Dr. Melanie McNally, LLC

Dr. Melanie McNally, LLC Clinical Psychologist and Brain Coach | White House Panelist | Author

This book has completely changed my perspective on AI. While the book focuses on OpenAI, the company that runs ChatGPT, ...
12/07/2025

This book has completely changed my perspective on AI. While the book focuses on OpenAI, the company that runs ChatGPT, the journalist really shows how similar the large AI companies are. It’s a thick book that I will be processing for a while, but here are my main big takeaways:
- OpenAI and the other large AI companies will not disclose how they trained their models. There’s a lot of evidence showing they steal copyrighted material and private user data, but who really knows the extent of how bad it is since they won’t share that and no one is making them.
- they take advantage of countries in turmoil and deplete their resources for the technology to support these models, as well as exploit labor by paying people unsustainable wages. Once they’ve depleted the people and the land, they leave that country and go onto the next one.
- the large AI models are trained by white American tech bros with very limited and narrow world views. The models are filled with racial and gender bias because of this. (not to mention that they also comb every corner of the Internet so they have enough data to train the models. So when you ask ChatGPT a question, the answers are even being pulled from Reddit comments.)
- they hide behind this grandiose idea that AI is going to make humanity so much better by curing cancer and solving climate change and then use that as an excuse to not have to disclose the environmental impact of the data centers and the technology (or even to disclose where they’re getting the data from to train these models).
- the large AI companies just seem to be in a competition to become the most powerful and wealthy people. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are examples of smaller AI companies who get consent from data providers (people actually sign agreements for their data to be used and they know exactly what it will be used for) and they use significantly less natural resources to run very specific models targeting very specific tasks.
- there’s so much more that I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. Please read this book and then reach out to me. I’m dying to talk to people about it!

Cozy has been taken to a whole new level this year. Last year, we spent the holidays setting up the new house in Columbu...
11/29/2025

Cozy has been taken to a whole new level this year. Last year, we spent the holidays setting up the new house in Columbus and while it was wonderful to be down there, there’s just nothing like being in the woods for the first big snowfall of the season. Sean made us the best Thanksgiving feast he has yet to create, which is saying a lot because he really knows how to cook. 100% vegan and 100% homemade: chimichurri sauce to go on top of the vegan roast, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, wild rice, roasted brussels sprouts with toasted almonds, buttermilk biscuits, roasted veggies with a spicy marinade, and an apple crisp for dessert. Cooking is his love language and it’s safe to say he sure does love me. 💗💗💗

11/08/2025

I’m not anti-AI, but I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the way people are using it to manage their mental health. Chatbots and AI cannot provide therapy, yet many people think that is exactly what it’s doing.

Happy 12th birthday to our sweet cuddle monkey, Derby! We adopted her from a shelter in Chicago 10 years ago where she h...
11/07/2025

Happy 12th birthday to our sweet cuddle monkey, Derby! We adopted her from a shelter in Chicago 10 years ago where she had been brought up from Kentucky as a stray. They knew she had had a litter of pups at some point, and it was clear from the get-go she wanted to be a mama. Any dog she’s lived with, she just wants to cuddle. Watson was her absolute best friend and she was so heartbroken after he passed that she stopped eating and going for walks. She’s the reason we adopted Bambi, and we’re pretty sure she now thinks she’s his mama. She’s traveled the country with us and has known every dog that Sean and I have had together. She’s the OG. Happy birthday sweet girl 💗

This has been the hardest year of my life, but so many lessons to be learned. I’ll be sharing more in my own time, but f...
11/02/2025

This has been the hardest year of my life, but so many lessons to be learned. I’ll be sharing more in my own time, but for now, I’m just so grateful for modern medicine and the support of my loved ones.

❤️ ♿️

36 hours, 11 waterfalls, countless rivers and trails, 1 delicious RV-made seaweed miso noodle dinner, and a perfect camp...
10/27/2025

36 hours, 11 waterfalls, countless rivers and trails, 1 delicious RV-made seaweed miso noodle dinner, and a perfect campsite on Lake Superior. The more time I spend away from the internet, social media, and AI, the more time I want to spend away.

36 hours,
10/27/2025

36 hours,

24 hours of off grid/no service autumn bliss in my favorite part of the UP. Meandering creeks, roadside waterfalls, a pe...
10/20/2025

24 hours of off grid/no service autumn bliss in my favorite part of the UP. Meandering creeks, roadside waterfalls, a perfect campsite, cozy general stores, and perfect tree lined roads that we had all to ourselves….its as though we designed it all. I ❤️ the UP so much this time of year.

I wish I could fully explain what it is I love about mushing. Part of it is the lifestyle: how the mushers are living a ...
10/12/2025

I wish I could fully explain what it is I love about mushing. Part of it is the lifestyle: how the mushers are living a life according to their own passion and values and have no interest in what the rest of the world thinks about them. They’re not getting famous or rich, and many of them live completely off the grid. That alone makes it attractive to me.

Another part is the connection with the dogs: the mushers are so attuned and compassionate towards their dogs, it would shock many people. The dogs always come first, and the mushers know each of their dogs’ unique personalities better than most parents know their own children.

I also love the connection to nature. So much of the lifestyle involves being outdoors. As one musher told me, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.”

And another part that I love is how there are so many bad ass women who mush. The sport is filled with women and they are hard-core. They’ll talk about losing their favorite blade on the trail, ask you how many pounds your hammer can nail, and rip out a fence post with their bare hands. They know how to handle themselves in any situation, don’t mince words, and make demands unapologetically. The world needs more women like this.

The dry land mushing event was filled with people on scooters, bikes, ATVs, and rigs specially designed for this. I volunteered as a handler and got to hold back dogs on the line who were amped up and ready to go until it was time to let them loose. I also was able to meet up with Captain’s old team and fill them in on how he’s doing as a retired sled dog. And while I doubt I will ever be on any sort of rig attached to a dog, I sure love being an outsider looking in.

I’ve been too busy to do much writing lately, but I couldn’t resist getting this one in print.
10/06/2025

I’ve been too busy to do much writing lately, but I couldn’t resist getting this one in print.

RIP Jane Goodall. You showed the world how to lead with integrity, the importance of having a purpose, and how we all ha...
10/01/2025

RIP Jane Goodall. You showed the world how to lead with integrity, the importance of having a purpose, and how we all have a part to play in the well-being of the planet. All creatures, large and small, thank you.

I’ve been intentionally spending less time online and more time on my health and in-person connections. My recent trip t...
09/26/2025

I’ve been intentionally spending less time online and more time on my health and in-person connections. My recent trip to Austin reminded me how grounding that choice can be. Three days filled with meals and mocktails with friends, coffees with clients, and an annual summit with a circle of women entrepreneurs and founders I’ve known for years. Connections so meaningful that I cried the moment I saw them.

I didn’t capture a single photo of these moments. The only images I brought back are from an early morning walk on my last day, when I came across three abandoned dogs in urgent need of help. What followed was a spontaneous rescue effort that pulled strangers together into a team-neighbors, passersby, and even a 12-year-old girl who gently led the dogs to safety until the rescue group arrived.

That morning reminded me how quickly people can unite when there is a clear need right in front of them. It also reminded me of the importance of focusing on what’s truly important in the world. Helping all living creatures in need. The dogs are now in foster care, receiving the medical attention and love they need before being adopted. If you’d like to support the rescue, You can find them online at jackjackspack.org.

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