What Changed Since The Book Went to Print
AI moves fast. Faster than a book can keep up with. This page exists so the book doesn't lie to you.
Prices change. Tools change. Laws change. I update this page when something in the book becomes wrong or embarrassingly out of date. Bookmark it. Check back occasionally. Think of it as the book's conscience.
What Things Actually Cost Right Now
These are the current prices as of April 2026. They will change. That's why this page exists instead of the back of the book.
| Tool | Free? | Paid Tier | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free | $20/mo (Plus) $8/mo (Go) |
GPT-5.2, image generation, web search, voice |
| Claude | Free (daily limits) | $20/mo (Pro) $100-200/mo (Max — most people don't need this) |
Longer conversations, priority access, Excel/PowerPoint |
| Google Gemini | Free | $19.99/mo (Advanced) | Gemini Ultra, Google Workspace integration, video |
| Microsoft Copilot | Free (in Windows) | Included in M365 | Office integration, GPT-powered |
| Perplexity AI | Free | $20/mo (Pro) | Unlimited searches, better sources, Comet agent |
| DeepSeek | Free | Free | Full access. Yes, really. The whole thing is free. |
| NotebookLM | Free | Free | Upload your docs, AI research assistant, podcast generator |
These will change. They always change. That's why this page exists instead of the back of the book.
What the Government Is (Trying to) Do About AI
Nobody fully agrees on who's in charge of regulating AI right now. The EU has the clearest rules. The US is having a complicated argument about it. Your state may or may not have done something. Here's where things stand.
The EU AI Act is the most comprehensive AI law in the world. It started enforcing prohibited practices in February 2025, and the full rules for high-risk AI uses — hiring, lending, healthcare, education — take effect in the second half of 2026. Which, depending on when you're reading this, may already be here. Fines go up to 35 million euros or 7% of global revenue. They're not messing around.
In the US, President Trump signed an executive order in December 2025 trying to create one national standard instead of fifty different state rules. Meanwhile, the states kept going anyway. Colorado, California, Utah, and Texas all have their own AI laws in various stages of taking effect. Over 1,000 AI-related bills were introduced across state legislatures in 2025 alone. It's a lot. Nobody's fully sure how it all fits together yet.
The honest answer: This is moving fast and it's messy. The EU is ahead. The US is figuring it out. The trend is clearly toward more rules, not fewer. None of these laws are aimed at you for using ChatGPT to plan dinner. They're aimed at companies building and deploying AI in ways that affect your life.
I'll update this section when something meaningful changes. Check back.
What's New Since The Book Went to Print
This edition went to print in May 2026.
Nothing yet — the ink is still wet. Check back in a few months. When tools change, prices shift, or something in the book becomes wrong, I'll say so here before I say so anywhere else.
Don't Fall Behind — The Catch-Up File
Every quarter I put together a short PDF — 4-6 pages — covering what changed in AI since the last edition. New tools, new fails, new rules, updated prices. Free for email subscribers.
No spam. No daily emails. Just the quarterly update when AI does something worth knowing about.
Things I Got Wrong (Or That Changed On Me)
Nothing yet. But when something is wrong, I'll say so here.
I'd rather update a webpage than have you trust something that's no longer true. That's the deal.