First Humanoid Robot Factory

Per a recent write-up in Axios, a factory that produces humanoid robots is set to open in Salem, Oregon as early as 2025, with a number of massive implications for businesses and the general workforce. These bipedal bots are expected to be produced in the tens of thousands annually, with a number already set to ship to warehouse chains such as Amazon to assist with loading and unloading large boxes. The production of these automatons has been sped up by manufacturers citing competition from Beijing, China, where corporate interests project a mass production of robots by 2025.   READ MORE...

AI Becoming More Secretive

A damning assessment of 10 key AI foundation models in a new transparency index is stoking new pressure on AI developers to share more information about their products — and on legislators and regulators to require such disclosures.

Why it matters: The Stanford, MIT and Princeton researchers who created the index say that unless AI companies are more forthcoming about the inner workings, training data and impacts of their most advanced tools, users will never be able to fully understand the risks associated with AI, and experts will never be able to mitigate them.

The big picture: Self-regulation hasn't moved the field toward transparency. In the year since ChatGPT kicked the AI market into overdrive, leading companies have become more secretive, citing competitive and safety concerns."Transparency should be a top priority for AI legislation," according to a paper the researchers published alongside their new index.

Driving the news: A Capitol Hill AI forum led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Tuesday afternoon will put some of AI's biggest boosters and skeptics in the same room, as Congress works to develop AI legislation.

Details: The index measures models based on 100 transparency indicators, covering both the technical and social aspects of AI development, with only 2 of 10 models scoring more than 50% overall.

All 10 models had major transparency holes, and the mean score for the models is 37 out of 100. "None release information about the real-world impact of their systems," one of the co-authors, Kevin Klyman, told Axios.

Because 82 of the 100 criteria are met by at least one developer, the index authors say there are dozens of options for developers to copy or build on the work of their competitors to improve their own transparency.

The researchers urge policymakers to develop precise definitions of transparency requirements,. They advise large customers of AI companies to push for more transparency during contract negotiations — or partner with their peers to "to increase their collective bargaining power."  READ MORE...

EVs are Piling Up

The auto industry is beginning to crank out more electric vehicles (EVs) to challenge Tesla, but there's one big problem: not enough buyers.

Why it matters: The growing mismatch between EV supply and demand is a sign that even though consumers are showing more interest in EVs, they're still wary about purchasing one because of price or charging concerns.

It's a "Field of Dreams" moment for automakers making big bets on electrification — they've built the cars, and now they're waiting for buyers to come, says Jonathan Gregory, senior manager of economic and industry insights at Cox Automotive.

Driving the news: 

• Cox Automotive experts highlighted the swelling EV inventories during a recent midyear industry review for journalists and industry stakeholders.
• EV sales, which account for about 6.5% of the U.S. auto market so far this year, are expected to surpass 1 million units for the first time in 2023, Cox forecasts.
• A Cox survey found that 51% of consumers are now considering either a new or used EV, up from 38% in 2021.
• Tesla’s rapid expansion, plus new EVs from other brands, are fueling the interest — 33 new models are arriving this year, and more than 50 new or updated models are coming in 2024, Cox estimates.

Yes, but: Sales aren't keeping up with that increased output. 
READ MORE...

The Rise of Interracial Marriages

Here's one of the biggest statistical changes in American opinion: Approval of interracial marriage in the U.S. is at a new high of 94%, according to Gallup polling.

Why it matters: When Gallup first asked the question in 1958, just 4% of Americans approved of interracial couples.

That approval rating is sky-high no matter how you slice the data:

• Age: 98% of 18- to 29-year-olds approve; 97%, 30–49; 91%, 50+
• Race: 96% of non-white Americans; 93%, white
• Region: 94%, East; 93%, Midwest; 93%, South; 97%, West

The prevalence of intermarriage has also increased.Back in 1967, just 3% of married couples were interracial. Now it's 20%, according to Pew Research Center.

The big picture: There are many reasons contributing to the rise of interracial dating and marriages in the U.S., The Guardian reports:

1. Acceptance of interracial couples has steadily grown — though unique challenges and stressors for these couples still exist. Many interracial couples in the U.S. are feeling anxiety, "with heated public debate on issues involving racial justice, immigration, and even direct attacks on minority groups," CBS News "Sunday Morning" reported.
2. America is increasingly diverse — and is projected to have a majority minority population by 2045, increasing the diversity of potential romantic partners.
3. Younger Americans are more educated than ever. There's a higher rate of interracial marriage among those with more education, studies show.

The bottom line: 55 years after the legalization of interracial marriage, Americans nearly unanimously approve of love across races.

WIll Not Weaponize Robots

A quadrupedal robot armed with a machine gun built by Ghost Robotics, which has not signed the pledge. Photo by Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images


A group of robotics companies including Boston Dynamics — makers of the well-known quadrupedal robot Spot — have pledged not to weaponize their most advanced robots. However, the pledge will likely do little to stop the wider weaponization of this technology.


In an open letter addressed to the entire robotics industries (and first reported by Axios), the companies said they “believe that adding weapons to robots that are remotely or autonomously operated ... raises new risks of harm and serious ethical issues.”  READ MORE...

Long COVID

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey 2022; Chart: Madison Dong/Axios Visuals

Of the nearly 24 million adults in the U.S. who currently have long COVID, more than 80% are having some trouble carrying out daily activities, according to CDC data released Wednesday.

Why it matters: Nearly three years into a pandemic that has left millions newly disabled, medical researchers continue to search for an effective treatment.

The big picture: Long COVID symptoms can include shortness of breath, cognitive difficulties and symptoms that worsen even with minimal physical or mental effort — a primary indicator of chronic fatigue syndrome.

The pandemic sharpened the focus on the once largely dismissed area of chronic fatigue in health care, but misunderstandings and stigma persist.

Up to 4 million people are estimated to be out of work because of long COVID symptoms, according to a Brookings Institute report in August.

While long COVID is classified as a disability, qualifying for Social Security benefits requires proof that the condition has or will last a year, even though there's no test to diagnose long COVID, per CDC.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Sam Ro at AXIOS writes: 

About 1.8 million out-of-work Americans have turned down jobs because of the generosity of unemployment insurance benefits, according to Morning Consult poll results released Wednesday.

Why it matters: 

• U.S. businesses have been wrestling with labor supply shortages as folks capable of working have opted not to work for a variety of reasons.
• One of the more politically controversial reasons has been the availability of unemployment insurance benefits, in particular emergency provisions that were introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indeed, 26 states opted to cut emergency benefits early with the intention of incentivizing people to take open jobs.

By the numbers: Morning Consult surveyed 5,000 U.S. adults from June 22-25, 2021.

• Of those actively collecting unemployment benefits, 29% said they turned down job offers during the pandemic. In response to a follow-up question, 45% of that group said they turned down jobs specifically because of the generosity of the benefits.
• Extrapolating from the 14.1 million adults collecting benefits as of June 19, Morning Consult concluded that 1.8 million people turned down job offers because of the benefits.

To be clear, this is in regards to any and all unemployment insurance benefits including the standard 26 weeks worth of benefits as well as the emergency benefits that are set to end by September.

Furthermore, all 1.8 million won’t necessarily find employment quickly as jobs once offered to them may have been filled by others.

What they’re saying: Morning Consult chief economist John Leer cautions against concluding that this completely validates calls to cut unemployment benefits early.

The bottom line: "Getting people to move from relying on unemployment insurance to wage income doesn't just automatically happen," Leer tells Axios. "There's going to be some searching and matching frictions at work."