Our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles have witnessed the most remarkable century of technological change. Yet for many, the newest wave — artificial intelligence — still feels distant or intimidating.
Our greatest tech superpower isn’t just building unicorns; it’s making powerful tools so simple that someone we love can use them with ease. That’s why I created this guide to help anyone over 70 start using an AI assistant on their phone — a friendly helper that can make life easier, more connected, and more joyful.
If someone in your life could benefit, share this with them. Together, we can bridge the AI gap — one loved one at a time.
Your New AI Assistant: A Friendly Helper in Your Pocket
Hello to our young-at-heart readers over 70! You’ve witnessed a lifetime of change — and now, there’s a new kind of helping hand available on your phone: an AI assistant.
Think of it as a patient, friendly neighbour who’s always ready to answer your questions, give you ideas, or help you learn something new. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone, Samsung, or Google phone — this guide will walk you through, step by step.
Step 1: Getting Started with ChatGPT
We’ll use ChatGPT, one of the easiest AI assistants to try. You can set it up in two ways:
Method 1 — Using Your Internet Browser
Open your browser (Safari, Chrome, or Samsung Internet).
Tap the microphone icon in the search bar and say: “Chat G P T”.
Tap the link that says chat.openai.com.
Choose “Continue with Google” or “Continue with Apple” to sign up.
Method 2 — Downloading the App (Recommended)
Open your App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
Search for ChatGPT.
Look for the black-and-white spiral logo from OpenAI.
Tap “Get” or “Install” and sign up as above.
Tip: Once it’s installed, the hardest part is already done.
Step 2: Have Your First Conversation
When you open ChatGPT, you’ll see a text box at the bottom — just like sending a message to a friend.
Try this autumn example:
“Now that it’s autumn and the air is dry, I’d love to cook something good for my throat. Can you give me five recipes recommended by a top nutritionist, with detailed steps?”
In seconds, you’ll get thoughtful suggestions — like having a chef, a nutritionist, and a caring friend all in one.
Step 3: Use It for Health & Wellness Questions
You can also ask about gentle exercises, recipes, or hobbies. For example:
“I’m a man in my 80s with mild knee discomfort. Can you suggest safe at-home exercises from trusted medical sources?”
The AI will provide relevant, easy-to-follow advice tailored to your specific situation.
Important: AI can give great ideas, but it’s not a replacement for a doctor. Always consult your healthcare provider before acting on health advice.
Your Next Step
If you’ve read this far, take 5 minutes today to share this guide with someone over 70 — a parent, a neighbour, an old friend. Sit with them as they set it up.
This isn’t just about teaching technology — it’s about giving them a tool for curiosity, connection, and joy.
Because the greatest gift we can share is not just knowledge — it’s the confidence to use it.
Session Recap from the MANS International AI Application Series
WAIC 2025 Recap: AI Agents Take Center Stage
The 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), themed “Intelligent Era, Shared Future”, brought together over 800 companies and 3,000+ cutting-edge innovations. One of the biggest highlights? A rare public keynote in China by Geoffrey Hinton — Turing and Nobel laureate — who explored the provocative question: “Will digital intelligence replace biological intelligence?”
But the real spotlight this year was on AI Agents. Beyond the buzz, they represent a paradigm shift — from using AI as a tool to integrating it as a core operator in enterprise workflows.
Today’s session breaks down:
What “AI-native thinking” really means
The core logic of AI Agents
How to evaluate and select the right AI Agent solution
Real-world examples that show the path forward
I. From Digital 1.0 to AI-Native: A New Cognitive Framework for Business
Past: Digitization 1.0 — Humans Adapt to Systems
In the early digital era, humans were the glue between systems — manually logging into platforms, moving data, and pushing approvals. Think of a typical e-commerce operator juggling inventory, logistics, and finance portals daily.
Limitations of Digitization 1.0
Present: AI-Native — Systems Adapt to Goals
In the AI-native era, the AI Agent acts as the central brain. It understands goals (“launch a new product”), coordinates backend systems (SKU setup, inventory check, logistics alignment, budget approval), and only surfaces decisions that truly require human judgment.
AI-Native — Systems Adapt to Goals
Two Breakthroughs of AI-Native Thinking
Shift of Control: From AI as a tool to AI as the process orchestrator AI proactively breaks down objectives, allocates tasks, and drives execution. For example, a virtual assistant schedules meetings, books flights, and sends invites — all on its own.
Full-Chain Automation: Breaking data and workflow silos AI Agents bridge operations across departments — linking customer touchpoints, internal systems, and vendor pipelines for end-to-end automation. A customer order might automatically trigger inventory deduction, logistics scheduling, and post-sale follow-up.
Bottom Line: This unlocks smarter digitization, reduces operational load, and enables flexible, goal-driven workflows that adapt at speed.
II. Evolution of Human–AI Collaboration: From ChatGPT to Agents
There’s growing confusion around ChatGPT, Copilot, and AI Agents. But their differences matter — especially for businesses aiming to delegate work, not just generate content.
III. Enterprise-Grade AI Agents: Four Core Dimensions
To avoid hype traps and identify enterprise-ready AI Agents, tech leaders should evaluate solutions across four core dimensions: business logic depth, data security, deployment maturity, and risk governance.
Business logic penetration (Does it understand your domain?)
Data security & Compliance (Can you trust it with your core assets?)
Deployment readiness (Can you scale it without breaking things?)
Risk management (Will it break your systems or reputation?)
To access the full list of 12 evaluation criteria, key questions, and real-world examples for assessing enterprise AI agents, contact us directly.
IV. Real-World Case: AI Agents in Healthcare
Use Case 1: Clinical Diagnosis Support
Old Way: Radiologists manually review scans, taking 30+ minutes per report.
AI Agent Way:
Instantly fetches data from EMR, PACS, LIS.
Uses AI imaging models to detect and flag anomalies.
Summarizes and presents only key decisions for doctor sign-off. → Result: 80% time saved, doctors become strategic decision-makers.
Use Case 2: AI-Accelerated Research
Old Way: Trial-and-error over a decade.
AI Agent Way:
Mines millions of case records to identify drug candidates.
Simulates drug–gene interactions.
Generates real-time research reports and next-step suggestions. → Result: 40% faster from bench to market.
V. Conclusion: Becoming an AI-Native Company in 2025
Step 1: Understand the value. AI Agents reduce cost, boost agility, and free humans for strategic work.
Step 2: Start small. Test high-impact scenarios like customer support or supply chain first.
Step 3: Scale intentionally. Expand across functions, building a digitally autonomous architecture.
The age of AI Agents is here. They won’t just support your business — they’ll help redesign it from the ground up.
2025 has been dubbed the Year One of AI Adoption. As artificial intelligence seeps into every corner of our work, learning, and daily life, education — humanity’s core tool for shaping cognition — now stands at a historic crossroads.
I. Kevin Kelly’s Forecast: Two Ways AI Will Reshape Education
Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired and bestselling author, believes the disruption AI brings to education will follow two main tracks:
Image source: kk.org
1. Traditional One-Size-Fits-All Education Is Over
Students receive tailored AI support for weaker areas while diving deeper into subjects they’re passionate about. The purpose of education is shifting — from imparting standardized knowledge to nurturing individual potential: curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and systems thinking (the ability to “see both forests and trees”). In this model, education is not about memorizing content, but about training minds to think critically and act resourcefully.
2. The Reinvention of the University Model
As more highly educated individuals take on entry-level or even gig economy jobs (a rising number of master’s and PhD graduates are now delivery drivers), the value of a traditional college degree is being questioned.
Kelly argues that universities offer three main assets today: brand prestige, alumni networks and social capital. But in 25 years? He envisions:
Skills and portfolios may outweigh diplomas. AI-powered lifelong mentors may replace professors for lifelong upskilling.
Virtual platforms, the emerging “mirror worlds”, could replicate or surpass the social and learning experiences of physical campuses.
Learning will become continuous, borderless, and embedded in our daily lives.
II. China’s Shift: From Degree Obsession to Skills-First Thinking
In 2025, Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College made headlines by admitting bachelor’s degree holders into its associate-level technical programs in high-speed rail maintenance. These programs lead to a lower-level diploma than the one students already have—but offer higher employment potential.
This counterintuitive trend challenges the long-standing belief that more education automatically equals better opportunities. The college first launched this program in 2022 and nearly doubled its enrollment in 2025, signalling a strong demand for skill-based education.
Last year, I visited Guizhou University of Applied Technology and was struck by the energy of its students and the relevance of its curriculum. For example, in the industrial robotics program, students must master both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills in the installation, debugging, and maintenance of industrial robots. Graduates are in high demand.
In the Yangtze River Delta region alone, over 6,000 companies currently use industrial robots. The talent gap for skilled technicians in smart manufacturing and high-end equipment is projected to widen dramatically over the next 3–5 years. In this context, hybrid talent—those with both domain expertise and technical know-how—are emerging as the winners of the job market.
III. The Rise of Vocational Education in the U.S.
This isn’t just a Chinese phenomenon. The U.S. is undergoing its vocational renaissance:
In the United States, a quiet revolution in career and technical education (CTE) has been unfolding for years. It gained national attention with the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (commonly known as Perkins V) in 2018. The legislation allocates over $1.4 billion annually to support CTE and sends a clear message: a university is not the only path to success. Hands-on, practice-based learning is quickly becoming one of the most viable routes to upward mobility.
This policy shift is echoed in the job market. According to Fox Business, unemployment among recent U.S. college grads has risen to 5.8% — the highest since 2021 and significantly above the national average of 3.5–4%. Meanwhile, those with vocational associate degrees — especially in technical fields — enjoy much lower unemployment rates.
This demand surge has also fueled investor interest in “edtech for skills.” One standout example is Lumion, a company originally focused on student financing. Sensing the opportunity in vocational education, Lumion pivoted to provide SaaS solutions for technical schools. It raised $10.7 million in seed funding — backed in part by the state of Wyoming.
Since then, Lumion’s growth has been explosive: its revenue, customer base, and team have all tripled in the past year. Today, it serves over 260 schools across 29 industries and supports more than 100,000 students. Its software powers student recruitment, tuition management, and performance tracking. To date, it has facilitated over 140,000 tuition transactions, supported 1,690 school administrators, and is estimated to contribute $20 billion in workforce value. This thriving “policy + market + capital” ecosystem mirrors the momentum behind vocational education in China.
IV. Final Thoughts: From Degree Premium to Skills Premium
From Zhengzhou’s unconventional admissions, to Lumion’s VC-backed rise; from China’s high job placement for vocational grads, to America’s growing preference for skills over diplomas—a global shift is underway.
The common thread? Vocational and technical education is no longer a fallback option. It’s becoming a strategic choice.
This transformation is not just about education—it’s a collective human response to the AI-driven economic shift. In a world where algorithms reshape industries daily, skills that convert knowledge into action are proving to be more valuable than credentials alone.
Even more profound is how this evolution is redefining success itself. When practical skills outweigh university rankings, when professional dignity is no longer tied to academic pedigree, we may be witnessing the most meaningful form of educational equality: the ability for every worker to find purpose, value, and opportunity in an age of rapid change.
The future belongs to problem-solvers, not just degree-holders. Education, at its best, is not about producing diploma owners—it’s about cultivating people who can create real-world impact.
If you’re investing in AI, building with it, or worried about being replaced by it, there’s one principle you need to understand: Verifier’s Law.
Last Friday, we hosted a session as part of the MANS International AI Strategy Series, where we unpacked Verifier’s Law — developed by Jason Wei, a leading AI researcher who recently left OpenAI to join Meta’s Superalignment team.
This under-the-radar principle explains why AI is transforming some industries faster than others — and how to anticipate what’s coming next.
What is Verifier’s Law?
“Any task that is possible to solve and easy to verify will be solved by AI.” — Jason Wei
In simpler terms: if a machine can be trained to judge whether an output is good or bad—quickly, accurately, and at scale—it will master that task faster than we expect.
What Is the “Asymmetry of Verification”?
The Asymmetry of Verification refers to tasks that are difficult to perform but easy to verify. In other words, while producing the solution requires significant time or expertise, checking whether the solution is correct is fast and straightforward.
Here are some everyday examples:
Sudoku: Solving a puzzle can take 20 minutes, but verifying a completed solution takes just 2 seconds.
Software development: Writing backend code may take weeks; running it to check if it works takes only seconds.
Research questions: Finding a reliable answer might take hours; verifying it can take just a few clicks.
This asymmetry is exactly what today’s most advanced AI systems — like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and AlphaEvolve — are harnessing at scale. They don’t just solve problems — they thrive in domains where verification is easy, allowing them to learn faster, adapt quicker, and outperform expectations.
Five Criteria That Make a Task “AI-Solvable”
According to Verifier’s Law, developed by AI researcher Jason Wei, certain tasks are particularly well-suited for AI. They share five key characteristics:
Objective truth — There’s a clear standard for what’s correct, with little room for disagreement.
Fast verification — You can quickly determine whether a solution is right or wrong.
Scalable verification — It’s easy to verify many outputs at once, enabling rapid learning.
Low noise — The verification process reliably reflects the true quality of the solution.
Continuous reward — Solutions can be ranked along a spectrum from poor to excellent, not just right or wrong.
If a task meets three or more of these criteria, it’s a strong candidate for AI automation — and likely to be transformed sooner than expected.
Case Studies: How OpenAI and Google Brain Apply Verifier’s Law
AlphaEvolve (Google Brain)
Challenge: “What’s the smallest hexagon that can fit 11 unit hexagons?” Insight: Solving this geometric optimization problem is difficult — but verifying a solution is instant. Result: AI explored solutions at scale, uncovering designs that human experts hadn’t imagined.
These breakthroughs didn’t just rely on AI’s intelligence — they were engineered around verifiability, accelerating progress in ways traditional approaches couldn’t.
What This Means for You
For Investors
Use Verifier’s Law as a lens for evaluating AI startups. Ask yourself:
Can the AI’s output be tested and measured quickly?
Are feedback loops built into the product design?
Does the task satisfy three or more of the five AI criteria?
Invest where verification is fast and iteration is cheap. That’s where AI compounds value quickly.
For Founders
Want to build a high-impact, defensible AI product? Focus on:
Tasks that are time-consuming or expensive to solve manually
But cheap and fast to verify
Don’t just solve problems — engineer them to be verifiable. That’s where you unlock scalable feedback and competitive advantage.
For Professionals
Concerned about being replaced by AI? You’re not alone. Here’s the hard truth:
AI will dominate tasks where solutions are easy to verify.
Resilient jobs will involve:
Ambiguity, complexity, or nuance in defining a “good” result
High-context decision-making
Human trust, ethics, or emotional intelligence
The more difficult it is to verify your work, the longer it will take for AI to replace it.
Ready to Apply Verifier’s Law?
We’re opening 2 spots for investors who want expert support evaluating their AI portfolios — and 3 spots for founders seeking feedback on whether their project has real market potential.
Depression doesn’t just affect one person—it casts a shadow over everyone who loves them. If you’re walking alongside someone in this struggle, here are three often-overlooked truths that may help guide the way.
1. “Just Cheer Up” Won’t Help Them—And It’s Not Your Fault
When my friend first learned of her daughter’s illness, she thought sunshine and the ocean might help lift her daughter’s spirits. She carefully planned a trip to Hawaii. But when they arrived, her daughter locked herself in the hotel room and didn’t come out all day. My friend sat alone on the rocks by the sea, tears mixing with the saltwater as she quietly sobbed.
Depression isn’t something that sunshine or sheer willpower can fix. Just as you wouldn’t tell someone with asthma to “just breathe,” you can’t expect someone with major depressive disorder to “just think happy thoughts.” Depression is a medical condition—a neurochemical imbalance—not simply a matter of mindset.
The first and most important step for family members isn’t to rush their loved one into “getting better,” but to first accept this simple truth: healing takes time—and professional help. If your efforts haven’t brought immediate results, it’s not because you haven’t done enough or haven’t tried hard enough.
2. You Don’t Need to Be a “Saviour” — Just Being There Is Enough
When I visited my friend’s home, I noticed a printed “Recovery Plan” taped to the fridge — an A4 sheet filled with tightly packed schedules and rules:
“7:30 AM — Must eat a breakfast rich in Omega-3s”
“3:00 PM — Minimum 30 minutes of sunlight”
“8:00 PM — Parent-child reading (no negative topics allowed)”
Pointing to the plan, she said, “I’m scared I’ll miss something. What if things get worse because I didn’t do enough?”
This reflects a common misconception among families: thinking they have to be the “rescuer,” carrying the burden of “fixing” their loved one.
But the truth is, being there for someone with depression is less about lighting the path and more about sitting with them in the dark.
You don’t need to carry a torch — just let them know they’re not alone. That’s enough.
As one doctor wisely put it: “A person with a broken leg needs crutches, but the crutches don’t blame themselves for not being the leg.” What you’re doing now is offering something to lean on, to take the pressure off the pain.
If they don’t want to talk, don’t force it.
If they repeat the same worries over and over, don’t rush to say, “Stop overthinking.”
If they eat one more bite than yesterday, or even just manage a small smile in your presence, that’s a flicker of light worth noticing.
Your presence alone is a quiet, powerful form of support!
3. Don’t Forget Yourself — Your Exhaustion Deserves To Be Seen Too
Another time, at the grocery store, my friend stood frozen, holding two yogurt: her favourite peach, and the sugar-free one her daughter preferred. She put back the peach. Then, she crouched down by the shelf and cried. “With my daughter like this, how could I possibly care about what I like? Even picking a yogurt feels selfish.”
Her words cut deep. Her phone’s album told the story: the last 100 photos, all of her daughter — medication schedules, meals, a profile staring out the window. It was as if she’d emptied her own life just to make room for her daughter’s every emotion.
But have you considered: if you’re withering inside, how can you truly water someone else?
Ten minutes a day to just zone out. One call a week to chat with friends. Even allowing yourself to cry behind a bathroom door. These small acts of “selfishness” are not betrayals. These are ways to sustain yourself, so you can keep standing beside your loved one for longer.
You deserve to be seen. You need care, too.
Final Words
Family members supporting someone with depression are like travellers on a road without streetlights. You have to gently help your loved one take each step, while also finding your own source of light. This path is incredibly difficult — there will be exhaustion, guilt, and moments when you feel like giving up. But please, always remember: you are not fighting alone.
The tears you wipe away in secret, the smiles you force when you feel broken, the late nights spent researching — these quiet acts of love carry both of you forward.
May everyone silently supporting someone in the darkness be gently embraced by this world.
If you know someone currently experiencing the shadows of depression, please share this message with them. And quietly, softly, whisper these words:
“Hold on a little longer — you’re not fighting this battle alone.”
In past articles, we’ve focused mainly on innovative treatments for mild depression. Today, we turn to a breakthrough in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) — a condition that affects millions worldwide. For the first time, patients with major depression can access a prescription digital therapeutic via their smartphone: Rejoyn.
What is Rejoyn?
Rejoyn is currently the only mobile app approved by the U.S. FDA as an adjunctive treatment for adults (22+) diagnosed with MDD who are already on antidepressants. Available by prescription only, Rejoyn offers a 6-week course that combines proprietary brain training exercises with medication to reduce depressive symptoms, with no significant side effects reported.
Unlike typical wellness apps, Rejoyn is classified as a medical device. It earned FDA approval in 2024 after successful Phase 3 clinical trials, with strong scientific evidence supporting its safety and efficacy.
How Does Rejoyn Work?
In many patients with depression, communication between the amygdala (emotion centre) and prefrontal cortex (thinking centre) becomes impaired, making emotional regulation increasingly difficult over time.
Rejoyn’s exercises are based on neuroplasticity, the brain’s natural ability to rewire itself. By simultaneously activating emotional and cognitive regions, Rejoyn strengthens these connections, helping the brain better manage emotional responses.
EFMT: The Emotional Faces Memory Task
One of Rejoyn’s key technologies is the Emotional Face Memory Task (EFMT), a scientifically validated exercise. Users are asked to recognize facial expressions (e.g., happy, sad, angry) and recall matching ones from earlier. This trains both working memory and emotional processing, gradually increasing in difficulty to challenge the brain to stay focused even in the face of emotional distraction.
In addition to EFMT, Rejoyn offers short skill-building lessons that teach users how to manage strong emotions, combat negative thinking, and take positive actions. Each lesson is around 5 minutes, and it is recommended to do it three times a week. Motivational reminders are sent to help users stay on track.
Importantly, Rejoyn is not a replacement for medication, but a complementary tool prescribed alongside existing antidepressant treatments. For patients seeking accessible, structured support in their daily lives, Rejoyn is a promising new option.
Advances in medical science have led to FDA-approved devices like Rejoyn, opening new pathways for treating depression. Still, even the most advanced technologies must be supported by compassionate, human-centred care to have a meaningful impact.
In our next issue, I want to speak directly to the families and loved ones standing by someone with depression. There are important truths you may not yet recognize, but understanding them can make all the difference in your journey together.
