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The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
More people than ever are using ChatGPT
OpenAI's ChatGPT now processes approximately 2.5 billion user prompts daily, with 330 million originating from the US. This figure represents a significant increase from the 1 billion daily queries reported in December, highlighting the chatbot's rapid growth. Despite this surge, ChatGPT's daily prompt volume remains lower than Google 's estimated 8 to 13 billion daily searches. The AI chatbot has become the world's fifth-most-visited website, transforming internet usage and showing capabilities in summarising, reasoning, and answering complex questions. Studies indicate a shift in user behaviour, with Google's global visits declining while ChatGPT's visits have risen by 160 per cent in the past year, particularly among Gen Z.
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Blaming 'slow metabolism' for weight gain? Top doctor reveals muscle mass secret to reignite your body's fat-burning engine
The Real Culprit: Muscle, Not Metabolism What Does Science Say? Body size and muscle mass – Larger bodies and more muscle mean higher calorie burn. Sex – Men usually have more muscle and less fat than women, resulting in faster metabolism. Age – Aging is linked to muscle loss, which slows down metabolism. Muscle Loss: The Hidden Weight Gain Trigger You Might Also Like: Man credits ChatGPT for his 27 kg weight loss in 6 months but learnt a bigger lesson for life So, What Can You Do? Strength training at least twice a week for all major muscle groups. Aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Staying active throughout the day—move often, not just during your workouts. For decades, 'slow metabolism' has been the go-to scapegoat for weight gain and failed diet attempts. From late-night infomercials to trendy wellness podcasts, fixing metabolism has been sold as the ultimate solution to slimming down. But is your metabolism truly the villain here?Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, a US-based interventional cardiologist and certified functional medicine practitioner, is calling for a reality check. In a recent Instagram post that's gaining attention, he challenges the widely held belief that sluggish metabolism is the root cause of weight gain—and suggests we may be overlooking a much more fundamental issue: muscle loss 'Muscle is your most metabolically active tissue,' Dr. Bhojraj wrote in the post. 'No muscle = no metabolic engine.'His claim is backed by compelling science. After the age of 30, we naturally lose 3–8% of muscle mass each decade, and that drop has serious consequences for how many calories we burn—even at rest. This muscle decline, combined with sedentary lifestyles and poor protein timing , can be a more significant factor in stubborn weight gain than metabolism doctor's blunt conclusion: 'We've blamed a slow metabolism for decades. But it's time we talked about muscle.'Supporting Dr. Bhojraj's assertion is a report by the Mayo Clinic , which confirms that basal metabolic rate (the energy your body uses at rest) is heavily influenced by body composition—particularly muscle mass. In other words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you're not determinants of metabolic rate include:Additionally, the Mayo Clinic states that weight gain usually stems from an imbalance between calories consumed and burned—not from inherently slow metabolism. Only rare medical conditions like hypothyroidism or Cushing syndrome significantly affect metabolic Bhojraj isn't alone in linking muscle loss with sluggish calorie burn. The Mayo Clinic explains that a drop in muscle mass naturally reduces your basal metabolic rate, meaning your body needs fewer calories than it once did. Yet, many people continue eating as though their bodies haven't changed—leading to gradual weight it's not just about building muscle at the gym. Everyday movement plays a huge role, too. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)—which includes walking around the house, fidgeting, or doing chores—can account for up to 800 calories burned per Bhojraj's prescription is simple yet powerful: Prioritize muscle. That means engaging in regular strength training and ensuring your diet includes enough protein, especially after age Mayo Clinic echoes this advice, recommending:Forget fad diets or unregulated supplements that promise a metabolic miracle. According to both experts, there's no substitute for building muscle and staying active if you want to maintain a healthy metabolism.
Montreal Gazette
38 minutes ago
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: More of us are falling in love with our chatbot companion. Don't judge
Op Eds By People are falling in love with their chatbots. There are now dozens of apps that offer intimate companionship with an AI-powered bot, and they have millions of users. A recent survey of users found that 19 per cent of Americans have interacted with an AI meant to simulate a romantic partner. The response has been polarizing. In a New Yorker article titled 'Your AI Lover Will Change You,' futurist Jaron Lanier argued that 'when it comes to what will happen when people routinely fall in love with an AI, I suggest we adopt a pessimistic estimate about the likelihood of human degradation.' Podcaster Joe Rogan put it more succinctly — in a recent interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders, the two discussed the 'dystopian' prospect of people marrying their AIs. Noting a case where this has already happened, Rogan said: 'I'm like, oh, we're done. We're cooked.' We're probably not cooked. Rather, we should consider accepting human-AI relationships as beneficial and healthy. More and more people are going to form such relationships in the coming years, and my research in sexuality and technology indicates it is mostly going to be fine. When surveying the breathless media coverage, the main concern raised is that chatbots will spoil us for human connection. How could we not prefer their cheerful personalities, their uncomplicated affection and their willingness to affirm everything we say? The fear is that, seduced by such easy companionship, many people will surely give up their desire to find human partners, while others will lose their ability to form satisfying human relationships even if they want to. It has been less than three years since the launch of ChatGPT and other chatbots based on large language models. That means we can only speculate about the long-term effects of AI-human relationships on our capacity for intimacy. There is little data to support either side of the debate, though we can do our best to make sense of more short-term studies and other pieces of available evidence. There are certain risks that we do know about already, and we should take them seriously. For instance, we know that AI companion apps have terrible privacy policies. Chatbots can encourage destructive behaviours. Tragically, one may have played a role in a teenager's suicide. The companies that provide these apps can go out of business, or they can change their terms of service without warning. This can suddenly deprive users of access to technology that they've become emotionally attached, with no recourse or support. In assessing the dangers of relationships with AI, however, we should remember that human relationships are not exactly risk-free. One recent paper concluded that 'the association between relationship distress and various forms of psychopathology is as strong as many other well-known predictors of mental illness.' This is not to say we should swap human companions for AI ones. We just need to keep in mind that relationships can be messy, and we are always trying to balance the various challenges that come with them. AI relationships are no different. We should also remember that just because someone forms an intimate bond with a chatbot, that doesn't mean it will be their only close relationship. Most people have lots of different people in their lives who play a variety of different roles. Chatbot users may depend on their AI companions for support and affirmation, while still having relationships with humans that provide different kinds of challenges and rewards. Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has suggested that AI companions may help solve the problem of loneliness. However, there is some (admittedly very preliminary data) to suggest that many of the people who form connections with chatbots are not just trying to escape loneliness. In a recent study (which has not yet been peer reviewed), researchers found that feelings of loneliness did not play a measurable role in someone's desire to form a relationship with an AI. Instead, the key predictor seemed to be a desire to explore romantic fantasies in a safe environment. We should be willing to accept AI-human relationships without judging the people who form them. This follows a general moral principle that most of us already accept: We should respect the choices people make about their intimate lives when those choices don't harm anyone else. However, we can also take steps to ensure that these relationships are as safe and satisfying as possible. First, governments should implement regulations to address the risks we know about already. They should, for instance, hold companies accountable when their chatbots suggest or encourage harmful behaviour. Governments should also consider safeguards to restrict access by younger users, or at least to control the behaviour of chatbots who are interacting with young people. And they should mandate better privacy protections — though this is a problem that spans the entire tech industry. Second, we need public education so people understand exactly what these chatbots are and the issues that can arise with their use. Everyone would benefit from full information about the nature of AI companions but, in particular, we should develop curriculums for schools as soon as possible. While governments may need to consider some form of age restriction, the reality is that large numbers of young people are already using this technology, and will continue to do so. We should offer them non-judgmental resources to help them navigate their use in a manner that supports their well-being, rather than stigmatizes their choices. AI lovers aren't going to replace human ones. For all the messiness and agony of human relationships, we still (for some reason) pursue other people. But people will also keep experimenting with chatbot romances, if for no other reason than they can be a lot of fun. Neil McArthur is the director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba.
