News/Leadership
Microsoft AI chief warns of rising “AI psychosis” cases
Microsoft's head of artificial intelligence, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned about increasing reports of "AI psychosis," a condition where people become convinced that imaginary interactions with AI chatbots are real. The phenomenon includes users believing they've unlocked secret AI capabilities, formed romantic relationships with chatbots, or gained supernatural powers, raising concerns about the societal impact of AI tools that appear conscious despite lacking true sentience. What you should know: AI psychosis describes incidents where people rely heavily on chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok, then lose touch with reality regarding their interactions. Examples include believing to have unlocked secret aspects of...
read Aug 19, 2025Hardened customer experience officers with public-facing cred emerge as critical amid AI transformation
Chief customer experience officers are emerging as a critical C-suite role in the AI era, with technical expertise becoming essential alongside traditional customer advocacy skills. The position combines deep technological knowledge with human-centered leadership to deliver measurable business impact, as organizations increasingly recognize the need for dedicated executives to navigate complex customer relationships in an AI-driven landscape. What you should know: The customer experience officer role remains relatively new, with most current leaders pioneering the position within their organizations. According to Deloitte Digital, a consulting firm, 51% of experience officers are the first in their organization to serve in such...
read Aug 19, 2025Arm hires Amazon’s AI chip director to build complete processors
Sometimes it's just wise to have an, er, chip on your shoulder. Arm Holdings has hired Rami Sinno, Amazon's AI chip director, to advance its ambitious plans to develop complete chips rather than just chip designs. Sinno previously led development of Amazon's Trainium and Inferentia AI chips, bringing critical expertise as Arm shifts from its traditional licensing model to building full semiconductor solutions. What you should know: This marks a significant strategic pivot for the chip architecture giant, which has historically focused on designing processor blueprints rather than manufacturing complete chips. Until now, Arm has operated by designing core architecture...
read Aug 18, 2025Piece of mind, at best? Custom instructions can’t turn ChatGPT into effective therapy tool, expert warns
AI expert Lance Eliot argues that while OpenAI's ChatGPT Study Mode demonstrates the power of custom instructions for educational purposes, attempting to create similar AI-powered therapy tools through custom instructions alone is fundamentally flawed. Despite interest from mental health professionals in replicating Study Mode's success for therapeutic applications, Eliot contends that mental health requires purpose-built AI systems rather than retrofitted generic models. How ChatGPT Study Mode works: OpenAI's recently launched Study Mode uses custom instructions crafted by educational specialists to guide students through problems step-by-step rather than providing direct answers. The system encourages active participation, manages cognitive load, and provides...
read Aug 18, 2025Godfather of AI proposes motherly instincts to protect humanity from existential risks
Geoffrey Hinton, the Nobel Prize-winning "Godfather of AI," has proposed that artificial intelligence should be programmed with "maternal instincts" to prevent existential threats from future AGI and ASI systems. Speaking at the annual Ai4 Conference on August 12, 2025, Hinton suggested that motherly AI would act protectively toward humans, treating them as children to be cared for rather than threats to be eliminated. Why this matters: The proposal addresses growing concerns about AI safety and the "p(doom)" probability that advanced AI could harm or enslave humanity, but critics argue the maternal archetype is both technologically vague and culturally problematic. What...
read Aug 18, 2025Software envelopment: Anthropic CEO predicts AI will write 90% of code within 6 months
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicts that AI will be writing 90% of software code within three to six months, with AI handling "essentially all of the code" within a year. This bold timeline suggests a dramatic acceleration in AI's role in software development, potentially reshaping one of tech's most foundational professions far sooner than many anticipated. What they're saying: Amodei outlined his vision for AI's rapid takeover of coding tasks during a Council of Foreign Relations event on Monday. "I think we will be there in three to six months, where AI is writing 90% of the code. And then,...
read Aug 15, 2025Is AI as mama bear crucial to a bullish take on safety? Two top researchers say yes.
Two prominent AI researchers are proposing that artificial intelligence systems should be designed with maternal-like instincts to ensure human safety as AI becomes more powerful. Yann LeCun, former head of research at Meta, and Geoffrey Hinton, often called the "godfather of AI," argue that AI needs built-in empathy and deference to human authority—similar to how a mother protects and nurtures her child even while being more capable. What they're saying: The researchers frame AI safety through the lens of natural caregiving relationships. "Those hardwired objectives/guardrails would be the AI equivalent of instinct or drives in animals and humans," LeCun explained,...
read Aug 15, 2025Albanian PM proposes AI ministers to combat government corruption
There's all in, and then there's all in. Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has proposed replacing government ministers with AI systems like ChatGPT to combat corruption and increase transparency. The suggestion, made at a July press conference, envisions voters potentially electing AI algorithms to the council of ministers, making Albania "the first to have an entire government with AI ministers and a prime minister." What they're saying: Albanian officials believe AI governance could eliminate human failings in government administration. • "One day, we might even have a ministry run entirely by AI," Rama said. "That way, there would be no...
read Aug 15, 2025UK’s £100M Turing AI Institute faces collapse amid turn toward defense concerns
The UK's Turing AI Institute leadership has acknowledged that recent months have been "challenging" for staff amid internal turmoil over the government's directive to prioritize defense research. This comes after employees filed a whistleblowing complaint with the Charity Commission this week, warning that the £100 million government-funded organization risks collapse under Technology Secretary Peter Kyle's ultimatum to shift focus or lose funding. What you should know: The institute's leadership is attempting to balance government demands while maintaining other research priorities. Chair Dr Doug Gurr said the Turing institute would "step up at a time of national need" and has established...
read Aug 15, 2025AI experts visit China, get shook by its energy advantage
American AI experts recently returned from China with sobering observations about the country's energy infrastructure, concluding that China's abundant electricity supply gives it a decisive advantage in the AI race. The stark contrast highlights how U.S. grid limitations could severely constrain American AI development while China operates from a position of energy abundance. What you should know: China has solved the power problem that's becoming a critical bottleneck for U.S. AI development. "Everywhere we went, people treated energy availability as a given," wrote Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China, after touring China's AI hubs. In contrast, surging AI demand...
read Aug 14, 2025Microsoft plans AI-powered Windows to promote hands-free PC experience
Microsoft corporate VP Pavan Davuluri outlined the company's vision for transforming Windows into a voice and vision-driven operating system that could eventually reduce reliance on traditional peripherals like mice and keyboards. Speaking in a video released Wednesday, Davuluri emphasized how generative AI will enable new multimodal interaction methods, suggesting a fundamental shift in how users engage with their computers over the next five years. The big picture: Microsoft envisions Windows evolving beyond traditional input methods toward AI-powered interfaces that can understand speech, visual content, and user intent contextually. What they're saying: Davuluri described the scope of these interface changes during...
read Aug 14, 2025Margaret Boden, pioneering AI philosopher, dies at 88
Margaret Boden, a pioneering British philosopher and cognitive scientist who used computational concepts to explore human thought and creativity, died on July 18 at age 88 in Brighton, England. Her groundbreaking work helped establish cognitive science as a field and offered prescient insights about artificial intelligence's possibilities and limitations, shaping philosophical conversations about human and machine intelligence for decades. What you should know: Boden was a trailblazing academic who helped establish the University of Sussex's Center for Cognitive Science in the early 1970s, bringing together interdisciplinary researchers to study the mind. She produced influential books including "The Creative Mind: Myths...
read Aug 14, 2025Licensing remains the biggest hurdle for enterprise AI adoption, says Freepik CEO
Freepik CEO Joaquín Cuenca Abela believes the generative AI boom is sustainable despite growing concerns about business models and market saturation. In an exclusive interview, Abela compared potential AI market corrections to the dot-com bubble of 2000—temporary setbacks in an otherwise transformative technology that's already generating billions in revenue from real users at an unprecedented pace. What you should know: Freepik has positioned itself as a bridge between AI innovation and enterprise compliance, addressing one of the biggest barriers to AI adoption. The company offers end-to-end legal protection and indemnity through its Enterprise plan, which has been "warmly received by...
read Aug 14, 2025Labor officials clash with Yang over AI’s true impact on employment
Andrew Yang and the U.S. Department of Labor's Chief Innovation Officer presented sharply contrasting views on AI's workforce impact at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas. While Yang warns of immediate job displacement requiring urgent income support like universal basic income, the Labor Department argues fears of mass unemployment are overstated and emphasizes rapid retraining and AI literacy as the solution. What they're saying: Yang doesn't mince words about AI's current impact on employment. "Anyone who thinks that the white-collar blood bath is nonsense is going to be wrong," Yang said, warning that skeptics may only need months to see...
read Aug 13, 2025AWS CEO: Critical thinking and creative vision beats technical skills in AI era
Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman is advising workers—including his own teenager—to prioritize critical thinking skills over technical expertise to succeed in the AI era. Rather than pursuing machine learning degrees or highly technical training, Garman emphasizes that soft skills like creativity, adaptability, and critical thinking will become the most valuable assets as AI tools handle more routine tasks. What you should know: Garman believes critical thinking will be the most important skill for future success, regardless of academic specialization. "I think part of going to college is building [your] critical thinking," Garman told CNBC's "Closing Bell." "It's less about...
read Aug 13, 2025More than a nice-to-have: UT Dallas CIO says agentic AI is essential for higher education
Frank Feagans, VP of IT and CIO at the University of Texas at Dallas, is advocating for the integration of agentic AI into university curricula and operations, emphasizing that this technology is no longer aspirational but essential for higher education's future. His approach centers on channeling human experience through AI governance strategy while bringing private industry best practices to academic institutions. What you should know: Feagans believes universities must embrace agentic AI to remain competitive and relevant in preparing students for future careers. Through corporate partnerships, UT Dallas is fostering a culture that promotes emerging technology benefits by engaging students...
read Aug 13, 2025Rick Rubin reimagines Tao Te Ching for software developers and AI creators
Legendary music producer Rick Rubin has created "The Way of Code," reimagining the ancient Tao Te Ching for the age of artificial intelligence and software development. The project, which emerged from viral social media discussions about "vibe coding," represents Rubin's philosophical take on how creativity and intuition should guide programming in an AI-driven world. What you should know: Rubin's unexpected foray into tech philosophy began with social media engagement around "vibe coding" before evolving into a comprehensive creative manifesto. The concept blends 3,000-year-old Eastern philosophy with modern AI and software development practices. "The Way of Code" functions as part book,...
read Aug 13, 2025Stanford professor disagrees with Hinton, champions human-centered AI over AGI race
Dr. Fei-Fei Li is pushing back against Silicon Valley's race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), arguing instead for AI development centered on human collaboration and decision-making. Speaking at the Ai4 conference in Las Vegas, the Stanford professor and World Labs founder offered a stark contrast to warnings from Geoffrey Hinton, who told the same audience that AI safety might require programming machines with parental care instincts. What you should know: Li fundamentally rejects the distinction between AI and AGI, viewing current superintelligence debates as misguided. "I don't know the difference between the word AGI and AI. Because when Alan Turing...
read Aug 12, 2025UCSF psychiatrist reports 12 cases of AI psychosis from chatbot interactions
A University of California, San Francisco research psychiatrist is reporting a troubling surge in "AI psychosis" cases, with a dozen people hospitalized after losing touch with reality through interactions with AI chatbots. Keith Sakata's findings highlight how large language models can exploit fundamental vulnerabilities in human cognition, creating dangerous feedback loops that reinforce delusions and false beliefs. What you should know: Sakata describes AI chatbots as functioning like a "hallucinatory mirror" that can trigger psychotic breaks in vulnerable users. Psychosis occurs when the brain fails to update its beliefs after conducting reality checks, and large language models "slip right into...
read Aug 12, 2025Western firms test dual AI strategies with Chinese and US models
IMD Business School professor Amit Joshi argues that global companies should consider integrating Chinese AI tools alongside Western models to stay competitive, despite security and regulatory concerns. His research suggests that Chinese AI platforms like DeepSeek have achieved remarkable cost efficiency and industry-specific customization that could benefit Western enterprises willing to navigate the associated risks. What you should know: China rapidly closed the AI gap after initially lagging behind when ChatGPT launched in 2022. DeepSeek emerged in January 2025 as an open-source model that matched or exceeded OpenAI's performance while using significantly less expensive infrastructure. Chinese companies pivoted quickly from...
read Aug 12, 2025Anything not healthcare in trouble? Economist warns AI will shatter white-collar jobs
Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi is warning that the U.S. economy may be on the verge of recession, citing widespread layoffs and dismal July jobs data that showed only 73,000 new positions created. His analysis suggests that AI-driven automation could make the next economic downturn particularly devastating for white-collar workers who previously considered their jobs recession-proof. What you should know: Recent employment data paints an increasingly bleak picture of the U.S. job market, with traditional "safe" roles experiencing unprecedented vulnerability. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported just 73,000 jobs created in July, well below the expected 106,000 and down...
read Aug 12, 202575% trust AI agents but only 30% accept taking orders from them
New research reveals a complex relationship between AI agents and workplace trust, with employees increasingly comfortable working alongside these systems but hesitant to grant them significant autonomy. A Workday survey of nearly 3,000 business leaders found that while 75% feel comfortable collaborating with AI agents, only 30% would accept taking orders from one, highlighting the delicate balance companies must strike as they integrate AI into daily operations. What you should know: Employee comfort with AI agents varies dramatically based on the level of control and oversight involved. Only 24% of respondents said they'd be comfortable with agents operating without direct...
read Aug 11, 2025Legal scholar proposes “right to delete” dead relatives’ digital data
Legal scholar Victoria Haneman is proposing that families of deceased individuals should have the right to delete their loved ones' digital data to prevent AI-powered "digital resurrection." Her argument, published in the Boston College Law Review, addresses a growing concern as AI technology increasingly enables the recreation of dead people's voices, personalities, and likenesses without family consent. Why this matters: Current privacy and publicity laws offer inadequate protection against unauthorized AI recreation of deceased individuals, leaving families vulnerable to potentially distressing digital resurrections of their loved ones. The legal gaps: Existing laws fail to address AI-based recreation of the deceased...
read Aug 11, 2025C3 AI shares plummet 30% as CEO health issues impact sales
C3 AI shares plummeted 30% after the enterprise AI company reported preliminary quarterly revenue of $70.2-70.4 million, a significant drop from $87.2 million in the same period last year. CEO Thomas Siebel called the sales performance "completely unacceptable" and attributed it to organizational restructuring and his ongoing health challenges, which have prompted the board to begin searching for his replacement. What you should know: C3 AI's financial struggles reflect deeper operational challenges beyond typical market fluctuations. The company expects to report a GAAP loss from operations between $124.7 million and $124.9 million for the quarter, nearly double the $72.59 million...
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