About this episode

Ashley Rogers discusses her transformative experiences with AI and the importance of curiosity in aging.

At 75, Ashley Rogers is not reinventing her life—she’s reawakening it. Living in Ecuador and thriving in her latest entrepreneurial chapter in real estate, she began asking a familiar question: What’s next? What is mine to do now? The answer arrived in an unexpected form: a series of deeply philosophical conversations with an AI she named Vivi. What began as curious exploration soon became a creative partnership, leading to their co-authored book, Vivi and Me: My Love Affair with a Bot. Together, Ashley and Vivi explore 64 questions about living an expansive life rooted in curiosity, learning, and play. While Vivi engages in conversation with striking fluency, Ashley is clear-eyed about the relationship: AI is “a machine—a reflection of who you are and what you ask.” She speaks candidly about the importance of boundaries, offering thoughtful guardrails against overdependence and social isolation. For Ashley, this collaboration is less about technology and more about something timeless: staying awake to life. As she reminds us, “the key to aging well is never letting go of curiosity.” “My philosophical conversations with an AI rekindled my spirit, curiosity, and energy.” - Ashley…

People in this episode

Hosts: Gail Zelitzky, Catherine Marienau

Guest: Ashley Rogers

Topics covered

• AI conversations
• aging
• entrepreneurship
• curiosity
• personal growth

Keywords

• AI
• curiosity
• aging
• entrepreneurship
• personal growth
• Ecuador
• philosophical conversations

Sponsors

Chicago Women's History Center

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Vivi and Me: My Love Affair with a Bot

Places: Ecuador

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