Sunday, June 15
Why some companies are rethinking the use of AI
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AI in most workplaces is here to stay. But several businesses bought into the early hype that generative AI would eliminate the need for hiring people and help trim payrolls, only to learn the hard way that robots aren’t yet ready to replace humans.
AI-ers’ remorse: A recent survey from Orgvue noted that more than half of business leaders said they regretted laying off employees as a result of an AI deployment. The research also found that 40% of executives reduced staffing in order to implement AI, and 55% of those robot-lovers regretted that decision. Per S&P Global, 42% of companies abandoned their generative AI pilot projects in 2025, up from 17% last year.
To err is human, to rehire divine
Several companies quickly embraced AI as the employee of the month only to find themselves like Rose in the freezing cold Atlantic, blowing her whistle after the Titanic sank. Here are some of the companies that want people to come back:Klarna: CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said his push to use AI in a customer service role was a mistake because people would prefer to talk to humans than robots, something that eluded him even though that’s been true since the first automated voice on the other end of a phone call said, “To speak to an operator, press 0.” Siemiatkowski is not above AI replacing himself, though: You can call a hotline to give feedback to his AI-generated clone.
IBM: After laying off 8,000 people, including many people in human resources roles who were replaced with the AskHR AI service, the company reversed course upon realizing humans may be better equipped for a job with “human” in the title.
McDonald’s: Using AI to take orders at drive-thrus turned out to be a clown show, with the tech adding bacon to an ice cream order (among other issues).
Duolingo: CEO Luis von Ahn made a big statement that the company was going “AI-first” and replacing contractors with AI, but he walked back that plan after facing backlash from customers.
Zoom out: The rush to get up to speed with a hot new technology was partly due to fear of falling behind competitors welcoming it with open arms, like Apple being left in the dust by its rivals on the AI front. But according to a report from The Economist, most companies aren’t clamoring for AI that’s more clever—they need tech that’s more applicable to their businesses.—DL
Robert Reich
Sunday Thought
We the People
Friends,
Yesterday’s demonstrations across the nation in favor of democracy and against Trump’s dictatorship revealed the power of the people.
The energy, exuberance, and solidarity of those demonstrations stood in sharp contrast to Trump’s noxious display of tanks and military equipment on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. While Trump continues to politicize the military, hundreds of thousands of us are saying no to his usurpation of power that belongs to the people.
We will not be intimidated by the violence he has stirred up — not by the shootings of state legislators and their spouses in Minnesota, nor by the death threats against federal judges, nor by the thuggish removal of a United States senator from a Trump official’s news conference, nor by the arrest of a judge who didn’t cooperate with ICE, nor by the abductions of people from our streets and places of work.
The origins of Father's Day.
A wire around Manhattan allows observant Jews to carry things on the Sabbath.
Is it safe to microdose Ozempic?
The wildest sports moments of the last 25 years.
The era when Earth was ice-covered and inhabited with life.
Visualizing the highest-earning films since 1979.
The US tried to ban fake photos in 1912.
Defining the latest in slang: from "aura farming" to "clock it."
The unique franchise economics of Chick-fil-A.
How the death of a whale feeds the seafloor ecosystem for centuries.
Steps for buying your first hearing aids.
The origins of the Rolling Stones.
How reusable rocket boosters actually work.
Why "The Phantom of the Opera" lasted for decades on Broadway.
Hosting the World Cup is exciting—and extremely costly.
In The NEWS
Black box recovered from site of fatal Air India plane crash.
Indian officials hope the device, which records flight data, will help determine why the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area less than a minute after takeoff Thursday afternoon local time. Of the 242 souls on board, only one—a 40-year-old British man in seat 11A—survived. The number of ground casualties is at least eight as of this writing, as officials use DNA from family members to identify victims. See our previous write-up on the tragedy here.
Protesters expected to take to the streets across the US today.
Millions of people in an estimated 2,000 US cities are expected to participate in "No Kings" protests today in response to the Trump administration's policies. Cities include Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, Phoenix, and Philadelphia. No protests are planned for Washington, DC, as of this writing, where a military parade will be held to commemorate the US Army’s 250th anniversary (read previous write-up). See parade preparation photos here.
US House passes bill to claw back $9.4B in previously approved funding.
The House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill to rescind $9.4B in funding that Congress had already approved. The package revokes $8.3B in foreign aid and $1.1B allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS. All but four Republicans voted in favor, with Democrats opposing. The bill now heads to the Senate, where only a simple majority is required to send it to President Donald Trump's desk for signing.
World's largest meatpacker debuts on the New York Stock Exchange.
Brazilian meat giant JBS began trading on the NYSE Friday, with shares opening at $13.65, valuing the company at roughly $30B. The market cap surpasses rival Tyson Foods, which is valued at close to $20B. The move is part of JBS' plan to access broader investment and comes after its parent company's corruption and bribery scandals. Last year, JBS made roughly $77B in revenue and $2B in net income.
Oilers and Panthers face off in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final tonight.
The Edmonton Oilers host the Florida Panthers tonight (8 pm ET, TNT) after a comeback Thursday that tied the Stanley Cup Final series 2-2. Trailing by three goals after the first period, the scoreless Oilers rallied to win in overtime. Edmonton is the first Stanley Cup finalist in over 100 years to win after such a deficit, keeping it in the hunt to become the first Canadian team since 1993 to win the Cup. Both teams, which played in last year’s final, need two more wins to secure the 2025 title.
NASA researchers find link between Earth’s magnetic field and oxygen levels.
For the past 540 million years, the strength of the geomagnetic field has risen in tandem with the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere. The newly discovered correlation may offer insights into the conditions necessary for life on other planets. However, it remains unclear which influences the other, or if both are governed by an outside factor, such as tectonic rearrangements caused by supercontinents like Pangaea. NASA researchers are exploring this question next.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
The Future
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When I was in elementary school, as best as I can recall, I looked at the future in terms of holidays and summertime.
When I was in high school, my future was the weekends and what we were going to do, where we were going to do it, and with whom.
When I was in college, my future was either the end of the semester or graduation from college.
During my working career, my future was vacations and the next level of advancement.
At sixty, my future was retirement and once I retired my future was my next doctor's appointment.
Have you thought about YOUR FUTURE and what it might entail?
Let me help you with that...
- There will be a change in social security that will not favor the retiree
- Humanoid AI Robots will soon be replacing jobs as early as 2030 or sooner
- There will be an end to the middle class and the millionaires and billionaires will increase in size
- Wage/inflation spiral will continue to work against the middle class employee
- China will become more powerful with a goal of controlling the global economy
- The global economy will shift towards the east forever changing the US Economy
- College degrees will be worthless, being replaced by certificates of knowledge competence
- Obesity will continue to be a problem for Americans
My thoughts are that many of these predictions will really start to manifest themselves between 2025 and 2030. My future ideas are predicated upon the articles I have been reading on Google News and watching the global news daily.
Most Americans do not think about the future, just what is directly in front of them and it is also true that many people just take life one day at a time, not giving much thought to the future unless it pertains to a vacation and being forced to book it in advance to make sure you get the week you want.
China’s humanoid robot masters chopsticks, cooks dumplings, pours wine
A Chinese firm has trained its humanoid robot to become the first to skillfully handle chopsticks, marking a major leap in robotic dexterity. Being trained to master traditional Chinese culinary tasks, Robotera’s STAR1 can cook dumplings, steam buns, pour wine, and even clink glasses in a toast.
According to the Beijing-based firm, it will continue to train the robot in a growing range of Chinese cooking techniques, highlighting its expanding capabilities in the kitchen.
In March 2025, in a desert showdown in China, the 5.6-foot-tall flagship robot STAR1, wearing sneakers, outpaced its barefoot humanoid rival with a unique running style, reaching speeds of 8 mph (12.8 km/h) across rough terrain.
Saturday, June 14
We Are on Middle Eastern Time Now
Currently, we are living in a world that is on the verge of turning upside down... that is to say, it is transitioning from a relatively peaceful environment to a more volatile, war-like environment that might just escalate into a WWIII...
The Ukraine is defeating Russia and Putin is smart enough not to retaliate with nuclear weapons... unfortunately, that is not the case with whoever is in charge of IRAN.
SIMPLY PUT - Iran wants to completely destroy Israel, that is to say wipe all JEWS out of existence and believe that it is their sacred duty to accomplish that goal. Next, they want to come after America for supporting Israel. Iran foolishly thinks they can defeat one or both of us with nuclear weapons.
Did Israel make a tactical mistake by pre-emptively bombing on of Iran's nuclear sights???
We will be arguing that move for years to come but the fact remains, it was done.
Did Iran make a tactical mistake in its retaliation efforts to bomb population centers and civilians???
That too will be argued, some believing it too was justified.
HOWEVER, what Israel will now do in its retaliation efforts is yet to be seen, but the odds are that it will not be a sedative attack.
It will be that attack that vibrates throughout the world and will put America in a position of having to do something about it, if they can.
Both Iran and Israel are resolute about their intentions - neither one backing down - neither one seeking peace.
It is more than just Iran and Israel, Ukraine and Russia...
It is China, Great Britain, the European Union, NATO, and the global economy that will eventually (albeit sooner than later) become involved.
Wars are no longer between just two countries as most of us now take sides in some way or another.
The seriousness of a WWIII is upon us and egos, historical attitudes, promises, pledges, or whatever else we might have agreed to, is ALL OUT THE WINDOW.
No one seems to be backing down.
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