Good morning! Here's what's worth knowing in the world of AI today.
In today's issue: a new, free government website that can help with Medicare questions, a handy way to get Google's AI to walk you through a confusing phone screen, and why you can no longer judge a scam email by its spelling.
Let's get started.
NEWS
There's a New, Free Government Website That Uses AI — Including to Help With Medicare
On September 29, the White House launched a new website called America.gov. It uses generative AI — computer programs that can understand a question typed or spoken in plain English and write back an answer — to help people find information and get things done with the federal government, instead of hunting through dozens of separate agency websites.
Right now, you can type or speak a question into the site's chat box — things like how to replace a Social Security card, register to vote, change your address, or compare Medicare plans — and it will answer and link you to the original government page the answer came from. It's free and doesn't require creating an account.
This is worth knowing about right now because Medicare's annual Open Enrollment period starts October 15 and runs through December 7 — the yearly window when you can switch Medicare plans for the coming year. The site can be a helpful starting point for basic questions, but like any AI chatbot, it can get things wrong, so always double-check anything important — especially a Medicare decision — against the official source it links to, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE directly.
Takeaway: America.gov (free, no login needed) can be a handy starting point for government questions, including basic Medicare ones — but before Open Enrollment ends December 7, confirm any plan details yourself on Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
— Axios
TRY THIS
Show Gemini What's on Your Phone Screen and Ask It for Help
If you've ever stared at a confusing screen on your phone — a form you're not sure how to fill out, a setting you can't find, an error message that makes no sense — Google's free Gemini app has a feature that lets you show it the problem instead of trying to describe it in words.
It's called screen sharing in Gemini Live. Once it's turned on, Gemini can see whatever's on your screen in real time and talk you through it step by step, the way a patient friend looking over your shoulder would.
To try it on an Android phone: open the Gemini app (or say “Hey Google”), then look for “Share screen with Live” or tap the screen-sharing icon on the Live screen, and follow the prompts. When you're done, open Gemini again and tap that same control, or swipe down from the top of your screen and tap “Stop sharing.”
Takeaway: Next time you're stuck on a confusing app or form, try Gemini's free screen-sharing feature — tap “Share screen with Live” in the Gemini app and just ask your question out loud.
STAYING SAFE
The Old Trick for Spotting a Scam Email Doesn't Work Anymore
For years, one of the most common pieces of advice for spotting a scam email or text was to look for bad spelling, clumsy grammar, or awkward wording. That advice is now out of date.
Scammers increasingly use AI chatbots to write their messages for them, which means the typos and odd phrasing that used to give a scam away are mostly gone. As Microsoft's Teresa Hutson put it in a recent AARP interview, “The old giveaways have changed.” A scam email today can look and read exactly like a real one from your bank, the IRS, or a company you actually do business with.
Since you can no longer trust how a message is written, the better approach is to focus on what it's asking you to do. Pause before acting on anything urgent. Be skeptical of any offer, prize, or deal that seems too good to be true. And if a message asks you to click a link, send money, or share personal information, verify it independently — by typing the company's website address in yourself or calling a phone number you already know is real — rather than using anything in the message itself.
Takeaway: Well-written doesn't mean real anymore — judge a suspicious email or text by what it's asking you to do, not how it's written, and always verify through a number or website you already trust.
Until tomorrow,
EZ AI