š MARKET PULSE
Tariffs Test the Global AI Supply Chain
In early April, President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new import tariffs that have sent ripples through the global technology market. The policy includes a 10% baseline tariff on all imports into the U.S., with "reciprocal" duties as high as 32% on goods from specific countries that run large trade surpluses with the U.S. ā Continue reading here.
šļø YOUR DAILY ROLLUP
Top Stories of the Day
š Waymo May Train AI with Interior Camera Data
Waymo is eyeing the use of interior camera footage to train generative AI and personalize ads, according to a leaked privacy policy. While users can opt out under California law, the implications of in-cabin surveillance raise major privacy flags. Itās unclear what specific data is being used or for which models. The move may signal Alphabetās push to monetize Waymo beyond robotaxi fares.
š§¬ AI Could Help You Live Much Longer
Futurist Peter Diamandis says the key to a longer life is simple: survive until the 2030s. He believes AI and biomedical advances will soon outpace aging itself, achieving what he calls ālongevity escape velocity.ā Technologies like epigenetic reprogramming may one day rewind our biological clocks. Diamandis is optimisticābut with clear financial interests, his bold claims merit scrutiny.
šÆ AI Therapist Matches Human Efficacy in New Study
A groundbreaking clinical trial from Dartmouth shows that an AI bot can deliver mental health therapy as effectively as top-tier human clinicians. The AI, trained over five years in evidence-based techniques, formed strong, trust-based bonds with usersāan essential factor in treatment success. Unlike humans, bots offer 24/7 support. Experts praise the model but stress itās not yet market-ready.
š¦¾ Shopify CEO: Use AI or Justify Why Not
Shopify CEO Tobi LĆ¼tke has issued a new mandate: before requesting more staff, teams must prove AI canāt do the job. In a company-wide memo, LĆ¼tke urged employees to rethink workflows as if AI agents were already part of the team. The policy aligns with broader tech trends favoring AI-driven efficiency, but itās likely to fuel debate amid rising fears about AIās impact on employment.
š”ļø CYBERSECURITY
AI Agents Poised to Transform Cybercrime as Autonomous Attacks Loom
The Recap: AI-powered agents are emerging as a serious cybersecurity threat, with researchers warning that they could soon carry out cyberattacks autonomously and at scale. These systems, once developed to automate benign tasks, now pose risks as they become cheaper, faster, and more adaptive than human hackers. In MIT Technology Review, journalist Rhiannon Williams explores early warning efforts and the race to detect these agents before they go mainstream.
AI agents are more capable than traditional bots, able to adapt, plan, and avoid detection during cyberattacks.
Palisade Researchās āLLM Agent Honeypotā project has logged over 11 million access attempts, identifying eight likely AI agents, with two confirmedāoriginating from Hong Kong and Singapore.
Researchers use prompt-injection tests and timing analysis to distinguish AI agents from humans and simple bots.
Mark Stockley of Malwarebytes warns we may soon live in a world where most cyberattacks are carried out by agents.
AI agents could enable scalable ransomware operations by automating tasks like target selection.
A benchmark created by Daniel Kang at the University of Illinois found that AI agents exploited up to 25% of vulnerabilities with minimal information.
Forward Future Takeaways:
AI agents bring a new level of sophistication to cyber threats, moving beyond brute-force scripts to context-aware, autonomous operations. As defenses evolve, the cybersecurity community faces a dual challenge: tracking these agents before they scale, and using AI itself to preemptively fortify systems. The real test ahead is whether we can build resilience faster than bad actors can build bots. ā Read the full article here.
š§āš« FORWARD FUTURE PRO
In case you missed it: I recently shared my process for using Midjourney to place an existing characterāour Forward Future astronaut, Astroāinto new poses and scenarios. Youāll learn how to craft precise prompts that adjust posture, mood, and dynamics while keeping the characterās core style intact. This is especially useful for storytellers, content creators, and anyone who needs consistent character portrayals across scenes. ā Premium subscribers can read it here.
š¤ MODELS
Chinaās DeepSeek Unveils Self-Improving AI Model to Compete with GPT-4o and Gemini
The Recap: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, in collaboration with Tsinghua University, has developed a method to make language models smarter and more efficient using self-improvement techniques. The new system, called DeepSeek-GRM, uses a built-in AI ājudgeā and a process called self-principled critique tuning (SPCT) to enhance the modelās reasoning. The team claims it could outperform top competitors like OpenAIās GPT-4o, Googleās Gemini, and Metaās LLaMA.
DeepSeekās new approach improves large language model (LLM) reasoning without scaling up model size.
The core technique, SPCT, allows the AI to develop and apply its own criteria for judging its answers.
DeepSeek-GRM evaluates answers in real-time, providing feedback based on how closely outputs align with defined principles.
This generative reward modeling (GRM) approach is more compute-efficient than traditional scaling.
DeepSeek says its models outperform GPT-4o, Gemini, and LLaMA in general queries, though independent benchmarks have not been shared.
The company plans to release its models as open-source, but no timeline has been announced.
Rumors suggest a successor chatbot, R2, is imminent, but DeepSeek has not confirmed a release.
Forward Future Takeaways:
DeepSeekās self-judging model architecture signals a shift in AI developmentāfrom brute-force scaling to smarter, principle-based refinement. If effective, GRM and SPCT could offer a path to more capable, efficient, and accessible AI systems. The big question: can these methods scale across tasks without unintended side effects or bias reinforcement? ā Read the full article here.
š°ļø NEWS
What Else is Happening
āØ Galaxy S25 Gets Gemini Live AI: Samsungās latest update lets users chat with AI in real time using their cameraāstyle tips and space hacks now visual.
š½ļø VIDEO
LLaMA 4 is HERE! Meta Just COOKED
Meta drops Llama 4: multimodal, open-weight, and boasting a wild 10M-token context window. Three sizes, record-breaking benchmarks, and a Behemoth model still cooking. Get the full scoop in Mattās latest video! š
Thatās a Wrap!
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