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Ben Affleck clears up ‘Gone Girl’ shower scene rumor after years of speculation
Ben Affleck put rumors to rest after years of speculation about a specific scene in one of his dozens of movie roles.
Affleck, 54, confirmed he showed all of his own skin in the 2014 psychological thriller "Gone Girl."
In the David Fincher film based on Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel, Affleck appeared completely in the nude for a shower scene.
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"I wore no prosthesis," he said during a sit-down with Variety.
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Affleck added, "I've only worn one in one film, 'Hollywoodland.' It was a nose."
The Oscar winner starred as writing teacher Nick Dunne, who becomes a prime suspect following the disappearance of his wife, Amy, played by Rosamund Pike.
Affleck previously discussed the director's vision while filming the scene, and admitted he was "assured" nothing would be shown to audiences.
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"David assured me — because trust is essential with directors and actors — 'Listen, if we tilt down, we’ll never go far enough to see anything,'" he said while accepting an award for the film at the 2014 Hollywood Film Awards.
He also joked, "I’d like to thank you for keeping the set cool ... If you’re gonna have one chance for America to see your junk, you want it to be cold."
While reflecting on the impact of the film more than a decade later, Affleck told Letterboxd, "I was willing to do anything for [Fincher], like, be naked."
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"Working with David was the great privilege of my life," he said. "He’s one of the absolute greatest filmmakers ever to live."
During an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2014, Affleck's ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, also made fun of the slip.
"What I have to say is, 'You’re welcome,'" she told the talk show host. "I just try to consider myself a charitable person and I wanted to give back. You give me so much, I wanted to give something back to all of you."
5 forgotten ice cream flavors from the ’70s that fans are begging to be brought back
While today's freezers are packed with ice cream flavors such as cookies and cream, salted caramel and mint chocolate chip, some old-time favorites seem to have melted away.
Flavors including Butter Brickle, rum raisin and maple walnut were once familiar options at ice cream counters and grocery stores, but many have become harder to find as tastes have changed.
The food site Tasting Table recently looked back at a variety of nostalgic flavors that defined childhoods for many Americans. Here are five that might bring back some sweet memories.
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Butter Brickle ice cream was inspired by a butterscotch-flavored candy created in Omaha, Nebraska, in the 1920s, according to Tasting Table. Featuring a butterscotch flavor with crunchy toffee pieces, the ice cream had become a national favorite by the 1970s but is harder to find today.
In a Facebook group dedicated to memories of the 1970s, the flavor came up repeatedly as fans reminisced about its signature bits of crunchy toffee.
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Rum raisin ice cream dates back to the 1930s but surged in popularity in the 1970s, when the rum-soaked raisins and vanilla ice cream combo became widely available in shops and grocery stores. The flavor even made it to the White House, where President Richard Nixon reportedly served it for dessert.
Though it can still be found today, rum raisin has become harder to spot in many parts of the country. "I miss it so much! It’s my favorite ice cream flavor," one Reddit user wrote in a subreddit dedicated to ice cream.
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Baskin-Robbins introduced its bright Pink Bubblegum ice cream in the 1970s, complete with small pieces of chewy bubblegum mixed into each scoop, Tasting Table reported. The unusual flavor became a childhood favorite for some and has occasionally been brought back by Baskin-Robbins for limited runs.
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"It was my favorite. I would eat the ice cream and save the bubblegum for later," one Reddit user recalled.
Before it became an ice cream flavor, heavenly hash referred to another nostalgic oddity: a fruit salad made with ingredients such as whipped cream, marshmallows, candied fruit and nuts. Sealtest introduced its Heavenly Hash ice cream in 1969, combining marshmallows, almonds and chocolate chips for a treat similar to the Rocky Road we know today.
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The flavor later disappeared along with Sealtest's ice cream line, but some fans still remember it fondly. "Now that was a great ice cream!" one Facebook user wrote.
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Maple ice cream has deep roots in the Northeast, appearing in some 19th-century cookbooks, and the addition of walnuts eventually made it a New England staple. Maple walnut, also known as maplenut, was much easier to find in the 1970s but has since faded from many ice cream aisles and shops.
"My grandmother loved the Maple Walnut flavor. I don't think I've seen it since I was a kid," one Reddit user recalled.
'Happy Days' star Anson Williams says he had to create a second career because sitcom pay wasn't enough
When playing Potsie Weber on "Happy Days" didn't pay well enough, actor Anson Williams came up with a side hustle: a music career.
In a recent interview on the "Still Here Hollywood Podcast," the 77-year-old actor revealed the singing sideline was simply a matter of 1970s economics.
"On 'Happy Days' we didn't have the same salaries they have today. Not even close," he said. "Nine hundred dollars an episode, $1,200 an episode. It was fine back then, but...it's not a lifetime of earnings there."
Williams said that after speaking to "Partridge Family" star David Cassidy and Barry Williams, of "The Brady Bunch," about how much money they were making by taking their singing acts off the show, he thought to himself, "Wait a minute. I sing. If I can convince Garry to put a band on the show, maybe I can get booked, and maybe I can get some extra income."
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After speaking with the show's creator, Garry Marshall, about the possibility of putting together a band to perform at Arnold's, the burger joint where Fonzie held court, the legendary director gave him a chance. Marshall told him he would have to pick a song and sing it to a bulldog, telling him, "If you're good, I get laughs. If you're bad, I get laughs. You're going to sing the bulldog."
"So I do it and then the letters start coming in, and he goes 'The people like it. The people like it.' He goes, 'We'll do more. You're in charge of it though,'" Williams recalled. "Then I got a major agent for that and started getting booked at state fairs for 10 years."
Williams added that his idea to sing on the show "started this whole career" that ended up being better for him monetarily, and was "just a whole other life experience."
After finding success as a musician as well as an actor, Williams said that Marshall approached him to express how proud he was of the actor, telling him, "You found an opportunity, and you're helping the show."
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During an interview with Fox News Digital in March 2024, Williams revealed that while the show started as a hit with audiences, landing in the top 15 or 20, it slid down to 48th place at one point and was "on the verge of getting canceled."
"And Garry Marshall and Jerry Paris, our director, thought, ‘What if we changed the whole tone? What if we make it a live audience sitcom?’" Williams recalled. "So, half the season, one camera. The next season, one camera. The next season — two and a half in — they switch it to live audience. And the chemistry of the cast, the writing, was magic. That's the year we went to No. 1 in the world. That's when we exploded."
When the show became a huge success, Williams recalled Marshall advising him and his young co-stars to use their platforms for good, telling them to take the spotlight they found themselves in and "shine it on people that deserve it."
Following his time on "Happy Days," Williams pivoted to working more as a writer and director. He directed episodes of "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "Lizzie McGuire," "Charmed," "The Secret Life of an American Teenager" and more.
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Through all his successes, Williams never forgot the advice Marshall gave to him during his time on "Happy Days."
"Ron Howard and I did a film called ‘Skyward,’ starring the first paraplegic ever in the history of television," he said. "We did films like ‘No Greater Gift,’ which doubled organ donorship cards. Henry did so many social issue movies of the week and after-school school specials, and charities."
"We really, to this day, try to shine the light to make things better," he added.
Hot mic catches ESPN announcer comparing North Carolina QB to a lousy hotel breakfast
An ESPN play-by-play announcer was caught on a hot mic making one of the greatest comparisons in broadcast history to describe UNC quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.
The Tar Heels came into the weekend at 2-2 after getting off to a solid 2-0 start and had a tough test against undefeated Pitt.
A big piece of the puzzle for them was going to be Edwards' play under center, which has been up and down this season.
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While the game ultimately went UNC and Edwards' way with a big 21-17 upset win, the QB's play didn't seem to be wowing announcer Tom Hart at one point.
Without realizing his mic was hot, Hart could be heard making a very funny comment to analyst Roddy Jones.
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"Our hotel breakfast was the Billy Edwards Jr. of hotel breakfasts," Hart said.
Now, some people are going to think that's harsh, but those people haven't had the start of their day soured by a lackluster showing from a complimentary hotel breakfast buffet.
I mean, you're not expecting a brunch at the Four Seasons, but some of those perfectly folded pre-made omelettes, some biscuits, and a waffle iron in decent working order are all you want.
That's not a big ask. Diners across the nation execute this every day.
And yet, that low bar isn't even achieved on a shockingly frequent basis.
You end up rolling out of bed and heading down to the lobby only to be greeted with a sad stack of off-brand granola bars and a bagel that you're 90% sure you saw hanging out in the breakfast area the day before.
So yes, I can understand the urge to flame a college football player after experiencing a letdown like that.
I know I would... although I would double-check that the mic wasn't hot.
Tulsa's David Wells Jr. tips ball to himself for improbable touchdown in wild play against Navy
Saturday's college football slate is headlined by two SEC matchups that are some of the best rivalries in the sport - but that doesn't mean there aren't eyebrow-raising plays elsewhere.
Tulsa visited Navy on Saturday, and the Golden Hurricane scored a touchdown that nobody could have drawn up.
With just under two minutes to play in the first quarter, the game was tied at seven when Tulsa was at the opposing 10-yard line.
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Quarterback Baylor Hayes tossed a backwards pass to wide receiver Oran Singleton Jr., who was stuffed roughly seven yards behind the line of scrimmage.
However, he managed to escape a tackle and throw a floating prayer into coverage. But one of his fellow pass-catchers made an improbable rescue.
David Wells Jr. (not related to the former pitcher) tipped the ball backward to himself outside of the end zone, caught it, and then scampered back in for the score.
That wasn't the only action Singleton got - he would catch a touchdown of his own later on to give Tulsa a 26-14 lead early in the second half.
It has not been a pleasant season for the Midshipmen, who were nationally ranked and won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy by defeating both Air Force and Army last year. Navy also won the Liberty Bowl to complete an 11-2 season.
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But entering Saturday, they already had more losses than they did all of last season.
Meanwhile, Tulsa has begun the season 3-2 after a disappointing 4-8 campaign last year.
ESPN College Gameday 'no religious signs' rule draws backlash during Alabama vs Georgia broadcast
Alabama vs Georgia is the biggest game Saturday. Before the hurricane became a factor, President Trump was planning on making an appearance. The weather also caused ESPN's "College Gameday" to record their show indoors at Coleman Coliseum on the campus of Alabama. That made for a far less raucous and smaller crowd. One thing that caught football fans eyes online was a photo shared by Daily Wire reporter Brecca Stoll, which showcased a disclaimer about what signs were allowed in "The Pit" during filming.
The disclaimer on the video board over center court said below "Pit Rules":
The "No Religious Signs" rules is what caught the eyes of hundreds of thousands online.
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If you've watched "College Gameday" this season, or throughout your life, you'd know that there have been countless Christian signs on display almost every episode of Gameday. They are usually some of the biggest signs on the broadcast.
One X user said, "I see a spiritual battle here. The rule applies to every religion, so I’m not going to pretend Christians alone were singled out. But I also reject the idea that faith should be pushed out of public life and kept invisible."
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Another said, "Terrible look for @CollegeGameDay in Tuscaloosa. A rapid explanation is in order lest everyone’s assumptions about @Disney take root."
An ESPN spokesperson said that the rule of "No Religious Signs" has been in place for a while.
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The network reportedly doesn't enforce these rules outside "The Pit," which may be the reason the signs featuring Bible verses, and other Christian phrases, are not prohibited, but after looking over past broadcasts, it sure seems like those signs have indeed been allowed in "The Pit."
For example, while at LSU, a large "Seek Jesus" sign, as well a "Find Hope in Jesus" sign can be seen in the background in the crowd alongside other signs.
A "Seek Jesus" sign can be seen during the broadcast of College Gameday while at the University of Tennessee.
I wouldn't go as far as calling this religious persecution, but it does seem like a blatant lack of consistency in enforcement, because there are also plenty of fans that share their Venmo usernames for "beer money," and more signs allowed by ESPN that are against the "Pit Rules."
Veteran walked across four continents and just swam the English Channel to return home
A British Army veteran has returned to his home country after a 28-year journey across four continents — but his trek isn't quite over.
Karl Bushby, a 57-year-old former paratrooper, reached England this week after swimming across the English Channel from France, marking the latest milestone in an around-the-world expedition that he embarked on in 1998.
Now, he has roughly 250 miles left to walk before reuniting with his mother, whom he hasn't seen in 11 years.
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Bushby spent about 20 hours swimming in the English Channel over three days before reaching Shakespeare Beach near Dover on Oct. 5, according to the BBC.
"Getting in the water that first day, I thought, 'Have I taken too much of a bite here?'" Bushby told the outlet. "But you dig deep. Keep on keeping on. You find a rhythm."
Bushby hadn't even trained for the last leg of the trip and after about an hour in the water, he was cramping and doubting whether he could finish, he told the BBC.
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But the Channel crossing was just the latest obstacle in an expedition spanning more than 30,000 miles and 29 countries.
Bushby set out from Chile on Nov. 1, 1998, and set two rules for himself: He would not use transportation including planes, trains, boats or cars to advance his expedition route and he would not return home to Hull until he had finished it.
His route took him the length of South America, through North America and across the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia.
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Along the way, he trekked through the Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia and, in 2006, crossed the frozen Bering Strait on foot and over ice with Dimitri Kieffer, a French-American adventurer.
More recently, Bushby swam about 184 miles across the Caspian Sea before continuing west toward Europe.
His expedition faced delays related to visa restrictions, the loss of sponsors during the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 lockdowns and geopolitical turmoil, according to reports.
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Bushby began his expedition with just $500 and no sponsors, relying over the years on book sales, speaking engagements, donations and corporate sponsorships to keep going. A documentary production company also provided support for the past 16 years, according to reports.
When Bushby finally reached France, he was hoping to cross into England on foot through the Channel Tunnel's service tunnel, which connects both countries, but his request was rejected over safety and maintenance concerns, according to the BBC, leaving him to swim the English Channel instead.
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Bushby said floating on his back at night and looking at the stars offered a distraction from the physical pain he was in during the swim.
"You're far away from light pollution and have the whole night sky in front of you," he said. "It gave me something to think about and took my mind off the pain and aches. It was amazing."
The last leg of the journey will bring him to his mother, who he hasn't seen since 2015, in the port city of Hull, The Times of London reported. He is expected to arrive in early November.
"I walked away from that place 28 years ago and that is where we are going to wrap it up," he told the outlet. "That’s about 400 kilometers from here, so I’ve got to get busy."
Bill Belichick earns first win against ranked opponent as UNC upsets No 25 Pitt on road
Bill Belichick earned the biggest win of his college coaching career Saturday.
North Carolina defeated No. 25 Pitt 21-17 on the road Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, marking Belichick's first win over a ranked opponent as UNC's head coach. It was UNC's first win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 25 Miami in 2023 and its first road win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 9 Miami in 2020.
"Gutsy performance. Kept battling against a good football team," Belichick said during ESPN's postgame broadcast. "We just kept hanging in there. We made a couple big plays, and they made a couple too. They’re a good football team."
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Belichick's squad fell behind 10-0 before beginning its comeback in the second quarter, when quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. connected with tight end Jelani Thurman on a 7-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-7.
Late in the third quarter, UNC took its first lead of the game on Demon June's 1-yard touchdown run, taking a 14-10 lead. On the ensuing drive, Pitt marched down the field, as running back La'Vell Wright capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 2 1/2 minutes with a 1-yard touchdown run, putting Pitt back ahead 17-14.
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Edwards responded even faster than Pitt, finding tight end Shamar Easter for a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing possession to give UNC a 21-17 lead that held for the remainder of the game.
With the win, North Carolina improved to 3-2 and moved within one victory of matching its win total from last season, when the Tar Heels finished 4-8. UNC will look to win its second straight game against archrival Duke next week.
Pitt, on the other hand, fell to 5-1 and will face Boston College next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
8 seriously annoying tasks you can hand off to an AI agent
I have a growing list of things I would gladly never do again. Checking the same airfare every morning is on it. Digging through an overflowing inbox is right up there too. And I would be perfectly happy never having to remember when some free trial is about to start charging me. This is where AI agents are starting to get genuinely useful.
A regular chatbot waits for you to ask a question. An AI agent can potentially keep working on something after that first conversation. It might monitor a price, watch for an opening or keep tabs on a task you would otherwise have to remember yourself. OpenAI, Meta and Google are all pushing further into this kind of AI. OpenAI now has Dots and ChatGPT Work, while Meta has Muse and Google has Gemini Spark.
That all sounds very impressive. But I am less interested in having an AI run my life than I am in having it take a few irritating chores off my hands. So if you are wondering what you would actually do with one of these agents, start here.
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AI AGENT HACKS GYM SYSTEM TO MOVE UP WAITLIST
ChatGPT Work is only one way to try an AI agent. OpenAI also offers Dots, which are more persistent. A Dot has its own cloud computer, can remember ongoing work and can keep making progress between conversations. Dots are currently rolling out to eligible ChatGPT Pro, Business Premium and Enterprise users. OpenAI says Dot usage will temporarily not count against eligible users' plan allowances during the introductory period, with longer-term usage terms still to come.
ChatGPT Work is built into ChatGPT and focuses on longer, multi-step tasks. On web and mobile, OpenAI says Work is available on eligible paid plans, including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu, although access is still rolling out. Work can research, use connected apps and files, create finished materials and run scheduled or recurring tasks.
There are alternatives too. Meta Muse offers a free tier with usage limits, with a paid subscription available if you need more. Gemini Spark is Google's personal AI agent and is available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in supported regions. It can manage ongoing tasks, use connected Google services and run scheduled workflows.
You do not need the most powerful or expensive agent to try the ideas in this article. Start with whichever service you already use, give it a low-risk task and see whether having AI continue the job actually saves you time.
If you have never used an AI agent, the first step is simply knowing where to find one. We will use ChatGPT Work as an example. OpenAI is rolling the feature out to eligible accounts, so what you see can vary depending on your plan and device. Before you get started, I recommend checking a few privacy settings so you have more control over what ChatGPT does with your information.
You can stop new ChatGPT conversations from being used to train OpenAI's models. Here's how:
Your conversations can still appear in your chat history, but new chats will not be used to train OpenAI's models.
You can also use Temporary Chat for conversations you do not want saved in your history or used for model training. OpenAI may still retain these chats for up to 30 days for safety purposes. Finally, review your connected apps under Settings > Plugins. Remove any connections you no longer need. Keep in mind that turning off model training does not prevent ChatGPT from processing information you provide to complete a task.
Once you've reviewed those settings, you're ready to give an AI agent its first task. Here's how to get started:
You do not need to start by connecting your entire digital life. In fact, I would not. Try a simple task first, such as researching several products within a budget or comparing options for an upcoming trip. That lets you see how the agent works before you give it access to email, calendars or other personal information. Once you are comfortable with the basics, the eight ideas below show where an AI agent can start saving you some real time.
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I do not need another app demanding my attention first thing in the morning. What I would like is something that looks at the information I already have and tells me what I need to know. An AI agent with access to your calendar and other approved information could review what is coming up, flag a meeting you need to prepare for and surface something time-sensitive you might have missed. The key is asking for a briefing instead of another information dump.
Prompt to try:
"Review my calendar and relevant messages for today. Tell me what I need to prepare for, flag anything time-sensitive and point out any scheduling conflicts. Do not send messages or change my calendar without asking me first."
That last sentence would absolutely stay in my prompt. I want AI to tell me that my afternoon looks impossible. I do not want it quietly deciding which meeting gets moved.
You find a flight. It costs too much. So you check again tomorrow. Then you check again the next day. I have done this with airfare, hotels and products I was not in a hurry to buy. It gets old fast. This is almost a perfect AI agent task because there is very little value in you personally opening the same page 12 times. Give the agent the item and the price you are hoping to hit. Then let it tell you when something changes.
Prompt to try:
"Track the price of [item, flight or hotel]. Let me know if the total price drops below $___ or if you find a comparable option that costs less. Show me the details before taking any action."
You can even use this after a purchase. If the retailer offers price adjustments or you are still inside the return window, have the agent keep watching. I like this type of task because the AI does the watching while I keep control of the wallet.
There are days when opening my inbox feels like volunteering for another job. Some emails need an answer. Others are simply FYIs. Then you have the message you meant to answer two days ago sitting underneath six newsletters and a shipping notification. An AI agent connected to your inbox can help with that first pass. It can summarize what arrived, identify the messages that appear to need attention and prepare a reply for you to review.
Prompt to try:
"Review my unread email from the last 24 hours. Show me what needs my attention today and summarize the rest. Draft responses where appropriate. Do not send, delete or archive anything without my approval."
I would absolutely keep that approval requirement in place. Let AI write the first draft. Let AI tell you what looks urgent. But before something goes out under my name, I want to see it. That goes double if the recipient is my boss, my doctor or anybody who might interpret an AI hallucination as something I actually meant to say.
Life is full of deadlines that are incredibly easy to miss because they do not feel urgent until suddenly they are. A subscription renews Friday. A rebate expires next week. Your insurance paperwork is due. Somewhere in your inbox there is a form you completely forgot existed. That is the kind of mental clutter I would love to hand off. An agent could keep track of deadlines you give it and remind you before something needs your attention.
Prompt to try:
"Keep track of the deadlines, renewals and appointments I give you. Tell me what is coming up this week and alert me early when I need to do something. Never renew, cancel or submit anything without my approval."
I would keep the agent in reminder mode when money is involved. Tell me the bill is due. Tell me the trial expires tomorrow. Then get out of the way and let me decide what happens next.
I don't know about you, but deciding what to make for dinner every night gets old fast. You open the refrigerator, stare at what's inside and somehow still can't think of anything to eat. Why not hand that job to AI? Tell an AI agent what foods you like, what ingredients you already have and how much time you want to spend cooking. It can put together a weekly dinner plan, suggest simple recipes and even help you use up food before it goes bad.
Prompt to try:
"Every Sunday, prepare a dinner plan for the coming week with five easy meals. Use my food preferences and any ingredients I've told you I have. Keep each meal under 30 minutes. Include simple recipes and a grocery list of anything else I'll need. Don't order groceries without my approval."
You can schedule this as a weekly task so the agent prepares fresh dinner ideas without you having to ask each time. Just update it with what's in your refrigerator and pantry before it creates the next plan. That means fewer nights staring into the refrigerator wondering what to cook.
Every home seems to have a list that nobody actually wrote down. The air filter needs replacing. The dog is running out of food. There is something in the garage you promised to fix about four months ago. Then, at exactly the wrong moment, somebody remembers it. An AI agent could become the place where all those loose ends go. Every time something pops into your head, give it to the agent and let the agent keep track of what is coming due.
Prompt to try:
"Keep a household task list based on the things I give you. Remind me when something needs attention and help me keep track of what is still unfinished. Ask me before adding anything to my calendar, ordering something or contacting anyone."
This is one of those uses that sounds almost too simple for AI. That may be exactly why I like it. If it remembers that I need a new refrigerator filter before the old one stops working, we are making progress.
This one drives me crazy. You send an email. You request a refund. You call somebody about a bill. They tell you they will get back to you. Then life happens. Two weeks later, you suddenly think, "Wait, did anybody ever answer me?" An AI agent could keep track of those loose ends for you. Tell it what you are waiting on and when you expect a response. If nothing arrives, have it remind you. Better yet, let it prepare the follow-up so you do not have to stare at a blank email trying to remember what happened in the first place.
Prompt to try:
"Keep track of the requests I am waiting on. If I have not received a response by the deadline I give you, remind me and draft a polite follow-up. Do not send it without my approval."
That could work for a contractor estimate, a disputed charge or a return you are still waiting to hear about. I like this because the agent becomes responsible for remembering that the conversation never actually ended.
Sometimes the issue is not the price. It is getting your hands on the thing at all. Maybe the restaurant you want is booked Saturday night. Your doctor has no opening for three weeks. The product you want keeps selling out. You could keep checking. Or you could make the AI check.
Prompt to try:
"Check [restaurant, appointment, event or product] for availability. Let me know when an opening appears that meets these conditions: ___. Do not book, buy or confirm anything without asking me first."
This will depend on the AI agent you are using and whether the website allows that kind of automated access. But the idea is exactly where agents become useful. I do not want to ask AI whether the table is available right now. I want it to tell me Friday afternoon when somebody cancels and suddenly it is.
Here is the part I would pay close attention to. An AI agent becomes more useful as you give it more access. That can include your email, calendar and other accounts. More access also means there is more that can go wrong. So I would make the agent earn those permissions.
Start by letting it read something. See what it does with the information. If that goes well, maybe allow it to organize information or prepare drafts. Only then would I consider letting it perform a limited action, and even then I would keep approval turned on whenever something important could happen.
Think about email. Let the agent summarize messages first. Then maybe let it draft replies. Sending those replies is another level entirely.
The same thinking applies to shopping and your calendar. OpenAI says Dots can follow rules that determine which actions they can perform on their own and when they need your input. Meta says Muse asks for approval before certain critical actions, including purchases and sending emails. I would use those controls.
And I would never paste passwords, PINs or two-factor authentication codes into a chat window because an AI agent asks for them. If the service offers a secure way to connect an account, use that instead. Give AI what it needs to complete the task. Do not automatically give it everything it asks for.
Here is an easy way to figure that out. Ask yourself whether the job ends when AI answers you. If you ask ChatGPT to help plan dinner tonight, you probably do not need an agent.
But suppose you say, "Keep watching the price of this flight and tell me when it drops below $300." Now the useful part of the job happens after you leave.
The same goes for appointments. Asking what appointments you have tomorrow can be a normal AI request. Asking AI to alert you when an earlier doctor's appointment becomes available requires something that keeps checking.
Agents make the most sense when the task has an unfinished part. That is where I see the real appeal.
There are some areas where convenience would not persuade me to give up control. I would not give an AI agent unrestricted access to move money or make major purchases. I also would not let one make medical decisions for me or handle a legal decision without a human involved.
Be careful with connected accounts too. If you connect an agent to your inbox or cloud storage for a particular task, check what it can see. Once you no longer need that connection, consider removing it. AI agents may get much better at taking action on our behalf. That does not mean every action should be theirs to take.
IDENTITY RESTORATION: WHAT TO DO AFTER IDENTITY THEFT
I think AI agents get a lot more appealing when you forget the hype for a minute and ask one simple question: What am I tired of doing myself? For some people, that could be checking a price every morning. Others may want help remembering follow-ups or keeping track of household chores that always seem to surface at the worst possible time. Those are the kinds of tasks I would hand over first.
I become much more cautious when AI moves from watching and reminding to actually doing something in my name. I am happy to let an agent tell me that a restaurant table opened up. Before it books dinner for me, though, I want to know exactly what it is about to do. That is where I see the sweet spot with AI agents. Let them handle the annoying part while you stay in charge of anything that could cost you money, expose your information or create a mess you have to clean up later.
What is the one annoying task you would happily hand over to an AI agent tomorrow, and what is one thing you would never trust it to do for you? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Minnesota Vikings bring Odell Beckham Jr. up from practice squad for game against Saints
While his return to New York didn't exactly pan out, Odell Beckham Jr. is already getting a chance to show what he can do in the NFL after signing with the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad.
Or, at least he can show what he can do standing on the sideline with pads on.
It's been reported that the team is elevating the veteran wide receiver from the practice squad ahead of this week's game against the New Orleans Saints.
ODELL BECKHAM JR LAMENTS HIS SHORT-LIVED RETURN TO THE NEW YORK GIANTS: 'I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER'
That doesn't mean Beckham will see any game action, but it gives the Vikings options if they're without top wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, both listed as questionable.
The 11-year NFL veteran out of LSU hasn't logged a single reception this season and was only targeted once in three games with the Giants.
But, hey, the warm-up highlights were electrifying!
Jefferson is dealing with an ankle issue, while Addison has a hamstring injury.
According to ESPN, head coach Kevin O'Connell indicated that Jefferson — who has been out of action since late September — is headed in the right direction.
"He progressed throughout the week," he said. "So much of it is just how he feels after getting some work today. And we still have quite a bit of time between the rest of the day, tomorrow, and obviously into game day to make that determination based upon what's best for our football team and Justin."
If Beckham is called upon, it's a prime opportunity to show that he can still contribute offensively on a front-running team like the 4-0 Vikings.