Continuing the Conversation: Using AI to Enhance Your Personal Life, Projects, Events, and Travels with Iris Beckwith
Fellows and guests joined a presentation on Friday, March 6, 2026, featuring Iris Beckwith. Building on her October ACTEC presentation, Continuing the Conversation about Cyber Security Awareness, Iris Beckwith returned to continue the discussion—this time with a focus on artificial intelligence and how it can be used in our personal lives.
During her presentation, Continuing the Conversation: Using AI to Enhance Your Personal Life, Projects, Events, and Travels, Iris explored how AI tools can be thoughtfully and effectively used to support everyday personal activities, including creating projects, enhancing travel experiences, planning events, holidays, and more.
Drawing on her experience as a child and technology safety advocate, she also addressed the risks that accompany this rapidly evolving technology. She highlighted common missteps, emerging threats, and practical safeguards and offered guidance to help families explore AI with greater confidence, awareness, and security.
Cybersecurity Awareness and Using Best Practices to Keep Ourselves, Our Families, and Our Aging Parents Secure While Navigating Today’s Interconnected World
In 2012, Iris Beckwith, an ACTEC spouse, longtime child advocate, and technology safety expert, presented a two-part series titled “Becoming Part of the Digital Conversation.”
Thirteen years later, in October 2025, as the digital world had evolved into something unimaginable, that conversation continued by discussing how individuals could utilize the tools available to them while gaining a better understanding of the threats and risks present in everyday digital interactions.
The presentation addressed common mistakes, the behaviors of technology predators, the safety tools available from various sources, and ways individuals could guide their families and aging parents to feel empowered to use technology confidently and safely.
To make viewing easier, we’ve included timestamps for each slide section,
allowing you to quickly navigate to the topics most relevant to you.
- 01:26 — Continuing the Conversation
- 05:14 — Why Cyber Security Matters
- 07:14 — What Will We Be Talking About Today?
- 07:42 — Why Is Digital Technology So Intimidating?
- 09:56 — Why People Fall Victim to Cybercriminals
- 11:35 — Goals of Cyber Criminals
- 13:18 — Social Engineering
- 14:38 — Types of Online Scams
- 14:54 — It Will Never Happen to Me Because…
- 15:39 — Let’s Delve a Little Deeper
- 16:28 — Phishing
- 16:59 — What Are the Red Flags?
- 18:35 — Another Example
- 19:14 — Smishing – What Are the Red Flags?
- 20:44 — Smishing – What Are the Red Flags?
- 22:24 — Vishing – Ask Yourself
- 23:58 — Law Enforcement Scams
- 25:03 — Answering or Responding Gives Access
- 26:08 — Romance Scams
- 27:11 — Romance Scams – Red Flags! (AARP)
- 29:20 — Loved One Scams
- 31:40 — What Should You Do?
- 34:37 — Cryptocurrency Scams
- 35:14 — What to Do If You Suspect a Scam
- 36:20 — Keep Ourselves Safer and More Secure
- 36:30 — Be Proactive Rather Than Reactive
- 38:12 — What Can We Do?
- 39:00 — Venmo – Set to Private
- 40:52 — Setting Privacy Controls
- 41:46 — Privacy and Security Settings
- 42:18 — Additional Suggestions
- 46:00 — Is Your Phone Listening to You?
- 47:31 — How to Disable App Microphone Access
- 47:58 — Protecting Younger Children and Teens
- 51:14 — Helping Seniors or Aging Parents
- 54:58 — Making Technology a Positive Experience
- 56:44 — Key Takeaways
- 59:04 — Q&A