimum force” protocols against IRA militants. The British strategically used intelligence-driven policing and arrests, non-lethal or limited force tools, containment, etc. The strategy eventually led to the IRA entering a peace process.
What Do Rules of Engagement Achieve?
To summarize, following ROE and the Geneva Conventions gives any military public legitimacy, both at home and abroad. It builds trust with partners, allows intelligence-sharing, and reassures coalitions that a military force is committed to lawful conduct and professionalism.
Any military that follows universal protocols undermines the enemy propaganda that insurgents and terrorists use to recruit fighters and gain local support. Conversely, it has been historically shown that abuse of protocols strengthens the enemy, not the war effort- e.g. the Iraq War’s Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal or Vietnam’s Phoenix Program Detentions. Both abusive strategies caused major damages to US legitimacy locally and back home.
Rules of engagement also improve operational performance- because distinguishing targets correctly reduces friendly-fire incidents, prevents wasted firepower, and keeps forces disciplined and effective.
Finally, following rules of engagement and conventions does not just protect civilians but safeguards our own forces. By reinforcing norms of lawful treatment, humane reciprocal behaviors increase the odds of protecting our own forces during warfare. While some may argue that not all adversaries respect these norms, the majority of state militaries do- so the odds of protecting our own forces increase. Especially when it comes to captured prisoners, the atrocities like mass executions, starvation, forced labor and medical experiments of earlier wars drove soldiers to demand the universal conventions that now protect future POWs.
Real-World Guidance
Rules of engagement and Geneva Conventions were written by warfighters, not armchair theorists. They knew warfare, and how to win at it- and understood the use of both short and long-term strategies. The US military should not abandon the effective lessons of ROE and international humanitarian law, learned through blood and experience.
I just read an article about two determined passengers at the Cologne/Bonn Airport in Germany who’d missed the boarding of their flight to Romania. Not to be dissuaded by their plane now readying for takeoff on the runway, they breached an emergency exit door by breaking the glass covering of an emergency switch. They then proceeded to run across the tarmac to the almost-taxiing Airbus 321. Needless to say, airport security stopped them.
Beyond wondering how two rational adults could think such a boneheaded move would actually gain them access to a flight, I noticed that their airline of choice in this weird scenario was Wizz Air. Wizz Air? Such an oddly named airline seems straight out of an SNL skit. This company name loses some credibility in the US- though apparently the American slang “taking a wizz” does not mean the same as in Hungary, where this airline is founded. And despite its moniker, the low-cost Wizz Air has actually been successful since its founding in 2004.
Product Management, R&D, and Marketing Personnel- Beware!
But product success like this has not always been the case for other products with marketing campaigns that lose something in translation or implementation. All those folk working in Product Management, Research and Development, and Marketing need to pay close attention to just a few examples where the road to marketing success was littered with preventable failures. Here’s just a few.
Take this famous example of a 1960’s campaign for Pepsi in China- “Come alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation!” Its translation actually meant “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”– not quite the lively youthful connotation the marketing people were intending, plus an unintended clash with cultural views on ancestors. At least Coca-Cola executives enjoyed the gaffe during the years the campaign ran and Pepsi sales in China struggled- until the problem was recognized.
“¿Que Pasa?”
Even the famous American dairy association tag line “Got Milk?” has had its problems. The initial Latino market was not fond of the line at all, since the Spanish translates into the nosy question “Are You Lactating?” And Molson Coors Beverage Company’s in-country marketing team for Coors beer in Spain dropped the ball when they okayed the slogan “Turn it loose.” The translation of that slogan was literally telling Coors drinkers that they would “Suffer from diarrhea.”This is where good translation companies (e.g. TransPerfect, Lionbridge, or RWS) offering specialized localization for global brand campaigns are worth their price-tag.
Sometimes it’s not mistranslation, but misunderstanding of their customers that sinks a product. The Beatles’ 1966 album “The Beatles Yesterday and Today” was Capitol Records’ worst selling Beatles album of the group’s whole career. The hugely popular group’s brand image at the time did not square with fans expecting something non-controversial and more family friendly. The twisted album cover photo (known as the “Butcher” album cover)- had the Fab Four wearing white lab coats, and holding dismembered baby dolls and bloody cuts of meat. This marketing miss with a target audience happened due to lack of test marketing, plus Capitol’s big misjudgment of general public reactions and that of the parents, who were often the purchasers of Beatles music for their children. Surrealism and anti-war satire were not the UX anticipated by such customers. Capitol was forced to recall 750,000 copies of the album from distributors, or do paste overs with another photo to recoup cost. (By the way, if there’s anyone today who does have one of the rare original album covers- they could make $30,000 or more now).
The Bot Made Me Buy It
There’s more recent marketing backlashes stemming from the steady move of companies to use AI to hawk products and services. Major brands like Balmain, Prada, Pacsun and Calvin Klein are partnering with their own customized digital virtual influencers. Such digital characters offer marketers PROS like cost-effectiveness, 24/7 availability, flexibility to be placed in any scenario, full company control of the “brand” to avoid messy human scandals, and the appeal of virtual influencer technology to younger audiences.
But the CONS abound as well. CGI (computer generated imagery) requires a substantial investment, it is resource-intensive, and it raises in audiences big questions about authenticity and transparency. Human influencers produce real connections with followers, creating impactful marketing campaigns built on trust and loyalty. Human influencers also speak to diverse communities, and can be master storytellers that weave persuasive brand messages into their personal narratives. Digital influencers appeal to novelty, not authenticity- and not all marketing strategies want that association for their brand. Shoppers don’t tend to like fake.
In the end, whether it is bad translations or unreal AI influencers, companies will do best when they listen to their potential markets, and build their best marketing messages and campaigns with authenticity and cultural relevance. Without that, many brands might be “taking a wizz” in more places than Germany.
According to the experts, soon we will all have an AI twin.
More than an avatar that simply mimics your appearance, an AI digital double is built on the digital trail you have created- e.g. in social media, health data, or biometrics. Your AI digital double will replicate your face, mannerisms, voice, personality, behaviors, and decision making. Your twin will be able to make decisions on your behalf with a large degree of accuracy and confidence.
There are both advantages and risks in this futuristic technology.
Your digital twin can attend those boring virtual meetings while you go to the beach. Your AI digital double can do routine tasks and conversations on your behalf, or manage your digital life and business. A digital twin could create ongoing social media content for you (freeing up more of that beach time).Your AI double could become a movie star- appearing in movies on your behalf (but think of those SAG-AFTRA complications!)
Doctors could use your digital “self” to personalize your medical treatments to proactively predict and treat health issues, current and future. (Wouldn’t it also be great if your digital clone could do that nasty colonoscopy for you?)
An AI digital double can even serve as a “griefbot” to help your bereaved family members after you pass away. (Beyond an inherent creep factor of possible exploitation of grieving relatives, posthumous rights raise another concern- could family members misuse a deceased person’s data?)
Your future AI twin is already in demand.
Companies want to use “you” and other digital doubles to test consumer reactions to new products and marketing. Scientists want to speed up all that pesky research- for instance, in human brains studies, they could run thousands of experiments on AI twins in no time.
Doctor’s digital twins are being developed to replicate a doctor’s medical expertise, knowledge and decision making. Even more than passing on medical knowledge, Delphi company has created “legend” avatars of historical figures so people can hear AI generated responses from Albert Einstein, George Washington, Genghis Khan, or Mahatma Gandhi. (Such technology can be clearly problematic and is called deepfake when used to mimic a real living person without permission).
Creators are also available for anyone to set up their digital selves, for all the many advantages previously mentioned. Downsides have arisen however, as with Snapchat influencer Caryn Marjorie in 2023 with her CarynAI. She hoped her online clone would offer emotional support to her followers- but shut it down completely when fans got sexually explicit. AI-generated images and videos have been reshaping the adult industry with AI-generated porn and user-created fantasies for years- which may be why CarynAI’s offer of simple emotional support for some fans was misused.
Online dating sites imagine your AI clone dating other “dating concierges” to help match you for a “real” human date, by using your AI twin to eliminate the other choices. Taking this a step further though, developing video twins (or even physical robots) ultimately raise worries that people can instead choose digital relationships over human ones (ie. choosing the illusion of companionship without the human demands). One-sided relationships with AI or robots could become addictive or unhealthy, not the beneficial tools they were designed to be.
H&M and Nike are already using created digital twins for storytelling in marketing campaigns to cut costs. Tech companies of course are leading the way by already using avatars of their executives for public communications. But the infamous 2024 Hong Kong video conference scam took advantage of this technology, to create a video call attended by the deepfaked company’s CFO and some colleagues. The “attendees” induced a finance worker at their multinational company to transfer $25 million to various bank accounts.
A digital double is technology’s answer to a human- but without the humanity.
A current joke goes that if AI is taught emotions, it will cry in ones and zeroes. It’s that “humanity” part of humans that a digital double cannot replicate. However this raises some uncomfortable questions about any future digital double of “me.”
Even if my digital double exactly mimics my speech, style and decisions, will it always make the choices that I would- or could it be made to act independently or distort my personality? Who owns my digital clone and its data- me, my heirs, the company that created it? More troubling, what happens if my digital double is updated, sold, or changed without my permission? Who is accountable if my digital double does or says harmful things, is used criminally, or for profit, or endorses products or politics not of my choosing?
Developing AI digital doubles to be human is like the previous building of the atomic bomb.
Both are breakthrough technologies capable of enormous good and enormous harm. Ethics, safety, and accountability issues inevitably arise, even as creators race along anyway, experimenting with the explosively-growing technology of AI digital doubles.
In the meantime, any digital double of mine would do all its tasks flawlessly, keep files tidy, and save me time and energy. But my AI digital double would not lose its phone or glasses, burn the toast, laugh, dance with two left feet, thoroughly savor time with my family and friends, or cry over those heart-breaking dog commercials.
Digital doubles may outthink me, but no algorithm can match the human spirit that forgets, fumbles and feels. Code can’t replace life. That gloriously imperfect, emotional, unpredictable spark of humanity still remains mine.
Doing any type of research has been greatly transformed in our brave new world. Fact-finding used to take a researcher on multiple trips to a library- those quaint tree-based data repositories of books (the original tablets but with no charger required). For those too young to remember them, encyclopedias were specialized books that contained a wealth of useful data- sort of like an analog Google, but alphabetized and way heavier. And those flat papery things called newspapers were the original news feeds- but news feeds that involved no WiFi or likes- maybe just some ink on your fingers. Plus (though it’s hard for some to imagine), newspapers were knowledge sources that you couldn’t scroll through. Also they only s-l-o-w-l-y, boringly updated every 24 hours.
Today’s research usually involves online research- which can be risky, since misinformation (not only the evil deliberate kind) is definitely out there in internet land. You truly cannot believe everything you read- AI, search engines, and translators– or all three combined- can get data horribly wrong.
Lost in Translation: The Bot Version
AI (chatbots, helpers, content generators) can hallucinate facts and invent studies, because they are trained with huge data sets that do not necessarily distinguish good from bad. (AI is the student that didn’t read the book but still wrote a 1,000 word essay).
Search engines simply rank and amplify information, and reward popularity- not accuracy. The junk can rise above the genuine information, with algorithms personalizing my “truth” from your “truth” by the results they feed us. (And the nonsense with the most clicks wins!)
Translators (both human and AI) can turn accurate knowledge into gibberish, due to literal mistranslation of idioms, slang, context, humor, puns, or tone. AI famously mistranslated a French joke “Why do fish hate computers? Because they’re afraid of the net” into “Why do fish dislike computers? Because they fear the Internet”-technically correct but entirely missing the pun. Another classic meme example was “Knowledge is power” which reemerged from the computer mind as “Cheese is strength.” (In other words, machines can spit out words but don’t get the full meaning- only humans do that).
Chatbots Have Confidence (Just Not Always Facts)
A recently reported internet fiasco was the Chicago Sun-Times/The Philadelphia Inquirer article about their 2025 recommended summer reading list (“Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer”). Of the 15 book titles recommended, 10 were totally made up, down to the detailed plot descriptions. The authors were all real authors, but the books were apparently figments of fevered digital imaginations. The writer of the news article had used AI for his research, but had not double-checked its accuracy enough. The freelance writer who wrote the article was “completely embarrassed” and was terminated by the King Features syndication that hired him for the Sun-Times story. (Ironically AI kept its job).
So Much Data, So Little Understanding
Not long ago I experienced some confusing computer misinformation of my own. After getting a Ring security doorbell, I attempted some online research about what Ring is and how it’s used. The article I found immediately went “off the rails” (there’s an idiom that AI might have trouble with!) First it defined Ring as a circular band worn on the finger as an ornament or symbol. Then it confidently continued on to describe Ring as a Japanese horror movie, highly influential in its genre, with numerous sequels, remakes, and adaptations that solidified its status as a cinematic horror classic. Finally, Ring’s pro side was bulleted as easy to install, affordable, with good video quality, its con side being privacy concerns. Something had quite obviously been lost in AI translation somewhere for this computer research. In spite of this confusing internet fail, I still managed to install the Ring doorbell.
When Your Search Engine Goes Full Hannibal Lecter
By the way, be careful how you phrase your questions to AI- it can make a big difference in the answers you receive. While everyone has occasionally experienced some inaccurate AI responses due to badly worded inquiries, some terribly phrased questions gone wrong deserve a gold medal. A person once asked AI for dog food recipes “using human ingredients” rather than more correctly specifying “human-grade ingredients.” The resulting menu from AI could have been taken straight from my aforementioned Ring horror movie. And early AI bots inaccurately took a Reddit joke (about how to make homemade napalm) as pure fact. Bots proceeded to bizarrely tell questioners to make napalm by mixing gasoline and tomato paste. Nothing says homemade like explosive marinara sauce…
The Internet Promises Wisdom, Not Just Ads, Emojis, & Spellchecks
I remain hopeful for the future of humanity’s relationship with AI though. While Artificial Intelligence is growing incredibly quickly, with many possibly disturbing repercussions, humans are indispensable to shape AI growth. Humans are the ones with conscience, empathy, common sense, context, oversight, and moral judgment- not AI. Humans must set the ethical boundaries and regulations, institute the best accurate AI training data, and establish accountability and recourse if AI systems do wrong.
The key concept is that machine wisdom is to serve humanity- NOT replace or mislead it.
Anyway, I must stop my research and writing now- my smartwatch is telling me to take a moment to breathe.
I’m so very glad that our tax dollars are being put to such noble use— especially in beautifying our nation. A perfect recent example of this totally cost-effective use of time and resources is the deployment of over 2,200 National Guard troops to D.C. After they heroically battled the legendary massive crime wave emergency in Washington D.C., idle troops were then reassigned to the truly urgent task of trash removal and groundskeeping in parks around the city.
Support For NPS in Survival Mode
The National Parks Service is likely happy about military troops briefly taking over their DC beautification duties. While it is their job to beautify DC-NPS has had their city work force decimated during recent DOGE personnel cuts- dropping their 200 city employees down to 20. So the National Guard’s arrival is quite timely for them. After all, the Guard service members are indeed specially trained for sanitation and groundskeeping- they are most often deployed for disaster response to help communities recover from wildfires, floods, or storm damages. Let’s hope that the National Guard will be available when the next hurricane devastates some coastal state- assuming they won’t be too busy with their critical mission of combatting weeds, sorry, crime…in DC.
A Million a Day- Worth Every Mulch
Estimates for the cost of President Trump’s recent emergency military deployment to DC are around 1 million a day in taxpayer revenue, to go for at least 30 days (unless renewed by Congress). This means there’s some pretty pricey “landscaping” going on. National Guard troops are prohibited from performing domestic law enforcement, and are primarily in a deterrence role- yet much of their activity has apparently been groundskeeping rather than crime fighting. Civilian employees doing the same groundskeeping work would be much less costly. Plus consider that the $30 million spent on a 30 day deployment could instead fund 200-300 actual police officers for a whole year in DC- a far wiser longer-term investment in the DC community’s public security.
Spread That Mulch
US tax dollars should be spent on sensible crime reduction strategies that actually work— not flashy $30 million photo ops of uniformed National Guard troops on DC streets. Imagine what 30 million dollars could do if it was spent on actual crime prevention- more officers, better equipment, targeted strategies- with real results towards reducing crime, and not just spectacle. In the meantime, until priorities shift, the National Guard will soldier on, combatting weeds, and spreading mulch around DC’s cherry trees- all thanks to President Trump.
For many seniors, having a “senior moment” is about losing things. Some of my friends will admit that a significant part of their day is spent looking for misplaced phones, glasses, or TV remotes. I, however, refuse to confess that I lose things- preferring instead to think about my multiple searches as complex scavenger hunts that just happen to me several times a day. It sounds more fun, less exasperating and time-consuming, and less…senior citizen.
But I went well beyond my scavenger hunt moments the other day. Apparently it was my time in life to once again test out the concept that dignity is overrated. To achieve this revelation I actually accomplished what I will generously refer to as a random gravity check. Of course it was in public. And of course it was in the front aisle of a busy home goods store. (Banana peel slapstick, move over).
I was wandering about the store, checking out all the brightly-colored must-have purchases, and waiting for my friend, who was inching through a long checkout line. She should know better by now than to take me anywhere- and especially leave me unattended too long- but such is the innocent trust of friendship. There was an overstuffed lounge chair by the front door that looked inviting. Since I am considering options for the eventual replacement of my saggy living room sofa, I went over for a closer look.
“Why not test it out?” I thought to myself. Never mind that I didn’t notice that the chair was slightly raised, up on a little roller platform of some kind- perhaps the store had been moving it around. A little warning tape across the seat would have been a nice notice of its out-of-commission status- except the store was certainly not anticipating someone to make an imbecilic move like mine. You’ve heard of proceeding with caution? Me too, I just didn’t do that here.
So I went and plunked down in that beckoning lounge chair, to give it a little “comfort test” for a future possible purchase. However the test did not proceed as it should have. The whole chair just unexpectedly tilted forward when I sat down, and the foot rest helpfully extended out. Unable to stop the momentum, I slowly slid down the chair like on a slide, ending up on the floor on my butt!!! My baffled friend arrived from making her purchase to find me sitting in the middle of the main aisle, with a worried shopper rushing over to help me up. Though unhurt- and definitely undignified- I am proud to report that my long-ago childhood playground skills kicked in. I slid down that lounge chair like a true champion, and landed the slide perfectly. And contrary to the desired body images of popular culture, there are certain times when it is a very good thing to have a well-padded derriere. This was definitely one of those times.
So ends my tale of a shopping trip gone awry. Not only did I drop by the home goods store, I just dropped there as well. After performing my unintentional floor routine, I ended up on the linoleum floor in the main aisle like a shopping queen-gone-tipsy. If my lounge chair slide was captured on store video, I hope it gives someone a laugh, like one of those funniest home videos. After all, grace and dignity are lovely, but laughter is better.
Maybe there is a moral to this tale of my random gravity check. Perhaps it’s that dignity is indeed highly overrated, especially after 65. Or maybe it is just proof of the adage that thankfully God does watch over children, fools, third baseman, sailors, drunks… or clueless seniors.
