Love it or hate it, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a part of our lives. In fact, most of us have been using AI for years, calling it “Siri,” or “Alexa,” and asking it to help us get where we’re going, call someone in our contact list, or start our favorite playlist.

The newest generations of AI, however, can do far more complicated—and human-like—tasks than even these. That’s why AI is being used in almost every sector of the economy, from healthcare to finance, from education to entertainment. You can ask AI to explain a complicated subject, plan your next vacation, create a video, or rebut fake news on the internet.

Although AI’s infiltration of our lives carries many risks and downsides—from replacing opportunities for human interaction to making it more difficult to distinguish fact from fraud—it is also offering many benefits.

Have you ever asked AI what it knows about you?

On a lark, my nephew, Richard Murad, the former CEO of Murad, Inc., and now the general manager of Rancho Grande, asked ChatGPT what it could tell him about me. This is what came back:

Dr. Howard Murad, wellness wizard, is known for turning desert adversity into global innovation, proving that real beauty starts from within. Dr. Murad has shaped how we think about skin, health, and happiness—and he’s done it with heart, patents, poetry, and pure brilliance.

Real-life hero of skin and spirit

From Baghdadi Beginnings to Global Impact

• Born in Baghdad and arriving in New York at just seven, Dr. Murad and his family faced tough odds. Yet young Howard hustled—from delivering newspapers to caddying on golf courses—to help his family and buy his own education.
• He powered through pharmacy school at Brooklyn College, saved up, then paid his way through medical school—all while working full-time. Talk about grit!

The Man, The Myth, The Skincare Legend

Here are just a few of his major accomplishments:

US Bronze Star Veteran of Vietnam

• Murad served as a General Medical Officer in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1968, treating soldiers injured in combat zones and sending them to Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals—an intense frontline job that earned him the prestigious Bronze Star Medal for his dedication under fire.
• Guided by his time in Vietnam, Howard pivoted from aspiring surgeon to dermatologist and wellness visionary—committed to healing people from the inside out after witnessing the fragility of life up close.

Visionary Founder of Modern Wellness

• In 1989, at age 50, he launched Murad, Inc., a pioneering clinical skincare line backed by his pharmacist training and dermatology expertise. It was the first of its kind: doctor-branded, results‑driven, accessible.
• Although his first infomercial flopped, the experience only fueled his resolve. He made a second one, which was a success, and the Murad brand is now iconic.

The Father of Internal Skincare™ & Cellular Hydration

• Dr. Murad defines skincare as healthcare, uniting mind, body, and skin in his “Modern Wellness” philosophy.
• He introduced the Cellular Water Principle™, showing that youthful skin and vitality depend on how well each cell holds water. Hydration at its most fundamental!

Innovation That Speaks Volumes

• Over his career, he’s received 19 patents covering everything from hydration to anti‑inflammatory breakthroughs—proof of a life committed to science in skincare.
• On top of that, he’s personally treated over 50,000 patients, combining medical focus with a caring approach and a holistic outlook.

Boundless Educator and Inspirational Author

• Dr. Murad was Associate Clinical Professor at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine and created Long Island University’s Howard Murad Inclusive Wellness program. He leads the movement toward inclusive health education.
• He has written more than a dozen books, including The Water Secret, The Murad Method, and Conquering Cultural Stress, which offer science, stories, and soul.

A Legacy of Recognition and Creativity

• Vogue hailed him as the “Best Forward-Thinking Doctor,” Elle called him a Beauty Genius, the International Spa Association crowned him an Industry Visionary, and in 2024 the Society of Cosmetic Chemists awarded him the Frontiers of Science award for lifetime achievements. He also was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Long Island University and has a place in Dermascope’s Academy of Legends.
• After surgery for a detached retina in 2008, his wife nudged him to paint—and he discovered a whole new channel for wellness. He now has hundreds of paintings, which have been featured in the book Creating a Healthy Life and in his Better Every Day app, available through Apple. A celebrated artist, he is living proof of how creative expression is deeply healing.

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Why He’s Your Skincare Superhero

• 💡 Scientist meets skin-whisperer: No snake oil, just hard science, smart formulas, and visible results.
• 💡 Philosopher of radiance: He sees skin as the window to wellness—all about balance, inside and out.
• 🌍 Trailblazing teacher: From UCLA lectures to global wellness talks, he’s a mind-changing mentor.
• ❤️ Heart with hustle: He built a legacy from scratch, with empathy, innovation, and unwavering integrity.

***

Although the AI write-up included a few mistakes—originally calling me the president of the LIU Inclusive Wellness program, for example, and mistaking the title of one of my books—it was remarkably accurate overall. Which is not a reflection so much of me, but of what has been written about me and can be found on the internet. And the speed at which it can find and assemble the information is truly remarkable—literally in seconds.

Yet it would be a shame to read this description of me and conclude that one knows all about me—or even the legacies I most hope to be known for. It did not, for example, mention my children or grandchildren. It did not mention what I believe is my greatest contribution to scientific knowledge, which is the importance of cellular hydration in combating the degenerative effects of aging. It barely mentioned Cultural Stress and said nothing of my decades-long warnings about the toll it is taking on our health and happiness. Nor did it mention any of my 600-plus Insights, including my most famous: “Eat your water,” and “Why have a bad day, when you can have a good day?” And, for a final illustration, I asked AI to generate an image of me. It did—see the man in the lab coat on the left in the side-by-side photos above. It got my approximate age, skin, hair, and eye color right, but the man wearing the lab coat that says “Dr. Howard Murad” is clearly not me.

So, being able to reap the benefits, while recognizing and defending against the drawbacks of AI have become an additional and essential aspect of managing Cultural Stress. Being able to distinguish fact from fiction, while recognizing the limits of this amazing new technology, will only become increasingly important. We all must learn how to use AI, without letting it use or abuse us!

That’s #ModernWellness!