In this episode, Ginny Deerin and her sidekick Bitsy take on one of the biggest upgrades to ChatGPT yet: it can finally look things up on the internet. For real. Ginny explains why this matters, how the new search feature works, and what it means for everyday tasks—like checking ferry schedules, getting updated Medicare information, finding the best price on a Kindle, or surprising a Georgia football fan.

This week’s AI in the News includes two stories from The New York Times: one on how AI is reshaping holiday shopping, and another on a Boston College professor who redesigned his classroom to work with AI—not against it. Bitsy jumps in to help explain “scaffolding of ideas” and keeps things moving in her usual bright and inquisitive way.

Ginny also tackles a listener question about “creating your own Bitsy” and shows why many people are overthinking voice mode entirely. (Spoiler: you already have a Bitsy.)

For Recommendations, Ginny introduces the concept of AI “SLOP”—low-quality, AI-generated junk that’s creeping into everything from recipes to Buckingham Palace Christmas markets. She also shares news about the upcoming “Optimism in AI” course she’ll be teaching at the Charleston Library Society as part of their Life-Long Learning Series.

Your homework this week: start noticing SLOP when you see it—and send in the funniest or scariest examples.

As always, Ginny ends with a reminder that AI can be incredibly helpful, but it still requires good judgment, a light touch, and a sense of humor. Perfect for the 65-plus crowd who want to use AI with confidence and curiosity.

Links:

Blundstone. https://www.blundstone.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorTNlJGQ__wlNsO4OjBQAZamIRf01kPInRG8ib0SfP6H7_Qyerb

AI in the News

“A.I. Can Do More of Your Shopping This Holiday Season” published November 25th in the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/technology/chatgpt-holiday-shopping.html

“I’m a Professor. A.I. Has Changed My Classroom, but Not for the Worse” published November 25th in the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/magazine/ai-higher-education-students-teachers.html

Recommendations

Hard Fork Podcast (SLOP piece begins at 39:00 minutes)

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbFXpD7Ozf0
• Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hard-fork/id1528594034?i=1000739844481

BBC story: “Tourists tricked by fake Royal Christmas market.” https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c4gjgwll6glo

Charleston Library Society – Ginny’s 4-week in-person class. https://charlestonlibrarysociety.org/event/life-long-learning-optimism-in-ai-four-week-course/

aiGED: AI for the 65+ crowd