—> Before I get started, I’ll share info on two important matters.
First: Today, I started developing a new mobile app to replace the existing DML NEWS APP, and to enhance the TeamDML and newsletter experiences. It’ll offer FAR MORE than news and politics. Why? As I enter the next chapters of my life, I want to have greater impact on yours. I yearn to educate, entertain, and enrich you like no other. With this said, soon, I fear there will be no distinction between what’s fake and real, and so you’ll need something / someone to trust more than ever. I’d like the new app and my family to fill those roles. Over the coming weeks, I’ll write a lot about the new app here on the DML Report. The app is set for a November release, so I’ll share details on features and seek your input. After today’s newsletter, you’ll need a trusted friend more than ever.

Second: I thank the readers who give me support by visiting the sponsored ads. There is none today, but when an ad runs, I disclose that I get paid ~$1 if you click it. There’s no obligation to take any further action after the click; you need not make a purchase or sign up for a subscription, although I wouldn’t be shocked if you did — we run some pretty good offers. Either way, revenue from your clicks keep this newsletter free.

The Terrifying Rise of AI: It’s Very Real 

AI threatens to erode both our livelihoods and our grip on reality. I’m terrified of AI, and the impact it’ll have on us, our children, and the world. It may end society as we know it.

Recently, the majority of my time has been spent researching and using AI. Full disclosure, I use it to improve this newsletter. Example: If you spot a grammatical error, it’s only because I skipped running the paragraph through my AI Agent! So, I see AI’s power firsthand, and its ability to replace humans and fabricate convincing falsehoods.

AI Agents: It’s the new thing.  

AI agents are poised to obliterate white-collar office jobs. AI agents are like perfect human beings embedded into computer systems. They perform tasks once reserved for only skilled professionals. For example, AI tools like advanced chatbots can draft legal documents, rivaling paralegals, with programs that analyze contracts much faster than humans, and without the mistakes. In finance, AI algorithms process market data, outpacing analysts. Get the right AI agent, and you may end up beating the S&P 500 — no kidding. When it comes to marketing, AI platforms generate ad copy and social media strategies in seconds, potentially displacing copywriters and strategists. Even customer service, once a human bastion, is being overtaken by AI-driven virtual assistants that handle inquiries with extreme competence.

Many sales jobs will be lost. 

No need to wait for a salesperson or deal with their attitudes or pushy tactics. In just an hour, I could develop and deploy fifty AI agents to email existing customers, offering exclusive deals on DML CBD products or TeamDML memberships. Within minutes, I could develop another fifty AI agents to call former customers, asking how we can win them back. A human sales force of 100 people, each earning a $50,000 base salary plus commission, would cost me at least $5 million annually, not including health benefits. In contrast, 100 AI agents will cost me $0, with no commissions or benefits to pay. That’s a minimum savings of $5 million, and profits will skyrocket as the perfect AI agents will likely produce better results.

I can take it a step further: Let’s say my lost customers will return, but they first want to speak with me directly. With AI, I can now clone myself 100 times. You want to speak with DML? No problem, I deploy 100 AI agents, all of them DML clones. I’m serious: There are AI systems that can analyze every newsletter, podcast, video, radio interview, TV appearance, and social media post I’ve done over the past 20 years. It will learn my speech patterns, voice, cadence, mindset, and opinions. Within a day, I can have 100 DML cloned AI agents (once known as salespeople), leaving each of my customers to believe they are actually speaking with me. Sales will go through the roof as people feel they’re getting personalized service that is simply unmatched. But here’s the catch: while I save millions and profit quickly, those 100 human salespeople are left jobless, potentially on welfare. Eventually, I lose too—when my customers, unemployed and broke, can no longer afford my products or services, we all suffer.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects automation could impact 30% of current jobs by 2030, with white-collar sectors hit hardest. But the loss of jobs pales in comparison to the loss of reality…

SPOOKY SH*T
Yesterday, I uploaded six photos to an AI program to test its video-generation capabilities, and despite the technology being in its early stages, the results were chilling. The first was a photo of me with my late mentor, John Roland, a legendary NYC news anchor who died two years ago. Below is the original 2012 photo taken at a Tampa event where I spoke to a crowd of fans.

The AI turned this still into a lifelike video of us laughing and moving. Shadows were slightly off, but I score it an 8.5 out of 10— meaning, it is convincing enough to make someone believe John was alive or the video was real. There are so many nightmares that can stem from this sort of fake reality. A quick example: Years ago, Fox News asked me if I knew filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza because they wanted someone on air to provide a positive character analysis. I confirmed I knew him, and as proof I sent a photo of us talking at C-PAC. Based on the photo alone, Fox put me on air. I know what you’re thinking, Photoshop could do the same thing. Yes, but today I could use AI to turn the photo into a video, leaving no doubt. Think about how many criminal court cases will be altered — innocent people being jailed — because of fake AI video.

Next, a real photo of me climbing the Arizona-Mexico border wall, often shared in my social media posts.

I had AI transform it into a video of me doing a back flip off the wall, an impossible feat for me. Despite a distorted arm, I rate it a 6.5 out of 10, but AI’s rapid improvement means it’ll soon fix my arm, making it indistinguishable from reality.

The third was a still of my son Ryan, age 10, playing football in 5th grade. The photo was taken right before he was tackled in the real game. You can see me in the rear, wearing #0.

Instead of Ryan being tackled, I instructed the AI to show Ryan scoring a touchdown and doing back flips to celebrate—unrealistic for a child. The video looks real, although his jersey number shifted from 5 to 1, and then to 8, and the endzone was misplaced, but it still earned a 7 out of 10, nearly a 9 without the flaws. Think of how many fake videos will lead to mediocre student athletes getting full-ride scholarships.

Then there is the photo of my wife Mary and me at the beach, my arms around her. This taken just a few years ago.

Within 20 seconds, AI had it became a video of me kissing her cheek and her playfully messing my hair. It scored a 7 out of 10 due to the slow motion and an off likeness, but improvements are inevitable. Making matters worse, when you watch the video, think of all the problems that can emerge from a simple thing like taking a photo with someone.

Imagine the implications: If someone had it out for me, they could take a photo of me with a female friend, or some lady I met at one of my speaking events, where my arm is around her — a standard pose I’ve taken countless times — and it gets altered into a fake video to falsely show I was kissing another woman, possibly suggesting an affair. Or even worse, how about someone alters the photo of Mary and me — now a video showing me violently pushing her to the ground, and then yelling threats. It could paint me as abusive, sparking calls for arrest or divorce. This sort of thing is bound to happen to everyone.

Another photo of me. This is a headshot used to promote a book that I filmed a TV documentary about in 2016. In the real photo, I’m holding and endorsing the book.

I told AI to remove the book, and to make a video with me showcasing a bunch of silly expressions. I give it a 8.5 out of 10 for being lifelike. Imagine what can be done. AI could make it so my endorsement of the book becomes a smear campaign, destroying the book’s chances for sales and potentially getting me sued.

The last, and scariest, was a movie poster photo of me, eyes highlighted, looking away. I told the AI to make me come to life, and make my eyes wander and blink—it was so real, a 10 out of 10. I have placed the original photo on top, the video caption on the bottom for comparison.

The development of AI is something we can do without. 

It’s the next “progression” we never asked for and yet, it’s thrust upon us without any debate or our voicing concerns to those in power. What I mean is this: America didn’t need to engage in a global economy, we were doing mighty fine selling products and services within our borders. America didn’t need mass immigration, we were developing nicely and birthing new Americans without having to ingest 1.2 million people, LEGALLY, each year. And America didn’t need AI and yet here it is, largely unregulated and taking our lives over by storm.

Useless Technology
AI is going to dominate everything in our lives, nothing comes close — not the creation of the telephone, air travel, nor the internet compares. Meanwhile, unlike those other developments that made our lives easier and better, AI holds no tangible value. Meaning, I didn’t need to create the error free newsletter, nor the perfect robotic sales person, nor the clone of myself.

Facebook tells me 90% of my followers are 50 years and older. This is because I specialize in weeding out the modern day bullshit. I tell of how great things used to be when life was simple, and I do it without apologizing for my thoughts. That said, was yesterday perfect? No. Fun? Yes. But today, with AI — a.k.a. the technology developed by nerds who couldn’t survive in the real world — there is an unnecessary need to remove human error and improve efficiency. Well, in the attempt to kill off you and me, the nerds have managed to destroy the human touch, the spontaneous reaction, and the lessons of learning from mistakes. Idiots!

With AI, we will lose make-up-sex? 
I doubt the nerds know what this is, but Mary knows I’ve created lots of reasons to engage in make-up sex — best nights ever! But seriously, with a perfect AI driven world, will make-up sex be stripped from us too? The answer is, “Yes.”

The AI nerds are creating humanoids (robots) to replace the spouse and living partner; making it so the trash is always out on time, underwear is never left on the floor, the toilet seat is always down, and the football games are replaced with love stories. Ladies, mark my words, you’ll soon wish for these imperfections to resurface. As for us guys, not being late for the next event will be an improvement, but I’ll sure miss Mary’s burnt pancakes because there was something sexy about the buttery batter on her cheek.

I guess the only thing you can count on going forward, you’ll never have to worry about me being fake.

Thank you for reading and sharing. 
Until the next time, go be imperfect and remove those old photos that can get you in trouble. And my final thought: I’d suggest calling your bank like I did — tell them not to send a wire transfer to anyone unless you come into the bank and sign for that wire in person. Wait until the nerds capture your voice and image, all Hell will break open.