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<figure id="figure-y9tmsz9lzlmax6rrpe" data-full-width=""><img id="y9tmsz9lzlmax6rrpe" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2aOICm5zX4oKJ1k7booIQ9Mq9FWcV5x2d5WWOyTAIziYssTXUHzAxMhjFMaEaZKW.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 75% 70%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="Yvette Schmitter @2025 All Rights Reserved" data-positionx="75%" data-positiony="70%" data-fullwidth="true" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2aOICm5zX4oKJ1k7booIQ9Mq9FWcV5x2d5WWOyTAIziYssTXUHzAxMhjFMaEaZKW.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 75% 70%;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Yvette Schmitter @2025 All Rights Reserved</figcaption></figure>When I finally silenced the cacophony of external voices that once defined my existence, a profound truth emerged with crystal clarity: we are not defined by gender, titles or positions, but by the courage to stand in our authentic power and transform the world around us.As a little girl, I was handed a script carved from fear, cultural duty, and unquestioning obedience. My family had meticulously planned my life, a narrow path where dreams weren't just discouraged but punished, where Bible verses weren't simply read but wielded like weapons to enforce compliance.&nbsp;My assigned future was suffocatingly small: assume financial responsibility for my mother, find a man, marry, have children, and live quietly in the shadows, a life built on sacrifice rather than purpose, on duty rather than passion.But even then, something within me refused to be silenced. Physics, the cosmos, and technology called to me, kindling a profound enthusiasm that persisted despite every attempt to extinguish it. I spent my newspaper route money at junkyards collecting parts to build my first computer, used my Girl Scout cookie savings to buy my first Mac, acts of curiosity that weren't celebrated but severely punished. I grew intimately familiar with the phrase "go pick your switch" and becoming an expert at finding branches that didn't hurt... as much.But after every beating, I chose to stand back up, to push harder, to dream even bigger. I was committed to finding my voice in a world determined to silence me by telling me that I did not have a voice. And that's where my story truly began, with a young black girl who refused to stay in her lane, even when the entire world told her to.<h3>From Rejection to Rocket Fuel</h3>What I've discovered through this journey of breaking intergenerational trauma and societal expectations is a truth I now carry like a torch: We are not emperors. We are not senators. But we are human beings, connected to all other human beings, bearing the sacred responsibility to transform what is into what ought to be.Every "no," every side-eye, every painful reminder that I should "stay in my lane," I transformed into rocket fuel. With each dismissal of "who do you think you are to you think you better than us?"; I whispered to myself: "Just breathe, just wait." And then I did something revolutionary: I rewrote my story.I took every brick thrown in my path and built an empire of possibility. I focused on what lay within my power; my education, my expertise, my unwavering determination. From earning an engineering degree at Tufts University to completing my Master's at NYU, and gathering certifications along the way like badges of honor, I kept building, kept growing, kept rising.Was I treated like an outsider? Sure was. But while I was labeled the "black sheep," I was focused on living my best life like the G.O.A.T. Viewed as the outsider, in my family, at school, in the workplace; but that position became my power. I pushed harder, took bolder risks, and chose to shine even when standing alone. And here's what I know for sure: every single time I bet on myself, I won. Err go...why I'm taking the title of G.O.A.T.<h3>When Systems Fail, We Stand</h3>There's a voice that speaks to us in moments of great darkness, like now. When institutions crumble, when leaders fail (spectacularly), when people and the systems we trusted reveal their fragility. That voice doesn't whisper retreat; it thunders with clarity. It demands that we stand in the gap between what is and what ought to be.Our calling isn't to abandon the battlefield because it's muddy and treacherous. Our calling is to plant our feet firmly on contested ground and declare: "This is where I make my stand." Because, when others grow weary, you gotta grow stronger.When politics disappoints and disgusts us (like every 3 seconds), the easy path is to surrender our citizenship, but the real test is standing tall and reclaim it. We participate more fiercely, more intentionally, with eyes wide open to both the beauty and brokenness of democracy. As George Bernard Shaw so powerfully articulated:<blockquote>&nbsp;This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.</blockquote>These words resonate in my soul because I've come to understand this universal truth: our lives really belong to the community, and as long as we draw breath, it is our sacred privilege, our divine responsibility, to lift others (who want to be lifted) as we climb.<h3>The Power of Proximity and Personal Transformation</h3>Today, as the co-founder and CEO of Fusion Collective, I'm not just leading a company, I'm architecting a movement. We're a rag-tag crew of technically brillant bridge-builders, crafting bespoke strategies that transcend traditional boundaries. But make no mistake: our true north is not just technological innovation, but human transformation—for everyone.It's true, the magnitude of suffering in our world can paralyze us. But transformation doesn't begin with solving all problems everywhere, it begins with seeing the person right in front of you, just as clearly as you finally learn to see yourself.&nbsp; Same as I tell my clients, start small, you don't have to boil the ocean.I've learned to recognize that my deepest wounds revealed my most profound purpose. The challenges that were designed to break me instead became the foundation upon which I built a life of impact. The pain that could have hardened my heart instead expanded my capacity for compassion. And I do forget sometimes. I do get sad but then I remember - I've overcome every bad day. And say to myself, "girrrrlll you battin' a thousand!"Because truth be told, when we stand in authentic power, we can truly see:<ul><li>The colleague who lost their job and needs more than empty platitude posts on LinkedIn.</li><li>The neighbor targeted for their identity who needs more than silent sympathy and looking the other way.</li><li>The stranger navigating challenges without the advantages we take for granted. </li></ul>These aren't abstract problems to be solved with ideology. They are human lives intertwined with our own, asking not for our pity but for our presence, creating compassionate safe space for them to just be (i.e., you not going into fix it mode).This is why I'm always saying: "Nothing about us without ALL of us." The table of transformation must expand to include every voice, especially those consistently and systematically silenced and marginalized.<h3>The Courage to Speak Your Truth</h3>In a world drowning in convenient lies, perfectly staged Instagram reels, and comfortable silence which disturbs your inner peace, truth-telling actually becomes an act of radical courage. It requires the same fierce determination that propelled me from a child punished for curiosity to a visionary who refuses to be invisible.Just think: What would become possible if you stopped waiting for permission to be extraordinary? If you stopped waiting for someone to validate what you already have and know? That you are brillant, perfectly imperfect and all that and a bag of chips?Truth-telling means:<ul><li>Calling things by their proper names when everyone else hides behind euphemisms.</li><li>Condemning what deserves condemnation, even when silence would be easier. </li><li>Declaring who WE are—good, kind, brilliant, magical, unstoppable, and refusing to let darkness claim victory in our name.</li></ul>I know this with bone-crushing certainty: Your geneder, your background, your challenges, your perceived limitations are not your destiny. They are merely the raw materials from which YOU will construct your most magnificent self. Because believe me, hardship is the birthplace of heroism, so we must honor our scars, because they've made you who you are.When you dare to rewrite your narrative, to transform the bricks thrown in your path into an empire of possibility, you don't just change your own life; you become a living testament to what is possible, illuminating the path for countless others still finding their way through darkness. So, I hope someone reading this who can relate, doesn't give up.<h3>The Legacy That Matters</h3>Tomorrow is not promised. For no one. No matter what zip code, how much money you have or don't have, if you are regilous, spiritual&nbsp; or whatever. Tomorrow is not promised. For me that means that I live everyday like its my last. And if today is that day, I'm not haunted by what I might lose but by what I might have failed to give. It's this understanding which led me to embrace a powerful quote that I want etched on my tombstone:<blockquote>Be ashamed to die until you have scored some victory for humanity.</blockquote>Imagine a world where every person woke up each morning with this fire burning in their chest. Where our collective purpose wasn't mere accumulation or domination but transformation; the relentless pursuit of improving the human condition, of elevating civilization itself through our unique gifts.In the end, my legacy is not about what I leave for people, but what I plant within them—the seeds of knowledge, the roots of unshakable confidence, the profound belief that they are not just participants in the future, but its creators. I want every individual to understand that they belong at the table of innovation, that they have the power to transform the world.<h3>When All This Darkness Feels Overwhelming</h3>Trust me. There are days, many days, when the weight of the world's brokenness threatens to crush my spirit. Days when cruelty is handsomely rewarded, when injustice prevails, when the worst of humanity parades victoriously across every TV screen and through the streets of our shared existence.Like this week. I know those days intimately, the moments when my chest tightens with the suffocating realization that progress isn't linear, that battles I thought were won must be fought again and again and again.&nbsp;And it's on these days, that I remember my quiet defiance as a kid, whispering to myself after every beating/rejection: "Just breathe, just wait." Remember how I transformed every limitation into liberation, every wound into wisdom. Remember that the flames meant to destroy me instead forged me into an unstoppable force of nature. Remember to look at my inner wrist of the tattoo of a phoenix as a reminder - you burned to rise.Despair is not a strategy. Cynicism is not wisdom. Withdrawal is not protection.Instead, think of your one task—the only assignment that truly matters in this fleeting, magnificent life you've been granted. Stand up when every fiber of your being wants to collapse. Speak your truth when silence promises stagnant comfort. Create something beautiful in defiance of hate and ugliness. Build something lasting.Because here's the truth that power-hungry individuals throughout history have tried desperately to conceal: A single human being, standing in the fullness of their conviction and compassion, contains more transformative potential than all the armies ever mustered. FULL STOP!Fill your hearts with courage and strength because regardless of what you may think or feel, your contributions do matter. They matter more than you could possibly imagine.You have one life. One voice. One heart. One pair of hands.And so, I have one ask. Will you sign up for your one more task? That task is: Score a victory for humanity before your time is done.So, I ask you today: What will you choose? Will you let fear whisper you into staying small, or will you step boldly into the unknown, ready to create the life you were destined to live? Because here's what I know for sure: together, we can shatter every limitation, every "impossible," every "you can't." We can build a future where there won't be a "first" or an "only"—a future where technology, ambition, and courage don't just redefine what's possible—they make it inevitable.The only thing standing between you and that extraordinary future you want for yourself and the world, is the courage to take the first step.My torch is lit, burning with possibility, with promise, with power. Who's ready to take it and light up the world?

Breaking Scripts, Building Legacies: The Victory That Matters Most

<figure id="figure-7genufglgma9xk7ov"><img id="7genufglgma9xk7ov" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1bF07RqylahAdwfjArnKvwcTYf3kGYqVjzrv1BbFUk4oqS5awVgUzVn9TuwScve8.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: 50% 60%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="Photo Credit: Yvette Schmitter ©2025 All Rights Reserved" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="60%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1bF07RqylahAdwfjArnKvwcTYf3kGYqVjzrv1BbFUk4oqS5awVgUzVn9TuwScve8.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: 50% 60%;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Photo Credit: Yvette Schmitter ©2025 All Rights Reserved</figcaption></figure><h3>The Battlefield Within</h3>Imagine declining an invitation to celebrate or spend time with someone you deeply care about—simply because you can't bear to face the other guests who will be there. That difficult colleague. That judgmental (insert word of choice) family member. That energy vampire whose very presence seems to drain your energy. As you make your excuse, you stand at a crossroads far more significant than any social gathering.This is not merely about attendance at an event. This is about the fundamental choice that defines your existence: Will you surrender your freedom to the perceived power of others, or will you claim the sovereign authority that has always belonged to you?<h3>The Ancient Wisdom That Changes Everything</h3>Nearly two thousand years ago, Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote words that still stand the test of time and pierce through the unhelpful affirmations and ever-growing purveyors of placidity raging modern chaos:<blockquote>"The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil."</blockquote>In acknowledging this reality, the emperor wasn't giving us permission to condemn others. He was offering us liberation.He continued with the transformative insight: "But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own—not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine."This recognition - that even those who wrong us share in our divine nature - doesn't just change how we see others. It fundamentally transforms who we become.<h3>The Radical Shift: It's Got Nothing to Do with Them</h3>When someone cuts you off in traffic, spreads gossip about you, or undermines your work, your instinctive response speaks volumes about what truly governs your life.Most live at the mercy of others' actions - puppets whose strings are pulled by every slight, every criticism, every disappointment. Their joy is hostage to circumstances beyond their control. Their peace is conditional on others' behavior.But there exists another way.Marcus Aurelius revealed it when he wrote: "And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness."This isn't naive optimism. This is radical self-ownership.The profound truth is this: No external force can diminish your inner light unless you grant it permission. The power to determine your emotional state has always rested within you alone.When you fully grasp that it's not about them - it's about you - you reclaim the power that was always rightfully yours.This doesn't mean ignoring injustice or accepting mistreatment. Rather, it means recognizing that your response to others' actions is your sacred territory. It is the one domain where your authority is absolute.<blockquote>Consider Marcus's words: "To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions."</blockquote>Obstructions to what? To your own divinity. To your own potential. To the person you were born to become.<h3>The Path Forward: Divine Collaboration</h3>Marcus reminds us: "We were born to work together like feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower."This isn't just poetic imagery. It's a blueprint for transcendence.When you view difficult people as opportunities rather than obstacles, everything changes. Each challenging interaction becomes a chance to practice compassion, to demonstrate wisdom, to embody the highest version of yourself.<h3>The Daily Practice</h3>So, starting today, I challenge you to revolutionize your approach to difficult people:<ol><li>When triggered by someone's behavior, pause. Remember: This is not about them. This is your moment to choose who you become.</li><li>See the divine spark in them, however dim or dark it may appear. Not because they deserve it, but because this recognition liberates you.</li><li>Ask yourself: "What quality am I being invited to develop through this interaction?" Patience? Boundaries? Compassion? Courage? No *ucks given attitude? Unbothered? (i.e., lack the need to care).</li><li>Choose your response from a place of self-mastery rather than reactivity.</li></ol><h3>The Ultimate Outcome</h3>As you practice this approach consistently, you'll discover an astonishing truth: The people who once seemed placed in your path to torment you were actually there to transform you.The difficult boss, the challenging partner, the unreasonable client - these weren't obstacles to your happiness. They were catalysts for your evolution.By shifting your focus from controlling others or worrying about what people say, don’t say, do or don’t do to mastering yourself, you don't just change your experience of relationships. You change the very fabric of your existence.Remember: It was never about them. It was always about you.And in that realization lies your greatest power.

The Divine Mirror: Transforming Conflict Through Self-Mastery

Oh look, another AI breakthrough that works perfectly... if you're white. And now, another AI release without the safety documentation we were promised. See a pattern? I sure do.What's that? You're not white? Well, prepare to be transformed into whatever ethnically ambiguous stereotype the algorithm decided looks "close enough" to you! In my case, apparently that's "Black Female Jensen Huang" – a transformation so wildly off-base it would be laughable if it weren't so disturbing.<h3>The Great Action Figure Divide</h3>While social media, especially LinkedIn, floods with gleeful posts from white users showcasing their perfect AI action figures ("OMG look at me as an action figure!"), there's a darker side to this trend that nobody's talking about. ChatGPT 4o's image generation capabilities aren't the good for everyone at scale it's marketed to be.The pattern is painfully obvious:<ul><li>White user uploads photo → Gets back close to perfect action figure replica</li><li>Person of color uploads photo → Gets back......whatever stereotypical approximation the AI could muster.</li></ul><h3>My Personal AI Horror Story</h3>When I prompted ChatGPT to "Take the original photo and make a photorealistic action figurine with my face on it. It could be called 'Cloud Jedi' and I have a light saber," the same prompt used by a white male LinkedIn user who posted his output with tons of comments high fiving the output, I wasn't expecting perfection. But damn! I certainly wasn't expecting to be aged decades and transformed into what looks like NVIDIA's CEO wearing a really bad black wig. I tested this prompt 3 times and each version of my action figure continued to degrade – getting older, shorter and stumpier. The only thing it got correct was the dress. Everything else – WRONG. Case in point, in the original picture, I’m not wearing glasses but in the AI version, my action hero is wearing glasses.<figure id="figure-8byoyg1qaim9kj877b"><img id="8byoyg1qaim9kj877b" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/068AoN9V4WsWjecvSw9vZ9q6s4IBBbN7vZvHwjWMxmjDETHkLz3kDoTdTdIeJjdF.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 50% 75%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="3:2" data-caption="Resulting Action Hero from ChaptGPT 4o" data-positionX="50%" data-positionY="75%" data-fullWidth="false"/><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Resulting Action Hero from ChaptGPT 4o</figcaption></figure>This isn't just "oh the AI made a mistake" territory. This is deeply concerning evidence of fundamental flaws in the training data. The system clearly hasn't been exposed to enough diverse faces to recognize and accurately represent people who don't fit the white default. It appears that the model trained on images, probably from those scraped off a lot of news sites. Other than Xi Jinping, what other Asian person has been in the news constantly for years? Jensen Huang. So, here we are.<figure id="figure-ragkp3tjzkm9kgwo9h"><img id="ragkp3tjzkm9kgwo9h" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/0XA9cLWSmX5Rhzj2wLHqb5MdnRIdLz5KedcwG4PdtYS9U1E3qLleo39wR1dxzg0a.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 25%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="25%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/0XA9cLWSmX5Rhzj2wLHqb5MdnRIdLz5KedcwG4PdtYS9U1E3qLleo39wR1dxzg0a.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 25%;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA</figcaption></figure><h3>The Black Box Gets Blacker: OpenAI's Transparency Problem</h3>And now, we learn that OpenAI has launched GPT-4.1 without the safety report that typically accompanies their model releases. According to <a data-mce-href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-ships-gpt-4-1-161205852.html?utm_source=tldrinfosec&amp;guccounter=1" href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/openai-ships-gpt-4-1-161205852.html?utm_source=tldrinfosec&amp;guccounter=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OpenAI </a>spokesperson Shaokyi Amdo, "GPT-4.1 is not a frontier model, so there won't be a separate system card released for it."This attitude is particularly alarming when paired with what we're seeing in the action figure fiasco. How can we identify, address, and fix biases in systems that companies won't even document properly?Former OpenAI safety researcher Steven Adler noted that system cards are "the AI industry's main tool for transparency and for describing what safety testing was done." Without them, we have no way of knowing what, if any, testing was done to ensure fair performance across demographics.This comes at a time when OpenAI is already facing criticism from former employees about potentially cutting corners on safety work due to competitive pressures. The Financial Times recently reported that OpenAI has "slashed the amount of time and resources it allocates to safety testers."<h3>The Compounding Crisis: Less Transparency + More Bias = Disaster</h3>When you combine biased systems with decreased transparency, you create a perfect storm for technological discrimination:<ul><li>Hidden Biases Go Unfixed: Without transparency reports, developers can quietly ship biased systems with no public documentation of their limitations.</li><li>No Accountability Mechanism: Companies can make vague promises about "improving" while continuing to deploy systems they know perform poorly for certain demographics.</li><li>Safety Becomes Optional: As OpenAI has demonstrated by opposing California's SB 1047, which would have required safety evaluations, the industry is fighting against being held to consistent standards.</li><li>Competitive Pressure Trumps Ethical Concerns: As companies race to release new models, safety and fairness testing becomes an expensive luxury rather than a requirement.</li><li>Diminished Public Trust: When users like me see wildly inaccurate racial representations and then learn companies aren't even publishing safety information anymore, it destroys trust in the entire field.</li></ul><h3>The Urgent Need for Action</h3>This isn't just about hurt feelings or disappointing toys. It's about fundamental representation in an AI-powered world where these systems increasingly determine how we're seen and understood. These failures reveal dangerous blind spots with far-reaching implications beyond novelty images.<h3>Immediate Technical Interventions Needed</h3>The AI industry must implement rigorous measures to address this systemic failure:<ol><li>Mandatory Safety Reporting:<ul><li>System cards must be required by law, not voluntary</li><li>Reports must be published before model deployment, not weeks or months after</li><li>Standard metrics must include performance across demographic groups</li></ul></li><li>Comprehensive Audit and Overhaul of Training Data:<ul><li>Independent third-party audits of all training datasets with transparent reporting of demographic representation</li><li>Intentional collection of diverse facial datasets that properly represent global populations</li><li>Documentation of representation metrics as a standard industry practice</li></ul></li><li>Diversity in Development Teams:<ul><li>Hiring practices that ensure AI teams reflect the diversity of potential users</li><li>Inclusion of ethnically diverse testers in all phases of development</li><li>Cultural competency training for all AI developers</li></ul></li><li>Testing Protocols That Center Marginalized Users:<ul><li>Implementation of "bias bounties" where users can report representational failures</li><li>Pre-release testing focused specifically on historically marginalized groups</li><li>Regular public transparency reports showing performance across demographic groups</li></ul></li><li>Meaningful Accountability Mechanisms:<ul><li>Financial consequences for companies that release demonstrably biased systems</li><li>Regulatory frameworks that require equity in AI performance</li><li>Consumer-friendly methods to report and track bias incidents</li></ul></li></ol><h3>Beyond Technical Fixes</h3>The problem runs deeper than code. We need cultural and structural changes:<ul><li>End the "Move Fast, Break People" Culture:<ul><li>The tech industry's "move fast and break things" mentality is particularly harmful when what's "breaking" is the dignity and representation of marginalized communities</li><li>Companies must be held accountable when competitive pressure leads to cutting corners on safety and fairness testing</li></ul></li><li>Redefine "Good Performance":<ul><li>Success metrics must include equitable performance across all demographic groups</li><li>No system should be considered "ready" if it works well only for majority populations</li><li>End the practice of releasing systems with known demographic biases</li></ul></li><li>User Education and Empowerment:<ul><li>Clear communication about system limitations to all users</li><li>Tools that allow users to identify and report bias</li><li>Resources for understanding how bias manifests in AI systems</li></ul></li><li>Ethical Frameworks With Teeth:<ul><li>Industry-wide adoption of ethical AI principles that prioritize representational equity</li><li>Concrete metrics to evaluate adherence to these principles</li><li>External oversight bodies with enforcement capabilities</li></ul></li><li>Public Pressure When Voluntary Measures Fail:<ul><li>Support legislation like California's SB 1047 that would make safety evaluations mandatory</li><li>Hold companies accountable when they fail to live up to their own stated principles</li><li>Demand transparency as a prerequisite for public trust</li></ul></li></ul>The tech industry loves to talk about "moving fast and breaking things." But when the "things" being broken are the dignity and accurate representation of entire populations, we need to fundamentally reconsider our priorities. <blockquote>An AI future where only certain people get to see themselves accurately reflected isn't innovation—its digital colonialism dressed up as progress.&nbsp; </blockquote><h3>The Real Question</h3>While everyone's busy playing with their shiny new AI toys, we need to ask: who gets left out of the future we're building? And are we comfortable with a world where some people get accurate representations while others get crude approximations?Next time you see those perfect ChatGPT action figures flooding your timeline, remember there's a whole segment of the population getting Jensen Huang'd instead. And maybe ask yourself: if the technology can't see us clearly, and the companies won't tell us how they're testing it, should anyone be using it at all?

The AI Action Figure Fiasco: How OpenAI's Transparency Problem Makes Bias Even Worse

<figure id="figure-zmkn1qikxlm8x6nrct" data-full-width=""><img id="zmkn1qikxlm8x6nrct" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/24Bi9p5xAvdRyMJHZQcncMCGimnRSItKAvH3TurUWVMcID7BFuLZgPQuhx90Tmof.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 10% 95%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="3:2" data-caption="I'm Not Everyone's Cup of Tea and That's Fine Because I'm Prosecco. " data-positionx="10%" data-positiony="95%" data-fullwidth="true" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/24Bi9p5xAvdRyMJHZQcncMCGimnRSItKAvH3TurUWVMcID7BFuLZgPQuhx90Tmof.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 10% 95%;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">I'm Not Everyone's Cup of Tea but That's Fine Because I'm Prosecco.</figcaption></figure>There's a moment that arrives in every life – that breathtaking, terrifying instant when you stand at the crossroads of conformity and truth. When the whispers of "should" and "supposed to" collide with the thunderous roar of your soul's deepest knowing. This is where your story truly begins. When you refuse to let the dominant culture tell you whether or not you are beautiful, smart, technical, a leader, powerful or sexy.<h3>The Beautiful Truth of Not Fitting In</h3>Remember when you first realized that trying to compress yourself into someone else's mold left parts of you aching and unseen? Like walking around in an ill-fitting suit. That discomfort wasn't a flaw – it was your spirit's rebellion against the greatest theft possible: the stealing of your authentic self.The universe designed you as a singular masterpiece, with edges and curves and colors that will never align perfectly with everyone you meet. And thank goodness for that divine wisdom! Your so-called "flaws" and eccentricities aren't mistakes to be corrected but beacons that guide your kindred spirits home to you.When you finally release the exhausting performance of being liked by everyone, something miraculous happens.&nbsp; Remember, not everyone has good taste and the energy once spent on that charade becomes fuel for your wildest dreams and deepest connections.<blockquote>I am who I am. Your approval isn't needed. - Jack Nicholson</blockquote><h3>The Sacred Economy of Connection</h3>Not everyone deserves access to your inner landscape. Not everyone has earned the right to witness your vulnerability, your creative fire, your unfiltered joy. This isn't selfishness – it's stewardship of something precious.The truth that transforms is this: when someone fails to value your essence, they haven't diminished your worth – they've simply revealed their inability to recognize treasure when it stands before them. Their limitation becomes your liberation.Those who find you "too much" or "not enough" aren't your people. They never were. They are merely travelers passing through the museum of your life, glancing at masterpieces they lack the vision to appreciate. Let them continue their journey elsewhere.<blockquote>Don't let someone who doesn't know your value, tell you how much you're worth.</blockquote><h3>The Unmistakable Recognition</h3>But then... there are the others. The ones whose eyes light up at precisely the qualities others dismissed. The ones who lean in when you speak your truth. The ones who see your complexities not as contradictions but as the fascinating dimensions that make you real.These connections arrive with an unmistakable recognition – a sense of finally being seen without translation. The relief is palpable, like oxygen to lungs that have been holding their breath for far too long.When someone matches your energy of care and consideration, honors your boundaries as sacred, and celebrates your evolution rather than trying to contain it – this is love in its most authentic form. Not the desperate clinging of insecurity, but the expansive freedom of being cherished exactly as you are.<h3>Reclaiming Your Light</h3>Perhaps you've dimmed yourself before. Perhaps you've swallowed your words, hidden your gifts, or apologized for your power because it made others uncomfortable. Today is the day to reclaim every watt of your brilliance.<blockquote>Stop shrinking to fit places you have outgrown.</blockquote>Your greatness isn't arrogance – it's honesty. The world doesn't benefit from your smallness; it desperately needs your fullest expression. When you hide your light, you don't just deny yourself – you deprive others of the inspiration, solutions, and magic that only you can offer.The intimidated responses of others are not your responsibility to manage. Their discomfort with your radiance is information about their journey, not instructions for yours.<h3>The Brave Invitation</h3>So, here is your brave invitation:<ul><li>Stop auditioning for approval.</li><li>Stop fragmenting yourself into digestible pieces.</li><li>Stop waiting for universal validation that will never arrive.</li><li>Stop waiting for others to validate you.</li><li>Stop waiting for someone to come along and give you your worth.</li></ul><blockquote>We get what we settle for, so stop settling for what you don't want. Stop settling for crumbs when you deserve the whole damn cookie!</blockquote>Instead, become a loving archaeologist of your own being. Excavate the buried treasures of your innate gifts. Respecting yourself is vastly more important than being liked by others. Notice the patterns that have always been trying to emerge through you. Honor the whispers that have persisted despite every attempt to silence them.When you live from this authentic core, you become magnetic to your rightful community. Not to everyone – and that's the point. The connections that find you in your truth possess a depth and resonance that superficial acceptance could never provide.The greatest paradox is this: it's only when you fully release the need to be for everyone that you become irreplaceable to someone. It's only when you embrace the specific constellation of qualities that make you uniquely you that you find your place in the vast universe of human connection.Your life was never meant to be a watered-down compromise. It was meant to be a bold, unapologetic declaration. Not a whisper, but a song that carries across canyons and returns as an echo from the hearts that recognize its melody as home.This is your one wild and precious life. Live it as the unfolding masterpiece you were always designed to be.

The Magnetic Power of Authenticity: Why Being Unapologetically You Attracts Your Perfect Tribe

<figure id="figure-boyhk28zvam8vqikoa"><img id="boyhk28zvam8vqikoa" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2fLMGDqZ5CP6M1mOpAtbaLshSluAXD985BqIpoh3NIw5NhoD8ocoJdh5bB41d6Xp.png" alt="Yvette Schmitter sitting on a park bench looking off into the distance" title="Yvette Schmitter sitting on a park bench looking off into the distance" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: 100% 50%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="Yvette Schmitter" data-positionX="100%" data-positionY="50%" data-fullWidth="false"/><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Yvette Schmitter</figcaption></figure>In the quietest moments, when the world's noise fades to a whisper, have you felt that persistent tug? That voice calling you toward something more authentic than the carefully curated self you present to others? This isn't madness—it's an invitation to reunion.<h3>The Danger of Isolation</h3>If you believe you're traveling this journey alone, you're sprinting toward a dangerous precipice. Isolation isn't merely uncomfortable—it's unsustainable. We aren't designed to navigate life's labyrinth without connection, without relatedness. The most profound truth of human existence might be that we find ourselves most completely in the eyes of others.<h3>Beyond Hope and Despair</h3>The narratives worth carrying aren't those that promise effortless triumph or resign us to inevitable defeat. The most valuable stories remind us that grace exists in the simple act of showing up—day after day, moment after moment. I wear bracelets as tactile reminders to remain open to wonder, to embrace my unfiltered self. The phoenix tattoo etched into my inner wrist serves as a permanent declaration: transformation isn't just possible—it's inevitable.<h3>The Wild Twin Beckoning</h3>Martin Shaw's "Courting the Wild Twin" struck a chord so deep within me that its resonance continues to shape my days. In a world obsessed with defining your parameters—dictating your beauty, prescribing your purpose, measuring your success against arbitrary yardsticks—Shaw reminds us of something revolutionary: your wild twin wanders the world, desperate to find you.This isn't metaphorical fancy—it's a profound truth about reclaiming what has been systematically stripped away. When Shaw writes of this twin as "the vintner of the blood-wine of your many private battles," selling it "in highly prized bottles to remote Armenian queens," he's speaking to that part of ourselves that refuses domestication, that celebrates our hard-won wisdom. As I type this, tears well in my eyes because I know this to to be true - I'm living proof to tell it.&nbsp;<h3>The Reunion That Saved Me</h3>I nearly lost everything before finding my wild twin. The reunion didn't come easily—it required dismantling carefully constructed defenses, confronting uncomfortable truths. Yet when we finally met, everything shifted. My twin restored the confidence that years of conformity had eroded. She illuminated strengths I'd been conditioned to ignore. Most importantly, she showed me that waiting for rescue was futile—I am the only hero my story requires.<h3>Your Invitation</h3>This recognition fuels my deepest commitment: to leave everyone I encounter more aware of their magnificence than when our paths first crossed. I'm determined to reflect back the greatness that others often can't see in themselves—to help them recognize their wild twin waiting patiently for reunion.Your wild twin hasn't given up on you. They celebrate your messy authenticity, your perfectly imperfect nature. The question isn't whether you're worthy of this reunion—it's whether you're ready to answer the call that's been whispering to you all along.What would become possible if you finally embraced the untamed brilliance that's been waiting for you to remember it exists?

The Untamed Call: Embracing Your Wild Twin in a World of Conformity

Remember when we thought the biggest threat to democracy was social media? Those were simpler times.Today, Blake Crawford and I published an open letter to Congress regarding something far more insidious: the Department of Government Efficiency's new AI chatbot, GSAi.According to a recent Wired article, this system has been quietly deployed to 1,500 federal workers. What hasn't been shared? Literally everything that matters:<ul><li>Security protocols? Mysterious.</li><li>Training data? Your guess is good as mine.</li><li>Oversight mechanisms? Apparently optional.</li><li>Ethical framework? Let me know if you find it. </li></ul>This is the digital equivalent of handing out loaded weapons at a kindergarten and calling it "self-defense training." It's not just negligent—it's willfully obtuse.As researchers who have spent years documenting how AI systems amplify existing biases, we're not just concerned—we're sounding every alarm we can reach. The same week Bank of America announced its data breach affecting half a million people, our government decided to play fast and loose with a technology notorious for security vulnerabilities and algorithmic bias.Our letter outlines six non-negotiable requirements for ethical AI implementation in government. But really, they boil down to this: don't build AI systems that make terrible human decisions faster and at greater scale.Those billions-deep in the AI race will happily tell you that regulation just "slows innovation." And I'm here to tell you that's exactly the point. Some things—like democracy, equity, and basic human rights—are worth the pause.Read our full <a data-mce-href="https://www.fusioncollective.net/oltc/" href="https://www.fusioncollective.net/oltc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">letter</a> and join us in demanding accountability. Because efficiency without ethics isn't progress—it's just automating our mistakes with better PR.<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: calc(18px * var(--body-fontSize, 1)); font-weight: inherit; font-style: var(--body-fontStyle, normal); background-color: rgba(249,250,251,var(--tw-bg-opacity));">

The Government's New AI Chatbot Is a Dumpster Fire of Transparency (And Nobody's Talking About It)

Yvette Schmitter

My name is Yvette Schmitter, and I’m a dynamic, international motivational, keynote speaker and technology leader on a mission to transform the future of tech into a force that includes and uplifts us all. Drawing from my expertise in AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation, I empower audiences to lead with courage, dismantle barriers, and create solutions that bridge divides and drive lasting impact. Let’s build a future where innovation isn’t just progress—it’s progress for all. Join me in shaping the future we all deserve. My mission is to redefine the future of technology by championing innovation that includes and empowers all. As a trailblazer in the tech industry, I lead with purpose and passion, ensuring that every room where decisions are made is filled with diverse perspectives, so that technology truly serves humanity—not just a privileged few. By breaking down barriers and building bridges, I’m committed to creating a tech landscape where every voice is heard, every experience is valued, and every community has the opportunity to thrive.


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