Getty / Futurism Your pesky remote freelancers demanding more money as inflation soars? You could try replacing them with AI agents instead — but it probably won’t work out well. New research highlighted by Wired shows how these AI models designed to automate tasks — if not entire jobs — turn out to be incredibly… Continue reading A New Paper Tested AI’s Ability to Do Actually Online Freelance Work, and the Results Are Damning
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American Obesity Rates Are Now Falling, and It’s Almost Certainly Because of Ozempic
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images For decades, the obesity rate among Americans trended inexorably higher, to a peak of 39.9 percent in 2022. But now, new data from Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index shows that something extraordinary has happened: that longstanding trend has reversed, with the obesity rate falling back… Continue reading American Obesity Rates Are Now Falling, and It’s Almost Certainly Because of Ozempic
Amazon Accused of Trapping Drivers in AI Panopticon
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Kevin Carter / Getty Images As work goes, it was a pretty typical shift for Johnny. An Amazon delivery driver, today’s route took his small cargo van through the wooded hills of Big Bear Lake, the rural outskirts of San Bernardino, California. There was just one caveat: his… Continue reading Amazon Accused of Trapping Drivers in AI Panopticon
AI Is Causing a Grim New Twist on the Dunning-Kruger Effect, New Research Finds
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images People who are the worst at doing something also tend to severely overestimate how good they are at doing it, while those who are actually skilled tend to not realize their true talent. This galling cognitive bias is called the Dunning-Kruger effect, as you’re probably familiar… Continue reading AI Is Causing a Grim New Twist on the Dunning-Kruger Effect, New Research Finds
Amazon Denies That AWS Just Went Down Again After Mass Layoffs
Photo by Leonie Asendorpf / picture alliance via Getty Images Staff at Amazon are still reeling from a fresh round of layoffs that saw thousands of corporate workers lose their job as execs appeared to sacrifice employees for their topline. In a memo to all Amazon workers, Beth Galetti, the company’s senior vice president of… Continue reading Amazon Denies That AWS Just Went Down Again After Mass Layoffs
Mysterious Interstellar Visitor Reaches Perihelion Today
Getty Images Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, which has intrigued astronomers since its discovery in July, is expected to reach its closest distance to the Sun — or its perihelion, coming within just 126 million miles of our star — today. And according to outspoken Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, it’s the perfect moment to find out whether… Continue reading Mysterious Interstellar Visitor Reaches Perihelion Today
New Law Would Prevent Minors From Using AI Chatbots
Getty / Futurism A proposed bipartisan bill would seek to bar minors from interacting with AI chatbots, marking a forceful attempt to subject AI companies to federal regulation over concerns about minors and AI safety. Titled the GUARD Act, the bill was brought on Tuesday by senators Josh Hawley of Missouri (R) and Richard Blumenthal… Continue reading New Law Would Prevent Minors From Using AI Chatbots
Waymo CEO Says Society Is Ready for One of Its Cars to Kill Someone
Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunch Waymo robotaxis are so safe that, according to the company’s data, its driverless vehicles are involved in 91 percent fewer crashes compared to human-operated vehicles. And yet the the company is bracing for the first time when a Waymo does kill somebody —… Continue reading Waymo CEO Says Society Is Ready for One of Its Cars to Kill Someone
Former OpenAI Insider Says It’s Failed Its Users
Content warning: this story includes discussion of self-harm and suicide. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Earlier this year, when OpenAI released GPT-5, it made a strident announcement: that it was shutting… Continue reading Former OpenAI Insider Says It’s Failed Its Users
Lock Company Sues Man Who Picked Its Lock, Gets Horribly Humiliated
@McNallyOfficial via YouTube It’s probably safe to say that not much phases Trevor McNally, a former marine turned full time lock-picking YouTuber. Unfortunately for the lock company Proven Industries, its leadership underestimated just how composed McNally would remain as they sued him for showing how to crack one of its laughably insecure locks. The whole… Continue reading Lock Company Sues Man Who Picked Its Lock, Gets Horribly Humiliated