u/BargainBinBrain

My girlfriend and I are planning on getting married and taking my current middle name and her current last name and joining them. She's changing her legal name with a new first and middle name, and I want to pick a more affirming middle name. I know people here know the most about legal name changes, so do I have to get another (I have already legally changed my name once) birth certificate? Additionally, would it make more sense to do our name changes and then change our married names, or just do it all at once.

Note: I need to change my middle name because or else I would be [first] [middle] [middle-last] and that would be funny at best, bad at worst.

The EDS clinic (the only place near me that can diagnose HSD/hEDS and the only place where I can get genetic testing) updated their referral requirements RIGHT as my doctor sent in my referral. I now I have to use an app that uses my camera and AI measures if my joints pass the beighton scale. I have already been confirmed by 3 medical professionals that my score is 7/9, but I have to use the app and use the pdf of the results in the referral, and a negative score will have your referral rejected I believe. You can only retake your beighton scale with the app once a year. I haven't used it yet as I was just told about it today, but I'm really worried about getting a false negative beighton score which contradicts the opinion of a nurse practitioner, a physiotherapist, and a rheumatologist. I'm worried as my body is chubby and therefore some joints may appear less hypermobile to the untrained eye (which I'm guessing AI is measuring the angle of the exterior body and not where the bone/joint is supposed to be).

Anyone else in a similar boat, know what's going on, or how to override this/complain about it to get it changed? The app is great for people who can't get a doctor to test the beighton scale for them, but when the app is mandatory it seems a bit stupid.

I see a lot of posts about people using ChatGPT and other AI chatbots for reasons aside from the tools that they can be, mostly for work because they aren't very good tools in most people's daily home lives. It's worrying to me, because maybe some people are using them as friend replacements if they don't have any or many, which would be really bad for someone's brain long term. AI isn't a uniquely bad new technology, but the way I see a lot of people on this sub use it is really concerning, because it basically rots your brain in the same way if not worse than short-form content like TikTok and Youtube Shorts. I don't know, is this a trend anyone else is seeing and finds worrysome?

EDIT: to clarify - I am not concerned with people using AI to write cover letters for job applications, as long as you look them over, or using it to help gather sources for research, or even help explain the possible meaning and intent behind someone's message. If anyone, autistic or allistic, is using it as a tool or learning aid, then there is no issue provided there isn't a reliance on it. I am concerned about the people using it as a therapist, as medical advice without a second opinion or fact check, using it as a friend, and using it as a partner, as I wouldn't be surprised if companies either are or will begin to prey on lonely autistic people for money, and AI psychosis is a documented thing that autistic people could be at higher risk for.