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Healthy Diet GoalsgettyAs 2025 begins, many of us are focusing on healthier diets and fitness resolutions. However, even the most diligent efforts could be undermined by an invisible force: climate change. Beyond extreme weather and rising seas, climate change has a profoundand often overlookedimpact on the nutrient content of the food we eat. The soil where our food grows is changing, and that change is having serious consequences on our health.2025 Diet Sabotage Crisis: Soil Degradation and Nutrient LossSoil is the foundation of all terrestrial life, providing nutrients that sustain crops, livestock, and ecosystems. Yet, research shows that soil quality is deteriorating due to climate-related factors like rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and desertification. Soil health plays a vital role in human well-being, serving as the foundation for nutrient-rich crops that sustain global populations. According to Food and Agriculture Organization, when soils are degraded, the resulting crops often lack essential nutrients, increasing the risk of malnutrition and related health issues, especially among vulnerable groups. In other words, an apple a day, may not be sufficient to keep the doctor away. Additionally, the contamination of soils with pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants can lead to significant health hazards. FAO also reports that one-third of global soils are already degraded.Climate change affects soil quality gettyThis degradation matters because nutrient-rich soil is essential for producing healthy food. A 2017 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that increased atmospheric CO2 levels lower the concentration of essential nutrients like zinc, iron, and protein in crops. Wheat, rice, and soybeansstaples for billionshave seen reductions in nutrient density of up to 10% compared to crops grown decades ago.A 2018 research by National Library of Medicine, indicated alarming results, as elevated atmospheric CO2 negatively impacts the nutritional quality of vegetables by reducing several essential nutrients. A meta-analysis of 57 studies found that elevated atmospheric CO2 leads to a 9.5% decrease in protein, an 18.0% reduction in nitrate, a 9.2% decline in magnesium, a 16.0% drop in iron levels, and a 9.4% decrease in zinc. These losses are concerning, as these nutrients are vital for human health, particularly in vulnerable populations who may already be at risk for deficiencies. The onset of Climate change underscores the urgent need to address these reductions and is critical to ensure that vegetables continue to provide the necessary nutrients for a healthy diet in the face of rising CO2 levels.MORE FOR YOU2025 Diet Plans Are Inevitably Affected by Declining Soil HealthThe decline in soil and food quality has direct implications for human health. According to research by the International Food Policy Research Institute, zinc plays a vital role in human health, yet zinc deficiency remains one of the most prevalent forms of micronutrient malnutrition worldwide. The research further stated that approximately that 17% of the global population lacks adequate zinc intake, with this figure climbing to 19% in Asia and 24% in Africa. This deficiency is linked to stunted growth, weakened immunity, and cognitive challenges in children, and growing evidence suggests it also contributes to the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases later in life.Iron deficiency, another byproduct of nutrient-poor crops, is the leading cause of anemia worldwide, affecting 1.62 billion people according to a National Institute of Health report. Anemia as defined by the American Society of Hematology, occurs when there is not enough red blood cells or when the red blood cells do function properly, and this contributes to fatigue, decreased productivity, and complications during pregnancy, with ripple effects on economic output and healthcare systems.Soil health affects healthcare sectorgettyThe intersection of climate change and public health will continue to present a formidable challenge, as rising CO2 levels exacerbate nutrient deficiencies in staple crops, posing dire consequences for global nutrition. Iron deficiency, is already the world's most common micronutrient shortfall, and is set to worsen as increased atmospheric CO2 (projected at 550 ppm by 2050) reduces iron concentrations in C3 grains, legumes, and maize by 410% according to a 2019 Stanford University report. The report further indicated that vulnerable populations, particularly children aged 15 and women of childbearing age in regions like South Asia, East Africa, and North Africa, are disproportionately affected. These areas, often economically disadvantaged, rely heavily on plant-based diets for iron intake and face anemia prevalence which exceeding 20%. The report further indicated that 1.4 billion people at risk of a >3.8% dietary iron loss, this emerging health crisis underscores the urgency of mitigating anthropogenic CO2 emissions, which are as a result of human activities. Consequently, bolstering health systems, promoting dietary diversification, and fostering agricultural innovations are critical to safeguarding global health and productivity against the impacts of the climate crisis of nutrient-poor crops.The combined effects of soil degradation, nutrient-poor crops, and climate change are intensifying the global burden of micronutrient deficiencies, with devastating implications for public health and economic productivity. Addressing this crisis requires urgent action to mitigate CO2 emissions, enhance agricultural practices, and invest in health systems and education to build resilience against the far-reaching consequences of declining food quality.2025 Economic Impacts: The Cost of Poor NutritionThe ripple effects of nutrient loss extend to economies. Poor nutrition increases healthcare costs and reduces worker productivity. A 2019 report by the Global Nutrition Report estimated that malnutrition costs the global economy $3.5 trillion annually. If climate change continues to erode food quality, these costs will escalate and be addition burdens to the ailing healthcare systems in many countries.Entrepreneurs and innovators, however, see opportunities in the crisis. Startups focused on regenerative agriculture, vertical farming, and climate-resilient crop technologies are gaining traction. Companies like Indigo Ag and Plenty are developing solutions that promise to restore soil health while ensuring sustainable food production.This crisis also provides the opportunity for university research and development. A preliminary Washington University study reveals that soil-building techniquessuch as reduced plowing, diverse crop planting, and the use of cover cropscan significantly enhance the nutrient profile of produce. The research involved comparing farms across the U.S. that employed these methods for at least five years with neighboring conventional farms and the researchers found a notable increase in essential minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals that support human health. These findings highlight the potential of regenerative agriculture not just to restore soil health but also to deliver more nutrient-rich food, making it a compelling choice for both personal well-being and environmental sustainability.Ginger (Zingiber officinale) ginger roots for sale in local market in Linstead, Jamaica ... [+] DgettyLinking Personal Health Goals to Planetary Sustainability in 2025When setting our 2025 health goals, it is essential to recognize that the path to well-being goes beyond what is on our platesit is rooted in the soil beneath our feet. Climate change, with its silent but profound effects on soil quality and crop nutrients, is a challenge that demands urgent attention. The hidden crisis of nutrient loss underscores the interconnectedness of our environment and health, reminding us that every action we take to combat climate changefrom supporting sustainable farming practices to reducing carbon emissions, investing in regenerative agriculture, leaving unsustainable habits in 2024, advocating for climate-resilient policies, and fostering global awarenessdirectly safeguard our ability to thrive. Should we completely depend on vitamin and mineral supplements from the pharmaceutical industry to aid our ailing food quality? Let 2025 be the year we embrace a holistic vision of health that unites collective healthcare with planetary sustainability. Additional research and development as well serious actions to mitigate against the growing health effects of climate change.

Palm recognition smart locks let you open your door with a wave of your hand.PhilipsAhead of CES 2025, Philips has announced that its upcoming 5000 Series Video Palm Recognition Smart Lock will feature integrated video monitoring, enabling users to see who is at the door without requiring a separate smart camera. The innovation has garnered the company a nod as an honouree in the Innovation Awards at the upcoming CES.The company already has a palm-recognition smart lock in the market, but combining this with a door camera makes a lot of sense, as it should mean quicker response time and easier management via a single app.Palm vein recognition is the current cutting-edge for smart door access, with sensors analyzing your hand in a similar way to fingerprint readers but with no need for physical contact. This means you can pretend to be a Jedi by opening your door just by holding up your hand, which is as good a reason to want one as I can imagine. Having no physical contact is also a boon in this post-pandemic world.As well as a palm vein recognition you can also open via PIN code, the smartphone app, your voice using Google Home or Amazon Alexa smart assistants and also something else called a key. To complete an already full package, the lock will also double up as a doorbell.While Philips is the brand, it is releasing the product under licensing from Idlespace Technology, which itself is the exclusive importer and distributor of Shenzhen Conex Intelligent Technology Co Ltd.MORE FOR YOUThe current model is priced at $360 but Philips has not announced pricing details for the new lock, which it says will only be available in the second half of 2025. One feature absent from the current version is Apple HomeKit so well have to wait and see if that will be added.On thing that also isn't revealed are if the door will require a wired power connection of if it will use batteries. Either way, with so much tech on board it seems like an ideal candidate for the Wi-Charge wireless power technology, as featured in this smart lock from Alfred, which would do away with the need for either wires or batteries. After all, if you're going to push the tech envelope you might as well go all the way. Maybe next year.

Facepalm: In another illustration of the dangers of our connected-car age, a data leak by a Volkswagen subsidiary revealed information, including location data, of 800,000 EV owners. The exposed data was available online, with VW, Audi, Seat, and Skoda owners affected. The private data from Cariad, which makes VW software, was accessible online for several months, according to German publication Spiegel Netzwelt. It included contact information along with movement data for owners of Volkswagen vehicles and the company's other car brands in Germany, Europe, and other parts of the world.In some cases, the data included emails, phone numbers, and addresses of drivers. There were also details about where the EVs had been started and switched off.For 460,000 of the 800,000 vehicles that made up the leak, the location data was accurate to within ten centimeters (3.9 inches) for Volkswagen and Seat vehicles, and within 10km (6.2 miles) for Audi and Skoda EVs. Spiegel writes that German politicians, entrepreneurs, and the entire EV fleet driven by Hamburg police were included on the list of owners, and it's even suspected that intelligence service employees were also part of the leak.As we've seen many times before with these sorts of incidents, the data was accessible due to it being left on an unprotected and misconfigured Amazon cloud storage service.The leaked information is reported to have come from the software used in Volkswagen EVs. The data was highlighted by the hacker association Chaos Computer Club (CCC), which was tipped off by an anonymous hacker. The club contacted Germany's Federal Ministry of the Interior and the state police, which gave Volkswagen and Cariad 30 days to address the situation before going public.Volkswagen says the error has now been rectified and the information is no longer accessible. It adds that passwords and payment information were not part of the leak, and that only select vehicles registered for online services were initially at risk. // Related StoriesThe automaker also said that the data was accessed in a very complex, multi-stage process, and that the CCC hackers could only access pseudonymized vehicle data after bypassing several security mechanisms, which required a high level of expertise and a considerable investment of time.This isn't the first leak of this kind for a car maker. In 2023, Toyota apologized after discovering that a misconfigured server had been exposing some customer data on the web for nearly a decade.These incidents highlight the issues that come with connected cars and the sharing of customer info. A study by Mozilla in 2023 found that all 25 car brands investigated collect too much personal data and use it for a reason other than to operate your vehicle and manage their relationship with the customer. Mozilla's conclusion was that modern cars are a "privacy nightmare."

Something to look forward to: Apple is ringing in the new year with a surprise announcement for people who still haven't signed up for Apple TV+. According to an official press release from the company, the streaming service will be available for free for three days during the first weekend of 2025. The offer, which is valid from Friday, January 3 to Sunday, January 5, is applicable worldwide to all users with an Apple ID. To access Cupertino's full catalog of movies and TV shows, all you need to do is log in to the Apple TV+ app or website with your Apple ID on any compatible device and in any region where the service is available.The promo is intended to increase Apple's subscriber numbers amid increasing competition with Netflix, Hulu, and other prominent video-on-demand services. The standalone Apple TV+ service costs $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) in the US, but it's also available as part of the Apple One bundle that starts at $19.95 per month for individuals.Apple TV+ offers a seven-day free trial throughout the year, but it requires users to sign up. If you don't like what you see, you need to manually cancel within the seven-day period to ensure that you're not charged automatically after the trial period expires. However, the free weekend offer comes with no strings attached, as users won't even have to sign up with their credit card info.Apple has been dropping cryptic teasers on social media for the past few days about the impending announcement with the tagline "See for yourself." Many observers believed them to be promos for upcoming seasons of popular shows, but it turns out that they were an invitation for potential subscribers to enjoy the free all-access pass this weekend. // Related StoriesSome of the most popular Apple TV+ shows include blockbusters like Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, The Morning Show, Shrinking, and Severance. Other fan favorites include Wolfs starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Fly Me to the Moon, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum; The Family Plan, starring Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan; and The Instigators, starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.

Its not enough for a gaming laptop to look cool. You need a reliable PC with the best internal components, excellent battery life, and plenty of ways to connect with other devices, like an external monitor. And while there are numerous gaming laptop brands to choose from, weve always thought Dells lineup checks all the boxes. Fortunately, we also came across an awesome sale while looking through Dell laptop deals earlier today:Right now, when you order the Dell G15 Gaming Laptop through the manufacturer, youll only end up paying $800. At full price, this model sells for $1,050. This laptop made it onto our list of the best gaming laptops of 2024, so its definitely worth your consideration.This configuration of the Dell G15 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU that delivers max clock speeds of 5.1GHz, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Based on the internals alone, you can expect the G15 to deliver fast performance for even the most demanding single-player and online titles. And if 512GB of storage isnt enough, we have a whole roundup of great SSD deals for you to check out!RelatedThe 15.6-inch FHD screen is the bright and colorful display youll be working with, which supports up to 1920 x 1080 resolution, a native 165Hz refresh rate, Nvidia G-Sync support, and 3ms response times. It may not be the fastest or fanciest screen on the market, but youll be able to enjoy nearly lag-free gameplay, plus a wide color gamut and solid contrast levels. Theres no shortage of ports on this machine either, so youll be able to connect USB flash drives and other laptop accessories.The Dell G15 Gaming Laptop is always ready for action. The only thing you have to worry about is getting in on this sale before it vanishes. Take $250 off this phenomenal laptop when you order today, and feel free to take a look through our lists of the best gaming laptop deals and best Dell laptop deals for even more markdowns!Editors Recommendations

Until now, players have been able to enjoy Assassins Creed: Origins on PC with few problems, but the most recent Windows 11 update has thrown a wrench into things. Now players are review bombing Assassins Creed: Origins with complaints of crashes, blue screens, freezing, and a lot more. Theres one thing to keep in mind, though: the Windows update is to blame, not the game itself. Origins isnt the only game affected by the update, either.A user named The Hidden One appropriate for a subject like Assassins Creed shared the news on X. Recent reviews have a mixed rating, and the bar graph shows a distinct spike in negative reviews since the update. Of course, its understandable why fans reacted that way; Ubisoft doesnt have the best track record with PC ports. Then again, thats not just a Ubisoft problem.Recommended VideosAssassin's Creed Origins is getting bombed with negative reviews because of Microsofts 24H2 Windows 11 update which has bricked the game for a lot of people. Black screens, crashes, and freezes, and still no fixes yet. pic.twitter.com/kldzId77HY The Hidden One (@TheHiddenOneAC) December 30, 2024Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming The update primarily seems to mess with games that use AutoHDR and, for whatever reason, Ubisoft titles specifically. Aside from Origins, two otherAssassins Creedgames have exhibited crashes: Assassins Creed: Valhalla and Assassins Creed: Odyssey. The issue isnt exactly new; the problem has persisted for around a week now, and Microsoft hasnt supplied players with updates on when they can expect a fix.RelatedSome members of the community have reported solving the issue by disabling AutoHDR. Simply turning off the setting is enough to stabilize a lot of the games, but Ubisoft players seem to be disproportionately impacted. Other Reddit users have also said the update affects Path of Exile 2Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, too.These are temporary fixes that work for the moment, but until Microsoft releases a patch or hotfix that will resolve the issues this update introduced, certain games may have spotty performance.Editors Recommendations

Lets agree to broaden our wine horizons this year. Explore new regions, or places weve waited too long to revisit. Try new bottles instead of buying the same wine over and over againunless you really, really love it.

"You know... for kids!" The perfect New Years Eve comedy turns 30 Joel and Ethan Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) bombed at the box office but it's since amassed a strong cult following. Jennifer Ouellette Dec 31, 2024 2:19 pm | 14 Tim Robbins starred as Norville Barnes in 1994's The Hudsucker Proxy Credit: Warner Bros. Tim Robbins starred as Norville Barnes in 1994's The Hudsucker Proxy Credit: Warner Bros. Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThere aren't that many movies specifically set on New Year's Eve, but one of the best is The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Joel and Ethan Coen's visually striking, affectionate homage to classic Hollywood screwball comedies. The film turned 30 this year, so it's the perfect opportunity for a rewatch.(WARNING: Spoilers below.)The Coen brothers started writing the script for The Hudsucker Proxy when Joel was working as an assistant editor on Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981). Raimi ended up co-writing the script, as well as making a cameo appearance as a brainstorming marketing executive. The Coen brothers took their inspiration from the films of Preston Sturgess and Frank Capra, among others, but the intent was never to satirize or parody those films. "It's the case where, having seen those movies, we say 'They're really funlet's do one!'; as opposed to "They're really funlet's comment upon them,'" Ethan Coen has said.They finished the script in 1985, but at the time they were small indie film directors. It wasn't until the critical and commercial success of 1991's Barton Fink that the Coen brothers had the juice in Hollywood to finally make The Hudsucker Proxy. Warner Bros. greenlit the project and producer Joel Silver gave the brothers complete creative control, particularly over the final cut.Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) is an ambitious, idealistic recent graduate of a business college in Muncie, Indiana, who takes a job as a mailroom clerk at Hudsucker Industries in New York, intent on working his way to the top. That ascent happens much sooner than expected. On the same December day in 1958, the company's founder and president, Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning), leaps to his death from the boardroom on the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine).A meteoric rise Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) gets a job at Hudsucker Industries Warner Bros. Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) gets a job at Hudsucker Industries Warner Bros. Founder and president Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning leaps to his death from the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Warner Bros. Founder and president Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning leaps to his death from the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Warner Bros. Board member Sidney Mussburger (Paul Newman) schemes to temporarily depress the company's stock Warner Bros. Board member Sidney Mussburger (Paul Newman) schemes to temporarily depress the company's stock Warner Bros. Founder and president Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning leaps to his death from the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Warner Bros. Board member Sidney Mussburger (Paul Newman) schemes to temporarily depress the company's stock Warner Bros. The creepy janitor Aloysius (Harry Bugin) Warner Bros. Sidney woos a naive Norville. Warner Bros. Norville is promoted to president as a patsy for Mussburger's scheme. Warner Bros. To keep the company's stock from going public as the bylaws dictate, board member Sidney Mussburger (Paul Newman) proposes they elect a patsy as the next presidentsomeone so incompetent it will spook investors and temporarily depress the stock so the board can buy up controlling shares on the cheap. Enter Norville, who takes the opportunity of delivering a Blue Letter to Mussburger to pitch a new product, represented by a simple circle drawn on a piece of paper: "You know... for kids!" Thinking he's found his imbecilic patsy, Mussburger names Norville the new president.Meanwhile, a reporter for the Manhattan Argus, Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh), is skeptical about this new "idea man" and cons her way into becoming Norville's secretary to find out what's really going on. At first, everything goes according to the board's plan. Norville's proposal for the "dingus" is fast-tracked into production and dubbed the Hula-Hoop by marketing. It's shaping up to be a spectacular failure until a little boy finds a discarded Hula-Hoop on the street and demonstrates a variety of tricks while playing with it.The Hula-Hoop becomes a national sensation. The company's stock soars instead of crashing and Norville basks in unexpected glory. Frankly, the success goes to his head. But the ruthless Mussburger has a few more tricks up his sleeve. Is Norville any match for his machinations? Maybe he is, with a little timely magical intervention to ensure a happy ending.A fad is born Diner regulars Benny and Lou deliver a running commentary Warner Bros. Diner regulars Benny and Lou deliver a running commentary Warner Bros. Manhattan Argus reporter Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) suspects shady dealings at Hudsucker Industries Warner Bros. Manhattan Argus reporter Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) suspects shady dealings at Hudsucker Industries Warner Bros. Would an imbecile come up with this brilliant idea? Warner Bros. Would an imbecile come up with this brilliant idea? Warner Bros. Manhattan Argus reporter Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) suspects shady dealings at Hudsucker Industries Warner Bros. Would an imbecile come up with this brilliant idea? Warner Bros. A dingus to bring people together... even if it keeps them apart, spatially. Warner Bros. The corporate bean counters must have their say Warner Bros. The moment the hula-hoop became a bona fide fad. Warner Bros. Unfortunately for the Coen brothers, The Hudsucker Proxy was not their hoped-for mainstream success. It was a box office bomb, grossing just $11.3 million worldwide against a production budget of between $24-$40 million. Reviews were mixed, with critics declaring the film something of a technical pastiche that lacked humanityall style with little substance and too many sly references to classic films from Hollywood of yore. But as often happens, the film withstood the test of time, amassing a strong cult following over the last 30 years.Even the film's harshest critics had nothing but praise for the film's stunning cinematography and production design, a tribute to the distinctive vision of its directors. Visual effects supervisor Michael McAlister, in a 2019 interview, called The Hudsucker Proxy his favorite of the many films he's worked on: "It's the only movie that I've worked on that I wouldn't change one frame of film under my department's domain."This is a mythical version of New York City, created with miniatures of all the iconic skyscrapers, crammed together into a single area to evoke a bygone Manhattan. (The models were later used for films like Batman Forever and Godzilla.) There are shades of Art Deco and Frank Lloyd Wright, mixed in with darker dystopian touches reminiscent of films like 1985's Brazil.I've never understood the early criticisms, but then, I've always been a fan of screwball comedies and appreciate that the Coen brothers played this one straight, rather than trying to make a clever satire. It's the sheer earnest good cheer they bring to the film that makes The Hudsucker Proxy so eminently watchable, year after yearreminiscent of It's A Wonderful Life (1946), Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), and similar feel-good fare.A second chance There's romance in the air for Amy and Norville Warner Bros. There's romance in the air for Amy and Norville Warner Bros. Success goes to Norville's head Warner Bros. Success goes to Norville's head Warner Bros. Elevator operator Buzz (Jim True) has his own brilliant idea: the "Buzzsucker" Warner Bros. Elevator operator Buzz (Jim True) has his own brilliant idea: the "Buzzsucker" Warner Bros. Success goes to Norville's head Warner Bros. Elevator operator Buzz (Jim True) has his own brilliant idea: the "Buzzsucker" Warner Bros. A smear campaign could cost Norville his career. Warner Bros. Norville hangs on for his life from the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Warner Bros. Moses (Bill Cobb), who maintains the company clock, makes a timely intervention. Warner Bros. The late Waring Hudsucker has a message of hope for Norville. Warner Bros. You've got smart, snappy dialog and rapid-fire delivery in the style of 1940s comedies like The Front Page. Jason Leigh specifically modeled Amy Archer's vocal and physical mannerisms on Rosalind Russell's reporter in that film, as well as on Katharine Hepburn. Robbins plays Norville's wide-eyed optimism to perfection and Paul Newman's rasping delivery ("Sure, sure") and smug confidence makes Mussburger the perfect screwball comedy villain.You've also got the fast-talking elevator operator, Buzz (Jim True) for comic relief, firing off bad puns about the former president's suicide ("When is a sidewalk well-dressed? When it's WARING Hudsucker! Get it?"), John Mahoney as Argus chief editor Al, and Bruce Campbell as Amy's dim-witted misogynist colleague, Smitty. The Coen brothers even employ a couple of dyspeptic diner patrons, Benny and Lou, as narrators to provide the needed exposition in the scene where Amy picks up an unwitting Norville with the old mother's lumbago ruse ("she's good, Lou").Ultimately, The Hudsucker Proxy is an uplifting fable about why it matters to be good and decent, even in a cut-throat world that values nothing but profit. Those pursuits didn't bring Waring Hudsucker true happiness, after all, leading to his voluntary departure for the Great Hereafter. As he wrote in his final missive, "Failure should never lead to despair. That despair looks only to the past, in business and in love. The future is now." It's a fitting reminder for us all as 2024 draws to a close.Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior reporter at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 14 Comments

The past 12 months have been undeniably busy for those working in AI. There have been more successful product launches than we can count, and even Nobel Prizes. But it hasnt always been smooth sailing. AI is an unpredictable technology, and the increasing availability of generative models has led people to test their limits in new, weird, and sometimes harmful ways. These were some of 2024s biggest AI misfires. AI slop infiltrated almost every corner of the internet Generative AI makes creating reams of text, images, videos, and other types of material a breeze. Because it takes just a few seconds between entering a prompt for your model of choice to spit out the result, these models have become a quick, easy way to produce content on a massive scale. And 2024 was the year we started calling this (generally poor quality) media what it isAI slop. This low-stakes way of creating AI slop means it can now be found in pretty much every corner of the internet: from the newsletters in your inbox and books sold on Amazon, to ads and articles across the web and shonky pictures on your social media feeds. The more emotionally evocative these pictures are (wounded veterans, crying children, a signal of support in the Israel-Palestine conflict) the more likely they are to be shared, resulting in higher engagement and ad revenue for their savvy creators. AI slop isnt just annoyingits rise poses a genuine problem for the future of the very models that helped to produce it. Because those models are trained on data scraped from the internet, the increasing number of junky websites containing AI garbage means theres a very real danger models output and performance will get steadily worse. AI art is warping our expectations of real events 2024 was also the year that the effects of surreal AI images started seeping into our real lives. Willys Chocolate Experience, a wildly unofficial immersive event inspired by Roald Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, made headlines across the world in February after its fantastical AI-generated marketing materials gave visitors the impression it would be much grander than the sparsely-decorated warehouse its producers created. Similarly, hundreds of people lined the streets of Dublin for a Halloween parade that didnt exist. A Pakistan-based website used AI to create a list of events in the city, which was shared widely across social media ahead of October 31. Although the SEO-baiting site (myspirithalloween.com) has since been taken down, both events illustrate how misplaced public trust in AI-generated material online can come back to haunt us.Grok allows users to create images of pretty much any scenario The vast majority of major AI image generators have guardrailsrules that dictate what AI models can and cant doto prevent users from creating violent, explicit, illegal, and other types of harmful content. Sometimes these guardrails are just meant to make sure that no one makes blatant use of others intellectual property. But Grok, an assistant made by Elon Musk's AI company, called xAI, ignores almost all of these principles in line with Musks rejection of what he calls woke AI. Whereas other image models will generally refuse to create images of celebrities, copyrighted material, violence, or terrorismunless theyre tricked into ignoring these rulesGrok will happily generate images of Donald Trump firing a bazooka, or Mickey Mouse holding a bomb. While it draws the line at generating nude images, its refusal to play by the rules undermines other companies' efforts to steer clear of creating problematic material. Sexually explicit deepfakes of Taylor Swift circulated online In January, non-consensual deepfake nudes of singer Taylor Swift started circulating on social media, including X and Facebook. A Telegram community tricked Microsofts AI image generator Designer into making the explicit images, demonstrating how guardrails can be circumvented even when they are in place. While Microsoft quickly closed the systems loopholes, the incident shone a light on the platforms poor content-moderation policies, after posts containing the images circulated widely and remained live for days. But the most chilling takeaway is how powerless we still are to fight non-consensual deepfake porn. While watermarking and data-poisoning tools can help, theyll need to be adopted much more widely to make a difference. Business chatbots went haywire As AI becomes more widespread, businesses are racing to adopt generative tools to save time and money, and to maximize efficiency. The problem ischatbots make stuff up and cant be relied upon to always provide you with accurate information. Air Canada found this out the hard way after its chatbot advised a customer to follow a bereavement refund policy that didnt exist. In February, a Canadian small-claims tribunal upheld the customers legal complaint, despite the airlines assertion that the chatbot was a separate legal entity that is responsible for its own actions.In other high-profile examples of how chatbots can do more harm than good, delivery firm DPDs bot cheerfully swore and called itself useless with little prompting, while a different bot set up to provide New Yorkers with accurate information about their citys government ended up dispensing guidance on how to break the law. AI gadgets arent exactly setting the market alight Hardware assistants are something the AI industry tried, and failed, to crack in 2024. Humane attempted to sell customers on the promise of the Ai Pin, a wearable lapel computer, but even slashing its price failed to boost weak sales. The Rabbit R1, a ChatGPT-based personal assistant device, suffered a similar fate, following a rash of critical reviews and reports that it was slow and buggy. Both products seemed to be trying to solve a problem that did not actually exist. AI search summaries went awry Have you ever added glue to a pizza, or eaten a small rock? These are just some of the outlandish suggestions that Googles AI Overviews feature gave web users in May after the search giant added generated responses to the top of search results. Because AI systems cant tell the difference between a factually correct news story and a joke post on Reddit, users raced to find the strangest responses AI Overviews could generate.But AI summaries can also have serious consequences. A new iPhone feature that groups app notifications together and creates summaries of their contents, recently generated a false BBC News headline. The summary falsely stated that Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself. The same feature had previously created a headline claiming that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested, which was also incorrect. These kinds of errors can inadvertently spread misinformation and undermine trust in news organizations.