Dec 23, 2024The Hacker NewsCybersecurity / Threat IntelligenceThe 2025 cybersecurity landscape is increasingly complex, driven by sophisticated cyber threats, increased regulation, and rapidly evolving technology. In 2025, organizations will be challenged with protecting sensitive information for their customers while continuing to provide seamless and easy user experiences. Here's a closer look at ten emerging challenges and threats set to shape the coming year.1. AI as a weapon for attackersThe dual-use nature of AI has created a great deal of risk to organizations as cybercriminals increasingly harness the power of AI to perpetrate highly sophisticated attacks. AI-powered malware can change its behavior in real-time. This means it can evade traditional methods of detection and find and exploit vulnerabilities with uncanny precision. Automated reconnaissance tools let attackers compile granular intelligence about systems, employees, and defenses of a target at unprecedented scale and speed. AI use also reduces the planning time for an attack.For example, AI-generated phishing campaigns use advanced natural language processing for crafting extremely personal and convincing emails to increase the chances of successful breaches. Deepfake technology adds a layer of complexity by allowing attackers to impersonate executives or employees with convincing audio and video for financial fraud or reputational damage.Traditional security mechanisms may fail to detect and respond to the adaptive and dynamic nature of AI-driven attacks, leaving organizations open to significant operational and financial impacts. To stay secure in the face of AI threats, organizations should look to AI-enhanced security solutions.2. The rise of zero-day vulnerabilitiesZero-day vulnerabilities are still one of the major threats in cybersecurity. By definition, these faults remain unknown to software vendors and the larger security community, thus leaving systems exposed until a fix can be developed. Attackers are using zero-day exploits frequently and effectively, affecting even major companies, hence the need for proactive measures.Advanced threat actors use zero-day attacks to achieve goals including espionage and financial crimes. Organizations should try to mitigate risks by continuous monitoring and advanced detection systems through behavioral identification of exploit attempts. Beyond detection, sharing threat intelligence across industries about emerging zero-days has become paramount for staying ahead of adversaries. Addressing zero-day threats requires response agility to be balanced with prevention through secure software coding, patching, and updating.3. AI as the backbone of modern cybersecurityArtificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a mainstay in cybersecurity. From handling and processing large volumes of data to detecting even minute anomalies and predicting further, threats, AI is taking the fight against cybercrime to new levels of effectiveness. It's likely that in 2025, AI will become integral in all aspects of cybersecurity, from threat detection and incident response to strategy formulation.AI systems are particularly good at parsing complex datasets to uncover patterns and recognize vulnerabilities that might otherwise go unnoticed. They also excel in performing routine checks, freeing human security teams to focus on more difficult and creative security tasksand removing the risk of human error or oversight in routine, manual work.4. The growing complexity of data privacyIntegrating regional and local data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA into the cybersecurity strategy is no longer optional. Companies need to look out for regulations that will become legally binding for the first time in 2025, such as the EU's AI Act. In 2025, regulators will continue to impose stricter guidelines related to data encryption and incident reporting, including in the realm of AI, showing rising concerns about online data misuse.Decentralized security models, such as blockchain, are being considered by some companies to reduce single points of failure. Such systems offer enhanced transparency to users and allow them much more control over their data. When combined with a zero-trust approach that can process requests, these strategies help harden both privacy and security.5. Challenges in user verificationVerifying user identities has become more challenging as browsers enforce stricter privacy controls and attackers develop more sophisticated bots. Modern browsers are designed to protect user privacy by limiting the amount of personal information websites can access, such as location, device details, or browsing history. This makes it harder for websites to determine whether a user is legitimate or malicious. Meanwhile, attackers create bots that behave like real users by mimicking human actions such as typing, clicking, or scrolling, making them difficult to detect using standard security methods.Although AI has added an additional layer of complexity to user verification, AI-driven solutions are also the most reliable way to identify these bots. These systems analyze user behavior, history, and the context in real-time to enable businesses to adapt security measures with minimal disruption of legitimate users.6. The increasing importance of supply chain securitySupply chain security breaches are indeed on the rise, with attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in third-party vendors to infiltrate larger networks. Monitoring of these third-party relationships is often insufficient. Most companies do not know all the third parties that handle their data and personally identifiable information (PII) and almost all companies are connected to at least one third-party vendor that has experienced a breach. This lack of oversight poses significant risks, as supply chain attacks can have cascading effects across industries.Unsurprisingly, even prominent organizations fall victim to attacks via their suppliers' vulnerabilities. For example, in a recent attack on Ford, attackers exploited the company's supply chain to insert malicious code into Ford's systems, creating a backdoor that the attackers could use to expose sensitive customer data.In 2025, organizations will need to prioritize investing in solutions that can vet and monitor their supply chain. AI-driven and transparency-focused solutions can help identify vulnerabilities in even the most complex supply chains. Organizations should also examine SLAs to select suppliers that maintain strict security protocols themselves, thereby creating ripples of improved security further down the ecosystem.7. Balancing security and user experienceOne of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity is finding a balance between tight security and smooth usability. Overly strict security measures may irritate legitimate users, while lax controls invite the bad guys in. In 2025, as the cyber threat landscape becomes more sophisticated than ever before, businesses will have to navigate that tension with even greater precision.Context-aware access management systems offer a way forward. These systems take into account user behavior, location, and device type to make intelligent, risk-based decisions about access control.8. Cloud security and misconfiguration risksAs organizations continue to move their services toward the cloud, new risks will emerge. Some of the most frequent reasons for data breaches have to do with misconfigurations of cloud environments: missing access controls, storage buckets that are not secured, or inefficient implementation of security policies.Cloud computing's benefits need to be balanced by close monitoring and secure configurations in order to prevent the exposure of sensitive data. This requires an organization-wide cloud security strategy: continuous auditing, proper identity and access management, and automation of tools and processes to detect misconfigurations before they become security incidents. Teams will need to be educated on best practices in cloud security and shared responsibility models to mitigate these risks.9. The threat of insider attacksInsider threats are expected to intensify in 2025 due to the continued rise of remote work, AI-powered social engineering, and evolving data privacy concerns. Remote work environments expand the attack surface, making it easier for malicious insiders or negligent employees to expose sensitive data or create access points for external attackers.AI-driven attacks, such as deepfake impersonations and convincing phishing scams, are also likely to become more prevalent, making insider threats harder to detect. The widespread adoption of AI tools also raises concerns about employees inadvertently sharing sensitive data.To mitigate these risks, companies should adopt a multi-layered cybersecurity approach. Implementing zero-trust security models, which assume no entity is inherently trustworthy, can help secure access points and reduce vulnerabilities. Continuous monitoring, advanced threat detection systems, and regular employee training on recognizing social engineering tactics are essential. Organizations must also enforce strict controls over AI tool usage to keep sensitive information protected while maximizing productivity.10. Securing the edge in a decentralized worldWith edge computing, IT infrastructure processes information closer to the end user, reducing latency times significantly and increasing real-time capability. Edge enables innovations such as IoT, autonomous vehicles, and smart citiesmajor trends for 2025.However, decentralization increases security risk. Many edge devices are out of the scope of centralized security perimeters and may have weak protections, thus becoming the main target for an attacker who tries to leverage vulnerable points in a distributed network.Such environments require protection based on multidimensional thinking. AI-powered monitoring systems analyze data in real-time and raise flags on suspicious activity before they are exploited. Automated threat detection and response tools allow an organization to take instant measures in a timely manner and minimize the chances of a breach. Advanced solutions, such as those offered by edge-native companies like Gcore, can strengthen edge devices with powerful encryption and anomaly detection capabilities while preserving high performance for legitimate users.Shaping a secure future with GcoreThe trends shaping 2025 show the importance of adopting forward-thinking strategies to address evolving threats. From zero-day attacks and automated cybercrime to data privacy and edge computing, the cybersecurity landscape demands increasingly innovative solutions.Gcore Edge Security is uniquely positioned to help businesses navigate these challenges. By leveraging AI for advanced threat detection, automating compliance processes, and securing edge environments, Gcore empowers organizations to build resilience and maintain trust in an increasingly complex digital world. As the nature of cyber threats becomes more sophisticated, proactive, integrated DDoS and WAAP defenses can help your business stay ahead of emerging threats.Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

As enterprises race to implement AI and automation, one often overlooked factor can make or break their success: data quality. In fact, 72% of enterprises have adopted AI for at least one business function. The success of these AI and automation initiatives hinges on quality data. What separates effective automation from costly failures often boils down to the quality of the data feeding these systems. To achieve effective automation, enterprise leaders must rely on high-quality data. In this article, Ill outline simple strategies for gathering and sharing data that drives success.Data Quality: Impact Across IndustriesThe implications of poor data quality can vary across industries, but the underlying risks remain similar. For instance, in healthcare, poor data can lead to poor patient care, putting their safety at risk. Financial services are another sector where data accuracy is paramount -- poor data quality leads to flawed financial reports and increased operational risks, eroding trust, and potentially incurring regulatory penalties. Even retail isnt immune, as inaccurate inventory data can lead to poor stock management decisions, resulting in costly stockouts or excess inventory.Data Quality ChecklistHigh-quality data empowers automation and AI to provide outputs that are accurate, reliable, and context-rich, enabling users -- from data analysts to business leaders -- to make informed, confident decisions. This requires data to meet a checklist of criteria, which are as follows:Related:Timeliness: Is your data up to date? Timely data ensures relevant decision-making. For example, relying on outdated customer data in retail can lead to inaccurate personalization, missing opportunities for sales.Accuracy: Does your data accurately represent real-world conditions? Eliminating biases or errors is critical. For instance, biased healthcare data can lead to improper diagnoses, directly impacting patient outcomes.Completeness: Are your datasets comprehensive? Incomplete data can distort AI outcomes or even lead to hallucinations, where algorithms generate inaccurate or misleading results. For example, missing sales data could result in flawed revenue forecasts.Consistency: Do your records align across datasets? Inconsistent data creates errors that can ripple across automation systems. Imagine a supply chain scenario where mismatched product IDs lead to shipping delays and increased costs.Building a Foundation of Quality DataEnsuring data quality is not just about data cleansing; it requires robust data governance and management practices. Implementing a framework that prioritizes data quality across the organization is essential to achieving reliable outcomes from AI and automation investments. Here are a few best practices:Related:Data stewardship: Designate individuals responsible for monitoring and maintaining data quality across its lifecycle. This ensures that the integrity of the data is preserved.Automated data validation: Proactive detection and correction of errors in real-time is essential for organizations that rely on up-to-date data for fast-paced decision-making.Data lineage tracking: By tracking data from its origin through its transformations, organizations can better understand its reliability and accuracy.Hyperautomation as a Data Quality Use CaseHyperautomation, as defined by Gartner, is reshaping business by automating end-to-end processes across the entire IT landscape. This process merges AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline operations, cut costs, and elevate customer experiences. However, the effectiveness of hyperautomation depends on one crucial factor: data quality. This is because the intelligence behind hyperautomation -- AI and ML models --relies on data.Related:In hyperautomation, data-driven decisions are vital for optimizing processes. Poor data quality can lead to less effective choices, undermining efficiency gains. Analyzing historical data allows organizations to forecast trends and proactively automate, yet the accuracy of these predictions is only as good as the data theyre based on.Hyperautomation also requires integrating data from multiple sources, and inconsistent formats or quality issues can impede seamless integration and scalability. High-quality data helps ensure the reliability and robustness of hyperautomation initiatives, minimizing errors and system risks.For customer-facing hyperautomation projects, such as applications like AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants, these depend on accurate, current data to respond effectively to inquiries. Organizations that focus on data integrity while deploying hyperautomation projects -- both internal and customer-facing -- can fully harness its potential, enhancing operational efficiency and gaining a competitive advantage.Long-Term Impact of Quality Data on Business StrategyAt the strategic level, high-quality data doesnt just make AI and automation systems work better -- it enhances business outcomes. With data that is complete, accurate, and timely, companies can leverage AI and automation to improve efficiency, reduce operational risks, and foster more data-driven decisions that strengthen competitive advantage.Organizations that prioritize data quality today will be the ones to define industry benchmarks tomorrow. The question is: Is your data strategy ready to meet the demands of AI and automation?

The world might seem to be on the brink of a humanoid-robot heyday. New breakthroughs in artificial intelligence promise the type of capable, general-purpose robots previously seen only in science fictionrobots that can do things like assemble cars, care for patients, or tidy our homes, all without being given specialized instructions. Its an idea that has attracted an enormous amount of attention, capital, and optimism. Figure raised $675 million for its humanoid robot in 2024, less than two years after being founded. At a Tesla event this past October, the companys Optimus robots outshined the self-driving taxi that was meant to be the star of the show. Teslas CEO, Elon Musk, believes that these robots could somehow build a future where there is no poverty. One might think that supremely capable humanoids are just a few years away from populating our homes, war zones, workplaces, borders, schools, and hospitals to serve roles as varied as therapists, carpenters, home health aides, and soldiers. Yet recent progress has arguably been more about style than substance. Advancements in AI have undoubtedly made robots easier to train, but they have yet to enable them to truly sense their surroundings, think of what to do next, and carry out those decisions in the way some viral videos might imply. In many of these demonstrations (including Teslas), when a robot is pouring a drink or wiping down a counter, it is not acting autonomously, even if it appears to be. Instead, it is being controlled remotely by human operators, a technique roboticists refer to as teleoperation. The futuristic looks of such humanoids, which usually borrow from dystopian Hollywood sci-fi tropes like screens for faces, sharp eyes, and towering, metallic forms, suggest the robots are more capable than they often are. Im worried that were at peak hype, says Leila Takayama, a robotics expert and vice president of design and human-robot interaction at the warehouse robotics company Robust AI. Theres a bit of an arms waror humanoids warbetween all the big tech companies to flex and show that they can do more and they can do better. As a result, she says, any roboticist not working on a humanoid has to answer to investors as to why. We have to talk about them now, and we didnt have to a year ago, Takayama told me. Shariq Hashme, a former employee of both OpenAI and Scale AI, entered his robotics firm Prosper into this arms race in 2021. The company is developing a humanoid robot it calls Alfie to perform domestic tasks in homes, hospitals, and hotels. Prosper hopes to manufacture and sell Alfies for approximately $10,000 to $15,000 each. Why are we enamored with this idea of building a replica of ourselves? Guy Hoffman, associate professor, Cornell University In conceiving the design for Alfie, Hashme identified trustworthiness as the factor that should trump all other considerations, and the top challenge that needs to be overcome to see humanoids benefit society. Hashme believes one essential tactic to get people to put their trust in Alfie is to build a detailed character from the ground upsomething humanlike but not too human. This is about more than just Alfies appearance. Hashme and his colleagues are envisioning the way the robot moves and signals what hell do next; imagining desires and flaws that shape his approach to tasks; and crafting an internal code of ethics that governs the instructions he will and will not accept from his owners. In some ways, leaning so heavily on the principle of trustworthiness for Alfie feels premature; Prosper has raised a tiny amount of capital compared with giants like Tesla or Figure and is months (or years) away from shipping a product. But the need to tackle the issue of trustworthiness head-on and early reflects the messy moment humanoids are in: Despite all the investment and research, few people would feel warm and comfortable with such a robot if it walked into their living room right now. Wed wonder what data it was recording about us and our surroundings, fear it might someday take our job, or be turned off by its way of moving; rather than elegant and useful, humanoids are often cumbersome and creepy. Overcoming that lack of trust will be the first hurdle to clear before humanoids can live up to their hype. But on the road to helping Alfie win our trust, one question looms larger than any other: How much will he be able to do on his own? How much will he still rely on humans? New AI techniques have made it faster to train robots through demonstration datausually some combination of images, videos, and other data created by humans doing tasks like washing dishes while wearing sensors that pick up on their movements. This data can then coach robots through those tasks much the way that a large body of text can help a large language model create sentences. Still, this method requires lots of data, and lots of humans need to step in and correct for errors. Hashme told me that he expects the first release of Alfie to handle only about 20% of tasks on his own. The rest will be assisted by a Prosper team of remote assistants, at least some of them based in the Philippines, who will have the ability to remotely control Alfies movements. When I raised, among other concerns, whether its viable for a robotics business to rely on manual human labor for so many tasks, Hashme pointed to the successes of Scale AI. That company, which processes training data for AI applications, has a significant workforce in the Philippinesand is often criticized for its labor practices. Hashme was one of the people managing that workforce for about a year before founding Prosper. His departure from Scale AI was itself set off by a violation of trustone for which he would serve time in federal prison. The success or failure of Alfie will reveal much about societys willingness to welcome humanoid robots into our private spaces. Can we accept a profoundly new and asymmetric labor arrangement in which workers in low-wage countries use robotic interfaces to perform physical tasks for us at home? Will we trust them to safeguard private data and images of us and our families? On the most basic level, will the robots even be useful? To address some of these concerns around trust, Hashme brought in Buck Lewis. Two decades before Lewis worked with robots, before he was charged with designing a humanoid that people would trust rather than fear, the challenge in front of him was a rat. In 2001, Lewis was a revered animator and one of the top minds at Pixar. His specialty was designing characters with deep, universal appeal, a top concern to studios that fund high-budget projects aimed at capturing audiences worldwide. It was a niche that had led Lewis to bring trucks and sedans to life in the movie Cars and create characters for many DreamWorks and Disney films. But when Jan Pinkava, the creative force behind Ratatouille, told Lewis about his pitch for that filmthe story of a rat who wants to be a chefthe task felt insurmountable. Rats evoke such fear and apprehension in humans that their very name has become a shorthand for someone who cannot be trusted. How could Lewis turn a maligned rodent into an endearing chef? Its a deeply ingrained aversion, because rats are horrifying, he told me. For this to work, we had to create a character that rewires peoples perceptions. To do that, Lewis spent a lot of time in his head, imagining scenes like a group of rats hosting a playful pop-up dinner on a sidewalk in Paris. The result was Remy, a Parisian rat who not only rose through the culinary ranks in Ratatouille but was so lovable that demand for pet rats surged globally after the films release in 2007. Two decades later, Lewis has made a career change and is now in charge of crafting every aspect of Alfies character at Prosper. Much as the appealing Remy rebranded rats, Alfie represents Lewiss attempt to change the image of humanoid robots, from futuristic and dangerous to helpful and trustworthy. Prospers approach reflects a foundational robotics concept articulated by Rodney Brooks, a founder of iRobot, which created the Roomba: The visual appearance of a robot makes a promise about what it can do and how smart it is. It needs to deliver or slightly overdeliver on that promise or it will not be accepted. According to this principle, any humanoid robot makes the promise that it can behave like a humanwhich is an exceedingly high bar. So high, in fact, that some firms reject it. Some humanoid-skeptic roboticists doubt that a helpful robot needs to resemble a human at all when it could instead accomplish practical tasks without being anthropomorphized. Why are we enamored with this idea of building a replica of ourselves? asks Guy Hoffman, a roboticist focused on human-robot interactions and an associate professor at Cornell Universitys engineering school. Early prototypes of Prospers robotic butler, which could perform household tasks like cleaning a kitchen table, rinsing dishes, and discarding trash.DAVID VINTINER The chief argument for robots with human characteristics is a functional one: Our homes and workplaces were built by and for humans, so a robot with a humanlike form will navigate them more easily. But Hoffman believes theres another reason: Through this kind of humanoid design, we are selling a story about this robot that it is in some way equivalent to us or to the things that we can do. In other words, build a robot that looks like a human, and people will assume its as capable as one. In designing Alfies physical appearance, Prosper has borrowed some aspects of typical humanoid design but rejected others. Alfie has wheels instead of legs, for example, as bipedal robots are currently less stable in home environments, but he does have arms and a head. The robot will be built on a vertical column that resembles a torso; his specific height and weight are not yet public. He will have two emergency stop buttons. Nothing about Alfies design will attempt to obscure the fact that he is a robot, Lewis says. The antithesis [of trustworthiness] would be designing a robot thats intended to emulate a human and its measure of success is based on how well it has deceived you, he told me. Like, Wow, I was talking to that thing for five minutes and I didnt realize its a robot. That, to me, is dishonest. But much other humanoid innovation is headed in a direction where deception seems to be an increasingly attractive concept. In 2023, several ultrarealistic humanoid robots appeared in the crowd at an NFL game at SoFi stadium in California; after a video of them went viral, Disney revealed they were actually just people in suits, a stunt to promote a movie. Nine months later, researchers from the University of Tokyo unveiled a way to attach engineered skin, which used human cells, over the face of a robot in an attempt to more perfectly resemble a human face. Through this kind of humanoid design, we are selling a story [that this robot] is in some way equivalent to us or to the things that we can do. Guy Hoffman, roboticist Lewis has considered much more than just Alfies appearance. He and Prosper envision Alfie as an ambassador from a future civilization in which robots have incorporated the best qualities of humanity. Hes not young or old but has the wisdom of middle age, and his primary function in life is to be of service to people on their terms. Like any compelling character, Alfie has flaws people can relate tohe wishes he could be faster, and he tends to be a bit obsessive about finishing the tasks asked of him. Core tenets of Alfies service are to respect boundaries, to be discreet and nonjudgmental, and to earn trust. Hes an entity thats nonhuman, but he has a sort of sentience, Lewis says. Im trying to avoid looking at it as directly comparable to human consciousness. Ive been referring to Alfie as heat the risk of over-anthropomorphizing what is currently a robot in developmentbecause Lewis pictures him as a gendered male. When I asked why he pictures Alfie as having a gender, he said its probably a relic from the archetypal male butlers he saw on television shows like Batman growing up. But in a conversation with Hashme, I learned there is actually a real-life butler who is in some ways serving as an inspiration for Alfie. That would be Fitzgerald Heslop. Heslop has decades of experience in high-end hospitality training, and for seven years he was the only person within the United States Department of Defense qualified to train household managers who would run the homes of three- and four-star generals. Heslop now runs the household of a wealthy family in the Middle East (he declined to get more specific) and has been contracted by Prosper to inform Alfies approach to service within the home. Shortly into my conversation with Heslop, he elaborated on what excellent service looks like. Thats the level of creativity the good butler deals in: the making of beautiful moments to put people at their ease and increase their pleasure, he said, quoting Steven M. Ferrys book Butlers & Household Managers: 21st Century Professionals. He spoke with conviction about the impact great service can have on the world and about how protocol and etiquette can level the egos of even top dignitaries. Citing a quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, he said, The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Though he has no experience in robotics, Heslop is drawn to the idea that household robots could someday provide impeccable levels of service, and he thinks that Prosper has identified the right priorities to get there. Privacy and discretion, attention to detail, and meticulous eyes for that are mission critical to the overall objective of the company, he says. And more importantly, in this case, Alfie. It is one thing to dream up an Alfie in sketchbooks, and another to build him. In the real world, the first version of Alfie will depend on remote assistants, mostly working abroad, to handle approximately 80% of its household tasks. These assistants will use interfaces not unlike video-game controllers to control Alfies movements, relying on data from his sensors and cameras to guide them in washing dishes or clearing a table. Hashme says efforts are being made to conceal or anonymize personally revealing data while the robot is being teleoperated. That will include steps like removing sensitive objects and peoples faces from recordings and allowing users to delete any footage they like. Ideally, Hashme wrote in an email, Alfie will often simply look away from any potentially private activities. The AI industry has an appalling track record when it comes to workers in low-wage countries performing the hidden labor required to build cutting-edge models. Workers in Kenya were reportedly paid less than $2 an hour to manually purge toxic training data, including content describing child sexual abuse and torture, for OpenAI. Scale AIs own operation in the Philippines, which Hashme helped manage, was criticized in 2023 by rights groups for not abiding by basic labor standards and failing to pay workers properly and on time, according to an investigation by the Washington Post. In a statement, OpenAI said such work needs to be done humanely and willingly, and that the company establishes ethical and wellness standards for our data annotators. In a response to questions about criticisms of its operation in the Philippines, Scale AI wrote, Over the past year alone, weve paid out hundreds of millions in earnings to contributors, giving people flexible work options and economic opportunity, and that 98% of support tickets regarding pay have been successfully resolved. Hashme says he was not aware of the allegations against ScaleAI during his time there, which ended in 2019. But, he said in an email, we did make mistakes, which we quickly corrected and generally took quite seriously. I asked him what lessons he takes from the allegations against Scale AI and other companies outsourcing sensitive data work and what safeguards hes putting in place for the team hes building in the Philippines for Prosper, which so far numbers about 10 people. Shariq Hashme, a former employee of both OpenAI and Scale AI, entered his robotics firm Prosper into the humanoid arms race in 2021.DAVID VINTINER A lot of companies that do that kind of stuff end up doing it in a way which is kind of shitty for the people who are being employed, Hashme told me. Such companies often outsource important HR activities to untrustworthy partners abroad or lose workers trust through bad incentive programs, he said, adding: With a more experienced and closely managed team, and a lot more transparency around the entire system, I expect well be able to do a much better job. Its worth disclosing the nature of Hashmes departure from Scale AI, where he was hired in 2017 as its 14th employee. In May 2019, according to court documents, Scale noticed that someone had repeatedly withdrawn unauthorized payments of $140 and transferred them to multiple PayPal accounts. The company contacted the FBI. Over the course of five months, approximately $56,000 was taken from the company. An investigation revealed that Hashme, then 26, was behind the withdrawals, and in October of that year, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.Ahead of his sentencing, Alexandr Wang, the now-billionaire founder and CEO of Scale AI, wrote a letter to the judge in support of Hashme, as did 13 other current or former Scale employees. I believe Shariq is genuinely remorseful for his crime, and I have no reason to believe he will ever do something like this again, Wang wrote, and he said the company would not have wanted the wrongdoer prosecuted if it had known it was Hashme. Hashme lost his job, his stock options, and Scales sponsorship of his green card application. Scale offered him a $10,000 severance payment before leaving, which he declined to accept, according to Wangs letter. Hashme paid the money back in 2019, and in February 2020, he was sentenced to three months in federal prison, which he served. Wang is now a primary investor in Prosper Robotics, alongside Ben Mann (cofounder of Anthropic), Simon Last (cofounder of Notion), and Debo Olaosebikan (cofounder and CEO of Kepler Computing). I had a major lapse in judgment when I was younger. I was facing some personal challenges and stole from my employer. The consequences and the realization of what Id done came as a shock, and led to a lot of soul-searching, Hashme wrote in an email in response to questions about the crime. At Prosper, he wrote, were taking trustworthiness as our highest aspiration. There are some real upsides to being able to control robots remotely, but the idea of large-scale robotic teleoperation by overseas workers, even if it takes years for it to be effective, would be nothing short of a seismic shift for labor. It would present the possibility that even highly localized physical work that we perceive as immune to moving offshorecleaning hotel rooms or caring for hospital patientsmight someday be conducted by workers abroad. It also seems antithetical to the very idea of a trustworthy robot, since the machines effectiveness would be inextricably tied to a faceless worker in another country, most likely receiving paltry wages. Hashme has spoken about using a portion of Prospers profits to make direct payments to people whose jobs have been affected or replaced by Alfies, but he doesnt have specifics on how that would work. Hes also still thinking through issues related to who or what Prospers customers should be trusting when they allow its robot into their home. We dont want you to have to place as much trust in the company or the people the company hires, he says. Wed rather you place trust in the device, and the device is the robot, and the robot is making sure the company doesnt do something theyre not supposed to do. He admits that the first version of Alfie will likely not live up to his highest aspirations, but he remains steadfast that the robot can be of service to society and to people, if only they can trust him.

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The Architects JournalThe AJ Christmas Quiz 2024Test your knowledge of another busy/soul-destroying/meh [delete as applicable] year in architectureThe post The AJ Christmas Quiz 2024 appeared first on The Architects JournalSimon Aldous

A ticking time-bombSource: ShutterstockIf we do not value the work of architects today, there will be no one left to design tomorrows buildings, wrote Aga Szedzianis in this years most popular Opinion piece after a RIBA study revealed a rapid salary decrease of almost 40 per cent since 1999.The tales of falling salaries came during the same year that an unusually high talent exodus was revealed by a survey by The Pay 100, an activist-led initiative aiming to drive fairer pay for those in the earlier stages of an architecture career. The organisers stated that economic opportunity [is] playing an undeniable role in the exodus.But never fear not every job was miserably low-paid. In June, readers were astonished to see the RIBA promoting a job ad offering a 288,000 salary to a private tutor for an ambitious architecture student. In case youre not shocked enough, the advertisement asked for a candidate who must have been raised in a socially appropriate background and has a stable home life. Huge step forward for equality in the industry, right?AdvertisementLow salaries werent the only downfall the AJ reported on. In November, Richard Waites write-up of the grim findings of ARBs survey into workplace culture echoed what we have highlighted over the years that the industry is often an abusive environment, especially for women and those from ethnic minority backgrounds.More redundanciesProjects by practices who announced redundancies in NovemberAs economic turbulence continued to bite, the AJs most read story of the year revealed that more top UK practices were set to make redundancies, including Woods Bagot and Morris+Company. The news followed the AJs April report of job losses at AJ100 practices Buckley Gray Yeoman, Piercy&Company, Hawkins\Brown and HTA Design.Simon Bayliss, managing partner at HTA Design, told the AJ: Many housing practices have been facing more difficult times over the past couple of years, with the economic conditions presenting significant barriers to development, while government prevarication and regulatory uncertainty have almost certainly done even more damage.November saw this years second most read story telling a similarly dismal tale, revealing new waves of redundancies at Make Architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) and Fletcher Priest Architects.At the start of the year, stories of firms shutting their doors were widely read, with Sarah Wigglesworth deciding to step away from her award-winning practice after 30 years in February, and Stirling-shortlisted Tony Fretton Architects closing in April after 42 years in business. AJ 40 under 40 practice TDO also went into liquidation, its founders ditching their the financially precarious nature of their current model to start afresh.AdvertisementFollowing stories of closures, redundancies, and economic uncertainty in practice, it came as no surprise that readers were eager to read Aprils piece profiling architects who jumped the fence to client-side careers. Thinking of swapping sides?Shortlists and winners revealedStirling Prize 2024 shortlisted projectsUnsurprisingly, readers flocked in to enjoy reveals of shortlists and competition winners, with the announcements that gained the most traction including the RIBA National Award winners, the architects chosen for infill council housing jobs in Hackney, and the finalists in British Museums contentious revamp contest.Subscribers were quick to click when this years RIBA Stirling Prize finalists were revealed. But, made up of schemes by previous winners Mikhail Riches Architects as well as shortlist debutants Al-Jawad Pike and Clementine Blakemore Architects, the list was deemed by some to be not quite as impressive as last years, including AJ Deputy Architecture Editor Fran Williams, who labelled the list more forgettable and uninspiring than ever in a top-performing Opinion piece.A month after The Elizabeth Line was announced as this years winner, the Stirling Prize entered the news again with the AJs exclusive announcement that the RIBA prizes first ever winner Hodder Associates Centenary Building for the University of Salford was due to be demolished just 29 years after it was built.Buildings and RetroFirstHillside House by Mike Tuck Studio (photography by Luca Piffaretti)It wasnt all doom, gloom and demolition among this years top stories. In line with the AJs RetroFirst campaign, a number of our most widely read built projects prioritised retrofit over demolition and rebuild. Knox Bhavans retrofit of an early Victorian villa in Camberwell was among the most-read Buildings stories, along with Mike Tuck Studios remodelling of a 1930s semi in Walthamstow, which features reused materials such as reclaimed school parquet and recycled plastic.Other top Buildings stories included Tim Grooms 24 million mill-inspired housing in Manchester and a building study of Caruso St Johns St Pancras Campus, which featured in Novembers Planning issue.Thanks for reading the AJ this yearWishing you a merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year!2024-12-23Katie Lastcomment and share

The average person in the US spends 4 hours, 37 minutes per day looking at their phone, according to a December 2023 study. Globally, a January 2024 report stated that users aged 16 to 64 spend an average of 6 hours, 40 minutes on the internet per day. That is way more than the less than two hours per day (outside of work) that experts recommend.All that screen time can come with side effects such as headaches, eye strain, insomnia and more, which is why many turn to blue light glasses to try to protect their vision while on devices. Nowadays, their are many different blue light glasses brands to shop from, includingFelix Gray and Peepers. You can get blue light lenses for your prescription glasses, too.However, do blue light glasses actually work and make a difference for those of us who stare at screens for several hours? The answer isn't as straightforward as yes or no.What is blue light? Upgrade your inbox Get cnet insider From talking fridges to iPhones, our experts are here to help make the world a little less complicated. Allvisible lightwe humans see contains the entire spectrum of the rainbow, from red to violet. Within that spectrum are blue light waves, which are said to help us stay alert and upbeat.Read more:Tired of Eye Strain? Here's How Optometrists Say to Beat It Blue light glasses from the brand Felix Gray. Angela Lang/CNETBlue light and sleepLight affects your circadian rhythm. In the morning, light signals to your body that it's time to wake up, which is why you tend to be more alert during the day. Blue light affects your circadian rhythm since it blocks the production of melatonin (the sleepy hormone). At first glance, the screens on our electronic devices may not seem blue, but they do actually emit short blue wavelengths. If you're an avid nighttime social media scroller or an evening gamer, you're essentially telling your brain that it's time to stay awake instead of winding down for sleep.Blue light does have itspositive attributes.Since it makes you feel more alert, blue light therapy is used for those suffering from unexplained fatigue or seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression. It may help those with memory loss and is believed to improve cognitive function. When the sun goes down, the lack of light signals our bodies to start producing melatonin, the hormone responsible for making us fall asleep.Read more: Best Melatonin Supplements of 2024Before the advent of artificial light, the sun regulated our sleep schedules. Today, we're exposed to light all day and into the night. While exposure to any light waves after dark delays our body's production of melatonin, blue light waves can be especially problematic because they keep us alert. On the other hand, blue light can help us overcome sleep issues by resetting our off-sync circadian rhythm.Is too much screen time bad?The short answer? Probably.Doctors and researchers are largely focused on two issues that arise from our ever-growingscreen time: digital eye strain and blue light exposure.According to theAmerican Optometric Association, digital eye strain is "a group of eye- and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader and cell phone use." Those issues range from blurry vision and dry eyes to headaches andneck pain.By staring at screens all day, we're also exposed to blue light waves, which are said to cause a myriad of issues. There is conflicting evidence about how blue light exposureaffects your eyes, but doctors and researchers agree that it does affectyour circadian rhythm.What does my screen have to do with this? Compared to fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, LEDs can give off a significant amount of blue light. Unfortunately for those of us who cozy up to our tech after sunset, LEDs are used in countless smartphones, tablets and TV screens. Tech products that have an LCD screen, like laptops, iPads and older iPhones, still use LEDs to backlight their displays.Tips to manage blue light before bedThese are some practical ways to reduce exposure to blue light before bed:Wrap up work at least three hours before bed.Turn off any overhead lights right after dinner to keep your room dim.Put your phone on do not disturb mode to minimize blue light disruptions.Put away any electronic devices like your phone or television 30 minutes before you go to bed.Is blue light bad for your eyes?Blue light has been linked to all sorts of issues, from causing digital eye strain to making us blind. There's a lot of conflicting evidence about exactly how harmful it really is.The American Academy of Ophthalmology says that there's no evidence that the blue light specifically given off by screens will cause eye damage, as we are exposed to blue light all day from the sun. Peepers offers colorful blue light glasses. Angela Lang/CNETTalking to CNET, Dr. Raj Maturi, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, explained, "During the day, you get 10 times as much blue light from the sun as you do from your computer screen. Our bodies have evolved to deal with this light."Research compiled by the AOA indicates that prolonged exposure to blue light (such as sitting in front of a computer all day) might cause damage to your retina the innermost layer of your eye that sends signals to your brain to process what you are seeing.Prevent Blindness, a nonprofit dedicated to mitigating vision loss, also says that early research suggests that blue light can contribute to eye strain.What are blue light glasses? Blue light blocking glasses have filters in their lenses that block or absorb blue light, and in some cases UV light, from getting through. That means if you use these glasses when looking at a screen, especially after dark, they can help reduce exposure to blue light waves that can keep you awake.Many blue light glasses you can buy also claim to help reduce eye strain. Most are meant to be worn during the day while working in front of a computer, and at night to prevent the blue light from screens from keeping us awake.Should I get blue light glasses?It depends. Do you want or need to look at your phone after dark, and then have trouble falling asleep?There is ample evidence that blue light affects when our bodies create melatonin, so if you use screens long after sundown, these glasses might help stop you from staying up later than you want.If you deal with digital eye strain, there is an easy exercise you should try before you invest in new glasses. Use the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The idea is that this helps break your focus from your screen, allowing your eye muscles to relax and stave off eye strain. As for me, I'm writing this article wearing a pair of blue light glasses that I've used off and on for the last few months. While I'm not 100% certain that they are helping my eyes, I do notice my eyes feel less tired at the end of the day. Could it be a placebo? Sure, but I'll keep wearing them to find out.

I'm always anticipating my next trip. I'm one of those people that almost always has a trip scheduled, so I have something to look forward to. I'm eager to visit my friend in Philadelphia in January and my friend in Paris in the spring. Whether it's a 2-hour roadtrip or a 10-hour global flight, I'm excited for the voyage.While traveling is exhilarating and eye-opening, I dread the packing and preparation stages, especially when I need to take into consideration the ever-changing weather, temperature and climate. Even though I'm a notorious over-packer and planner, there have been a few times when I've totally botched my packing process. (Don't get me started about the time I forgot to pack socks and pajamas.) While you can usually find what you need at your destination, you can save money and time by simply packing properly beforehand.You might not be likely to forget things like clothes or shoes, but what about less obvious items that will make your trip smoother and more comfortable? Whether you already have your trip booked or you're planning in advance, these are the 12 things you should never forget to pack.For more travel tips, learn about the best way to pack a carry-on and the best time to book flights this holiday season. 1. Hygiene items and prescriptionsOn your travels, the last thing you want to forget is any essential hygiene or medical item. While you can easily get more deodorant to stay fresh on your trip, it's much more important to remember medications that will be incredibly difficult to replace once you arrive at your destination. This includes contact lenses, birth control, prescription glasses and any other medications.For women, most times we can plan a trip around our cycle, but sometimes life happens. It can be very costly and uncomfortable to be on a trip without sanitary items, especially when you need them. So, just make it a habit to pack a few. It's better to have them and not need them than to not have them and need them.Also, don't forget to pack sunscreen when you're traveling in the summer or if you're visiting a particularly sunny or tropical destination.2. A reusable water bottle Bringing a reusable bottle saves money and keeps you hydrated. Mario Marco/Getty ImagesIf you're spending hours walking through city streets or going on a full-day hike in a national park, you're going to need to hydrate frequently. It's not always easy to access water in certain destinations -- not to mention how brutally hot or humid it can be in certain climates -- so taking a refillable bottle with you is always helpful.Sure, you could rely on purchasing water bottles at your destination, but water is often expensive in popular tourist hubs or hotels, and grocery or convenience stores aren't always nearby, especially in rural or woodland areas.Here's a list ofsome great water bottles. If your destination's tap water isn't drinkable, think about awater bottle with a built-in filter.3. Portable power banksWhen traveling, you're likely going to be using your phone more -- pulling up boarding passes, looking up places to go and directions to those places, keeping in touch with friends and family back home and taking hundreds of pictures. All of this drains your battery, and it can be frustrating to interrupt your busy itinerary of sightseeing to charge your phone. Plus, access to power outlets is never guaranteed.That's why it's always good to bring a portable power bank with you. Power banks put the power in your pocket for easy access and usually aren't too expensive. I recommend investing in one that's not only reliable, but can also charge your phone multiple times before needing to be charged itself.4. Towelettes Wipes let you sanitize your hands and certain "high-touch" objects. Kilito Chan/Getty ImagesWhile bus tours or subway rides can be super fun, they're not always the most tidy of places. During your travels, you're likely going to have to grab "high-touch" objects like remote controls, light switches, telephones, doorknobs, faucet handles, etc. so it's important to keep hygiene in mind to prevent illness.Washing your hands might not always be an immediate option so make sure to pack a few towelettes with you. Plus, small wipes should make it through security checkpoints without issue.5. A quick-dry towelTowels come in handy more often than not and you never know when one might save the day. Maybe you spilled on your outfit or got caught in a rainstorm and need to dry off quickly. Or maybe you arrived at your hotel or Airbnb only to find they didn't provide towels.Quick-drying towels are not the most luxurious option, but they're lightweight and easy to stow away while traveling. Most importantly, they dry super fast so you can clean up and pack it up in your bag without too much of a wait.6. Plastic bagsIf there's one travel necessity I swear by, it's a plastic bag. Need to pack up your muddy shoes? Plastic bag. Want to separate worn dirty clothing from your clean items? Plastic bag.While plastic or trash bags are not the most glamorous travel item, they have a multitude of uses and won't take up much space in your luggage.7. A packable backpackI consistently pack too much in my carry-on luggage. I want to bring my cameras, hat, sunglasses, a change of clothes and some toiletries just in case my checked back is lost. But all of these items quickly add up to leave very little room in my backpack. And usually, I don't want to take them all with me as I tool around the destination I'm visiting.I suggest taking another smaller, preferably foldable backpack that you can use as you tour. This will keep you from having to pack and repack your carry-on bag. Plus, you can use it to carry the souvenirs you pick up along the way.8. Bottle protectorsI come back from almost every trip I take with a bottle of wine or specialty beer as a souvenir. I love bringing a special bottle of beer, liquor or wine home to share with friends and family as I tell them about my adventures.But before that can happen, the bottle has to actually make it through the trip home. And that means you'll need to bring a form of protection. Many people swear by the wine-bottle-in-the-sock method or will swaddle the glass bottles with their clothes, but I prefer to pack an actual protective bottle bag. I recommend aprotective bottle bagwith padding and a zipper top that will help protect your clothing.9. Dryer sheets Stinky shoes? Just use a dryer sheet. Alina Bradford/CNETFor me, this is a no-brainer. When you're walking miles and miles through various train or bus stations, airports and cities, you're going to work up quite the sweat. And your shoes will likely pay the price.Bring several dryer sheets with you to help mask the smell of your shoes. Upon returning to the hotel or Airbnb at the end of your day, simply place a dryer sheet in each shoe to help aerate them.10. A universal plug adapter A travel adapter is a must-have. Ceptics/AmazonYou probably already know this. I'm going to remind you anyway: If you're traveling abroad, you need a plug adapter. Outlets in the US are a different size from outlets overseas, which means if you intend to use electronic devices in a different country, you'll need an adapter.You could try to buy one at your destination, but they can be expensive and hard to find. It's best to pack one with you before you go to save time and money.11. A travel routerOK, this might seem like overkill, but a travel router has saved me on more than one occasion. Internet connection is not always reliable when traveling or in certain rural areas, and establishing a wired connection is almost always going to be more dependable than wireless (especially in hotels). I feel much safer traveling knowing I have a stable connection to call in case of an emergency, keep up with the group I'm traveling with or connect with loved ones back home.Here's some more good news: Travel routers are usually small, affordable and easy to pack. You can buy one for anywhere between $20 and $100, and they're usually not much larger than a wall adapter.12. A packable down or rain jacketNo matter if you're heading to a tropical destination or hitting the streets of a European city, it's always wise to bring an extra down or rain jacket (or umbrella if you have the space). Even if you check the forecast religiously, you could still get caught in a freak rainstorm or have a chillier night than expected.One of the best options that won't weigh down your suitcase is bringing a packable down or rain jacket that can easily fold up. Trust me, it's better to be safe than sorry.Final thoughtsTraveling can be a life-altering experience that creates memories that last a lifetime. But before you can experience all the magic of the cities around the world, you have to pack. And packing the right way can make all the difference by reducing stress and saving you money in the long run. While everyone might have a different idea of what items are essential for traveling, the 12 recommendations above are what I have found to be the most useful during my own trips.If you're planning a vacation soon and are stressed about preparing, we have plenty of resources to help. Get ready for your next trip with these hacks and tips:

Residents of Naperville have quite a few internet service providers to choose from, but Xfinity stands out as the top option.

December 22, 2024The Climate, Health and Tech Stories Were Following in 2025Were closing out the year with a roundup of the science stories that stood out to our editors in 2024. Anaissa Ruiz Tejada/Scientific AmericanSUBSCRIBE TO Science QuicklyApple | Spotify | RSSRachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific Americans Science Quickly, Im Rachel Feltman.Weve had a busy and exciting year here at Science Quickly. After a few months of working behind the scenes, I officially started hosting the show back in May. Ive had so much fun chatting with you all three times a week since then, and I cant wait for all the conversations well get to have in 2025.Before we here at SQ take a short break for the holidays, I thought it would be fun to ask a few Scientific American editors about the biggest science stories of the year. Lets get into it.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Andrea Thompson: Im Andrea Thompson. Im the Earth and environment news editor at Scientific American.So the biggest weather and climate stories this year are a lot of what weve seen in recent years: hurricanes, floods, record heat.Hurricanes were a big story, especially in the U.S. this year. We had several really devastating ones and really surprising ones, kicking off with Hurricane Beryl, which was the earliest Category 5 on record for the Atlantic Ocean, and it really rapidly intensified, and meteorologists were just sort of left with their mouths hanging open watching this storm develop.We had two really devastating hurricanes.[CLIP: NBC 6 meteorologist John Morales speaks about Hurricane Milton in October:  Incredible hurricane. It has dropped [chokes up]it has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours. I apologize. This is just horrific.]Thompson: Hurricane Milton and then particularly Hurricane Helene, which dropped tons of rain on western North Carolina and wreaked absolute devastation there.But it wasnt just the U.S. that was hit by these storms. The Philippines actually had five typhoons, which are the same type of storm as a hurricane; its just called a different name in the Pacific than it is in the Atlantic. So they had five typhoons and a tropical storm, all within a month, which is a lot of storms. And that wreaked a lot of devastation and killed a lot of people there.Besides those sort of big storms we had a number of heat waves, which is just something that is incredibly connected to climate change and is one of the easiest weather events to see the imprint of climate change in and is something we just see more of every year. They last longer, they are hotter, and they happen more frequently than they have in the past. And one of the notable ones this year was in the Southwest U.S. ...[CLIP: CBS Morning News anchor Anne-Marie Green discusses the heat wave in June:  A dangerous heat wave is threatening more than 30 million people across the Southwest this morning.]Thompson: Which has sort of been a focal point for these year after year. But Phoenix in particular had 113 consecutive days with high temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit [nearly 38 degrees Celsius] or higher. The previous record was 76 days in 1993. So that is a substantial increase on that. And so that heat caused hundreds of deaths just in Phoenix alone. So when you consider that those heat waves were over a broader area, you know, youre looking at much higher numbers.Of course, that wasnt the only place that saw heat. There were also really terrible spring heat waves across a large swath of Asia, from the Palestinian territories to India, Thailand and the Philippines.There were also huge floods.[CLIP: PBS News Hour co-anchor Amna Nawaz speaks about flooding in October:  In Spain, where crews are searching for bodies in abandoned cars and swamped buildings after devastating flash floods.Thompson: Spain was one of the sort of hallmark events this year because it was, I think, very surprising to people there; they werent expecting it. That caused a huge amount of devastation and death. There are also really major floods in parts of AfricaSudan, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chadand all of these also have some fingerprints of climate change on them.So probably the biggest climate story this year is that its going to be the hottest year on record, which we know before its even technically over. We really knew this, honestly, at the end of October, just based on how hot all of the months of the year so far had been. And its going to surpass the record just set last year, which itself was record hot by a record margin.So 2024 is even hotter than 2023, and that is also one of the hallmarks of climate change: that we see record-hot years increasingly happen. In fact, all of the hottest 10 years on record have been in the 21st century, and its probably not going to be long before the 2024 record falls.You know, if I could pick just a couple words or phrases to describe 2024, it would be record-hot and extreme. And I feel like those are probably [laughs] the words I would have picked in a lot of other years, too, but its justthat fact is a sign that climate change is here and its happening now. Its not a future problem, as I think we thought about it as, you know, a couple decades ago; were living it right now, and every year really bears that out.And, you know, looking ahead to 2025, we obviously cant know if 2025 might be the year that breaks 2024s record. I think right now climate scientists would probably say its not as likely, in part because were expecting a weak La Nia.So most people have heard of El Nio. La Nia is the opposite; its sort of the flip side of an El Nio. An El Nio happens when water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean are higher than normal, and that releases heat into the atmosphere that causes this cascade of changes in weather around the globe. So La Nia is the opposite; its when those temperatures are colder than normal. That alsoit changes weather patterns. It also tends to slightly cool global temperatures, whereas El Nio slightly raises them. And part of why 2023 and 2024 were record-hot is a little bit due to El Nio, although [the] vast majority of that heat is from long-term climate change.But with a weak La Nia likely developing in 2025, global temperatures might be a little bit lower, so its possible 2025 will come in under 2024 and 2023. But its still, even with a La Nia, going to be among the hottest years on record, almost certainly. The years where we see La Nias now are actually hotter than some El Nio years from 30 or 40 years ago. And that is really a mark of how much climate change has impacted global temperatures.You know, in terms of weather that we might see, sort of in broad seasonal trends, we are going to see heat waves somewhere. They are going to break records. There are going to be hurricanes and typhoons around the world. Where theyll hit, how strong theyll be, we cant know. There are going to be floods in places. These things are going to keep happening every year, and climate change is having an impact on all of them: to increase their likelihood, to make them worse and to make them happen more often.Feltman: Climate was obviously a major theme in the news this year, but we also had a lot of health stories to tackleincluding a few that arent existentially distressing. Lets look back on some awesome health advances from 2024.Tanya Lewis: Im Tanya Lewis, senior editor for health and medicine at Scientific American.So we actually learned a lot of really cool things about the human body this year. One thing we learned, which you might remember from an earlier podcast episode, is that scientists discovered a new pain medication that works by blocking nerve channels before the pain reaches the brain, and its not addictive like opioids.Another thing we learned is that vitamin D deficiency is not as big of a problem as we thought. Early in the 2000s studies suggested that vitamin D deficiency was a contributor to cancer, heart disease and many other illnesses and that taking vitamin D supplements might help. But more recent studies have failed to show as much of a benefit as we thought, and most people actually have adequate levels of vitamin D.Researchers have also discovered ancient brains that are miraculously well-preserved for thousands of years after death. And they think that these brains might be undergoing a process of protein misfolding, which resembles what happens in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers or even mad cow disease.Finally, theres a new advancement that can help people who are born without a uterus. Scientists have found a way to actually transplant uteruses from a healthy donor into these individuals, who can then get pregnant and give birth to a live baby.If I could describe 2024 in three words, I think I would choose unexpected because we are constantly seeing and learning new things about the body and about new diseases that we didnt expect. I would say political because unfortunately, health, like all aspects of science, have become politicized. And then finally, not to leave on a downer, but I would say ominous because there are, unfortunately, some major public health threats looming, like the potential of a bird flu pandemic.In 2025 I will be keeping a close eye on bird flu, or H5N1, the virus thats been transmitting among wild birds and dairy cows and poultry in the U.S. Ill be following whats happening with the politicization of science under the new administrationa new presidential administrationand hope to see, you know, areas of consensus, hopefully, between the different parties so that we can keep Americans healthy.While there are many public health threats that loom on the horizon, theres still a lot to look forward to, and were just beginning to see some of the fruits of decades of research in things like mRNA vaccines and weight-loss drugs and many other developments. I think were in a pretty good position to tackle some of these major public health threats that we might be facing in the coming year.Feltman: I dont know about you, but Im grateful for that spot of optimism. Also, let me take this opportunity to sneak in my favorite reminder one last time this year: now is not the time to start exploring the world of raw dairy, no matter what people on TikTok might tell you. Just hit pause on that one at the very least.Speaking of the Internet: Heres associate technology editor Ben Guarino to tell us how the artificial intelligence conversation evolved in 2024.Guarino: The focus of 2024 in AI has definitely been on generative AI because the biggest developments this year were often in the new forms of what it could make. When ChatGPT was unveiled in 2022 we saw it make text, but now generative AI is making really convincing audio. I watched a demo of a ChatGPT-based voice where the user asked it to count to 30 really fast and then it paused to catch its breath in the middle of counting. So the folks who are developing these generative systems are really looking to: How do they sound human, and, and how do they feel authentic? So thereve definitely been improvements to audio.Generative AI has now been moving into things like video with OpenAIs really impressive video maker, Sora, which it showcased as a demo earlier this year and then, at the start of December, released to its paying customers. I tried to log in right away to use it, but the traffic was so heavy, I, I couldnt get in, so theres definitely an interest in using generative AI to make video.And with that also started to come some backlash. So Im thinking of, in November, Coca-Cola turned some of its iconic ads into movieinto video using generative AI and people piled on online, so theres definitely been, on the one hand, if were looking at the big trends in generative AI, an improvement in what it can do, but also, I would think, an awareness and maybe a more pronounced backlash this year than weve seen in previous years: understanding how generative AI was trained on data, on what artists made, on what writers have written. And also maybe some concerns about it taking work away from people.Pew Research has done surveys each year, going back for the past few years, looking at how people are excited about AI or concerned about AI, and over the past three years an increasing proportion have said that theyre more concerned than excited about AI, and, and I think that might be a trend we will see continue into next year.One major area that AI had an impact in 2024 is definitely search. So at the start of this year Google didnt have AI answers in its search results, but to me thats almost wild to think about; Ive gotten so used to seeing them already, you know? If anybody is a regular user of Google Search, I have to imagine that youve seen the generative AI results at the top, and these are gonna stick aroundGoogles latest numbers, I think, were that one billion people have used Googles large language model, which is called Gemini, in Search, and talking to the New York Times recently, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that, you know, to expect Google Search to continue to evolve in 2025, and I have to imagine thats gonna be more layering of artificial intelligence into search results.And theres also been an awareness, too, of the energy demands of generative AI. And there are some estimates, although the figures arent exact, that adding generative AI to search results is increasing, not insubstantially, the energy demands on every time that you search something on Google.If I could describe 2024 in three words, I would say boom. Were definitely in an AI boom. I think this really was the year that AI started showing up on our phones, started showing up on our computers, started showing up in our workplaces in more obvious ways than maybe we had been familiar with before. There have been huge investments in AI and continued investments in generative AI. We saw OpenAI make plans to move from a nonprofit to a profit. We saw Elon Musk break up with OpenAI and roll out his competitor, Grok, on X, formerly Twitter.The next word I would pick, I think, as a consequence of that boom is slop. Slop was a contender for Oxfords word of the year; it lost out to brain rot. But slop means this AI equivalent of spam. So if you were on Facebook at all earlier this year, maybe you encountered something like Shrimp Jesus, which was this phenomenon where people were using chatbots to make these bizarre chimeras of religious figures and crustaceans, or these clearly AI-made images of structures built out of Coca-Cola bottles, and its reallywas just engagement bait.Ill take a slightly more optimistic note with the third word and Ill say promise. I mean, we saw some clever and what I would consider good uses of AI in terms of pattern recognition, of using AI to help decipher a scroll that was burned by the Pompeii volcano from hundreds and hundreds of years ago, to AI helping in drug development for looking for novel forms of antibiotics. So there definitely is something here to AI. I dont want to be too cynical here; I think its good to be critical, but this definitely is a technology that has promise.In 2025 I think were going to see more about the hunger for water and energy and resources that generative AI needs, especially for the large data centers required to operate it. We know that Microsoft is looking at reviving, for instance, one of the mothballed reactors at Three Mile Island, the nuclear power plant, to power its data centers. Theres been more attention paid to whats called Data Center Alley in the mid-Atlantic. In terms of keeping these data centers active, that requires fossil-fuel plants.I also think were gonna start to see more forms of generative AIso thats AI based on LLM-type style modelsthat arent quite like the chatbots were familiar with. Im thinking specifically, as an example, what are called AI agents. So these are systems that you would access on your phone or computer like you would a chatbot, but its got more autonomy to do things.So one common example of what an AI agent might do is help book you a plane ticket. And you might tell itor it might know because its been analyzing your personal datathat, you know, you prefer aisle seats, so it will look for aisle seats for you and, and book an aisle seat. And these agents, in theory, have more autonomy to interact with other apps, and they dont require the hand-holding or the prompting that something like ChatGPT needs now. So if youve used ChatGPT with any regularity, you might know that it might take multiple prompts to get it to produce the thing that youre looking for. Withthe idea behind an AI agent is that you tell it what to do and, and it goes off and it interfaces with other apps, and you dont need to keep nudging it along.Feltman: Im glad we ended on AI because it gives me an excuse to plug some more Science Quickly before we sign off. One of my favorite SQ episodes is also one of our most recent: our deep dive on Googles AI podcast tool. If you havent listened yet, you should definitely go check it out while were off for the holidays.I also really loved our episode on folk music and the evolution of song. Im not going to say itll definitely be the only time youll ever hear me sing on Science Quickly, but thats not exactly going to be a regular thing.And I cant forget the episode where I got to interview an astronaut from actual space. In fact, we made history by conducting the first-ever live video interview from the cupola observatory! Thats definitely the best background Ive ever gotten to enjoy on a video call.We covered the science of fear, the fight to end implicit bias in health care and the dangers of weight stigma at the doctors office. We did deep dives on extreme archaeology, Antarctic exploration and the beauty and mystery of math. From learning about animal conservation to tackling zombie-apocalypse prep, weve done our best to help you stay curious. Heres to a whole lot more of that in 2025. Were taking a few weeks off from new episodes so our team has time to enjoy the holidays, but well be back bright and early in the new year.Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. Todays episode was reported and co-hosted by Andrea Thompson, Tanya Lewis, and Ben Guarino. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.For Scientific American, this is Rachel Feltman. Have a wonderful holiday season. See you next year!