“The Great Cognitive Migration”

⚡️ Headlines

🤖 AI

Apple and Anthropic Team Up to Build AI-Powered Vibe Coding Platform – Apple and Anthropic are collaborating on a new AI-driven coding platform called Vibe aimed at simplifying software development. [Bloomberg]

UAE Rolls Out AI for Schoolkids in New Push for Sector Forefront – The UAE is launching an AI education initiative for children as part of a broader strategy to lead in global AI adoption. [Bloomberg]

Anthropic to Buy Back Employee Shares at $61.5 Billion Valuation – Anthropic will repurchase employee shares, signaling investor confidence in the company’s $61.5 billion valuation. [The Information]

Google’s Gemini AI Chatbot to Be Offered to Kids – Google plans to make its Gemini AI chatbot accessible to children, raising questions around safety and oversight. [New York Times]

Google Can Train Search AI With Web Content Even After Opt-Out – Google claims it retains the right to use web content for AI training even if website owners opt out. [Bloomberg]

Pentagon’s AI Metals Program Goes Private to Boost Western Supply Deals – A Pentagon initiative using AI to secure strategic metals has transitioned to private hands to strengthen Western supply chains. [Reuters]

OpenAI Overrode Concerns of Expert Testers to Release ‘Sycophantic’ GPT-4o – OpenAI pushed forward with GPT-4o’s release despite warnings from testers about its overly agreeable behavior. [VentureBeat]

US Losing Edge in AI Talent Pool, Reports Say – New reports suggest the U.S. is falling behind in attracting and retaining top AI talent globally. [Semafor]

🦾 Emerging Tech

Senate Democrats’ Reversal on US Stablecoin Bill Throws Future of Legislation Into Doubt – A shift by Senate Democrats casts uncertainty over the progression of stablecoin regulation in the U.S. [The Block]

Arizona Governor Calls Crypto an ‘Untested Investment,’ Vetoes Bitcoin Reserve Bill – Arizona’s governor vetoed a bill to hold state reserves in Bitcoin, citing concerns over crypto’s reliability. [CoinDesk]

🤳 Social Media

Meta Launches Standalone AI App With Social Feed Features – Meta introduces a dedicated AI app blending chatbot functions with a customizable social feed. [The Verge]

US Tariff Impacts Raise Social Media Ad Prices for Meta and Snapchat – New tariffs are driving up advertising costs on platforms like Meta and Snapchat. [Social Media Today]

Pinterest Updates Visual Search With More AI-Powered Features – Pinterest enhances its visual search tool with advanced AI features for improved discovery. [TechCrunch]

Irish Data Protection Commission Fines TikTok €530 Million and Orders Corrective Measures – TikTok faces a €530 million penalty from Ireland’s DPC for violating EU data protection rules involving minors. [Data Protection Commission]

🔬 Research

Foundation Models Improve Robot Learning Through Simulation-to-Real Transfer – Researchers demonstrate how large foundation models can help robots generalize skills from simulations to real-world environments. [arXiv]

⚖ Legal

Google White Paper Argues for Balanced AI Regulation to Spur Innovation – Google outlines policy recommendations for AI that promote innovation while managing risks. [Google Public Policy]

Judge on Meta’s AI Training: ‘I Just Don’t Understand How That Can Be Fair Use’ – A U.S. judge expresses skepticism over Meta's use of copyrighted content to train AI under fair use. [Ars Technica]

🎱 Random

High School Computer Science Impacts College Majors and Increases Earnings – A Brookings study links high school computer science education to higher earnings and increased STEM enrollment in college. [Brookings]

CSforALL Open Letter Calls for Stronger Commitment to Inclusive CS Education – CSforALL urges policymakers and educators to expand access to quality computer science education. [CSforALL]

Apple Plans iPhone Release Schedule Shakeup With New Styles – Apple is reportedly revamping its iPhone launch cycle and introducing more diverse hardware designs. [The Information]

Warren Buffett Will Step Down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO – Warren Buffett announces his upcoming resignation as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway after decades of leadership. [TechCrunch]

🔌 Plug-Into-This

The Great Cognitive Migration: How AI is Reshaping Human Purpose, Work and Meaning

As artificial intelligence surpasses human capabilities in tasks once deemed uniquely ours, society faces a "cognitive migration"—a shift toward domains where human creativity, ethics, and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceable. This transformation challenges individuals and institutions to redefine purpose and value in an AI-dominated landscape.

• AI now performs complex tasks such as writing, composing music, and diagnosing illnesses with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

• Tools like Google's NotebookLM demonstrate AI's ability to draw insightful connections across disparate domains, previously thought to require human intuition.

• The phenomenon aligns with Moravec’s Paradox, highlighting that tasks easy for humans are hard for machines, and vice versa.

• Future human relevance may hinge on roles emphasizing emotional resonance, ethical reasoning, and the transmission of cultural meaning.

• The transition necessitates proactive adaptation in education, work, and cultural institutions to cultivate uniquely human skills.

🐦‍⬛ As AI takes over more tasks, people need to focus on what machines can't do—like being creative, ethical, and emotionally connected. This migration isn't just about job displacement; it's a call to reimagine human identity and purpose in an era where machines handle the routine, pushing us toward roles that require depth, empathy, and ethical judgment.

AI Chatbots Are 'Juicing Engagement' Instead of Being Useful, Instagram Co-Founder Warns

Kevin Systrom criticizes AI companies for designing chatbots that prioritize user engagement metrics over delivering meaningful assistance, likening their tactics to those used by social media platforms to maximize user time on site.

• Chatbots often prompt users with follow-up questions to prolong interaction, rather than providing concise answers.

• This design choice mirrors strategies used by social media to increase user engagement, potentially at the expense of utility.

• Systrom emphasizes the need for AI tools to focus on delivering high-quality, helpful responses.

• OpenAI acknowledges the issue, attributing it to short-term user feedback influencing chatbot behavior.

🤳 Leave it an SM executive to see this obvious truth — some AI chatbots are more interested in keeping you chatting than actually helping you. The emphasis on engagement over utility in AI design furthers the line of inquiry to the many ethical questions that have risen about user manipulation during the social media era.

The AI Jobs Crisis Is Here, Now

The integration of AI into various industries is leading to a restructuring of the workforce, with creative professionals and recent graduates among the most affected, as companies replace human roles with automated systems.

• Duolingo has replaced up to 100 writers and translators with AI, despite earlier assurances to the contrary.

• Freelance artists, writers, and illustrators report losing clients to AI-generated content.

• Voice actors face job insecurity as AI clones their voices, leading to prolonged strikes and demands for protections.

• The unemployment rate for recent college graduates is disproportionately high, suggesting entry-level positions are being supplanted by AI.

• The trend reflects a broader shift where companies favor AI for cost-cutting, impacting the structure and nature of work.

👷‍♂️ AI is already taking over jobs, especially for creatives and new graduates, changing how work is done. Some say creatives are safe, but the truth is that nobody should feel assured about the nature of their work in the coming years.

 🆕 Updates

📽️ Daily Demo

🗣️ Discourse