What happens when a major AI model gets shut down worldwide with ninety minutes' notice? This week on aiGED, we go a little deeper than usual — a two-part look at whether America is actually positioned to keep its lead in AI, starting with the regulatory whiplash of the past three years.

We trace the rules from Biden's 2023 executive order, through Trump's reversal and his administration's “move fast” approach, to this June's Claude Fable 5 shutdown and the voluntary framework that followed. Then we turn to power — literally, the electricity AI needs to run — and why China is racing ahead on clean energy while U.S. investment in science and energy research pulls back. Ginny lays out, in plain terms, what she thinks needs to happen on both fronts.

In AI in the News: a new AI-powered scam targeting air conditioner shoppers this summer, and a survey showing nurses are using AI more than ever but still don't trust it with patient care. In AI for Good, Meta is donating AI glasses to every blind veteran in America. Plus, Ginny's recommendations, tied to a conversation she heard this week between Ezra Klein and environmentalist Bill McKibben.

If you've ever wondered whether the government is actually keeping up with AI — or whether America's even trying to keep its lead — this episode is for you. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

SHOW LINKS

🔗 Air Conditioner Scams (Forbes, Steve Weisman, July 5, 2026): https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveweisman/2026/07/05/how-ai-is-fueling-a-new-wave-of-air-conditioner-scams/

🔗 Nurses and AI Survey (The Washington Post, Gerrit De Vynck, July 7, 2026): https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/07/07/most-nurses-say-ai-isnt-good-enough-trust-with-patient-care-survey/

🔗 Meta Donates AI Glasses to Blind Veterans (Deseret News, Emily Walker, July 7, 2026): https://www.deseret.com/business/2026/07/07/meta-donates-glasses-to-blind-american-veterans/

🔗 Executive Order 14409 (The White House, June 2, 2026): https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/06/promoting-advanced-artificial-intelligence-innovation-and-security/

🔗 Global Electricity Review 2026 (Ember, April 21, 2026): https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/global-electricity-review-2026/

🔗 “The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate” (The Ezra Klein Show, The New York Times, July 10, 2026): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-bill-mckibben.html

🔗 Here Comes the Sun by Bill McKibben: https://billmckibben.com/books/here-comes-the-sun/

🔗 Third Act (organizing people over 60 on climate): https://thirdact.org/

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to aiGED

02:53 AC Scam Alert

05:13 Nurses and AI Trust

06:47 AI Glasses for Veterans

08:10 Big Picture AI Race

09:35 Rules and Whiplash

16:38 Powering AI with Energy

22:22 What Needs to Change

24:46 Take Action and Resources

26:07 Wrap Up and Safety Tips

aiGED: AI for the 65+ crowd