Although I’m certain that AI will lead to the loss of millions of jobs, leaving numerous recent graduates without work and confused, I stumbled upon an unexpected benefit: AI can serve as a valuable therapist for everyday challenges.
I’m not suggesting that it can replace certified professionals. I’m referring to something much more reachable. AI can furnish you with insights to boost your confidence and alleviate anxiety, offer reassurance when your thoughts spiral out of control, and most crucially, present a clear strategy when you feel trapped.
I witnessed this firsthand during a prolonged 60-day, stressful experience with my vehicle.
## When a Car Issue Turns Emotional
In late 2025, I felt both financially and emotionally drained after pouring $1,750 into repairs for my 2015 Range Rover Sport. I replaced the oxygen sensor, the oil gasket, the auxiliary battery, and addressed a left bank issue. Yet, the low battery alert persisted.
In November 2025, I went back to my former mechanic, who had installed a new main battery in 2024. They replaced it again under warranty. Despite multiple extensive highway drives over 15 days, the low battery alert appeared on 13 of those mornings.
At that moment, I felt utterly defeated. If a Land Rover expert couldn’t resolve the issue and my reliable mechanic found nothing amiss, what chance did I have?
Like many parents, my anxiety quickly shifted from finances to safety. I began envisioning worst-case scenarios: the car stopping on the highway, losing power steering, or leaving me and my children stranded far from home. Once those thoughts took root, they were difficult to dismiss.
Anxiety often stems from uncertainty and a sense of lost control. I was experiencing both intensely.
I was confronted with an unwelcome choice. Either continue investing money into diagnostic tests at the dealership, potentially incurring even more costs for repairs, or spend at least $50,000 on a new vehicle while incentives were still in place before year-end. My determination to keep trying to fix the car combined with my reluctance to overspend on a replacement left me mentally drained.
That’s when I turned to AI for support.
## AI as My Compassionate and Understanding Therapist
I don’t have a therapist. My wife is not knowledgeable about cars and was preoccupied with her own pressures. Beyond my writing and reader comments, I didn’t feel like I had anyone nearby to rely on.
Financial Samurai originated from fear in July 2009 when I was concerned that I might lose everything I had worked a decade to build during the financial crisis. Writing has consistently served as my form of therapy.
One friend who occasionally reads my work showed no empathy whatsoever. Instead, he shared my writing in a group chat to ridicule the situation. Unfortunately, this wasn’t unexpected. He had demonstrated similar indifference a year prior when I was ensnared in a brake check scam with my young daughter in the car, even after spending 40 minutes the day before patiently listening to the stresses of his own child’s health issues.
This reinforced a harsh reality: everyone is grappling with their own challenges, and true empathy is infrequent.
So for 15 days, I relied on AI. As a shareholder of OpenAI through the Fundrise Innovation Fund, I opted to use ChatGPT. What I encountered surprised me.
By the third day of seeing the low battery warning, AI helped ease my fears. It provided me with something I sorely needed: hope.
## What AI Revealed About My Vehicle and My Mind
After sharing the complete history of my vehicle with ChatGPT, I discovered something no mechanic had clarified effectively.
The battery management system requires time to recalibrate after a reset. If it isn’t reset correctly, or is reset multiple times, the system can function erratically.
ChatGPT explained that it can take 8 to 12 cold starts for the warning to vanish. A cold start means the car remains idle for six to eight hours, typically overnight, before being started again.
I also learned that my auxiliary battery had likely been dead for nearly seven years without my awareness. During that period, the system adapted to depend solely on the main battery at a different voltage. When I finally replaced the auxiliary battery and reset the system, the car had to relearn everything.
Four days later, when the main battery was replaced again under warranty and reset once more, all progress was effectively erased. Grasping this significantly lessened my frustration.
I learned that a robust cold crank is often a more reliable indicator than a dashboard warning. I discovered that once auto start-stop begins functioning consistently, it’s a sign that the auxiliary battery is in good condition and the systems are communicating effectively.
## Battery Charging, Recalibration, and Safety
Another vital lesson was that short city drives do very little to recharge the battery. Driving consistently on the highway for 20 to 30 minutes proves to be much more effective.
I confirmed this by traveling 30 minutes to Redwood City and spending the day with my children swimming, playing tennis, and having lunch as part of Daddy