Kia ora {{ First name | friend }},
We’re exploring the light and shadow of technology, with a focus on efficient AI workflows to free up your time.
This week’s edition is some more ChatGPT with a specific focus on AI Agents, the importance of Digital Sovereignty, and some general updates in the tech space.
Thanks for being here.
Featured Workflow: AI Agents with ChatGPT
If you aren’t already signed up as a ChatGPT Plus user ($20/month), let this be your sign to do so. Their intro of AI Agents (now available in NZ) is next level for productivity. It takes ChatGPT from general conversation partner to a full-time executor of tasks.
Here’s a summary:
Regular ChatGPT can:
Research
Write
Brainstorm
Summarize
Agent Mode can:
Click buttons
Fill out forms
Navigate websites
Run repeating workflows
It’s not “if this, then that” automation like Zapier, it’s adaptive.
When it hits a popup or a login form, it doesn’t quit. It figures it out, just like a human would.
That makes it a total game changer for service businesses and solopreneurs.
(To be fair, I asked it to order me a free ticket to the Mangaroa Farms Open Day, and it took 10 mins, then failed, lol. I suspect it’s much better at generally searching sites, filling out info, and returning back more comprehensive data than a regular search).
Note: the Plus plan allows 40 tasks/month, Pro plan allows 400.
Here’s a few interesting techonology updates:
Matthew McConaughey and Joe Rogan talk AI in a recent podcast, which I have mixed feelings about. It’s surprisingly casual on the side of Pro-AI integration (microchips, digital society) which is a bit unnerving. Have a listen here, from 20mins to 50mins.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive discussed the future of AI products in this interview from OpenAI Dev Day. Jony Ive is the ex Chief of Design at Apple, and has linked up with OpenAI to develop their suite of AI hardware devices.
Stephen Hawking returned from the dead and busted some moves on a massive skate ramp in this video from OpenAI’s Sora 2. LOL.
Gold prices clered $4,000/ounce which is a record high, and people are still more bullish on AI as the real gold rush of today. This is indicated by Nvidia’s new deal with OpenAI, and them taking #1 most valuable company in the world.
Google just released Gemini Enterprise, bundling its workplace AI offerings into a single platform where employees can create, deploy, and manage agents without coding experience.
Insight: Digital Sovereignty is a must
In last week’s email, I went on a rant about Digital ID’s. I still stand by the fact that I don’t support them, however this week, here’s a more positive outlook on what tech we can embrace otherwise.
Digital Sovereignty is a term I’ve been exploring for a little while - an idea of an internet that reflects our birthright of privacy. Where we are free to connect, share and create together, without old mates in Silicon Valley sniffing around every interaction we make.
Meanwhile, Big Tech has an incentive in our data; the less privacy we have, the more they profit off our attention. They also exponentially stack the cards against us, training algorithms on our data, to make us stick around a little more. Shoshana Zuboff describes this as “surveillance capitalism” where behavioural data is commodified to manipulate users.
Additionally, it’s clear we will see an increase in cybercrime, identity theft, fraud and deepfake-related internet BS, as AI gets more and more integrated into our world.
So, we owe it to ourselves to just keep our internet consciousness a little more close to home, for the sake of privacy, sovereignty, and not giving away our power and human value to The Machine.
Here’s three simple but highly effective ways you can do this.
(This email is not affiliated with any of the below orgs, but I use them every day. All of them are available for both iPhone and iOS).
Proton Mail: Switch from Gmail/Outlook to Proton. Secure email services protected by Swiss privacy laws. They also have Docs, Drive, and a Password Manager, and more, with equal security.
Signal Messenger: Signal is an encrypted messaging app that basically is Whatsapp but private. Get off Whatsapp ASAP, and tell your friends to do the same.
Brave Browser: Created by the guy who started Firefox, Brave is a browser that automatically blocks ads and trackers, and doesn’t harvest your browsing data, like Chrome and Safari do. I’ve been using it for years and literally cannot recommend it enough. I’m yet to find a downside to Brave.
Let me reiterate, we have a responsibility to ourselves and our future digital privacy to learn about these aspects of how we engage with the internet. Think of your action on this as a safe investment in the future of your digital life. This could be more crucial than we currently imagine.
Gif by DrSquatchSoapCo on Giphy
Featured Workflow: Build a “Virtual Advisory Board”
Create your own digital board of mentors: Alex Hormozi, Seth Godin, Sarah Blakely, Robert Kiyosaki. (Replace with mentors in investing, business, therapy, regeneration, etc)
Ask the agent to:
Research everything they’ve said or written
Extract their frameworks, decision models, and core advice
Summarize each into a profile (20–50 pages each)
Combine them into a custom GPT called “My Board”
Now, when you hit a tough decision, ask your “board” for advice.
They’ll challenge your thinking instead of just agreeing with you.
🧩 Prompt to give your agent:
Act as a research agent. I want you to build a “Virtual Advisory Board” made up of 5 world-class entrepreneurs.
Board members:
[Example: Alex Hormozi, Mark Cuban, Seth Godin, Sara Blakely, Robert Kiyosaki]
Task:
1. Research everything each mentor has publicly said, written, or taught.
2. Extract their decision-making frameworks, success principles, and mindset quotes.
3. Compile a 20–50 page detailed profile for each person including:
- Key philosophies
- Decision filters
- Signature strategies
- Common advice patterns
- Contradictions and blind spots
4. Format each profile so it can be used to simulate their thinking in a custom GPT (structured and labeled).
5. Combine them into one “Virtual Board of Advisors” document and summarize the unique strengths each member adds.
Deliver: A single PDF. ready to upload into a custom GPT called “My Board.”
Once you’ve got the PDF above, create a new Custom GPT, give it some simple instructions, and you’re away.
Pro tips:
Train your GPT to challenge your thinking rather than agree with you
Be aware of response patterns and arbitrary info - note these down and instruct the GPT over time so it gets increasingly more accurate for your answers
Create separate GPT’s for different areas e.g. investing, business strategy, etc
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{{ First name | friend }}, thanks for joining. I’m enjoying this project and looking forward to having some more time for it. Good things a’coming :)
Stay human,
Billy