How do you get started with artificial intelligence, and how do you know when to question the answers it gives you?

Those are two of the questions I explore with George Dubec on this edition of Fridays With Larry.

George is an author, entrepreneur and podcaster whose career has taken him from engineering at General Motors to broadcasting and technology businesses. He also has a local connection, with a son and daughter-in-law living in Carmel.

Our conversation covers the practical side of AI: where a beginner might start, how the wording of a question can affect the response, and how these tools can help compare products before making a purchase.

We also discuss the concerns that come with those possibilities. AI can produce an answer that sounds convincing and still gets the facts wrong. I explain why I ask for original sources when using AI for research, so I can check the information myself.

George shares his concerns about relying too heavily on AI, protecting personal information and the emotional side of adapting to technology.

I open the podcast with some thoughts about how people adopt new technology. Remembering our family’s first computer in 1995, I consider why cost, privacy and ease of use can matter as much as someone’s willingness to learn.

In the final segment, I turn to holiday shopping, online purchases and buy now, pay later plans. Dividing a purchase into smaller payments can change when the bills arrive, but it does not reduce the total price.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch the video edition or listen to the audio version of this week’s Fridays With Larry below.