OpenAI just received the largest funding in history. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWith both Circle and OpenAI making two groundbreaking financial announcements this week, shockwaves have been sent through both the tech and finance worlds.Circle, the powerhouse behind the USDC stablecoin, announced plans to go public, signaling blockchains significant step toward mainstream financial acceptance. USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin that is fully backed by U.S. dollars. USDC is backed 100% by highly liquid cash and cash-equivalent assets and is redeemable 1:1 for US dollars. It ranks consistently among the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.Simultaneously, OpenAI, the pioneering force behind ChatGPT, secured an unprecedented $40 billion investment, underscoring artificial intelligences rapid evolution from futuristic concept to essential economic driver. On the surface, these two developments might seem unrelated, but collectively, they illuminate a powerful convergence between blockchain and AIone that could reshape our economic future dramatically.Circles IPO: The Blockchain Litmus TestCircles decision to pursue an IPO is not merely another tech company entering public marketsits a critical endorsement of blockchain technology by major financial institutions. With heavyweight backers such as JPMorgan and Citi, Circles public listing represents a major validation from the traditional financial system. It provides mainstream investors a credible entry point into blockchain-driven financial services, potentially setting a standard for other Web3 companies aiming to bridge the gap to conventional financial markets.US company Circle, funded by Goldman Sachs, is now one of the largest players in this market. ... More (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images)Getty ImagesStablecoins, specifically Circle's USDC, offer the predictability traditional investors crave, serving as a digital equivalent to the dollar. By making blockchain accessible, Circle's IPO could be the tipping point for broader adoption. This move isn't just strategic; it positions blockchain firmly within the realm of regulated finance, opening doors for greater transparency and acceptance by skeptical institutional investors.OpenAIs Historic $40 Billion FundingParallel to Circles announcement, OpenAI made history by raising a record-setting $40 billion in private funding, underscoring AIs leap from specialized tech niche to dominant economic force. Investors have now explicitly recognized AI as the cornerstone of the future economy. Such a substantial investment speaks volumes, not only about OpenAIs pioneering role but also about market confidence in AI's potential to revolutionize industries globally.This $40 billion investment dwarfs prior tech fundraising rounds and reflects a fundamental shift in market dynamics. AI is now seen as essential infrastructureakin to electricity or the internetthat will reshape business, communications, finance, healthcare, and more. OpenAI, already celebrated for groundbreaking AI models like ChatGPT, now commands the resources to shape global AI innovation decisively.The Intersection: AI Meets BlockchainIndividually transformative, Circle and OpenAI together highlight a significant emerging trend: the integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence. This convergence creates new possibilities, amplifying each technologys strengths while compensating for their respective weaknesses.Blockchain excels in ensuring transparency, security, and immutability, making it ideal for sectors demanding trustworthy data management. AI, on the other hand, thrives on vast datasets and computational intelligence, capable of rapidly extracting actionable insights from mountains of information. Together, blockchain and AI can foster revolutionary solutions, including intelligent digital identities, AI-driven decentralized financial (DeFi) compliance systems, predictive market analytics, and secure management of sensitive AI-generated data.Defi, or decentralized finance, is an important element in the Circle IPO. (Photo Illustration by ... More Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesImagine a financial system where intelligent blockchain algorithms automatically ensure regulatory compliance, reduce fraud, and simplify complex financial transactions seamlessly. Or consider healthcare systems leveraging blockchain-secured patient data, analyzed by AI to deliver personalized medical treatments. These scenarios demonstrate just the tip of the iceberg in potential AI-blockchain innovations.Digital Economy 2.0: Built on Trust and Intelligence and OpenAI? At the core of this AI-blockchain convergence is an economy defined by two powerful ideals: digital trust and autonomous intelligence. Circle represents the future of digital trustensuring transactions, currencies, and digital assets are transparent and secure. OpenAI represents intelligence-driven automation and innovation, providing tools and platforms that enable unprecedented efficiency and innovation.The combination of these elements could create an entirely new economic paradigm. Its an economy where decisions become faster and smarter, bolstered by intelligent automation, yet securely rooted in verifiable blockchain technology. Financial transactions become frictionless, regulations automated, and market predictions increasingly precise. The impact? A dramatic acceleration in innovation, productivity, and economic growth.Implications for Investors and Institutions from OpenAI and CircleThese developments are reshaping investor strategies and institutional adoption of new technologies. Circles public market entry is poised to attract traditional investors who, until now, viewed blockchain ventures as risky or opaque. Institutional investors increasingly see blockchain and AI ventures as strategic, long-term portfolio additions rather than speculative bets.Similarly, OpenAIs record funding round signifies that AI has moved beyond being a speculative investment. Major venture capital firms and private equity groups now recognize AI as foundational technologyessential for future competitiveness and economic stability.Together, these shifts may trigger broader acceptance and adoption of advanced technologies. Institutional portfolios might soon routinely include blockchain infrastructure and AI-driven platforms, fueling even greater investment flows and innovation.Regulatory Challenges and Industry MaturityWith great innovation comes equally significant regulatory scrutiny. Circles IPO will inevitably invite greater regulatory oversight, particularly around stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure. Regulators will closely monitor how blockchain integrates with existing financial frameworks, ensuring transparency and protecting investors.Similarly, OpenAIs substantial funding and growing influence means that AI technology will face intensified regulatory examination. Issues such as data privacy, bias in AI models, and ethical use of AI-generated content will come under increased scrutiny, requiring thoughtful governance and responsible innovation.Regulatory evolution isnt a roadblock; instead, its indicative of an industry maturing. Constructive regulatory frameworks will provide clarity, fostering innovation while safeguarding ethical standards and consumer interests. Circle and OpenAIs recent successes illustrate that blockchain and AI are now ready for robust regulatory dialogue, positioning these technologies for sustainable growth.Looking Forward: The Future Economy Is NowCircles planned IPO and OpenAIs extraordinary funding arent merely financial milestones. They symbolize a profound shift in economic thinking, setting the stage for a future economy driven by digital trust and intelligence. Investors, businesses, and regulators alike must prepare for a landscape shaped by the symbiotic relationship between AI and blockchain.As we look ahead, the intersections of decentralized finance and intelligent automation could emerge as defining forces of tomorrow's digital economy. The potential is immenseranging from transformative impacts in finance and healthcare to sweeping changes in government, logistics, and beyond.The digital economy isn't just shiftingit's transforming fundamentally. Circle and OpenAI are at the forefront of this new chapter, challenging conventional economic norms and redefining whats possible. This isnt merely the rise of two innovative companies; its a glimpse into a radically different futurea future shaped by the unprecedented convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain.Did you enjoy this story on Circle and OpenAI? Dont miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.

Forward-looking: Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have unveiled a flying robot that mimics the agility and precision of a bumblebee. Weighing just 21 milligrams and measuring less than one centimeter in diameter, it is the world's smallest wireless robot capable of controlled flight. "Bees exhibit remarkable aeronautical abilities, such as navigation, hovering, and pollination, that artificial flying robots of similar scale fail to do," explained Liwei Lin, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley and senior author of the study. "This flying robot can be wirelessly controlled to approach and hit a designated target, mimicking the mechanism of pollination as a bee collects nectar and flies away." The research was published in Science Advances.Designing a small-scale flying robot posed significant challenges. Traditional flying robots rely on onboard power sources like batteries and electronic flight control systems components that are difficult to miniaturize without adding excessive weight. To overcome this hurdle, Lin and his team used an external magnetic field to both power the robot and control its movements.The robot's design is deceptively simple yet highly effective. Shaped like a tiny propeller, it features two small magnets that respond to an external magnetic field. As the field alternates, the magnets are attracted and repelled, causing the propeller to spin. This spinning motion generates enough lift for the robot to take flight. By adjusting the field's strength, researchers can precisely control its flight path.At just one centimeter in diameter, this device is nearly three times smaller than its closest competitor, a 2.8-centimeter-diameter flying robot. Its compact size enables applications in environments where larger robots cannot operate."Tiny flying robots are useful for exploring small cavities and other complicated environments," said Fanping Sui, co-first author of the study and a recent Ph.D. graduate from UC Berkeley. Potential uses include artificial pollination and inspecting confined spaces, such as inside pipes. // Related StoriesHowever, the robot currently has limitations. It operates in passive flight mode, meaning it lacks onboard sensors to monitor its position or trajectory in real time. As a result, sudden environmental changes such as strong gusts of wind could disrupt its course.Wei Yue, co-first author and a graduate student in Lin's lab, noted that future iterations aim to incorporate active control systems, enabling real-time adjustments to position and attitude.Another challenge is the robot's reliance on a strong magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic coil for operation, although researchers believe that further miniaturization could address this issue. Reducing the robot's size to less than one millimeter could allow it to be powered by weaker magnetic fields, such as those from radio waves.The bumblebee-inspired innovation is not the only achievement of Lin's team in bio-inspired robotics. They have also developed a cockroach-like robot (above) capable of withstanding extreme forces, such as being stepped on by a human.Meanwhile, Yue is leading efforts to create "swarming" robots that can collaborate like ants to perform complex tasks beyond the capabilities of individual robots."I'm working with 5-millimeter-scale robots that can crawl, roll, and spin," Yue explained. "They can also work together to form chains and arrays or tackle harder tasks."These swarming robots hold promise for applications such as minimally invasive surgery, where multiple units could be injected into the body to form stents or remove clots collaboratively.Kamyar Behrouzi, Yuan Gao, and Mark Mueller from UC Berkeley co-authored the study, which was supported by the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center.

The big picture: An April Fools' prank is all in good fun unless it is taken too seriously. A Welsh journalist discovered that internet jokes in the AI age aren't as funny. His harmless little gag demonstrates how AI picks up on new false information and proliferates it as factual. Every April 1st, Ben Black loves pulling off a prank on the readers of his community news site Cwmbran Life. The 48-year-old journalist has been spinning up April Fools' Day hoaxes over the years that range from the hilarious to the totally absurd.In 2020, he made up a story about Cwmbran setting a Guinness World Record for having the most roundabouts per square km, which took on a life of its own. A day after it went live, he had to update the article to clarify that it was an April Fools' joke. However, that didn't stop a more prominent publication from picking up the story and publishing it as "news." Even worse, Black requested the site to take the story down. It refused, but that was human error.Fast forward to 2025, and Ben was shocked to find that Google's AI Overview had used his fake story as the basis for its summary and presented it as fact. While it's not dangerous misinformation, the incident is a prime example of how easily fake news can spread, even from trusted sources."It's really scary that someone googling 'roads in Wales' could come across my made-up story and believe it," Black told the BBC.Black also feels the incident exposes how AI represents a growing threat to small, independent publishers. While major outlets strike lucrative deals to collaborate with AI companies, he says smaller ones like his get left out in the cold as their original content gets mined and repurposed without permission.Of course, the concept of satirical news on the internet isn't new. Outlets like The Onion and The Babylon Bee have been around for ages. Large language models are likely "aware" of these well-known examples and perhaps others and treat them differently than real news. However, considering Cwmbran Life is an actual news site, the AI couldn't tell the difference and took the prank seriously. // Related StoriesSadly, the mess convinced Black to hang up his April Fools' Day tradition for good. Maybe developers should program LLMs to seek out further context before reporting "facts," especially on April 1st.Image credit: BBC

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsSamsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 gaming monitor $850 $1,300 35% offSamsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor $1,100 $1,800 39% offIf youve been thinking about upgrading your gaming PCs screen, weve found a pair of Samsung monitor deals that should grab your attention. The 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor, originally priced at $1,300, is on sale from Samsung with a $450 discount to bring its price down to $850, while the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor, which usually sells for $1,800, is available at $700 off so youll only have to pay $1,100 for it. Were not sure how much time is remaining before these monitor deals expire though, so if youre interested in taking advantage of either one, we highly recommend proceeding with your purchase immediately.49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor $850, was $1,30049-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor $1,100, was $1,800$1,300 35% offSamsungThe Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor checks all of the boxes in our computer monitor buying guide if youre a gamer Dual QHD resolution on its 49-inch screen for sharp details and vivid colors, a 240Hz refresh rate for smooth animations, and a 1ms response time to enable fast reaction times. The display also has a 1000R curvature to fill your field of vision for a more immersive experience while you play the best PC games. Theres a 35% discount on the Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor right now, which translates to savings of $450.$1,800 39% offJacob Roach / Digital TrendsIf youre willing to spend a bit more for a more premium screen, we highly recommend going for the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, which is featured in our list of the best gaming monitors as our choice for the best 32:9 gaming monitor. The major upgrade is its QD OLED screen, which enables even more impressive brightness and colors. It also comes with Dual QHD resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate on its 49-inch screen, but with a deeper 1800R curvature and a faster 0.03ms response time. You can get the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 gaming monitor at 39% off right now, for huge savings of $700.Editors Recommendations

To quote Elton John, The B- is back!Two years after M3GAN, the killer doll returns for another outing in M3GAN 2.0. After murdering nearly everyone in her path, M3GAN has been disabled. M3GANs creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), has become an author who still lives with her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw), now a rebellious teenager. Unbeknownst to Gemma, the technology behind M3GAN has been stolen by adefense contractor to create Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), a military-grade weapon and killer spy.Similar to M3GAN in the first movie, Amelia becomes so powerful that she refuses to take orders. With an AI weapon on the loose, humanitys only hope lies with their old pal M3GAN. Gemma and her team resurrect M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis), upgrading her speed, strength, and power. It all culminates with a showdown between the new M3GAN and Amelia set to Britney Spears Oops! I Did It Again.RelatedHold on to your vaginas, M3GAN says in the trailer before going on a rampage.UniversalReturning cast members include Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole and Jen Van Epps as Tess. M3GAN 2.0also stars Aristotle Athari, Timm Sharp, and Jemaine Clement.Gerard Johnstone and Akela Cooper return to direct and write M3GAN 2.0. Johnstone also contributed to the script. Horror powerhouses Jason Blum of Blumhouse and James Wan of Atomic Monster produce M3GAN 2.0alongside Williams.M3GANwas a pop culture sensation upon its release in January 2023. Backed by its campy tone and sensational marketing campaign, M3GANbecame a box office smash, grossing $181 million worldwide on a budget of $12 million.M3GAN 2.0opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.Editors Recommendations

The humble veg can be a great transition ingredient, says chef Katie Reicherespecially when seared until succulent and paired with farro, fresh peas and herbs.

The thrill of discovery Google gives NotebookLM a Discover button to search the web NotebookLM can do the legwork for you now. Ryan Whitwam Apr 3, 2025 12:19 pm | 1 Credit: Google Credit: Google Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreMost of Google's AI efforts thus far have involved adding generative features to existing products, but NotebookLM is different. Created by the Google Labs team, NotebookLM uses AI to analyze user-provided documents. Starting today, it will be even easier to use NotebookLM to explore topics, as Google has added a "Discover Sources" feature to let the app look up its own sources.Previously, to create a new notebook, you had to feed the AI documents, web links, YouTube videos, or raw text. You can still do that, but you don't have to with the addition of Discover functionality. Simply click the new button and tell NotebookLM what you're interested in learning. Google says the app will consider "hundreds of potential web sources" in the blink of an eye, giving you the top ten from which to choose. There will be links available so you can peruse the suggestions before adding them to the model.The sources you select will be ingested as if they were documents you uploaded, creating a conversant AI for your chosen topic. The content of those sources will also be loaded into NotebookLM so you can refer to them directly. That's not why you use NotebookLM, though. You use NotebookLM for all the nifty AI-assisted features.In addition to the chatbot functionality, NotebookLM can use the source data to build FAQs, briefing summaries, and, of course, Audio Overviewsthat's a podcast-style conversation between two fake people, a feature that manages to be simultaneously informative and deeply unsettling. It's probably the most notable capability of NotebookLM, though. Google recently brought Audio Overviews to its Gemini Deep Research product, too.And that's not allGoogle is lowering the barrier to entry even more. You don't even need to have any particular goal to play around with NotebookLM. In addition to the Discover button, Google has added an "I'm Feeling Curious" button, a callback to its iconic randomized "I'm feeling lucky" search button. Register your curiosity with NotebookLM, and it will seek out sources on a random topic.Google says the new NotebookLM features are available starting today, but you might not see them right away. It could take about a week until everyone has Discover Sources and I'm Feeling Curious. Both of these features are available for free users, but be aware that the app has limits on the number of Audio Overviews and sources unless you pay for Google's AI Premium subscription for $20 per month.Ryan WhitwamSenior Technology ReporterRyan WhitwamSenior Technology Reporter Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he's written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards. 1 Comments

this is all so unnecessary Employee pricing for all, tariffs on the sticker: OEMs react to tariffs New car prices were already 25% more expensive than before the pandemic. Now what? Jonathan M. Gitlin Apr 3, 2025 12:00 pm | 49 You won't believe how automakers reacted to business-crippling tariffs. Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images You won't believe how automakers reacted to business-crippling tariffs. Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreNew 25 percent tariffs on all foreign car imports into the United States went into effect this week as President Trump ignited his new trade war. It has caused something of a rush at dealerships around the country as customers descend on existing stock in an attempt to beat looming price increases of thousands of dollars. Now we're starting to see how the automakers are reacting.Employee pricing for allFord is in the rather enviable position of having the least exposure to the new vehicle tariff than all but Tesla; less than 20 percent of the cars, trucks, and SUVs that Ford sells in the US are imported from abroad. And it will lean into that with a new ad campaign with the slogan "From America, For America," which launches today. (Note that this does not take into account the separate parts tariff that goes into effect before May 2.)Nevermind the slogan, though. The campaign extends Ford's "A plan" pricing, which in plain English is its employee discount, to all its customers. The blue oval is offering A plan pricing on most 2024 and 2025 vehicles, including the all-electric F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E, as well as its various hybrids."You pay what we pay," Ford's director of US sales told the Detroit Free Press.Make it clear where the price increase comes fromAt the other end of the scale, Volkswagen is much more exposed to the new tariff. Almost half its US sales are imported from its plant in Mexico, with the ID. Buzz and Golfs GTI and R coming from Germany. Adding new production to its factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which currently builds the electric ID. 4 and the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs, is possible but would not be a quick process.So VW wants to make it clear to customers why some of its products are about to get more expensive, which it estimates will begin around April 22 or 23. It will do that by adding a new line to the Monroney sticker, with a line for the import fee added alongside the destination charge, according to a VW memo seen by Automotive News.Send employees homeAround three million people work in the automotive industry in the US, and it's hard to see how the sector will avoid job losses as it contracts, particularly once the parts tariff goes into effect. (Some parts can cross the US border more than once on their journey from raw material to finished component and will get much more expensive, especially as Canada and Mexico levy retaliatory tariffs of their own.)Stellantis is having a rough time of late in North America, where its sales have fallen for the past seven consecutive quarters. Now, some of its workers in Michigan and Indiana are among the first to be idled as a result of the tariffs.The company is laying off 900 workers temporarily at stamping, casting, and transmission plants as a result of idling production at factories in Windsor, Canada (where 4,500 employees are being sent home for two weeks), and Toluca, Mexico (where workers will still get paid but won't assemble cars this month), according to a letter sent by Stellantis to employees, seen by Reuters.We can expect more automakers to react in the coming days, but the full effects will be delayed as automakers and their dealerships run down existing inventory, which may take a couple of months. One thing is clear: It will be an even lousier time to buy a new vehicle, the prices of which have already been elevated by 25 percent since the pandemic of 2020.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 49 Comments

The author (not pictured) used to return everything she bought at Target. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times 2025-04-03T15:48:23Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? For years, I've been returning most items I bought at Target.I thought the hack was ridding my house of clutter and keeping my spending low.But my kid made me feel ashamed of the hack, and I realized I was misusing a loophole.It all started with matching family outfits.I wanted a family portrait in which my family of seven wore similar outfits some combo of pink and white. I spent hundreds of dollars at Target on shoes, dresses, pants, and shirts.After the photo was taken, no one in my family wore those outfits again. My five children, ages 11 to 1, expressed how much they hated the clothes. My girls never liked the shirts in the first place, complaining that they were itchy and tight. The boys didn't like the pink stripes on theirs.Every time I saw the pieces we wore only once hanging in the closet, I felt a slow creep of regret and frustration. The discomfort of those negative feelings ultimately spurred me into action.I didn't have the energy to sell the outfits on Facebook Marketplace. My local consignment shop doesn't take Target's brands, and they weren't interested in the adult items.I wondered if I could bring everything back to Target. To my surprise, the Target sales associate accepted all the items no questions asked for a full refund. I didn't even have a receipt or the tags.Suddenly, I unlocked a new hobby, but in the end, I felt ashamed of my hack.I've continued returning most items I buy at TargetFor the last three years, I've been shopping at Target, using the Circle app, and returning everything we don't use more than once.Before heading to Target, I perused the house in search of items I could return. For example, I recently discovered a cake stand and pitcher we used for my daughter's 11th birthday brunch. If we had another party, she'd want a new aesthetic, and the items would continue to gather dust. I returned both and got back $20.I also recently went through my boys' clothing, which is mostly Target's Cat & Jack brand. I found khakis, Hawaiian button-downs, and graphic T-shirts. They no longer wear these clothes because they've grown out of them.The Cat & Jack return policy allows customers to return any item to Target for a full refund within one year of purchase as long as they have the original receipt.I returned all those clothes for over $100.There were some benefits to returning most of my purchasesI found that buying, using, and returning items alleviated some of the financial and organizational mental load of parenthood.My kids could participate in activities like family photos, Halloween costumes, and school spirit days without accumulating clutter. I thought of it as the ultimate decluttering technique.The financial benefits were a bit murkier. Of course, I was just getting the money back that I already spent a few weeks prior to buy more items.But recycling the same cost kept me from overbuying. I bought what we needed, keeping our family spending budget low.Plus, there was a dopamine award. I was getting what I wanted at Target without seemingly spending extra money.I now feel ashamed of this hackI thought I discovered the ultimate parenting hack, but I started to wonder if I was doing the right thing."Just pick something! We can always return it," my daughter yelled at her sister in a store once.That's when my "greatest parenting hack" sounded more like a dirty little secret coming out of my 11-year-old daughter's mouth.That moment forced me to reflect on the integrity of this behavior. Returning things felt like the responsible thing to do. But was it? Is buying something with the intent to use it and return it wrong?Suddenly, it felt like I was misusing a financial loophole. My hack reminded me of credit cards: You can buy whatever you want, especially things you can't afford, but in the long run, you're just worsening your credit and screwing yourself over.I didn't want to teach my kids to think that when they grew up, they could buy whatever they wanted as long as there was a loophole. I want to teach them smart financial literacy and consumer decisions not ones like returning everything you buy.So, I'm trying to slow down with the returns and set a good example for my kids. Now, when I head to Target, I try not to bring any items with me.Recommended video

Kevin Scott, the CTO of Microsoft, expects 95 percent of code to be AI-generated in the next five years. JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images 2025-04-03T15:38:06Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Kevin Scott, the CTO of Microsoft, says 95% of code will be AI-generated within five years.In a podcast interview, he said he doesn't expect humans to be entirely cut out of programming.He said AI tools will allow smaller teams to tackle larger-scale projects.Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott expects the next half-decade to see more AI-generated code than ever but that doesn't mean human beings will be cut out of the programming process."95% is going to be AI-generated," Scott said when asked about code within the next five years on an episode of the 20VC podcast. "Very little is going to be line by line is going to be human-written code.""Now, that doesn't mean that the AI is doing the software engineering job, and so I think the more important and interesting part of authorship is still going to be entirely human," he added.Scott said he's been programming for 41 years long enough to watch the industry undergo a similar shift while he was a child in the 80s."In the transition from Assembly language programming to high-level language programming, like there were some old farts who would say like, 'You're not a real programmer if you don't know how to write in Assembly language, and that's the only real coding, and the way to do things the right way," he said. "Nobody talks about that anymore."What's occurring with artificial intelligence, in Scott's opinion, isn't too different. Scott said "the very best programmers" will adjust to the incorporation of AI into their routines."We've gone very quickly from developers being skeptical about these tools to like, 'You will get this from my, you know, cold dying fingers. I think of this as like one of the most essential tools in my toolkit and I will never give it up,'" he said.Though Scott believes AI is capable of lowering the barrier of entry to coding, he said it'll still be necessary to employ programmers with solid understandings of niche problems."Think about this as sort of raising everyone's level. So, it makes everybody a programmer and you no longer have to go get someone to make a website for you," Scott said. "But if you are trying to solve the word the world's hardest computational problems, I think you're going to need computer scientists, and they're going to use these tools insanely well."What AI is likely to do, he added, is cut out the middle-man when it comes to simpler, more personal needs. Instead of waiting for a developer to anticipate your need for a particular tool, he said, you'd ideally be able to use AI programs to build it yourself."You have teams of people whose job is to go anticipate a bunch of very granular user needs in some narrow space and then they're going to go write a bunch of code, and then figure out how to hang that code onto some user experience, and they hope that they've done a good enough job," he said."That's going to change. Like you just aren't going to need as much of that anymore," he added.Though the responsibilities assigned to engineers may eventually look different, Scott doesn't believe the role itself will go extinct. And much like Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, who expects AI-assisted coding to help a team of 10 engineers do the work of 100, Scott thinks that AI should ideally enable smaller groups to take on large-scale projects."I'm hoping that it will get easier for small teams to go do big things," Scott said. "The reason that's important is, I think small teams are just faster than big teams are. You can do a lot with like 10 really great, super motivated engineers with really powerful tools."Recommended video