Pig Butchering, Optimus Bot, Nobel Prize, Hurricanes, and Voting

Weekly Review of News in Technology, UX and AI

Here’s the latest news, resources, and use cases from the world of product, UX, AI and technology. Let’s go:

• 💊 Personalized Health

• 🐖 Pig Butchering

• 🤖 Optimus Bot

• 🏆 Nobel Prize

• ⛈️ Hurricane Media

• 🗳️ Ranked-Choice Voting

Podcast

Personalized Nutrition: How AI, Data, and 3D Printing Are Transforming Health with Ari Tulla of Elo

In this episode of Prodity: Product by Design, Kyle sits down with Ari Tulla, co-founder and CEO of Elo, a smart nutrition service using AI and data to personalize health solutions. Ari shares his fascinating journey from his early passion for gaming and technology to becoming a leading figure in the healthcare space. He discusses how Elo is turning the concept of "food as medicine" into reality, using biometric data, wearable devices, and AI to create personalized nutrition solutions. Ari also delves into the challenges and innovations that come with building a product in a space where technology, health, and human experience intersect, emphasizing the importance of balance in life and business. Join us to learn more about the future of health and how personalized nutrition is set to revolutionize wellness.

News and Useful Reads

Pig Butchering Scams Are Going High Tech

If you’re unfamiliar with pig butchering, it’s a scam built on building a relationship with the victim over messaging (like texting), and then scamming them out of money via crypto or other “investments.” And it feels like it will be much more common, especially with the tech tools available now.

For example, scammers are often constrained by their language skills and ability to keep up conversations with potentially hundreds of victims at a time in numerous languages and dialects. However, generative AI developments within the last two years—including the launch of writing tools such as ChatGPT—are making it easier for criminals to break down language barriers and create the content needed for scamming.

Tesla’s Optimus bot makes a scene at the robotaxi event

I have so many thoughts on this, none of them good. Unlike many, I’m not concerned that Tesla’s robots are going to turn around and dominate humans. Like most Tesla products, I’m skeptical that they’ll fulfill a fraction of Elon’s promises. As many have noted, it looked like they were being controlled by a human operator. Also, why is the promise always that robots will do the things that are the best part of being human? Why would I want a robot to walk my dog or water my plants? Those are things I look forward to every day. Where is the robot to do the mundane work so I have more time for walking the dog or playing with the kids?

Nobel Physics Prize Awarded for Pioneering A.I. Research by 2 Scientists

AI has finally made its way to the Nobel prizes.

John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton received the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for discoveries that helped computers learn more in the way the human brain does, providing the building blocks for developments in artificial intelligence.

Toxic lies are surging in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

The amount of disinformation being spread on the internet and social media right now is insane. And the fact it is being amplified by Donald Trump and JD Vance is disheartening. Many individuals may not get the help they need because Trump says it’s not available or is “just a loan” or “there are no funds” or some nonsense. It makes me really angry.

Some of it is also bewildering, like the government is able to control the weather or FEMA might take your home.

Other Interesting Finds

Can ranked-choice voting heal our poisoned politics?

With the elections in the US coming up, many of us are thinking a lot about how we get out of the never-ending cycle of divisiveness we’re in. While it is complicated, part of the solution should be ranked-choice voting.

For many advocates, a critical piece of the answer is the electoral reform known as ranked-choice voting. “It reduces the incentive to be divisive as a strategy,” says Anna Kellar, director of the League of Women Voters of Maine and a leader in the 2016 drive that got the reform adopted in that state.

Because a ranked-choice system automatically transfers people’s votes to their second, third or later choice of candidates if their first choice loses, candidates are forced to treat everyone as a potential supporter. The result, hopefully, will be campaigns that reward bridge-building and broad appeal instead of attack ads, culture wars and exciting the base — and in the process, de-inflame our politics.