News from the Edge

Business

AI’s Billion Dollar Babies: As AI takes center stage, startups are attracting massive investments and sky-high valuations. Hugging Face Inc., an AI platform for sharing models and datasets, recently achieved a $4.5 billion valuation after raising $235 million from tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Nvidia. Perplexity AI, a search engine startup founded less than two years ago, secured $63 million in funding, pushing its valuation over $1 billion, with investors including Jeff Bezos and Nvidia Corp. Perhaps most surprisingly, Cognition, a six-month-old AI coding startup, garnered $175 million led by Founders Fund, valuing it at $2 billion despite a shaky product debut, (with a rumored faked demo video) showcasing the intense competition and high stakes in the AI market. The current AI market map shows roughly 2500 active AI startups, and we’ve dipped our toes in a bunch.

Only in ‘Merica: In a nation where the cost of living continues to rise, a growing demographic known as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) finds itself caught in a financial limbo. These individuals and families, earning above the Federal Poverty Level but below the income needed to afford basic necessities, face daily struggles to make ends meet despite their full-time employment. The ALICE population, which disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic households, people with disabilities, and single-parent households with children, is a stark reminder of the outdated safety net and the urgent need for change. Shockingly about 29% of the US population is ALICE. We think it is time for Karen to call the manager.

Rule of Law

#MeToo, E Tu: Just in case you had any misconceptions that the US Justice system was actually working, Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 NY rape conviction was just overturned by a court of appeals because the prosecutors showed too much evidence that he raped women (they showed evidence of prior bad acts). Luckily for womankind, Weinstein’s California conviction is still on the books, so the disgraced mogul will remain behind bars for now. If anyone was keeping count, one more notch in the belt against women’s bodies.

Technology

Death of Search: AI is being leveraged to manipulate Reddit discussions and promote products, while simultaneously gaming Google's search engine through a crafty technique dubbed "parasite SEO." This method involves AI-generated posts on Reddit that tout various products, which then rank highly on Google due to the popularity of appending "Reddit" to search queries. One such service, ReplyGuy, automatically injects product mentions into Reddit conversations. The result is a distorted internet where AI-generated content and product sellers reign supreme, as well as the potential for compromised user privacy and the suppression of innovation and diversity online.

Solar Surplus: In an ironic twist, California's abundance of solar power has become a challenge: there is so much solar on the grid, that during the bright, sunny days of spring when energy demand is low, prices can actually go negative. The phenomenon is known as the "duck curve,” because the graphic interpretation of the scenario looks somewhat like a sitting duck. To address this issue, the state compensates new solar panel owners only for the value their power brings to the grid. Unfortunately, by cutting back these incentives it slows the pace of solar panel installation — creating another veritable sitting duck (the Earth). Unfortunately, Nevada and Hawaii are grappling with similar solar surplus problems. While utilities are arguing they shouldn’t have to overpay for power when they don’t have to, we wish we had the same pricing power.

Green Power: Costa Rica has been leading the world in renewable energy for nearly a decade, generating an impressive 99% of its electricity from sustainable sources (compared to the US generating 20% from renewable sources). While hydropower currently dominates Costa Rica's energy mix, the country is looking to diversify its renewable portfolio with solar, wind, and geothermal energy to mitigate the risks associated with hydropower's variability due to climate change. (Can we please get a break?) Costa Rica has an ambitious goal of achieving and maintaining 100% renewable electricity generation by 2030.

Scanning Eyes, Raising Eyebrows: We stopped paying too much attention to crypto when we couldn’t find a use case (besides gambling), but we were shocked to find out that Sam Altman’s Worldcoin is grappling with an unexpected challenge: a shortage of its signature orbs. The orbs are the biometric devices used to scan people’s irises in exchange for tokens. The project, which has already raised a staggering $115 million from investors, aims to revolutionize online identity verification. We’re not so sure everyone is all in on the global decentralized digital economy, but receiving 10 Worldcoins for an eye scan is “essentially free money.” We’re impressed by the market innovation — one man used the tokens to buy a goat — although we aren’t so pleased by the crypto bros asking him to name the goat “Sam.”

Toddlers and Terrabytes: In a controversial move that some see as a step backward, the world's first "Miss AI" beauty pageant has been organized by Fanvue and the World AI Creator Awards (WAICA), with a $20,000 grand prize up for grabs. The competition, which involves AI-generated female images judged on their looks, social media following, and the "personalities" assigned to them by their creators, has drawn criticism for perpetuating harmful beauty norms and potentially replacing human models with more easily controlled, ageless AI counterparts. The judging will be conducted by two human judges and two AI models who are designed to embody exaggerated beauty standards. We’ll wait for the reality show and the pageant moms.

Culture

Hunger Games: In New York City, scoring a table at the hottest restaurants has become a high-stakes game, with diners resorting to bots, scalpers, elite credit card perks, and exclusive membership clubs to secure coveted reservations. Restaurants, struggling with razor-thin profit margins, are turning to data and algorithms to identify and prioritize their most valuable customers, transforming the once-democratic act of dining out into a members-only affair. As competition intensifies and the pandemic reshapes the industry, the future of the neighborhood restaurant hangs in the balance. If that post-college analyst job doesn’t work out, no worries, you can make $80k a year selling NYC restaurant reservations if you have the right connections, and the unlisted phone numbers.

Passover Glow Up: Passover has some staples — matzoh, gefilte fish and Manischewitz wine (if you haven’t grown up with them, we don’t recommend them, except the matzoh ball soup). Manischewitz, the brand, decided that like so many other brands, they wanted to appeal to a younger consumer base. Jewish food isn’t just for the holidays or the occasional pastrami sandwich — so they created “new, colorful, and welcoming packaging” and a distinctive voice reminiscent of an affectionate Grandma combined with an enthusiastic foodie (aka Jerry Seinfeld). Even if you don’t eat Gefilte, we were enamored by the hunky, hipster fish Daddy on the jar, and we would certainly invite him to our table.

Yes, Chef: Pierce Abernathy, the 29-year-old Instagram chef and model, has taken the internet by storm with his simple, approachable cooking style and delicate, thoughtful demeanor. From walking the runway for Gucci to collaborating with artists and publications, Abernathy's success story began during the pandemic when he started making his own cooking videos. With his good looks and humble attitude, he's become a favorite among fashion circles and celebrities alike, all while using his food and fame to steer culture in a positive direction through his Substack "Don't Skip the Dip!" and involvement in the sustainability-focused food collective Aerthship. While Abernathy likes to create food for “people who don’t eat much,” he is also known to post a shirtless thirst trap. Yum, yum.

Midnight Munchies no More: In a bold move to combat noise pollution and promote residents' well-being, Milan, Italy, is considering a ban on late-night take out food sales, including pizza and gelato. The proposed ban, set to take effect next month until November, would apply to 12 districts in Milan, including popular nightlife hotspots, and would also require bars and restaurants to close outdoor areas at the same time. While the ban aims to strike a balance between sociability and the peace of mind of local residents, critics argue that it would infringe upon the very essence of Italian culture and deal a blow to local businesses. We always say we lose weight on vacation — no carbs after dark!

Athleisure taken to new lows: New Balance's latest creation, the 1906L, is a perplexing hybrid that blurs the lines between a sneaker and a loafer, leaving everyone scratching their heads. This frankenshoe, set to release in August, has already been memed to death, with comments ranging from lawn-mowing attire to church-and-basketball-court versatility. The snoafer (or sneafer, depending on who you ask) aims to redefine dad shoes and elevate them to the executive suite. “It works because it knows it’s goofy, and it knows it’s unserious,” said Brendan Dunne, the head of sneakers at Complex magazine. While the pandemic made casual Fridays a daily occurrence, and sneakers a luxury item, we don’t think the snoafer is fooling anyone. Embrace your inner dad bod, and step into the unknown.

Clark’s Cringe: During one of Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player, columnist Gregg Doyel made a particularly oafish, sexist and misogynistic remark (what’s new you might ask). The remark was so out of place that even Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports called Doyel a “sexist pervert.” Doyel attempted to apologize, but the internet came to Clark’s defense highlighting the challenges female athletes face in gaining respect and equal treatment from predominantly male sports journalists. Clark may have the last laugh — despite her paltry salary with the Fever, she has reportedly signed an 8 year $28M contract with Nike.

Poets Reunited: You might not be a Swiftie, but if you happen to be like us, and keep confusing TTPD with Dead Poets Society, you’ll appreciate the cameos in Taylor Swift’s Fortnight video. Josh Charles and Ethan Hawke reunited (while apparently keeping the role a secret even from their children), playing researchers examining Swift. Dead Poets was released in 1989, so we'll await the further conspiracies.

And because we must…The vintage typewriter community is in a frenzy because of Taylor Swift. Ahead of her album release, Swift posted a TikTok where she sat at a typewriter and typed “as she was leaving it felt like breathing.” So if you happen to notice a new nostalgia for the vintage machine, blame it on the Swifties.

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