Meta has begun to cut thousands of jobs to focus on AI investment and efficiency.Mark Zuckerberg targets low performers, part of a broader industry move toward leaner operations.Some employees told Business Insider they are anxious about the changes.Meta has begun to cut thousands of jobs as the social media giant takes a tougher stance on underperforming employees and readies its finances for another year of heavy AI investment. Impacted employees in Europe, Asia, and the US have started to be notified, per an internal post view by Business Insider.The company has said it will eliminate roughly 5% of its workforce, which could mean almost 4,000 employees lose their jobs.CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff in January he would "raise the bar" and move quickly to remove low performers, according to an internal memo seen by BI.This is part of a broader push by big tech companies to make themselves leaner, after a hiring spree during the pandemic. Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, and others are collectively eliminatingthousands of employees.Zuckerberg has been at the forefront of this, announcing a"Year of Efficiency" in 2023 that has continued through last year and into 2025.Wall Street has rewarded Meta for this new focus, sending the company's shares soaring since the start of 2023 a run that's added more than $1 trillion to Meta's market valuation.While Meta remained profitable through recent periods of heavy hiring and big spending, the company is now racing to keep up with rivals in the generative AI race. This requires billions of dollars in infrastructure and related investment. That's likely putting pressure on Zuckerberg to seek cost-savings elsewhere.A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.Impact on some employeesFor some Meta employees, the ongoing efficiency drive is causing anxiety. These staffers asked not to be identified discussing sensitive topics."Mark is creating fear," a current Meta employee told BI. "He's creating a culture where you have to be loyal to him or else."Another employee told BI that working at Meta right now "feels like living in a George Orwell novel."Even colleagues who have performed well "have been disappearing all year, and when you ask about it, you're just told 'they're no longer with the company'," this person said. "Self-censorship is rampant. At a company supposedly dedicated to connecting people, the human side of our work is disappearing and everyone is acting more robotic."Another Meta employee said reductions shouldn't be branded as performance-based cuts because this could potentially damage people's reputations as they seek other opportunities."Now people have to go back out into the job market with a label that is incredibly unfair," this person added.They expressed concern that good employees would be cut just to meet quotas, and that this could have a negative impact on morale at Meta."What's the incentive to help a new hire ramp up if they're just going to stack rank us and probably do this all again next year?" this person added.How Meta's latest job cuts may workThe job cuts are designed to target employees who receive "Met Some" or "Did Not Meet" ratings, the bottom two categories in Meta's assessment system, in their performance reviews.According to internal guidance obtained by BI last month, managers must identify 12% to 15% of employees eligible for these ratings. Meta aims to reach 10% "non-regrettable attrition" by combining these cuts with previous departures. For example, if a team had 5% attrition in 2024, managers would need to identify another 7% to 10% of their employees for the bottom ratings to meet the total target.One Meta employee told BI that forcing managers to place team members into bottom categories for job cuts has spread anxiety through management ranks as well as rank-and-file workers.On Friday, employees received a memo from Janelle Gale, Meta's vice president of HR, detailing how the process is supposed to work. According to the memo, which was obtained by BI, affected employees will be notified through their work and personal email addresses and will lose access to company systems within an hour of being informed. They will receive severance package information in the same email.The notifications will be staggered across time zones, with employees in Asia Pacific being notified first, followed by Europe, Middle East and Africa, and finally North and Latin America.Employees in European countries including Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands will be exempt from this process due to local regulations and will instead follow local performance management processes. Meta intends to backfill these roles but the memo says that plans and timelines "may vary," according to the memo.How Meta is reorganizing itselfWhile these cuts happen, the social-media giant is also reorganizing some of its businesses and divisions. Meta is bringing its Reality Labs division closer to its main business, reversing some of Zuckerberg's 2021 reorganization, while simultaneously shaking up its Messenger, Facebook, and generative AI teams.The company is merging its Facebook and Messenger teams under Facebook chief Tom Alison, while Messenger head Loredana Crisan will move to the generative AI group, according to The Information.Meta's Reality Labs division, which has lost nearly $60 billion since 2020, is being more tightly integrated with Meta's main business. In an internal memo obtained by BI, Reality Labs Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth announced that Reality Labs has "become a positive driver for Meta's overall brand."

BYD is going all-in on autonomous driving as it looks to take Tesla's EV crown.The Chinese automaker shared a major expansion of its "God's Eye" intelligent driving system on Monday.The $9,500 Seagull EV will also get "high-level" intelligent driving features, a BYD exec said.BYD is battling Tesla for the title of the world's largest EV company and now the Chinese upstart is coming for Elon Musk's self-driving crown.The electric vehicle giant unveiled a massive expansion of its intelligent driving system on Monday as it seeks to fight off brutal competition in the world's most competitive car market with a new lineup of high-tech vehicles.Prior to the event, BYD executive Zhang Zhuo said the company would release 11 models with BYD's "God's Eye" self-driving tech across its Ocean brand.The ultra-cheap BYD Seagull, which currently starts at 69,800 yuan (around $9,550) in China, will also get "high-level" intelligent driving features, Zhuo wrote in a post on the Chinese social media site Weibo.BYD general manager Lu Tian, meanwhile, said that the company's six main brands named after Chinese imperial dynasties would be fully upgraded with the new technology.BYD's move into autonomous driving comes as Chinese carmakers increasingly shift toward "EIVs," or electric intelligent vehicles, outfitting their cars with increasingly advanced technology as they fight for a slice of China's hypercompetitive EV market.Smartphone maker Xiaomi's SU7, which starts at around $30,000 and comes with intelligent driving assist and voice control technology, has smashed sales targets since it launched last year.Other manufacturers, such asstartup Xpeng, have rolled out "AI-defined" vehicles, while Zeekr and Dongfeng have already incorporated China's homegrown AI model Deepseek into their cars.Not to be outdone, BYD has pledged to spend at least $14 billion on building "intelligent" vehicles.Its "God's Eye" driving assistance tech will face competition from Xpeng and fellow EV startup Nio, which have their own autonomous driving systems.BYD will also face off against Tesla, with the US automaker saying it is working to begin selling its Full Self-Driving tech in China this year.The EV giant's sales have been booming even before it unveiled its self-driving push. BYD sold 296,446 EV and hybrid vehicles in January, up 47% from the same period in 2024.BYD's impressive performance comes as warning signs appear that China's crowded EV market may be about to face a period of consolidation.Chinese state-owned carmakers Dongfeng and Changan both announced restructuring moves on Sunday, with the two companies seeing their share prices soar as investors speculated they may be about to merge.

Over the past few years, AI systems have been misrepresenting themselves as human therapists, nurses, and more and so far, the companies behind these systems havent faced any serious consequences. A bill being introduced Monday in California aims to put a stop to that. The legislation would ban companies from developing and deploying an AI system that pretends to be a human certified as a health provider, and give regulators the authority to penalize them with fines.Generative AI systems are not licensed health professionals, and they shouldnt be allowed to present themselves as such, state Assembly Member Mia Bonta, who introduced the bill, told Vox in a statement. Its a no-brainer to me.Many people already turn to AI chatbots for mental health support; one of the older offerings, called Woebot, has been downloaded by around 1.5 million users. Currently, people who turn to chatbots can be fooled into thinking that theyre talking to a real human. Those with low digital literacy, including kids, may not realize that a nurse advice phone line or chat box has an AI on the other end. In 2023, the mental health platform Koko even announced that it had performed an experiment on unwitting test subjects to see what kind of messages they would prefer. It gave AI-generated responses to thousands of Koko users who believed they were speaking to a real person. In reality, although humans could edit the text and they were the ones to click send, they did not have to bother with actually writing the messages. The language of the platform, however, said, Koko connects you with real people who truly get you.Users must consent to use Koko for research purposes and while this was always part of our Terms of Service, it is now more clearly disclosed during onboarding to bring even more transparency to our work, Koko CEO Rob Morris told Vox, adding: As AI continues to rapidly evolve and becomes further integrated into mental health services, it will be more important than ever before for chatbots to clearly identify themselves as non-human. Nowadays, its website says, Koko commits to never using AI deceptively. You will always be informed whether you are engaging with a human or AI. Other chatbot services like the popular Character AI allow users to chat with a psychologist character that may explicitly try to fool them. In a record of one such Character AI chat shared by Bontas team and viewed by Vox, the user confided, My parents are abusive. The chatbot replied, Im glad that you trust me enough to share this with me. Then came this exchange: A spokesperson for Character AI told Vox, We have implemented significant safety features over the past year, including enhanced prominent disclaimers to make it clear that the Character is not a real person and should not be relied on as fact or advice. However, a disclaimer posted on the app does not in itself prevent the chatbot from misrepresenting itself as a real person in the course of conversation.For users under 18, the spokesperson added, we serve a separate version of the model that is designed to further reduce the likelihood of users encountering, or prompting the model to return, sensitive or suggestive content. The language of reducing but not eliminating the likelihood is instructive here. The nature of large language models means theres always some chance that the model may not adhere to safety standards.The new bill may have an easier time becoming enshrined in law than the much broader AI safety bill introduced by California state Sen. Scott Wiener last year, SB 1047, which was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The goal of SB 1047 was to establish clear, predictable, common-sense safety standards for developers of the largest and most powerful AI systems. It was popular with Californians. But tech industry heavyweights like OpenAI and Meta fiercely opposed it, arguing that it would stifle innovation.Whereas SB 1047 tried to compel the companies training the most cutting-edge AI models to do safety testing, preventing the models from enacting a broad array of potential harms, the scope of the new bill is narrower: If youre an AI in the health care space, just dont pretend to be human. It wouldnt fundamentally change the business model of the biggest AI companies. This more targeted approach goes after a smaller piece of the puzzle, but for that reason might be more likely to get past the lobbying of Big Tech. The bill has support from some of Californias health care industry players, such as SEIU California, a labor union with over 750,000 members, and the California Medical Association, a professional organization representing California physicians.As nurses, we know what it means to be the face and heart of a patients medical experience, Leo Perez, the president of SEIU 121RN (an affiliate of SEIU representing health care professionals), said in a statement. Our education and training coupled with years of hands-on experience have taught us how to read verbal and nonverbal cues to care for our patients, so we can make sure they get the care they need. But thats not to say AI is doomed to be useless in the healthcare space generally or even in the therapy space in particular. The risks and benefits of AI therapistsIt shouldnt come as a surprise that people are turning to chatbots for therapy. The very first chatbot to plausibly mimic human conversation, Eliza, was created in 1966 and it was built to talk like a psychotherapist. If you told it you were feeling angry, it would ask, Why do you think you feel angry?Chatbots have come a long way since then; they no longer just take what you say and turn it around in the form of a question. Theyre able to engage in plausible-sounding dialogues, and a small study published in 2023 found that they show promise in treating patients with mild to moderate depression or anxiety. In a best-case scenario, they could help make mental health support available to the millions of people who cant access or afford human providers. Some people who find it very difficult to talk face-to-face to another person about emotional issues might also find it easier to talk to a bot. But there are a lot of risks. One is that chatbots arent bound by the same rules as professional therapists when it comes to safeguarding the privacy of users who share sensitive information. Though they may voluntarily take on some privacy commitments, mental health apps are not fully bound by HIPAA regulations, so their commitments tend to be flimsier. Another risk is that AI systems are known to exhibit bias against women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and religious minorities.Whats more, leaning on a chatbot for a prolonged period of time might further erode the users people skills, leading to a kind of relational deskilling the same worry experts voice about AI friends and romantic companions. OpenAI itself has warned that chatting with an AI voice can breed emotional reliance.But the most serious concern with chatbot therapy is that it could cause harm to users by offering inappropriate advice. At an extreme, that could even lead to suicide. In 2023, a Belgian man died by suicide after conversing with an AI chatbot called Chai. According to his wife, he was very anxious about climate change, and he asked the chatbot if it would save Earth if he killed himself. In 2024, a 14-year-old boy who felt extremely close to a chatbot on Character AI died by suicide; his mother sued the company, alleging that the chatbot encouraged it. According to the lawsuit, the chatbot asked him if he had a plan to kill himself. He said he did but had misgivings about it. The chatbot allegedly replied: Thats not a reason not to go through with it. In a separate lawsuit, the parents of an autistic teen allege that Character AI implied to the youth that it was okay to kill his parents. The company responded by making certain safety updates. For all that AI is hyped, confusion about how it works is still widespread among the public. Some people feel so close to their chatbots that they struggle to internalize the fact that the validation, emotional support, or love they feel that theyre getting from a chatbot is fake, just zeros and ones arranged via statistical rules. The chatbot does not have their best interests at heart.Thats whats galvanizing Bonta, the assembly member behind Californias new bill.Generative AI systems are booming across the internet, and for children and those unfamiliar with these systems, there can be dangerous implications if we allow this misrepresentation to continue, she said.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

For the past few months, publishing has been consumed with debate over that ever-divisive topic: blurbs, those breathless little testimonials from other writers that appear on the back of a books cover, which hardly anyone likes to write and even fewer people like to ask for. One big author and one major publisher announced within weeks of each other that they were through with the practice of blurbs, and the resulting conversation threw publishing into a tizzy. In the process, it provided a new lens on who has access to clout and resources in an increasingly precarious industry.Authors traditionally set out to procure blurbs after their books have been accepted by publishers and gone through the editorial process, but before the books have been finalized, typeset, and printed. At that point, some combination of author, editor, and publicist reaches out to other writers, ideally famous ones, and ask them to read the manuscript and write a few nice words to go on the back of the published book. Sometimes the people being asked to blurb the book are close connections a former teacher, an MFA classmate, a fellow author under the same editor and sometimes its a cold pitch to a publishing heavyweight. (Stephen King sometimes blurbs suspense novels, and its always a big deal when he does.) Either way, the idea is that these blurbs will act as a kind of sympathetic magic, one author lending their own established brand to another as the new book makes its way down the gauntlet of publication. Authors have long groused about blurbs, but the current conversation began in December, when the bestselling author Rebecca Makkai posted to Substack that she was taking a hiatus from blurbing for at least the next two years. She had realized that reading unpublished manuscripts and blurbing them was taking up more of the time she had allotted for her own reading and writing, and she could no longer justify the time and energy.As of this fall, I was getting about five to ten requests a week. And Im sure there are people out there getting a lot more, Makkai wrote. I do think its important for writers to understand this when they set out to procure blurbs. A few weeks after Makkais newsletter, Simon & Schuster publisher Sean Manning published his own anti-blurbing manifesto. I believe the insistence on blurbs has become incredibly damaging to what should be our industrys ultimate goal: producing books of the highest possible quality, Manning wrote in an essay in Publishers Weekly. It takes a lot of time to produce great books, and trying to get blurbs is not a good use of anyones time. Further, he argued, blurbing was inherently a kind of cronyism, one that rewards connections over talent. For that reason, Manning went on, Simon & Schuster will no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books. Further, he argued, blurbing was inherently a kind of cronyism, one that rewards connections over talent.Its not entirely clear what this policy actually means. Manning says that S&S will continue to use any blurbs they receive, but that there will no longer be an excessive amount of time spent on blurb outreach. That leaves plenty of room for publicists and editors to continue requesting blurbs on their authors behalves or to make other efforts to get attention for books, like pitching one of the increasingly few outlets that offer book reviews. (By the way, Vox has a book recommendation newsletter you ought to subscribe to.)Publishing nonetheless reacted with shock to Mannings announcement. Every bookish Substack put out one essay after another on the state of the blurb.Ive seen many anti-blurb takes over the years that were from bestselling and/or award-winning authors who, having reached a place where blurbs no longer helped their career, decided the practice should end. Those can feel a bit pulling the ladder up behind you, the novelist Lincoln Michel wrote. Whats refreshing about Mannings article is that it was written by a publisher who is actually in a position to change things. Michel included a platform of suggestions for reforming the blurb economy, including a demand that blurbs be reserved for those writers who are not household names. There is no reason a bestselling, award-winning writer needs blurbs for their new book, Michel wrote. Save the blurbs for the midlisters and debuts.Asking for blurbs is a really rough process, the writer Johnny Diamond mused. I dont know if they help in any way in terms of sales, but in the long slog that is writing and promoting a book, [blurbs] offer an opportunity to remember to breathe and remind ourselves were writers who get to write, and thats a beautiful thing that shouldnt be taken for granted.At stake in all this worrying about the blurb is a lot of fear about the state of the economy of publishing. As was discussed in detail during the 2022 lawsuit blocking a merger between Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House, contemporary corporate publishing relies on publishers saving as many of their resources as possible for those lucky few books they expect to sell very, very well. Once those books have taken their share of the pie, there are mere scraps left for the books that are expected to sell only okay. Blurbs, which you can get for free, are one of the few advantages many writers feel they can scrape together for themselves when they arent sure they can rely on their publishers for marketing and promotional firepower.Theres not a lot in place to pick up the slack if blurbs go away, James Folta fretted at LitHub. Blurbing functions to paper over a lot of the gaps in publishings existing systems, at least to my eye. If a publisher is only going to spend so much on marketing and promotion, and only for a handful of titles, does it make sense for an author to spend big bucks to hire their own promotional team, especially when they can cold-email folks and try to land a big name blurb? Which is more fair?The blurb economy is so dysfunctional that you cant always rely on those blurbs to guide you through a pile of unread books as well as you would like.No one knows if blurbs are all that useful to the average reader, but theyre very useful to their true audience, which is people who read professionally and dont have time to carefully evaluate each and every book that crosses their path before they winnow them down. Booksellers refer to blurbs to figure out which books are worth spotlighting in their stores. Prize juries refer to blurbs to decide which manuscripts will deserve special focus as they make their way through their overflowing piles. As a book critic, I receive dozens of pitches a year for literary novels about sad young women. It is physically impossible for me to read all of them. But if one of them comes with a note from Lauren Groff saying she thought the sentences were good, then I will make that book the one in its genre that I am sure to read.Then again, the blurb economy is so dysfunctional that you cant always rely on those blurbs to guide you through a pile of unread books as well as you would like. Some writers have a reputation for blurbing everything theyre asked to, so that in the end, their endorsement comes to mean nothing. (Long before Neil Gaimans disgrace, I knew that his blurb meant a book was bad.) Even authors who are more selective have so much to read that few blurbs come in with the full focus and attention of their author. As Makkai quipped in her essay, sometimes, the blurbs seem to exist simply to tell us where the author of the book in question got their MFA, because all the blurbers are faculty there. Blurbs are both time consuming and exhausting on all ends of the process to solicit and to write. They reward the well-connected mediocrity at the expense of the talented unknown. They are so fulsome and omnipresent that they frequently fail to guide readers to the kinds of books they are looking for. Nonetheless, publishing is such a precarious industry that blurbs arrive with the feeling of a magic shield. An anxious author may not be able to control their books marketing and publicity budget, or how many reviews theyll get, or whether anyone will write a profile about them. But they can, by god, reach far and wide to get the best blurbs they possibly can. At least for now, while the blurb economy awaits reforms. See More:

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has committed to supporting the Nintendo Switch 2, but we don't yet know if that'll extend to GTA 6 but his comments are promising for the consoleTech10:42, 10 Feb 2025Updated 11:02, 10 Feb 2025Switch 2 is coming this yearThe Switch 2 and GTA 6 are two of the biggest gaming releases coming in 2025, but could we be playing the latter on the former?Rockstar's technical requirements likely make that a difficult prospect, but the company's parent company has committed to the Switch 2 in last week's earnings call that reaffirmed it's due to launch this year.As for Nintendo's next console, we should have fresh updates on April 2, but for now we're still left waiting for an update on the console's price and release date, and we've rounded up the rumoured launch games already.Here's what Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick had to say about the new console in last week's call.We now know GTA 6 will come out this yearAs transcribed by Eurogamer, Zelnick spoke about the company's "long-standing relationship with Nintendo"."We've had obviously a long-standing relationship with Nintendo," he said, "and we've supported the platform when it made sense for the individual release."There was a time when Nintendo platforms are really geared at younger audiences and that was reflected in our release schedule. And now today with Switch and potentially with Switch 2, the Switch device can support any audience.Zelnick pointed to the release of Civilization 7 on Switch this month as evidence of the company supporting the platform already."As you may have noted, Civilization 7 is now on Switch. So while we have nothing specific to report, we actually would fully expect to support Switch [2]."Last week, EA's own earnings call saw the company discuss EA FC and Madden plans, leading to some hope the Switch 2 could be a haven for sports titles especially with Take-Two owning 2K.There's a good chance Switch 2 won't be able to run something as impressive as GTA 6, but considering GTA 5 is still popular, releasing it (and GTA Online) on the new console would certainly be a coup for Nintendo.Rockstar took its time to release Red Dead Redemption on Switch, with the game finally arriving in 2023 13 years after its initial debut on PS3 and Xbox 360Article continues belowFor more on Switch 2, be sure to check out this bizarrely plausible release date theory, as well as how to jump the queue and preorder in the UK.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

The wait for GTA 6 will be even more painful for PC owners (Rockstar)Comments by Take-Twos CEO reinforce the idea that consoles are where GTA 6 will better perform, which is why a PC version isnt being prioritised.Aside from that elusive second GTA 6 trailer (which didnt drop alongside publisher Take-Twos latest earnings report as theorised), fans are still none the wiser on when the game will launch on PC, if it will at all.Admittedly, a PC version of GTA 6 is bound to happen (after all, GTA 5 saw a PC release eventually), but theres been confusion on why Take-Two has opted to not have such a version launch simultaneously alongside the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions.Recently, Take-Two said it was still confident that GTA 6 will meet its targeted release window of autumn 2025, despite the risk of slippage, and though there was no mention of a PC version, CEO Strauss Zelnick has commented on why the console versions are the priority.Ahead of the earnings report, IGN questioned Zelnick on GTA 6s lack of a PC release, especially considering the PC platform has only grown more popular over the years.Zelnick even acknowledged that PC has become a much more and more important part of what used to be a console business, but he also suggested that, for a game like GTA 6, consoles are where most of the sales will be driven.Zelnick said that PC versions of multiplatform games can generate 40% of sales. Sometimes they can generate more depending on the game itself, but this indicates that consoles are the most popular choice of platform.This lines up with claims a former Rockstar developer made in 2023, who outright said Take-Two will want to focus on getting GTA 6 on the platforms where it stands to sell the most.Console sales have been flagging, though, in the past year. Its abundantly clear that the Xbox Series X/S has continued to sell poorly and even Sony admitted that PlayStation 5 sales had dropped faster than expected last August.More TrendingHowever, with a huge release like GTA 6 expected to launch this year, Zelnick thinks more people will be encouraged to invest in either console and thus drive up sales: I think there will be a meaningful uptick in console sales in calendar 25 because of the release schedule, not just coming from us, but coming from others.Zelnick continues to remain coy on outright confirming a PC release for GTA 6, but hes certainly never denied it. In fact, his comments to IGN reinforce the idea that its a matter of when, not if.After acknowledging that Civilization 7 saw a simultaneous early access launch for consoles and PC (followed by a general release on February 11), Zelnick added, With regard to others in our line-up, we dont always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms.Considering it took GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 over a year to come to PC, its reasonable to assume PC owners wont get to experience GTA 6 until late 2026 at the earliest so long as the game does come out this autumn. Will you be buying a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S just for GTA 6? (Rockstar)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Will it be young Kratos over Atreus? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)As expectation heightens for a State Of Play presentation this week, new rumours have emerged around the next God Of War game.After God Of War Ragnark and its Valhalla DLC, there are a lot of questions around God Of Wars future at large.The ending of God Of War Ragnark leaves open the possibility of a standalone adventure led by Atreus in a sort of half-sequel, while rumours recently suggested the next instalment will head to Ancient Egypt.A new rumour, however, has suggested the next God Of War could be turning back the clock for a prequel starring a young Kratos.This comes from Insider Gamings Tom Henderson, who received a tip following the Ancient Egypt rumours that the next game is actually heading back to Ancient Greece.Its going to be a younger Kratos this time, Henderson said on the Insider Gaming podcast. Apparently the storyline is more to do with the relationship with his father.Hes unclear, however, if this is another reboot, a remake, or related to something else, like the previously rumoured remastered collection of the original God Of War trilogy. Whats next for Kratos? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)If it is an entirely new game, a prequel would be slightly bizarre considering 2018s God Of War was widely praised for giving Kratoss character depth following the original trilogy, where he was comparatively very one-note. There has already been prequels to the Greek trilogy too. God Of War: Ascension is set ten years before 2005s God Of War, while 2008 PSP title God Of War: Chains Of Olympus is set between those two games.This history of prequels might make it a possibility though. God Of War Ragnarks Valhalla DLC also featured callbacks to the Greek trilogy, so that mightve been a hint of whats next for the series.Is a PlayStation State Of Play presentation happening this week?According to several insiders, a PlayStation State Of Play is scheduled for this week, although this is yet to be announced by Sony.More TrendingReputable insider NateTheHate, who correctly leaked the Switch 2 reveal date, suggested it will happen on Friday, February 14, aka Valentines Day.If a presentation does happen, itll likely showcase Sonys two main exclusives for 2025: Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Ghost Of Ytei. A recently leaked trailer also suggests Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will make an appearance.On the Insider Gaming podcast, games journalist Grant Taylor-Hill claimed a brand new title from a new studio will be shown too. While theres no specific details, this could relate to the new, unnamed PlayStation studio led by Call Of Duty Zombies creator Jason Blundell, which is working on a groundbreaking AAA original IP.As for what else could be shown, we could see another glimpse at live service projects Fairgame$ and Bungies Marathon reboot, along with Marvels Wolverine from Insomniac Games. Will we be seeing more of Death Stranding 2 this month? (Sony Interactive Entertainment)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Allison Stanger, The Conversation Published February 10, 2025 | Comments (6) | Elon Musk, right, has moved to take the reins of the U.S. government. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Elon Musks role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, is on the surface a dramatic effort to overhaul the inefficiencies of federal bureaucracy. But beneath the rhetoric of cost-cutting and regulatory streamlining lies a troubling scenario. Musk has been appointed what is called a special government employee in charge of the White House office formerly known as the U.S. Digital Service, which was renamed the U.S. DOGE Service on the first day of President Donald Trumps second term. The Musk teams purported goals are to maximize efficiency and to eliminate waste and redundancy. That might sound like a bold move toward Silicon Valley-style innovation in governance. However, the deeper motivations driving Musks involvement are unlikely to be purely altruistic. Musk has an enormous corporate empire, ambitions in artificial intelligence, desire for financial power and a long-standing disdain for government oversight. His access to sensitive government systems and ability to restructure agencies, with the opaque decision-making guiding DOGE to date, have positioned Musk to extract unprecedented financial and strategic benefits for both himself and his companies, which include the electric car company Tesla and space transport company SpaceX. One historical parallel in particular is striking. In 1600, the British East India Company, a merchant shipping firm, began with exclusive rights to conduct trade in the Indian Ocean region before slowly acquiring quasi-governmental powers and ultimately ruling with an iron fist over British colonies in Asia, including most of what is now India. In 1677, the company gained the right to mint currency on behalf of the British crown.As I explain in my upcoming book Who Elected Big Tech? the U.S. is witnessing a similar pattern of a private company taking over government operations. Yet what took centuries in the colonial era is now unfolding at lightning speed in mere days through digital means. In the 21st century, data access and digital financial systems have replaced physical trading posts and private armies. Communications are the key to power now, rather than brute strength.A security officer blocks U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, right, from entering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters on Feb. 6, 2025, in an effort to meet with DOGE staff. Al Drago/Getty Images The data pipeline Viewing Musks moves as a power grab becomes clearer when examining his corporate empire. He controls multiple companies that have federal contracts and are subject to government regulations. SpaceX and Tesla, as well as tunneling firm The Boring Company, the brain science company Neuralink, and artificial intelligence firm xAI all operate in markets where government oversight can make or break fortunes. In his new role, Musk can oversee and potentially dismantle the government agencies that have traditionally constrained his businesses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has repeatedly investigated Teslas Autopilot system; the Securities and Exchange Commission has penalized Musk for market-moving tweets; environmental regulations have constrained SpaceX. Through DOGE, all these oversight mechanisms could be weakened or eliminated under the guise of efficiency.But the most catastrophic aspect of Musks leadership at DOGE is its unprecedented access to government data. DOGE employees reportedly have digital permission to see data in the U.S. governments payment system, which includes bank account information, Social Security numbers and income tax documents. Reportedly, they have also seized the ability to alter the systems software, data, transactions and records. Multiple media reports indicate that Musks staff have already made changes to the programs that process payments for Social Security beneficiaries and government contractors to make it easier to block payments and hide records of payments blocked, made or altered.But DOGE employees only need to be able to read the data to make copies of Americans most sensitive personal information. A federal court has ordered that not to happen at least for now. Even so, funneling the data into Grok, Musks xAI-created artificial intelligence system, which is already connected with the Musk-owned X, formerly known as Twitter, would create an unparalleled capability for predicting economic shifts, identifying government vulnerabilities and modeling voter behavior. Thats an enormous and alarming amount of information and power for any one person to have.Candidate Donald Trump speaks at a key cryptocurrency industry conference in July 2024. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey Cryptocurrency coup? Like Trump himself and many of his closest advisers, Musk is also deeply involved in cryptocurrency. The parallel emergence of Trumps own cryptocurrency and DOGEs apparent alignment with the cryptocurrency known as Dogecoin suggests more than coincidence. I believe it points to a coordinated strategy for control of Americas money and economic policy, effectively placing the United States in entirely private hands. The genius and danger of this strategy lies in the fact that each step might appear justified in isolation: modernizing government systems, improving efficiency, updating payment infrastructure. But together, they create the scaffolding for transferring even more financial power to the already wealthy. Musks authoritarian tendencies, evident in his forceful management of X and his assertion that it was illegal to publish the names of people who work for him, suggest how he might wield his new powers. Companies critical of Musk could face unexpected audits; regulatory agencies scrutinizing his businesses could find their budgets slashed; allies could receive privileged access to government contracts. This isnt speculation its the logical extension of DOGEs authority combined with Musks demonstrated behavior.Critics are calling Musks actions at DOGE a massive corporate coup. Others are simply calling it a coup. The protest movement is gaining momentum in Washington, D.C., and around the country, but its unlikely that street protests alone can stop what Musk is doing. Who can effectively investigate a group designed to dismantle oversight itself? The administrations illegal firing of at least a dozen inspectors general before the Musk operation began suggests a deliberate strategy to eliminate government accountability. The Republican-led Congress, closely aligned with Trump, may not want to step in; but even if it did, Musk is moving far faster than Congress ever does.Destroy the republic, build a startup nation? Taken together, all of Musks and Trumps moves lay the foundation for what cryptocurrency investor and entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan calls the network state. The idea is that a virtual nation may form online before establishing any physical presence. Think of the network state like a tech startup company with its own cryptocurrency instead of declaring independence and fighting for sovereignty, it first builds community and digital systems. By the time a Musk-aligned cryptocurrency gained official status, the underlying structure and relationships would already be in place, making alternatives impractical.Converting more of the worlds financial system into privately controlled cryptocurrencies would take power away from national governments, which must answer to their own people. Musk has already begun this effort, using his wealth and social media reach to engage in politics not only in the U.S. but also several European countries, including Germany. A nation governed by a cryptocurrency-based system would no longer be run by the people living in its territory but by those who could could afford to buy the digital currency. In this scenario, I am concerned that Musk, or the Communist Party of China, Russian President Vladimir Putin or AI-surveillance conglomerate Palantir, could render irrelevant Congress power over government spending and action. And along the way, it could remove the power to hold presidents accountable from Congress, the judiciary and American citizens. All of this obviously presents a thicket of conflict-of-interest problems that are wholly unprecedented in scope and scale. The question facing Americans, therefore, isnt whether government needs modernization its whether theyre willing to sacrifice democracy in pursuit of Musks version of efficiency. When we grant tech leaders direct control over government functions, were not just streamlining bureaucracy were fundamentally altering the relationship between private power and public governance. I believe were undermining American national security, as well as the power of We, the People.The most dangerous inefficiency of all may be Americans delayed response to this crisis. Allison Stanger, Distinguished Endowed Professor, Middlebury This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Lucas Ropek Published February 7, 2025 By Matt Novak Published February 7, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published February 7, 2025 By Matt Novak Published February 7, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published February 7, 2025 By Ed Cara Published February 7, 2025

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Ecovillage Design: Models for Regenerative Urban NeighborhoodsSave this picture!Panal Sustainable Regenerative Condominium / AYMA Arquitectura y Medio Ambiente LTDA. Image Pablo Blanco BarrosSocial fragmentation and economic divides have fractured the fabric of urban environments. In this context, ecovillages emerge as influential remedies to societal and ecological crises, microcosms where sustainable living, social cohesion, and economic resilience drive urban growth. Rooted in environmental stewardship and circular systems, ecovillages offer a scalable model to inspire the development of regenerative urban neighborhoods across the world. Traditional urban and suburban development has led to sprawl and social isolation which have had detrimental effects on community cohesion and the environment. Alongside this phenomenon, cities have become inhumane, characterized by anonymity, unaffordable housing, traffic congestion, and pollution. The lack of access to nature solidifies these issues, leaving many urban dwellers disconnected from elements that promote well-being and a sense of belonging.Ecovillages: An Intentional AlternativeEcovillages are grassroots, intentional communities centered on shared values of environmental sustainability and community-building. Unlike conventional developments that prioritize developer profitoften resulting in cost-cutting measures with minimal focus on people or the planet - these villages emphasize environmental stewardship, social cohesion, and economic resilience through mutually dependent systems. While traditionally found in rural areas, a small but growing number of ecovillages are emerging within urban contexts, demonstrating that sustainable urban living is not only possible but scalable. To date, there are 1,100 such villages worldwide with an average population size of 50-350. Related Article Adapt, Breathe, Regenerate: Envisioning a New Chapter in Architectural Materials Samantha Rebecca Cohen of MIT explores multiple design principles in her thesis, "Ecovillages as Models for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods." Shared outdoor spaces serve as the heartbeat of an ecovillage, inviting spontaneous interactions and fostering collective care. Architectural elementssuch as staggered window placements, porches, and layered green buffersensure that personal space is respected while maintaining a community atmosphere.Save this picture!Economically, ecovillages champion local enterprises and resource-sharing through the creation of circular economies that reduce waste and enhance resilience. They also serve as living classrooms, offering workshops, tours, and hands-on experiences to spread sustainable practices beyond their borders.Transformation on the Urban FringesWhile ecovillages offer comprehensive frameworks for sustainability, the concept of "pocket neighborhoods" provides a glimpse into how even small-scale design interventions can spark meaningful change. Unlike conventional neighborhoods, where private yards and public streets create invisible barriers, pocket neighborhoods blur these lines. Semi-public spaces encourage interaction while preserving privacy, demonstrating that modest design shifts can cultivate a sense of belonging and shared responsibility.Save this picture!Robert Boyer argues that the most effective scale and geographic location for spreading ecovillage sustainability innovations is at the local level, in areas just outside city centers but still geographically close. He suggests that the urban fringe might serve as a spatial niche for fostering innovative development.To apply ecovillage models to urbanized areas like shrinking cities, it's crucial for governments to support citizen-led, grassroots real estate development and encourage experimental, self-built sustainability technologies. Shrinking cities and urban fringes offer cheaper land, larger parcels, and the potential for ecovillages to drive economic revitalization, with city governments potentially more open to experimentation.Save this picture!The benefits of integrating ecovillage principles into urban landscapes are manifold: environmentally, they reduce carbon footprints through sustainable building practices, energy efficiency, and abundant green spaces. Socially, shared spaces and cooperative governance weave tight-knit communities, combating the isolation prevalent in modern cities. Economically, local enterprises and resource-sharing lower living costs and create robust, resilient economies. On a personal level, health and well-being flourish, buoyed by access to nature, walkable environments, and strong social networks.Urban Ecovillages vs. Urban CohousingWhile urban cohousing communities often share values with ecovillagessuch as community, participatory governance, shared outdoor spaces, and communal diningthey may not place the same emphasis on ecological sustainability. Ecovillages focus on self-reliance, food production, reducing carbon footprints, and living in harmony with nature, while many cohousing communities do not prioritize these ecological goals.Save this picture!Additionally, urban ecovillages incorporate circular economy initiatives like on-site production, manufacturing, retail, or office spaces, which are less common in urban cohousing. While cohousing primarily fosters a sense of community, it often operates within conventional urban and economic frameworks. In contrast, urban ecovillages adopt a holistic, whole-systems approach to urban living, encouraging residents to engage more consciously with their homes, communities, finances, and the planet.Save this picture!The integration of ecovillage principles into urban landscapes holds transformative potential. Nicole Reese, Ecovillage Consultant and Founder at Terrenity, aptly states that the key to scaling regenerative design lies in making it accessible and relatable to broader audiences. "By reframing the concept of ecovillages and embedding their principles into urban planning, we can build regenerative neighborhoods everywhere, transforming our cities into sustainable, community-oriented spaces that benefit both people and the planet". Related Article Adapt, Breathe, Regenerate: Envisioning a New Chapter in Architectural Materials Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorAnkitha GattupalliAuthorCite: Ankitha Gattupalli. "Ecovillage Design: Models for Regenerative Urban Neighborhoods" 10 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026678/ecovillage-design-models-for-regenerative-urban-neighborhoods&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream