Insider Today: Judging an AI career coach

October 28, 2023 • 5 min read

with Diamond Naga Siu

Happy weekend, buds. Sometimes, I think about how people who marry rich have found the ultimate cheat code. But TikTok star Dixie D’Amelio is being labeled out of touch for saying her “biggest goal professionally is probably to marry rich.”

In case it doesn’t work out, I tried using an AI assistant career coach — released as part of Meta’s new series of AI assistants — to see what advice it’d give. More on that in today’s big story.

What’s on deck

But first, is it even real?

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The big story

An AI career coach

Instead of AI taking away your job, what if it could help you find a new one?

That’s potentially the concept behind @levelupwithleo, an AI-powered career coach. He’s one of the dozens of new AI assistants that Facebook’s parent company Meta rolled out. 

Many of them resemble celebrities like Naomi Osaka and Snoop Dogg, but Leo isn’t based on anyone famous.

I messaged him on Instagram about different career advice and then broke down what I liked and didn’t like about “him.”

Let’s start with the negatives:

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And now for the pros:

I wouldn’t seriously take or follow career advice from @levelupwithleo. But, interacting with a themed AI assistant gave me a peek of how they could be utilized at the future.

3 things in

Travel

Nissan

1. Nissan is trying to make minivans cool again. The carmaker unveiled a flashy minivan concept that’s like a futuristic, rose-gold living room on wheels. The Hyper Tourer boasts swiveling seats, an LED screen on the floor, and mind-reading capabilities.

2. Photos show what it’s like to visit Alcatraz Island. The National Historic Landmark is famous for housing some of America’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone. During its 29-year operation as a prison, 34 prisoners attempted to escape, and five were never found. 

3. A celebrity stylist explains how to use colors while packing light for a trip. She suggested packing mostly neutrals and adding a few versatile pieces with a pop of color. Plus, she recommended considering location, environment, and personal style.

3 things in

Careers

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1. The biggest career mistakes to avoid, according to a former VP of HR at Microsoft. Some top mistakes — among both employees and leaders — include asking for a raise and threatening to quit the company.

2. Raising the stakes of return-to-office isn’t the way to go. Major companies like Amazon and Meta are heavily enforcing their RTO mandates — they’ve threatened to fire or lower performance ratings for not going into the office. But employers could do better by focusing on keeping employees engaged instead.

3. The shock and upset of working a 9-to-5. A recent college graduate said she has little time for her personal life while working a full-time job. Many people said they could relate, and some are calling for reform to the 40-hour workweek.

3 things in

Life

SOPA Images/Getty Images

1. Herds of wild javelinas keep ripping apart an Arizona golf course. The herbivorous beasts — also known as collared peccaries — have been on the prowl for food. And the assistant superintendent of the course has been documenting the weeks-long battle.

2. It’s getting spicy — ranking Trader Joe’s seasoning blends. The eight seasoning contenders were: everything but the elote, sriracha sprinkle, seasoning in a pickle, ranch, ketchup flavored sprinkle, Cuban style citrusy garlic, cheesy, and chile lime.

3. Walmart shoppers experience shame and embarrassment with self-checkout. The retail giant rolled out automated missed-scan detection technology to reduce theft. But customers say they’ve felt “treated like thieves” due to honest mistakes and technical glitches.

In other news

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The Insider Today Saturday team

Diamond Naga Siu, senior reporter, in San Diego. Dan DeFrancesco, senior editor, in New York City. Hallam Bullock, editor, in London. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York City.

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