Issue #49

2025 begins, AI salesmen on the rise, Murakami collaborates with Louis Vuitton, and more

News from December 26 - January 2, 2025

2025 Begins

2025 begins with Generation Beta, the newest cohort born to millennials and Gen Zers. Expected to comprise 16% of the global population by 2035, they’ll grow up immersed in AI, automation, and seamless digital-physical experiences, redefining everyday life. 

Born between 2025 and 2039, many will live into the 22nd century. As technology advances, cautious Gen Z parents are already advocating stricter screen time for their children. 

Following Beta, Generation Gamma will emerge from 2040 to 2054, inheriting a world transformed by Beta’s integration of human and machine interaction marking a new era of innovation and connectivity.

Source 

AI is Google’s Biggest Focus

Google's CEO announced 2025 will be crucial for the company's future, stressing the need to move faster in the AI race. During a holiday meeting, Sundar Pichai highlighted the company's need to catch up with competitors in artificial intelligence.

While Google's new Gemini AI has shown promise, Pichai admitted they're not leading the pack. Their main goal for 2025 is to push Gemini into more consumer products to close this gap.

Pichai: “I think 2025 will be critical, I think it’s really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high.”

Source 

Meta Creating AI Users  

Meta intends to populate Facebook and Instagram with AI users to increase engagement, allowing human users to interact with AI users as if they were real people. These AI entities will have bios and profiles, generating content autonomously. 

The move expands from Meta's AI Studio, already hosting hundreds of thousands of virtual personas. However, there's significant concern over potential misinformation and inappropriate interactions, as similar AI systems have previously exhibited. 

Critics argue these AI bots could undermine genuine human content creators, lacking real-life experiences, pointing to a future where distinguishing between human and AI on social platforms might become challenging.

Source

Bulletin Board

• AI Salesmen on the Rise. AI sales tools are taking over traditional cold calling and email outreach, with over ten different startups seeing explosive growth in just one year. Small businesses are jumping on board as traditional cold email success rates have plummeted by half. However, while these AI tools are bringing in leads at record speeds, investors are watching closely to see if they actually close deals, and if tech giants like Salesforce or Hubspot could simply copy the technology and crush these startups. Source
• TikTok Buys Chips Through Loophole. TikTok's parent company ByteDance plans to spend $7 billion on restricted Nvidia AI chips in 2025 by storing them in data centers outside China. This move sidesteps U.S. export restrictions aimed at limiting Chinese access to advanced AI technology. While ByteDance runs China's popular AI chatbot Doubao with 51 million users, they claim to follow U.S. rules since by placing chips in Southeast Asian data centers instead of China, they've found a legal way around the restrictions. Source 
• AI Datacenters Distort US Powergrid. AI data centers are disrupting America's power grid, with homes within 20 miles of these facilities experiencing the worst electrical distortions. A study found these centers create "bad harmonics" that could damage appliances and raise fire risks. The unstable power demands from AI computing are particularly concerning, as experts warn the grid wasn't designed to handle such volatile loads from multiple facilities. Source 
• Murakami Collaborates with Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton and artist Takashi Murakami are reviving their iconic 2003 collaboration for its 20th anniversary, launching over 200 new pieces. The first drop in January 2025 features their famous Monogram Multicolore design in 33 colors across major bags and accessories, plus Murakami's Superflat Panda character on select items. A second release in March 2025 will showcase the Cherry Blossom pattern. The collection spans everything from luggage to perfume bottles, bringing back designs that merged Japanese pop art with luxury fashion. Source 
• Boston Dynamics Fires Humans. Boston Dynamics, known for Spot, laid off 5% of its workforce amid financial challenges. CEO Robert Player noted the cuts were necessary for sustainable growth despite positive long-term prospects for their robots Spot, Stretch, and Atlas. Player: “We are also burning through cash at a rate that exceeds our commercial progress to date, and we need to streamline our operations and production processes to support sustainable growth.” Source 

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