How To Stop Worrying About #AI. India’s Take On Not-So-Great Britain. The Two Sides of Elon Musk. What Aliens Can Teach Us About Government.
Plus gaming and good looks, rioting and history, and how hot is too hot?
Grüezi! I’m Adrian Monck – welcome!
1️⃣ Why The World’s Top Companies Worry About #AI
Confronting fears of the new and unknown…
A couple of years ago, only 9% of top US companies saw #AI as a risk. Then, in November 2022, ChatGPT happened.
And now? It’s over 50%.
I went on Al Jazeera to share a few observations. Here are the headlines:
Energy is the new frontier: Regions with abundant energy resources, like the Middle East, may become unexpected AI powerhouses. The future of AI isn’t just about algorithms – it’s about who can power them.
Regulation needs to evolve: We can’t regulate AI at the speed of bureaucracy. We need ‘agile regulation’ – a dynamic dialogue between governments, companies, and experts.
Job market disruption: New technologies often create more opportunities than they eliminate. Governments – and markets – just haven’t proven great at helping manage those transitions for individuals.
Expertise concentration: With big tech scooping up AI talent, we risk centralising innovation. How can we ensure AI benefits society as a whole?
The energy-innovation paradox: AI’s potential is immense, but so is its energy appetite. Balancing innovation with sustainability will be crucial.
Big thanks to James Bays, Elaine Burke and Cary Cooper for a great discussion.
⏭ The number of Fortune 500 companies flagging AI risks has soared 473.5%.
2️⃣ How India Sees ‘Not-So-Great’ Britain.
Not so great?
Next to the WSJ, the world’s second most read business newspaper is India’s Economic Times. It recently marked Independence Day with a jaundiced look at its former colonial ruler, Great Britain.
“Britain, the kingdom that colonised most of the world in the previous century, is not an important country anymore. Most countries, including India, are not important for elites. But some national elites, including Britain’s, suffer from an acute version of this delusion and think they are important.”
Britain’s current situation?
1. Economic Decline:
Britain’s economy heavily relies on London, which contributes 22% of national output despite having only 13% of the population.
Without London, Britain’s per capita income would fall by 14%.
The country is experiencing slow economic growth and stagnant wages since the 2008 financial crisis.
2. Rising Poverty and Inequality:
A growing underclass suffers from generational unemployment, poverty, and lack of hope.
Academic research suggests Britain risks returning to Victorian-era levels of inequality.
A 2018 UN report found that one-fifth of the population (14 million) was in poverty, with 1.5 million in destitution.
3. Political and Policy Dilemmas:
Cuts to the welfare state by Conservative governments have worsened the situation.
High national debt (99.5% of GDP) limits options for increased public spending.
Britain is caught in a low investment/low skills trap, affecting productivity and growth.
4. Social Unrest:
Recent riots highlight the despair among the white majority, particularly in poorer areas.
Significant disconnect between middle-class perceptions and the realities of the underclass.
5. Lower International Standing:
Britain’s economy lags behind other G7 countries in post-pandemic recovery.
There are even suggestions that Poland might overtake Britain in per capita income by the early 2030s if current trends continue.
6. Immigration Paradox:
Recent growth is largely down to population increase through immigration, despite anti-immigrant sentiment.
The article paints a picture of a country struggling with deep-seated economic and social issues, far removed from its former status as a global power.
⏭ If you want to go deeper on the British Empire and India, this podcast is a great start.
3️⃣ I Predict A Riot
Disinformation, Social Media, and Pre-existing Attitudes
If you want to learn from history, it helps to read some. As Britain reflects on its recent riots, try E. P. Thompson’s classic essay ‘The Moral Economy of the English Crowd in the 18C.’
Thompson says that what underlies riots are breaches in shared notions of rights and wrongs – however misguided. Riots are the protectionist revolt of the ‘moral economy.’
In the UK this summer, commentators have blamed pre-existing attitudes, disinformation, and racism.
If you or your property were attacked because of your skin colour or religion, you probably wouldn’t be looking far beyond hateful messages and hateful attitudes.
Thompson would see it differently.
He would say that riots have context. In this case, they reflect the ongoing collapse of Europe’s welfare capitalism, which provided a social bulwark against Soviet communism in the post-WW2 era.
It still hurts when history throws a brick through your window...
⏭ You can actually book a walking tour of London’s historic riot locations.
4️⃣ The Elon Musk Effect. Sound and Fury?
“Well, you can tell by the way I tweet…”
“The $13 billion that Elon Musk borrowed to buy Twitter has turned into the worst merger-finance deal for banks since the 2008-09 financial crisis.”
So says the WSJ. The FT has a long take out on Elon Musk and his influence on X (formerly Twitter).
Moderation is down, extremism and hate speech are back with a vengeance, advertisers are leaving – and being threatened with lawsuits – and no one quite knows what is being promoted deliberately and what’s being thrown up from the content cesspit.
What’s going on?
When it comes to politics there are two Musks:
The thoughtful corporate statesman who visits countries like China to lobby on self driving.
The extremist troll, amplifying hate accounts and picking fights with democratic leaders.
Musk obviously believes the best way to promote Tesla’s interests in China is quiet, conciliatory lobbying.
X, unlike Musk’s electric cars, is banned in China.
But this ban has never been the cause of public disagreement or elicited unfavourable words from Mr Musk.
Aside the odd compliment, he maintains a dignified and diplomatic silence.
When it comes to relations with the People’s Republic, it is hard not to believe that Musk feels constrained.
Absent that constraint, and you have this…
*It is a tale/ Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/ Signifying nothing.
⏭ How Elon Musk and X Became the Biggest Purveyors of Online Misinformation.
5️⃣ Beautiful People and Gamers
Stereotypes and sociability.
A new study reveals depressing links between personal hotness and gaming habits.
The takeaways?
📉 Good looks = less gaming: Attractive people spend significantly less time gaming, especially as adults.
💡 Why? Opportunity cost theory: Attractive people have more options for face-to-face social interactions, making lone gaming less appealing.
👫 Gender matters: The effect is stronger for males, particularly among teens.
🧠 It’s not just correlation: Longitudinal data suggests that attractiveness causes reduced gaming time, and not vice versa.
🕰️ Gaming habits stick: There’s substantial persistence in gaming behaviour from adolescence to adulthood.
📚 College counts: Higher education generally means less adult game time.
🤓 “Gaming nerd” stereotypes? Partially confirmed, especially for teenage boys.
There’s always a but!
Data is from 1994-95 (for teens) and 2008 (for adults) and might not reflect today’s gaming culture.
‘Attractiveness’ ratings were subjective calls by the interviewers.
The study assumed gaming was a solo pastime and overlooked the social side of modern gaming.
⏭ A new Japanese study says moderate gaming is good for your mental health.
6️⃣ How Hot is Too Hot?
When it comes to temperature – 31°C (88°F).
It’s getting hotter. So how well adapted are we as heat gets more extreme?
Researchers in Australia have been conducting experiments in cutting-edge climate chambers and the news is not great. Our survival limit in extreme heat is lower than we thought.
What’s new and concerning? The estimated ‘wet-bulb’ limit for human survival is around 31°C (88°F), way below the previously accepted 35°C (95°F).
Why? Well, previous estimates haven’t factored in things like – well – doing stuff, and wearing clothes.
The scientists have also come up with more effective ways to cool down.
What this really says is there’s an urgent need to update public health policies based on old advice and adopt evidence-based cooling methods in an increasingly hostile climate.
⏭ Our efforts to cope with extreme temperatures are making them worse.
7️⃣ What The Hunt For Aliens Teaches Us About Government
Aliens may not exist – but bureaucrats do!
Luis Elizondo has a book out. He used to be tasked by the US military to investigate UFOs (now rebranded as UAPs).
ETs aside, Elizondo is a prime example of the truth that if you give someone diligent a stupid job, there exists the awful possibility that they try to actually do it.
Buried in this write-up is the real truth Elizondo uncovered:
“The Defense Department and other government entities at every level tend to regard our elected representatives as ‘temporary hires’ who need to be managed and fed information as the departments see fit.”
Bureaucracies may not be built to defend us from aliens – if they exist – but they are most assuredly capable of defending themselves from politicians.
⏭ You can see what NASA made of extra-terrestrials here.
If you enjoy this newsletter – please recommend it!
Best
Adrian
