Friday, January 9, 2026

Spring 2026 English Accent and Pronunciation Improvement Course (EAPIC)!

The EAPIC is a10-week online course for non-native adult English speakers who want to improve their accent and pronunciation, especially those who are disciplined and prefer independent study. It is a very active "haptic" course, using lots of movement, gesture and touch! It has been offered three times a year since 2015. 

View short introductory video!

Beginning February 9, 2026

  • Much better accent or pronunciation
  • Much better expressiveness in speaking
  • More confidence in speaking
  • Training for continuing to improve
  • Works for anybody with a CLB or IELTS o5 and up

10 weeks, online
(Free) 20-minute training video uploaded every Thursday
15-30 minutes of homework recommended every day!
(Optional) live individualized homework follow up meeting Wednesdays 8-9 p.m. EST ($225 USD). Zoom interview required to sign up. 

Weekly syllabus:

1. Basic rhythm 1(pronunciation grammar) 
2. Fluency 1 (basic rhythm)
3. Consonants 1 (common problems)
4. Vowels 1 (short)
5. Vowels 2 (long)
6. Consonants 2 (students’ “favorites”)
7. Melody 1 (little pieces of speaking)
8. Melody 2 (longer pieces of speaking)
9. Fluency 2 (conversation rhythm)
10. Rhythm 2 (public speaking)

For more information or to enroll: wracton@gmail.com

Bill Acton's CV

Bill Acton's website

Bill Acton's business website












20 reasons that I invite educators to join me with Legalshield!

 This is installment six in a series of blog posts on legal and identity protection in the age of AI. My personal connection is with LegalShield corporation, which provides both, affordably. Each post is "co-created" by Perplexity AI and myself, the content initially generated by AI, the final formatting, style and content reflecting my understanding of where we are in this area today.

Clker.com





After a lifetime in education and professional services, it became clear that people are overwhelmed by complexity—especially legal and identity issues they never planned for. LegalShield gave me a way to keep doing what I love most: teaching, protecting, and empowering people, while building a flexible, scalable business. [2][3][4][1]

Why Educators Are a Natural Fit

1. You already live the mission 

   LegalShield exists to make legal help and identity protection accessible and affordable, not just for those who can pay large retainers. That commitment to access and fairness feels very familiar to anyone who has ever stood in front of a classroom. [5][2]

2. You are trained advocates 

   In education, you advocate for students, parents, and colleagues; in LegalShield, you advocate for families and small businesses who need help understanding their rights. The skill set is the same—only the subject matter changes. [4][2]

3. You understand real-world stress 

   Educators see families struggle with job loss, housing issues, custody battles, and identity theft fallout. Sharing a practical, affordable plan that gives them lawyers and identity specialists “on call” feels like a continuation of your support. 

4. You communicate complex ideas simply 

   LegalShield plans cover everyday issues—wills, traffic tickets, landlord disputes, contracts, and more. As an educator, you’re equipped to translate that into plain language that real people can act on. [2][6][4]

How the LegalShield Model Works 

5. Membership-based, not billable hours. Low start-up, high leverage 

   The cost to become an associate is a fraction of what it takes to launch a traditional business, with no inventory or office space required. From there, you leverage online tools, mobile apps, and company training to grow at your pace. [9][10][8][6]

Where My Experience Fits In

9. From teaching and training to mentoring associates 

   Years spent teaching, training, and coaching have made mentorship second nature. LegalShield’s model intentionally pairs new associates with experienced field leaders and a culture of ongoing training. That allows me to support new educators-turned-associates with both company resources and my own experience of building professional relationships over time.[10][3][1]

10. From explaining complex benefits to simplifying legal protection 

    Running a classroom or a department is running a system: lesson plans, outcomes, feedback, adjustments. LegalShield gives you a proven blueprint—training, presentations, compensation structures—that you can adapt and improve using the same mindset. [10][9][6]

16. Values alignment with LegalShield ethics 

    LegalShield has a published code of ethics emphasizing education, protection, and ethical business practices for members and associates. That alignment matters deeply to professionals who have spent a career modeling integrity for young people. [11]

The Practical Upside for Educators

17. Supplementing or replacing income on your terms  

    Whether your goal is to cover rising living costs, pay down debt, or prepare for retirement, the compensation plan offers upfront commissions, performance bonuses, and team overrides as your business grows. You control the pace and scale. [7][9][3]

18. Transition path beyond the classroom  

    Many educators are asking, “What’s my second act?” LegalShield can be a bridge: start part-time, learn the system, then expand as your comfort and results grow. It keeps you in a service-oriented role without the constraints of a school bell schedule. [1][9]

19. Making a measurable difference in family stability  

    A single membership can help with a will, an abusive landlord, a traffic issue, or an employment dispute at a critical moment. Knowing you introduced that safety net can be as emotionally rewarding as watching a student finally “get it.” [2][6][4]

20. Joining a community of mission-driven professionals 

   When educators step into LegalShield, they meet others from nursing, law enforcement, ministry, and corporate life who share a passion for protecting people. It feels less like leaving education and more like expanding the classroom into the broader community. [3][1]

If you’re an educator who feels that tug to impact lives beyond your current role—and to create more freedom for yourself and your family—this is an invitation to explore that next chapter. The same qualities that made you effective in education can make you *extraordinary* here.

Sources

[1](https://www.legalshieldassociate.com/blog/teachers-with-legalshield-you-could-start-building-your-own-busin
[3](https://www.facebook.com/pplsiopportunity/videos/opportunity-video/1101844191141100/)
[4](https://www.legalshield.com/legal-plans-overview)
[5](https://www.legalshield.com)
[6](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/471589/PLACEMAT.USSTANDARD%20(1.17)%20tp.pdf?t=1490296868893)
[7](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0PP2IN2dQ)
[8](https://www.legalshield.com/faq)
[9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Tf1ok7hja4)
[10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zELfQS0HeU)
[11](https://www.legalshield.com/blog/member-benefits-legalshield-code-ethics)
[12](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Legalshield)
[13](https://www.jobzmall.com/legalshield/faqs/what-types-of-jobs-are-available-at-legalshield)
[14](https://www.reddit.com/r/ucf/comments/d36ykl/beware_of_legalshield_they_are_currently_hiring/)
[15](https://www.benetrends.com/images/mybenetrends/Benetrends_LegalShield_Business_Offer.pdf)

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

20 reasons that you should subscribe to Legalshield!





(This post, like the other four related to legal and identity shield and AI, were created using Perplexity AI, editied for style and consistency (by me!) 

https://hipoeces.blogspot.com/2025/12/ais-perplexity-guide-to-dealing-with-ai.html 
Focus: On general approaches to coping with AI-engaged issues of fraud and scams
https://hipoeces.blogspot.com/2026/01/no-fear-or-ai-phobia-five-worldviews.html
Focus: On how different worldviews approach fear of AI-based threats 
https://hipoeces.blogspot.com/2026/01/responding-to-inevitability-of.html
Focus: On AI-engagement in emergence of global digital ID systems
https://hipoeces.blogspot.com/2026/01/20-reasons-that-you-should-subscribe-to.html
Focus On features of the Legalshield/IDshield system
----------

Professionals may face uniquely high AI-driven legal and identity risks, and a LegalShield membership turns fragmented, do it yourself defenses into an integrated, expert-backed system. LegalShield is particularly valuable now because AI is multiplying fraud volume, legal complexity, and reputational exposure faster than most professionals can realistically manage alone. (library+3)

AI risk and legal complexity

1. AI is now used to scale deepfake, voice-clone, and synthetic-identity fraud, making higher-income professionals especially attractive “high value” targets. (deepstrike+2)

2. Synthetic identity fraud has become one of the fastest-growing forms of digital crime, with AI automating the creation of convincing blended identities that can bypass traditional checks and damage your credit and reputation. (eccu+2)

3. Fraud and scam attempts are projected to surge into the tens of billions of dollars in AI-fueled losses by 2027, meaning that “being careful” is no longer proportional to the scale of the threat. (sas+1)

4. Deepfake social engineering has accelerated sharply, with a large majority of anti fraud professionals reporting rapid growth and expecting significant further increases, which raises the chance that your name, title, or institution will be exploited in a scam. (sift+1)

5. Legal and regulatory frameworks around AI, data, and digital identity are evolving quickly, and contracts increasingly include complex AI-related clauses that are difficult to interpret without ongoing legal guidance. (taftlaw+2)

Why legal help (not just tech)

6. AI is fracturing traditional “Know Your Customer” and identity-verification programs, so disputes about whether you really authorized an account, transaction, or contract are becoming more common and more technical—exactly where ready access to counsel matters. (protegrity+2)

7. AI-generated contracts and terms of service can be deployed at scale, embedding subtle risk-shifting clauses; reviewing these without legal support can leave even educated readers exposed to hidden liabilities. (thekanoonadvisors+2)

8. AI vendor agreements and AI-use policies now sit at the center of regulatory and litigation risk for many organizations, and professionals increasingly need personal legal advice on what they are signing and what they are personally accountable for. (jchanglaw+1)

9. When AI-generated fraud or contract disputes trigger investigations, employment actions, or regulatory scrutiny, having a standing relationship with a legal service helps you respond quickly and coherently rather than scrambling to find representation. (library+1)

10. Many AI- and data-related problems start small—an email, a questionable authorization, a confusing policy change—and LegalShield encourages early consultations so issues can be contained before they escalate into formal disputes or lawsuits. (library+1)

Specific vulnerabilities

11. Professionals often have larger digital footprints and more public information (publications, profiles, talks), which attackers can mine to craft highly targeted phishing and deepfake approaches. (eigerwealth+2)

12. AI tools now enable deepfake interviews and fake employees who may use your credentials or institutional affiliation as part of a fraud chain, increasing the chance that your name is pulled into an incident that needs legal clarification. (thehackernews+2)

13. As AI-generated scam content now constitutes a large majority of phishing emails and related fraud, relying on grammar or tone as a “tell” is increasingly unreliable, so having expert backup for disputed accounts or authorizations becomes critical. (adaptivesecurity+1)

14. Professionals frequently serve on boards, committees, or advisory roles where AI and data practices are scrutinized, and LegalShield can help you understand your personal exposure and responsibilities in those roles. (twobirds+2)

15. Reputation is a core asset; AI-driven impersonation or defamatory deepfakes can create complex, multi jurisdictional situations where coordinated legal action is far more effective than ad hoc self-help. (theconversation+2)

Strategic, future focused reasons

16. Generative AI markets and AI-enabled fraud are both projected to grow sharply over the next several years, so the rational stance is to treat legal and identity protection as an ongoing risk-management layer, not a one off purchase. (unesco+2)

17. AI is simultaneously an attack tool and a defense tool in identity and fraud; working with a legal service that understands this landscape helps you align your personal behavior and documentation with emerging best practices. (constella+2)

18. Universal digital ID and increasingly integrated data systems mean that a single AI abused credential or breach can cascade across multiple domains of your life, and LegalShield offers a structured way to push back legally when systems mis-handle your identity. (library+1)

19. As AI makes sophisticated fraud accessible to low skill attackers, the gap between average self defense and professionalized fraud widens, making access to licensed attorneys a form of future proofing for educated households and their dependents. (library+2)

20. Subscribing to LegalShield now allows you to lock in an affordable, integrated system of legal support before facing an AI-driven crisis, when time pressure, stress, and reputational stakes are at their highest. (library+2)

Sources

1. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/cb3a78ca-d50d-4734-b0ef-656d2b66e427
2. https://deepstrike.io/blog/deepfake-statistics-2025
3. https://www.sas.com/en_us/news/press-releases/2025/november/25th-anniversary-fraud-week-acfe.html
4. https://sift.com/index-reports-ai-fraud-q2-2025/
5. https://www.eigerwealth.com/post/ai-and-the-new-face-of-fraud-how-to-protect-your-identity-and-finances-in-2026
6. https://www.eccu.edu/blog/the-rise-of-synthetic-identity-fraud-how-cybercriminals-exploit-ai/
7. https://www.allcovered.com/blog/synthetic-identity-fraud
8. https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/six-hundred-atlantic/interviews/synthetic-identity-fraud-how-ai-is-changing-the-game.aspx
9. https://www.taftlaw.com/news-events/law-bulletins/the-expanding-prevalence-of-ai-clauses-in-contracts/
10. https://www.jchanglaw.com/post/ai-legal-risks-2025-essential-considerations-for-businesses
11. https://www.twobirds.com/en/insights/2025/the-ai-contract-conundrum-beyond-standard-terms
12. https://www.protegrity.com/blog/ai-fraud-detection-in-2026-what-leaders-must-know/
13. https://constella.ai/synthetic-identity-theft-in-2025/
14. https://www.govinfosecurity.com/ai-tools-synthetic-ids-are-fracturing-kyc-programs-a-30401
15. https://thekanoonadvisors.com/4-pillars-of-ai-contracts-validity-a-2025-legal-guide/
16. https://holonlaw.com/ai/the-rise-of-ai-vendor-agreements/
17. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/1ad4dd9a-7a76-42af-ad88-fee14cbd3da5
18. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/3aad6262-8d88-4860-b213-298cca1ba164
19. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/db03c0e2-11fa-48b2-b931-aaa5711b0162
20. https://thehackernews.com/expert-insights/2026/01/deepfake-job-hires-when-your-next.html
21. https://www.adaptivesecurity.com/blog/deepfake-scams
22. https://theconversation.com/deepfakes-leveled-up-in-2025-heres-whats-coming-next-271391
23. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/deepfakes-and-crisis-knowing
24. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/6e8f41f1-205d-4047-9d3a-7ce32266c641
25. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/466c3725-5dd9-4642-98a0-4fca8ca7489b
26. https://fedpaymentsimprovement.org/wp-content/uploads/sif-toolkit-genai.pdf


Tuesday, January 6, 2026

20 reasons that you should subscribe to IDShield!

 IDshield has some competitors but none combine breadth of protection and affordability! (Be happy to chat with you and unpack that!) Consider these, listed roughly in order of importance: 

1. AI makes deepfake fraud and synthetic IDs cheap, so educated professionals are now prime “high value” identity targets. (idshield+1)

2. Criminals use AI to instantly assemble profiles from data breaches and social media, making it easier to impersonate you for loans, jobs, or benefits. (idshield+1)

3. AI-written phishing emails and texts are nearly perfect in grammar and tone, so “spotting scams” by gut feel no longer works. (idshield+1)

4. IDShield combines continuous monitoring with licensed private investigators who actually restore your identity if it is stolen. (caltech+1)

5. The service includes up to a multi million dollar identity fraud protection plan to reimburse covered losses and expenses. (cnet+1)

6. College-educated consumers typically have higher credit limits and more accounts, so a single incident can create larger financial damage. (caltech+1)

7. With AI tools, fraudsters can open accounts or redirect benefits in your name in minutes; real-time alerts help you act before damage snowballs. (cerritos+1)

8. IDShield monitors your Social Security number, bank and credit card data, passwords, and more across credit bureaus and the dark web. (pensacolastate+1)

9. Social media and online reputation are now evaluated by employers; IDShield flags reputational risks in your social content. (idshield+1)

10. AI-voice cloning and deepfake calls make “phone verification” unreliable; having professionals handle disputes and documentation closes that gap. (caltech+1)

11. Data breaches at universities, employers, and hospitals expose years of personal data, which AI can weaponize for targeted attacks. (idshield+1)

12. IDShield provides 24/7 emergency support so you are not alone if something happens outside business hours. (pensacolastate+1)

13. The mobile app puts alerts, credit information, and direct access to help in one place, which is critical when every minute counts. (cerritos+1)

14. Identity restoration on your own can take dozens of hours across agencies; IDShield investigators do the legwork for you. (pensacolastate+1)

15. Many colleges and employers offer only basic credit monitoring, not full-scale restoration and insurance like IDShield. (eku+1)

16. Educated professionals often have side businesses or freelance income, creating more accounts and logins that need monitoring. (cerritos+1)

17. AI automates application fraud for phones, utilities, and “buy now, pay later” accounts that can quietly damage your credit profile. (caltech+1)

18. IDShield includes guidance on credit freezes, fraud alerts, and credit education, helping you make smarter long-term financial decisions. (pensacolastate+1)

19. Family and dependents can often be covered under one plan, protecting spouses and college-age children who are also high-risk targets. (caltech+1)

20. Subscribing now locks in affordable protection before a serious Al-driven identity event forces you into crisis mode. (cnet+1)

To subscribe, contact me (wracton@gmail.com) or go directly to my website: williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com!

Feel free to respond below or by email or textmsg: (423) 660-7400. 

Clker.com




Sources: 

1. https://www.idshield.com/blog/your-students-data-hackers-dream

2. https://www.idshield.com/blog/back-to-school-scams

3. https://hr.caltech.edu/documents/6272/2024_IDShield_Overview.pdf

4. https://www.idshield.com

5. https://www.pensacolastate.edu/docs/benefits/2025/Legal-Shield-ID-Shield.pdf

6. https://www.scribd.com/document/836418922/Captain-Code-Unleash-Your-Coding-Superpower-with-Python

7. https://www.cerritos.edu/hr/_includes/docs/Benefits/IDShield_Plan_Summary.pdf

8. https://archive.org/stream/The_Australian_Womens_Weekly_15_11_1967/The_Australian_Womens_Weekly_15_11_1967_djvu.txt

9. https://amsa-highered.com/uncategorized/s-a-f-e-the-ultimate-applicant-fraud-prevention-solution-for-colleges-and-universities/

10. https://huggingface.co/Cherishh/wav2vec2-slu-1/resolve/refs%2Fpr%2F1/unigrams.txt?download=true

11. https://www.eku.edu/in/guides/legalshield-and-idshield/

12. https://inside.msmary.edu/more/human-resources/benefits-documents/legal-idshield-plan-overview.pdf

13. https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/idshield-review/


Monday, January 5, 2026

Responding to the inevitability of universal, global digital IDs

If you live in China, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and any number of others,

  •  You have already been "surrendered" to the curse of your digital ID and the absolute power of your "overlords" in government and beyond of being capable of censoring and penalizing you for anything you say, virtually or otherwise. 
  • In the US the issue is a bit more in doubt, but I suspect that is but temporary for most of us, but a rear-guard action in our retreat as well. One of the key accelerants, of course, is AI. 

The ramifications of not only being fully digitized as an individual, as in China today, for example, but having the system managed by AI is mind numbing. So, I asked Perplexity AI to suggest how one best in this environment can still protect or preserve identity and things of value. With my edits and comments, here is the reply: 

“Living in a fully digitized, AI managed identity system shifts the default from “anonymous by default” to “tracked by default,” so self protection means deliberately rebuilding some autonomy, ambiguity, and resilience on top of that environment.” [1][2]

A. Core risks in AI managed ID and processes

   1. Linkage of everything: Centralized digital IDs and social credit style systems let states or platforms link financial records, location, communications, and behavior into one profile, often scored for “trustworthiness.”[3][4][5]

   2. Automated punishment and exclusion: Once access to travel, banking, or social services flows through digital ID, AI systems can quietly downgrade or block people (“un personing”) based on opaque rules, errors, or politics.[6][7]

   3. Biometric lock in: Facial recognition and other biometrics tie your physical body to the system, and leaks are irreversible because you cannot change your face or fingerprints like a password.[8][1]

B. Strategic posture: Key assumptions and operating principles

   1. Assume visibility, fight linkage: Act as if core actions are observable, but work to prevent everything from being tied to a single profile where possible (legal, technical, and behavioral separation).[9][10]

   2. Resilience over invisibility: In a world of mandatory digital ID, the main defense is not disappearing but ensuring revocation, scoring, or misuse cannot destroy your ability to live, work, and transact.[7][11]

C. Practical moves: identity and data management

   1. Minimize exposed data: Share only what is required; avoid posting detailed personal patterns (travel, routines, family identifiers) that AI can mine and link back to you.[12][1]

   2. Strong authentication and compartmentalization: Use hardware keys or strong multifactor authentication on critical accounts, and keep separate email/phone identifiers for finance, government, and social life to reduce cross linking and fraud risk.[13][9]

   3. Limit biometrics where optional: Prefer non biometric factors when you have a choice, and be cautious about handing face/voice data to commercial services that might feed large AI models.[2][1]

D. Legal, institutional, political and technical shields

   1. Support hard constraints on revocation power: Back laws and policies that forbid governments or ID issuers from remotely disabling digital IDs or making them a condition for all online activity.[10][7]

   2. Push for privacy by design ID: Favor systems with data minimization, purpose limitation, and strong audit trails over open ended data sharing with AI systems and third parties.[14][11] 

   3. Use intermediaries and advocates: Identity protection services, legal plans, and civil liberties groups can challenge wrongful scoring, misuse of data, and automated decisions when you are targeted or misclassified.[15][14]l

E. Preserving non digital value and self-representations

   1. Keep critical assets partly offline: Maintain some wealth, documents, and proof of relationships in forms that do not depend entirely on a single digital account or credential (e.g., diversified financial institutions, physical records in secure storage).[14][10]

   2. Cultivate alternative reputations: Build trust and standing in offline communities—professional, local, relational—so that your practical identity does not live only inside a state or platform score.[5][10]

   3. Practice “information asceticism”: Treat what you reveal—habits, networks, convictions—as a scarce resource; disclose intentionally, not reflexively, especially in environments that feed data directly into scoring or surveillance AI.[1][9]

My work with LegalShield and IdentityShield falls into D3, Identity protection services, legal plans: williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com. I have personally taken up the suggestion below and would recommend that strategy as well. 

(Additional offer by Perplexity) If you like, a next step can be a concrete checklist tailored to your specific institutions (banks, insurers, ID protection tools) and to the worst case scenarios you most want to be resilient against.

Clker.com





Sources

[1](https://www.dataguard.com/blog/growing-data-privacy-concerns-ai/)
[2](https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/ai-privacy)
[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Credit_System)
[4](https://decodingthedragon.substack.com/p/34-the-evolution-and-truth-of-chinas)
[5](https://jpia.princeton.edu/news/social-credit-system-not-just-another-chinese-idiosyncrasy)
[6](https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/fileadmin/files/aam/Asia-Book_A_03_China_Social_Credit_System.pdf)
[7](https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/un-personing-with-digital-id)
[8](https://joinhorizons.com/china-social-credit-system-explained/)
[9](https://www.propelex.com/blog/ai-digital-identity-data-privacy-2025/)
[10](http://digitalgovernmenthub.org/library/digital-ids-must-be-safe-secure-and-accessible/)
[11](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/trustworthy-digital-identities-can-set-the-standards-for-secure-benefits-provision-in-the-us/)
[12](https://www.idmanagement.gov/experiments/cdns/paper3/)
[13](https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2023/11/3-ways-state-agencies-protect-citizens-digital-identities)
[14](https://trustarc.com/resource/risk-management-brief-ethics-privacy-risks-ai/)
[15](https://www.odni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/campaign/DoD_IAPM_Guide_March_2021.pdf)
[16](https://www.cigionline.org/articles/taking-the-wrong-lesson-from-chinas-ai-strategy/)
[17](https://open.metu.edu.tr/bitstream/handle/11511/101891/Artificial%20Intelligence%20and%20Social%20Credit%20System%20in%20China%20-%20Turgut%20BASER%20-%202013605.pdf)
[18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps0Si4FhOPM)
[19](https://bigid.com/blog/identity-governance-for-ai-systems/)
[20](https://fpf.org/blog/minding-mindful-machines-ai-agents-and-data-protection-considerations/)

Saturday, January 3, 2026

No Fear! (or AI PHOBIA! ) Thumbnail sketches of seven worldview's ways of coping

This is something of a follow on, deeper dive, to the recent post "AI's (Perplexity) Guides to dealing with AI-enhanced fraud and scams: General, Christian, Muslim, Atheist/secular humanist, "Senior Citizen," and Japanese Buddhist/Shinto approaches" 

As in that post, the initial draft and reference listing was "co-created" using Perplexity AI. In what follows, my comments or paraphrases are generally in boldface/italics. Part of the prompts for the text included framing the material in blog style. For more detailed discussion of each worldview, see the "mother" blog. 

"AI isn’t just a technology story. It is a worldview stress test."  

For some, AI phobia is very real: a knot in the stomach about job loss, deepfakes, surveillance, or a machine future where humans no longer matter. Psychologists now talk about “AI anxiety” as a specific flavor of technophobia, mixing fear of the unknown with a sense that things are changing too fast to understand or control.[1][2]

How differently our basic worldviews may "metabolize" that fear:

If you begin from a traditional theist frame

  • AI is not ultimate—God is. 
  • AI becomes one more powerful tool that must submit to moral law and the command to love your neighbor.  
  • The real danger is not “the robots” but human sin expressed through new capabilities.[3][4][5]

From a secular humanist perspective, 

  • There are no divine guarantees, but there is confidence that humans can still set the rules. 
  • AI phobia here is a call to action: insist on transparency, regulation, and alignment with human rights and dignity.  
  • Fear is something to turn into civic engagement.[6][7][8]

A hard scientific materialist 

  • Sees AI as complex machinery plus hype. 
  • Fear gets reframed as a prediction error: an evolved brain reacting badly to unfamiliar risk. 
  • The remedy is data: measure actual harms, build safety protocols, and push back against apocalyptic storytelling with evidence.[9][1]

Eastern or non‑dualist traditions 

  • May see AI as another impermanent phenomenon in a web of interdependence. 
  • Anxious clinging to “how things used to be” is part of the suffering. 
  • The response is inner training—mindfulness, ethical intention, community norms for compassionate use—rather than grand promises of control.[2][3]
Traditional Chinese (Three Teachings) worldview
  • Sees AI through a blended lens of Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist ideas, prioritizing family duty, social harmony, and alignment with the larger order of things.[1][2][3]
  • Addresses AI phobia by focusing on **ethical governance and harmony**: calm inner attitudes toward change, firm outer rules to prevent social disruption, and channeling AI into roles that support education, order, and collective well‑being rather than undermine them.[4][5][6][7]
Contemporary Evangelical Christian
  • Sees AI within God’s providence and under the authority of Scripture, emphasizing personal salvation, evangelism, and the need for discernment in a morally confused digital age.[1][2][3][4]
  • Addresses AI phobia through **trust and testing**: urging believers to reject fear‑driven doom narratives, place ultimate security in Christ rather than technology, and rigorously “test the spirits” of new tools
  • Using AI for mission, service, and daily work only where it aligns with biblical ethics, protects the vulnerable, and avoids idolatry of efficiency or progress.[2][3][4][5][6][1]
And then there is the apocalyptic or technognostic frame

  • AI as either the Beast or the Singularity. 
  • Here AI phobia can spiral into dread—
  • or into urgent calls for repentance, moratoriums, 
  • or radical limits on machine power.[10][11][9]

So here, of course, is the question:  

  • Which of these feels most like home or gulag to you?  
  • How does that lens shape what you fear most about AI—and what you hope for?  
  • What would/does/did it take, in your worldview, to move from paralysis to responsible action?  

Use the comment section to respond or push back. The next post will be a survey of empirical reseach on the general phenomenon, generally from the "hard scientific" and "secular humanist" perspectives. 

Clker.com

Sources

[1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S294988212500012X)

[2](https://www.calm.com/blog/ai-anxiety-tips)

[3](https://ccta.regent.edu/the-intersection-of-artificial-intelligence-and-christian-thought-a-vision-for-the-future/)

[4](https://cbhd.org/dignitas-articles/ai-and-human-futures-what-should-christians-think)

[5](https://christoverall.com/article/longform/a-christians-perspective-on-artificial-intelligence/)

[6](https://humanistperspectives.org/234/artificial-intelligence-and-humanism-in-action/)

[7](https://humanists.uk/2025/07/10/humanists-pass-global-declaration-on-artificial-intelligence-and-human-values/)

[8](https://itlawco.com/secular-ai-ethics-building-a-universal-code/)

[9](https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/samuel-and-colleagues-examine-the-rise-of-ai-phobia/)

[10](https://www.mastersbiblechurch.com/blog/why-christians-should-stay-informed-about-ai)

[11](https://religionnews.com/2025/12/23/ai-comes-with-a-built-in-worldview-christians-need-to-understand-it/)

Chinese Worldview sources

[1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_teachings)
[2](https://thequran.love/2025/11/14/influence-of-buddhism-taoism-confucianism-agnosticism-and-atheism-in-mainland-china/)
[3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_China)
[4](https://asiasociety.org/education/three-teachings)
[5](https://www.geopolitechs.org/p/china-releases-draft-technology-ethics)
[6](https://www.chinalawvision.com/2025/01/digital-economy-ai/ai-ethics-overview-china/)
[7](https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/10/how-china-views-ai-risks-and-what-to-do-about-them?lang=en)

Evangelical Christian Worldview sources

[1](https://ccta.regent.edu/the-intersection-of-artificial-intelligence-and-christian-thought-a-vision-for-the-future/)
[2](https://cbhd.org/dignitas-articles/ai-and-human-futures-what-should-christians-think)
[3](https://christoverall.com/article/longform/a-christians-perspective-on-artificial-intelligence/)
[4](https://www.mastersbiblechurch.com/blog/why-christians-should-stay-informed-about-ai)
[5](https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/as-a-christian-i-went-down-the-ai-rabbit-hole-here-are-12-things-i-discovered/)
[6](https://religionnews.com/2025/12/23/ai-comes-with-a-built-in-worldview-christians-need-to-understand-it/)

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

AI's (Perplexity) Guides to dealing with AI-enhanced fraud and scams: General, Christian, Muslim, Atheist/secular humanist, "Senior Citizen," and Japanese Buddhist/Shinto approaches

THE PROBLEM: In about a year moving from Canada to the US we were
Clearly, we needed a little help with protecting our online life and identities, other than what was provided by our financial institutions and VPNs. Also, had we been able to afford lawyer(s)  . . . who knows . . . !

THE PLAN: Have decided to become part of the solution, not just for us, but for my friends and associates who don't have the time or resources to put together a feasible plan for themselves. (Check with me, wracton@gmail.com) for more on that!) 

Clker.com

ASK THE DRAGON:
So, I asked AI for some thoughts on how to best deal with all the above and beyond. What follows is basically Perplexity AI's respnnse with my added comments in italics. The sources Perplexity took material from are, all things considered, not bad, although the focus was on more advice rather thatn evidence-based protocols and "rules," and many are relatively "light weight." Nonetheless, the general perspectives seem to be relatively consistent. And, as always, AI "sins" more by omission than by commission!

Perplexity AI begins here:

Worldview and perspectives: 

Understanding your worldview—what you believe about people, institutions, money, truth, and technology—matters because it quietly shapes how much you trust others, how quickly you act under pressure, and how you interpret messages and offers. If your assumptions were formed in an era of handshake deals, stable institutions, and slower change, they can make it harder to recognize how different today’s AI‑driven, high‑speed fraud environment really is. ​​(gotzero +2)

​In addition to the General set of procedures here, directed toward a family application, there are
(c) An Atheist/secular humanist perspective
(d)  A basic approach for those in their sixth decade and beyond.
(e) A Japanese Buddhist/Shinto perspective
 
THE QUESTION/PROMPT: How can I best protect my family, resources and identity today, especially with the increasing threat of AI-generated fraud and deep fakes?

THE General GUIDE: Procedures

"The most effective protection in 2025 is a layered strategy: lock down your accounts and devices, sharply upgrade how your family verifies “urgent” requests, and minimize exploitable personal data online. This reduces the risk from AI driven scams, deepfakes, and traditional identity theft at the same time. (acrisure+4)

Biggest AI driven threats now
  • AI makes phishing and social engineering messages highly personalized, including realistic emails, texts, and websites that mimic banks, brokerages, and government agencies. (norton+1)
  • Deepfakes and voice cloning are being used for “grandparent” scams, fake kidnapping/extortion calls, and CEO style payment requests, where a cloned voice or video urges urgent action. (jpmorgan+1)
  • Deepfake video and face/voice spoofing can bypass some basic biometric and video ID checks, feeding both classic identity theft and fraudulent benefit or loan applications. (fcnb+1)

Lock down accounts and devices
  • Enable multi factor authentication (MFA) on every important account (email, banking, brokerage, password manager, government logins), using an authenticator app or hardware key rather than SMS wherever possible. (hefcu+1)
  • Use a reputable password manager and make all passwords long, unique, and randomly generated; this sharply reduces reuse based account takeovers. (cloudeagle+1)
  • Keep operating systems, browsers, and security software fully updated and use a modern security suite that includes phishing and malicious site blocking. (hefcu+1)

Defend against deepfakes and social engineering
  • Establish family verification protocols: a shared passphrase or question that must be used on any urgent money or data request by phone, text, or video, even if the voice/face seems familiar. (aba+1)
  • For any out of pattern request (wire transfer, gift cards, changing banking info), always verify through an independent channel: hang up and call back on a known number or in person if feasible. (acrisure+1)
  • Train family members to slow down when confronted with emotional urgency (crisis, law enforcement threats, “act now or lose everything”) and treat that urgency itself as a red flag.cybersecurity. (yale+1)

Reduce identity exposure and monitor for misuse
  • Limit public sharing of birth dates, addresses, high resolution photos, and voice/video clips that make cloning easier; tighten social media privacy settings to restrict data scraping. (proof+1)
  • Turn on bank, credit card, and brokerage alerts for new payees, large transfers, logins from new devices, and card not present transactions; many institutions now use AI to flag anomalous activity in real time. (mastercard+1)
  • Use an identity monitoring / dark web alert service (from a bank, insurer, or specialist provider) that watches for breached credentials and new account fraud in your name. (id+1)

Concrete next steps for your situation
  • Prioritize your “crown jewels”: primary email, tax SSA/IRS accounts, bank/brokerage, and password manager; add app based MFA and review recovery options on each this week. (cloudeagle+1)
  • Run a quick “family safety briefing” (spouse, adult children, key contacts) to set a code phrase, document the callback numbers you trust, and agree that no one moves money on the basis of a single urgent message or call. (aba+1)
  • Ask your financial institutions and any identity protection provider you use which AI enhanced fraud detection and alert tools they already offer, and enable the most conservative settings that still fit your lifestyle. (id+1)

If you share a bit about which banks/brokerages and identity protection tools you already use, a custom checklist can be created that fits your exact accounts and your family’s tech comfort level."

(My) Summary/Comments: 

A. Use multi-factor authentication system
B. Use a password manager
C. Use independent channels in verifying requests and queries 
D. Turn on alerts (banks, credit cards, etc.)
E. Use an identity monitoring service with dark web alert functions
F. Other recommended actions (not mentioned above)
    a. Be part of a team, if possible, or at least have one trusted connection to consult with. 
    b. Have legal consultation and backup available when necessary
    c. Have both eCopies and hardcopies securely filed.
    d. Have updated wills and key connections/beneficiaries oriented to their respective roles. 
    e. Have or at least know a good tax accountant.
    f. Continually take training/orientation courses—on most anything!
    g. Be at least a competent (not necessarily enthusiastic), informed user of AI!


Sources
1. https://www.acrisure.com/blog/ai-deepfake-scams-2025-guide
2. https://www.hefcu.com/news/ai-fraud-and-how-to-protect-yourself
3. https://us.norton.com/blog/online-scams/top-5-ai-and-deepfakes-2025
4. https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/stories/2025/cybersecurity-2025-year-in-review.html
5. https://www.fcnb.ca/en/guides/protecting-yourself-from-ai-and-deepfake-scams
6. https://sift.com/blog/how-ai-is-fueling-online-fraud-in-2025-and-what-businesses-can-do-about-it/
7. https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/fraud/fraud-protection/ai-scams-deep-fakes-impersonations-oh-my
8. https://network.id.me/article/fighting-the-new-face-of-identity-theft/
9. https://www.techprescient.com/identity-security/multi-factor-authentication-mfa/
10. https://www.cloudeagle.ai/blogs/identity-management-best-practices
11. https://www.aba.com/about-us/press-room/press-releases/aba-foundation-and-fbi-joint-infographic-on-deepfake-scams
12. https://cybersecurity.yale.edu/monthly-tip/july-2025
13. https://www.credithuman.com/building-slack/what-financial-fraud-really-is-and-five-ways-to-protect-yourself
14. https://www.proof.com/blog/deepfake-scams-how-to-spot-them
15. https://www.iddataweb.com/ai-fraud-detection/
16. https://efraudprevention.com/security/Prevent_deepfake_fraud_attacks.html
17. https://securityscorecard.com/blog/iam-in-2025-identity-and-access-management-best-practices/
18. https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2025/07/02/mfa-made-easy-8-best-practices-for-seamless-authentication-journeys
19. https://alsafarpartners.com/blog/legal-articles-and-judgements-4/how-to-protect-yourself-from-ai-scams-in-2025-344
20. https://www.infisign.ai/blog/multi-factor-authentication-mfa-best-practices

    



Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Happy Zoom Festivus Festival!

Clker.com

 In a classic episode of Seinfeld in 1997 the idea of the Festivus Festival (according to Wikipedia!) celebrated on December 23, wonderfully light-hearted flat-out anti-consumerist occasion shows up. One key feature is the use of an aluminum Christmas tree, for example, where in various ways, grievances are presented creatively and often as outlandishly as possible. 

In that spirit, I propose a "Zoom" Festivus Festival here! 

I love it when

• All the apathetic expressions on the faces of participants in there little windows reflect PERFECTLY the quality of the presentation!

• There are so many words on the powerpoint that it gives me something to do other than listen to nonsense coming from the speaker(s)

• The comments go by so fast that it gives me something to do other than listen to nonsense coming from the speaker(s)

• You get occasional looks at the top of participants heads, among other, less engaging scenes

• Speakers have learned the classic Ronald Reagan "trick" of, after each profound blurb, act nonverbally as if you have at least nodded back, even with enthusiasm.

• Speaker speaks so rapidly that even on half speed the recording is "immemorable!)

• Participants use virtual backgrounds and avatars on screen.

• Participants are "required" to leave cameras on with seminars of 500+

• Their cursor bounces around, unrelated to the content or voice.

• Participants do not turn on video and their picture is of their cat or dog . . .

• Participants have baseball caps on backward to make sure they are not attacked from behind.

• Participants wear baseball caps with the brim down to their eyebrows so you can't tell which cards they are holding.

• We go to breakout rooms for less time than we could possibly perform the assigned task(s)

• Breakout conversations demand pointless emotional blathering --and I get appointed to report back to main group . . .

• Books or objects appear on bookshelves behind the speaker that near totally undermine any credibility 

• The speaker makes a big deal of showing /exposing some upper body part(s) and maybe even commenting on it

• Speaker talks from a treadmill with breathing patterns suggesting cardiac arrest.

• The screen freezes repeatedly and the speaker does not/ will not figure out a workaround.

Feel free to add to the festivities in the comment section and I'll post them!

Keep in touch!

BIll

Monday, December 22, 2025

Celebrating 20 years of Haptic and the "virtual peaceful-of-mind" of the road ahead!


Hard to believe it was over 20 years ago that we stumbled into the idea that touch would immeasurably complement use of gesture in pronunciation teaching. The concept has now evolved to v8.0 and will be offered, as usual, as an online course, beginning the week of February 9th. Please pass on the word; if you have a group of students, contact me directly. (wracton@gmail.com)

In addition, as suggested above, I'm now associated with LegalShield and company, among the top providers of subscriber-based legal, identity and dark web protection. It is very affordable and, depending on the extent of your life on the web and the rapid emergence of the threat of AI, is becoming more and more essential/critical for many of us. (Here's my website: williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com) . Check it out and/or get in touch and I'll be happy to give you the tour! (Here's a nice 10-minute link that describes the Legal and Identity Shield systems: https://ltl.is/djkyfqn89)

Keep in touch!

Bill


Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Links to EAPIC Lesson 10 (MT4 Grand Tour)

 Link to Lesson 10 training video

Link to Lesson 10 blog page

Link to Lesson Wednesday 8 p.m. EST Feedback Session

(Password required; send me an email and, for a small fee,  I'll send you the password for this week.) 




  Link to Lesson 9 ttaining video

Link to Lesson 9 blog page

Link to EAPIC 8 Training Video 

Link to EAPIC 8 blog page

Link to Lesson 7 Training Video

Link to Lesson 7 Blog page

 Link to Lesson 6 Training video

Link to Lesson 6 Blog page

Link to Lesson 5 Training Video (YouTube)

Link to Lesson 5 Blog Page

 Link to L4 Trainng video (Youtube)

Link to L4 blog page

Link to L3 training video (Youtube)

Link to L3 Blog page.

Links to EAPIC Lesson 9

 

Link to Lesson Wednesday 8 p.m. EST Feedback Session

(Password required; send me an email and, for a small fee,  I'll send you the password for this week.) 




  Link to Lesson 9 ttaining video

Link to Lesson 9 blog page

Link to EAPIC 8 Training Video 

Link to EAPIC 8 blog page

Link to Lesson 7 Training Video

Link to Lesson 7 Blog page

 Link to Lesson 6 Training video

Link to Lesson 6 Blog page

Link to Lesson 5 Training Video (YouTube)

Link to Lesson 5 Blog Page

 Link to L4 Trainng video (Youtube)

Link to L4 blog page

Link to L3 training video (Youtube)

Link to L3 Blog page.

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Reminder: English Accent and Pronunication Improvement course (EAPIC) Wednesday Nite L4 Feedback session.

 The session starts at 8 EST on Google Meets. Lesson 4 focuses on single vowels in English and basics of (remembering) word stress. Even if you have not been attending the course, feel free to drop by and see what it is about. Tonight is the last free feedback session.

Link to the feedback session.

See you in an hour!

Bill




Wednesday, October 8, 2025

EAPIC Lesson 1 - Wednesday Nite Hand-to-hand Contact!

 Every Wednesday, at 8 p.m. EST, in the English Accent and Pronunciation course, we have a live session on Google Meets that is a follow up to the lesson from the previous week. Tonight, it is a follow up to Lesson 1, Syllable Butterfly Cheesesteak, a very much embodied, kinetic and moving first lesson in the course! Tonight is a live review of the lesson, plus Q&A. Feel free to bring any questions you have about pronunciation, yours or your students. The session is recorded so you can view it later, if necessary, but it is MUCH better "in virtual person!"

Even if you did not view Lesson 1 training video, please feel free to join us. 

Here is the link to the recording of the feedback session.

Here is the link to last weeks L1 training video.  (Which also includes a link to tonight's session.)

Keep in touch!

Bill



New Links to the EAPIC Course, Lessons 1 and 2 (Google meets and Youtube)

Heard back that some were unable to access the Google Meets recordings. Here are the links for both Google Meets and Youtube!

Link to L2 training video (Google Meets) 
Link to L2 training video (Youtube)

Link to L2 blog page with the materials

Note on L2 feedback session recording: Due to problerms with the sound, the recording was not good enough to use. In the L3 feedback session, I will include some of the material from L2 as review!