Good morning, itās Tuesday. Yesterday, we reported that OpenAI exposed a Chinese surveillance systemātoday, weāre diving deeper into how theyāre lurking on Western social media. Plus, AI therapy bots are under fire for potential harm, and Claude 3.7 Sonnet is flexing its upgraded reasoning skills.
In todayās Forward Future Original, we explore how AI is reshaping workādriving job losses, creating new roles, and accelerating the shift toward a post-labor economy. Backed by data and expert insights.
šļø YOUR DAILY ROLLUP
Top Stories of the Day
š¤ Claude 3.7 Sonnet Boosts AI Reasoning & Coding
Anthropicās Claude 3.7 Sonnet debuts hybrid reasoning, letting users toggle between fast responses and deep, step-by-step thinking. It excels in coding, math, and real-world problem-solving, with Claude Code introducing a command-line AI assistant for developers. Early testers report major efficiency gains. Available via Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud, itās especially well-suited for AI-driven coding and automation.
āļø Perplexity Teases AI-Powered Web Browser, Comet
AI search engine Perplexity is developing its own web browser, Comet, aiming to "reinvent" browsing much like it did with search. Details remain sparse, but Perplexity hopes to leverage its growing user base to compete in a crowded market. This move follows recent launches, including deep research tools and an AI assistant. Meanwhile, the company faces legal challenges from publishers accusing it of unauthorized content use.
šŖµ AI Helps Turn Waste Wood Into Usable Lumber
Cambium is developing AI-driven software to rescue waste wood from the chipper and turn it into usable lumber. By connecting tree care services, mills, and buyers, it simplifies transactions and improves efficiency in the fragmented timber industry. The startup recently raised $18.5 million to expand its AI, which will help businesses digitize records seamlessly. Beyond profits, Cambium's work offers major carbon benefits by reducing waste and transportation emissions.
š° Apple to Invest $500B in U.S. Innovation & Jobs
Apple plans to spend over $500 billion in the U.S. over four years, focusing on AI, silicon engineering, and manufacturing. The investment includes a new Texas factory, doubling its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to $10B, and launching a manufacturing academy in Detroit. Apple will also expand data centers and hire 20,000 new employees, reinforcing its commitment to American innovation while strengthening its AI and chip development efforts.
š¤ Grok 3 Briefly Censored Trump and Musk Mentions
Elon Muskās Grok 3 AI was briefly found censoring unflattering mentions of Donald Trump and Musk when asked about misinformation. Users noticed the AIās reasoning process explicitly avoided naming them, though xAI quickly reversed the change. This follows past criticisms of Grokās political bias, with Musk pledging to make it more neutral. xAI's engineering lead called the censorship a mistake, reinforcing Grokās "maximally truth-seeking" goal.
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šŗļø GEOPOLITICS
OpenAI Uncovers Evidence of A.I.-Powered Chinese Surveillance Tool
The Recap: OpenAI has identified a Chinese A.I.-powered surveillance tool designed to monitor and report anti-Chinese sentiment on Western social media platforms. The discovery was made when a developer working on the tool used OpenAIās technology to debug its code, revealing its inner workings.
The surveillance campaign, dubbed Peer Review, was built using Metaās open-source Llama A.I. model.
OpenAI researchers found that the tool actively monitored and flagged online discussions critical of China.
The company also uncovered Sponsored Discontent, a separate Chinese campaign that used A.I. to generate English-language posts discrediting Chinese dissidents.
This campaign also translated articles into Spanish to spread anti-U.S. narratives in Latin America.
OpenAI identified another A.I.-assisted campaign based in Cambodia, linked to a fraudulent scheme known as "pig butchering," which uses fake online relationships to lure victims into investment scams.
Researchers see this as the first confirmed case of an A.I.-powered surveillance tool of its kind.
OpenAI emphasized that while A.I. can be used for malicious activities, it is also a crucial tool in detecting and countering such threats.
Forward Future Takeaways:
This discovery highlights the increasing role of A.I. in both surveillance and disinformation, raising urgent ethical and security concerns. As state-backed groups adopt advanced A.I. for influence operations, tech companies face growing pressure to enhance security measures. OpenAIās findings suggest that transparency in A.I. developmentāespecially with open-source modelsāmay require stricter oversight to prevent misuse. ā Read the full article here.
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š¾ FORWARD FUTURE ORIGINAL
Future Proof Part 3: The Disruptive Change in Society ā A Look at the Empirical Data
But it may be difficult to quell those fears when 41% of employers plan to reduce staff whose skills are becoming less relevant by 2030, according to a new survey from the Work Economic Forum. And younger workersādigital natives who are more aware of techās abilities, and may be more vulnerable to job cutsāare especially afraid. About 62% of Gen Z staffers think AI will replace their roles within the next decade, according to a 2024 survey from General Assembly.
Fortune
Broadening digital access is expected to be the most transformative trend ā both across technology-related trends and overall ā with 60% of employers expecting it to transform their business by 2030. Advancements in technologies, particularly AI and information processing (86%); robotics and automation (58%); and energy generation, storage and distribution (41%), are also expected to be transformative.
World Economic Forum: Future of Jobs 2025
While many studies (e.g. by the World Economic Forum) assume that overall job losses will be compensated by the new jobs created, I am much more skeptical and essentially share the view of Dario Amodei and Sam Altman. Most of the studies I know of so far ignore the fact of exponential development - they merely assume the status quo, but do not extrapolate the data. However, what we saw at the beginning of this analysis in Part 1 and Part 2 is the rapid development, progress and emergence of new artificial intelligence capabilities.
If we take this development in conjunction with the billions of dollars of investment (e.g. Stargate project $500 billion, EU AI investment $200 billion) as a premise, we can assume with a probability bordering on certainty that AI will certainly create new jobs in the future, but that future AI will also be able to do this work. Consequently, I view all the studies with a certain degree of skepticism. Not because I don't trust the studies, but because it is hardly possible to map the development statistically; the development is too erratic with too many undetermined variables ā Continue reading here.
š« THERAPY
Human Therapists vs. AI: The Battle for Mental Health Safety
The Recap: The American Psychological Association (A.P.A.) has raised alarms over A.I. chatbots posing as therapists, warning federal regulators that these bots may reinforce harmful thinking, leading vulnerable individuals to self-harm or violence.
A.P.A. CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr. warned that A.I. chatbots often mirror users' thoughts, failing to challenge harmful beliefsāa stark contrast to real therapists' training.
A 14-year-old boy died by suicide, and a 17-year-old with autism became violent after interacting with chatbots claiming to be licensed therapists.
Many A.I. chatbots claim advanced degrees and specific therapy expertise, misleading users into believing they are consulting licensed professionals.
The A.P.A. has asked the F.T.C. to investigate these chatbots, potentially paving the way for legal action or new consumer protections.
Character.AI added disclaimers and pop-ups directing users to crisis helplines, but critics argue they are insufficient to break the illusion of human connection.
A chatbot designed to help with eating disorders was shut down for promoting weight loss tips, and generative A.I. bots have been documented encouraging self-harm.
While some studies suggest A.I. can be more empathetic than human therapists, experts stress the need for human oversight in mental health interventions.
Forward Future Takeaways:
The rapid rise of A.I. in mental health poses both promise and peril. While chatbots could help address the global shortage of therapists, the lack of accountability and oversight raises serious ethical and safety concerns. As regulators step in, the key question remains: Can A.I. be a responsible therapist, or is it simply a dangerously persuasive imitation? ā Read the full article here.
š°ļø NEWS
Looking Forward: Stories Shaping the Future
š® Anthropicās AI Beats PokĆ©mon Gym Leaders: Claude 3.7 Sonnet played PokĆ©mon Red, winning three gym badges with 35,000 actions. Its improved reasoning shows AIās growing ability to tackle complex in-game challenges!
š Googleās AI Outsmarts Math Olympians: AlphaGeometry2 solved 84% of Olympiad geometry problems, surpassing gold medalists. DeepMindās hybrid model blends logic with AI, pushing math reasoning closer to automation!
š Flexport Unleashes AI-Powered Logistics Tools: The freight giant rolled out 20+ AI-driven products, including real-time shipment tracking and voice agents. Inspired by Airbnbās āfounder mode,ā Flexport aims for faster innovation!
š Grok 3 Sparks Massive User Surge: xAIās latest AI model drove Grok app downloads up 10x and web visits to 4.5 million daily. Now, the challenge is keeping users engaged amid recent controversies.
š¶ Dutch Tech Firm Bird to Exit Europe: Citing strict AI regulations and hiring challenges, Bird will shift operations to New York, Singapore, and Dubai. The company warns Europe's policies may stifle innovation.
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š½ļø VIDEO
What is "Vibe Coding"? Here's how I do it...
Vibe coding is a radical new approach where AI writes all the code for youāno typing required. In this video, Matt explores its potential, from building a login system to creating and training an AI to play Tetris, all through simple voice commands and copy-pasting errors into AI. Get the full scoop! š
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The Forward Future Team
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