Senior Data Scientist – Data Science Analytics and Enablement (DSAE)Sony PlaystationUnited Kingdom, London40 seconds agoApplyWhy PlayStation?PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.Our Data Science Analytics and Enablement (DSAE) team inspires PlayStation to make impactful, customer centric decisions through seamless integration of data.Currently there are over 100 people in the global DSAE team, including data science, data governance and analytics professionals. We work closely with engineering and product management teams to deliver data products, insight, predictive analytics, and data visualisation.DSAE is looking to recruit dedicated, highly driven individuals who have excelled in previous roles and are looking for a new challenge in a dynamic and exciting environment.What You’ll Be Doing:As a key leader in our global experimentation efforts, you will raise the bar on how we test, measure, and learn across PlayStation’s most impactful products and initiatives.This role is based in London with hybrid working flexibility.You will:Define and standardise experimentation strategy, including best practices in test design, allocation, and statistical analysisCollaborate with commercial, engineering, analytics, and product teams to ensure flawless execution and clean data captureApply causal inference techniques when randomisation isn’t feasibleOwn the interpretation of experimental results, delivering both topline summaries and deep performance insightsProvide mid-test updates that build stakeholder confidence and advise adjustments during live testsCommunicate insights and recommendations with clarity and influence across working groups and senior leadership forumsGuide and mentor other data scientists, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment across experimentation workRepresent experimentation at the strategic level, advocating for rigorous methods that drive long-term learning and impactCreate reusable documentation, tooling, and training materials to elevate experimentation maturity across the organisationWhat We’re Looking ForSignificant experience in data science and experimentation, ideally within consumer tech or digital commerceStrong foundation in statistical testing, power analysis, and causal inference methodologiesExpertise in SQL and Python (or R) for data querying, preparation, and sophisticated analysisExceptional communication skills - with a proven track record to present findings to non-technical audiences, advocate for experimentation results, and influence business and product leadersExperience working on or advising experimentation platforms and measurement frameworksCommercial awareness and confidence in shaping decisions through data-driven evidenceDemonstrated experience mentoring junior team members and upholding high analytical standardsCollaborative, proactive attitude with strong ability to align and influence cross-functional partnersFamiliarity with personalisation systems, recommender models, or A/B testing in an e-commerce or customer lifecycle contextExperience with large-scale experiments, particularly in high-traffic environmentsStrong problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability skillsCommitment to continuous improvement and staying updated with the latest trends and standard methodologies in experimentation and measurementBenefits:Discretionary bonus opportunityHybrid Working (within Flexmodes)Private Medical InsuranceDental Scheme25 days holiday per yearOn Site GymSubsidised CaféFree soft drinksOn site barAccess to cycle garage and showersEqual Opportunity Statement:Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment. Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech FinanceSemiconductor AMD Thinks Each ZT Systems Engineer Is Worth $1.33 Million Rohail Saleem • May 20, 2025 at 10:21am EDT This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy. AMD's latest divestment is attracting quite a lot of eyeballs on Wall Street, especially as the transaction will serve to enrich the chipmaker's proverbial coffers, while allowing for a more nimble and lean operational structure, where AMD will design its rack-scale solutions in-house and then outsource their manufacturing to Sanmina. As we detailed in a recent post, Sanmina will pay AMD $2.25 billion in cash, and a $300 million premium equally divided between cash and equity ($150 million each). Additionally, Sanmina will also make a contingent payment of $450 million to the chipmaker, based on the financial performance of the acquired assets over the next three years. This transaction is expected to achieve closure by the end of 2025. Now, Citi has added some additional color by delving into the minutiae of the definitive agreement between AMD and Sanmina. As such, AMD stands to gain $3 billion from the divestment of ZT Systems' data center infrastructure and manufacturing business to Sanmina. However, Citi analyst Christopher Danely points out that AMD had recently acquired the entirety of ZT Systems for $4.6 billion. This means that AMD is valuing ZT's residual assets, which primarily consist of a team of around 1,200 engineers, at $1.6 billion. This equates to a valuation of around $1.33 million per engineer. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers thinks that AMD is increasingly pivoting towards its upcoming rack-scale offerings to drive the next phase of growth. The MI400 series of GPUs, expected to debut in 2026, currently personify AMD's rack-scale ambitions. Rakers quotes recent industry reports to suggest that the MI450 IF128 cluster will consist of "128x GPU packages communicating at >1.8TB/s unidirectional bandwidth per GPU." Of course, we'll likely hear more about AMD's rack-scale strategy at its upcoming AI event in June. Finally, we note that AMD is also working with HUMAIN, the AI-focused subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), to deploy 500 megawatts of AI compute capacity in Saudi Arabia over the next five years. Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

The popularity of the actual play show Critical Role helped make 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons wildly successful. But now, Critical Role Productions has become more than a booster and frequent collaborator for D&D: It’s become a competitor. After years in development, Daggerheart, a tabletop RPG from Critical Role’s publishing imprint, Darrington Press, launches today. And the book shows just how much lead designer Spenser Starke and the book’s other designers have learned from playing 5e, as they address some of that game’s biggest issues.Problem: Failure is boringThere are few things as satisfying as rolling a natural 20 in a clutch situation in D&D, but D&D’s d20 system has a big drawback. It’s inherently very swingy, with a wide range from success to failure, and it can lead to situations where failure means the PCs accomplish nothing, and the story doesn’t move forward in a meaningful way. Roll low, and you might miss an attack, miss a key clue needed to progress the plot, or be unable to bypass a locked door to get to the next goal.Daggerheart changes the math by having players roll two d12s and add the results, which generally smooths the probability curve in favor of success. But the more significant change is a system inspired by how Fantasy Flight’s Star Wars roleplaying game represents the pull of the light side and dark side of the Force. One of the d12s represents hope, while the other is fear, and the higher number determines which aspect is dominant in the totalled roll.Succeeding with hope is nothing but good news for the PCs. Failing with hope gives them a hope point, a resource that can be spent on numerous special abilities, as a sort of consolation prize. Fear, in turn, gives the game master a fear point they can use to introduce complications or activate abilities for antagonistic NPCs.That system, combined with a collaborative narrative focus, means there’s never an instance where a roll has no effect. If you can’t pick that lock, you might hear guards approaching, or even trigger a trap, depending on whether you failed with hope or fear. Miss a roll with fear in combat, and an antagonist will get a turn to act. Failure always has consequences that move the game forward.Image: Darrington PressProblem: Advantage and disadvantage are too significantOne of 5e’s key mechanics is the concept of advantage and disadvantage — rolling two d20s and taking the better or worse result, respectively. It’s an elegant way to avoid having numerous modifiers for conditions like being aided by an ally or trying to strike a hidden foe. But the math makes those edges and penalties too significant.Daggerheart keeps the concept, but changes the effect to adding or subtracting a d6. The game also simplifies D&D’s laundry list of conditions — “grappled,” “paralyzed,” “heavily obscured,” etc. — to just three options: “hidden,” “restrained,” and “vulnerable.” It creates a convenient way to modify rolls without making GMs worry about the specific mechanics too much.Problem: Species and background choices are too importantIn the original 5e ruleset, players had to limit their species and background choices to ensure they got attribute boosts to the key stats for their class, or risk not being able to hit as frequently or do as much damage as players who made the more optimized choices. The 2024 ruleset removed attribute bonuses from species, but instead shunted them into backgrounds. That means you’re operating at a real disadvantage if, for story reasons, you want your wizard to have been a soldier instead of a scribe.Attributes are entirely divorced from these decisions in Daggerheart, and just assigned based on what’s best for your character class. The other decisions give you flavorful minor abilities that might be better for some classes, but are fairly broadly applicable, like a giant having extra hit points, or a person who grew up in the wilderness being able to move silently. It keeps the mechanics from getting in the way of the fantasy.Image: Darrington PressProblem: Spellcasters have a lot more choices than non-castersAdmittedly, this isn’t a problem for everyone. Some new TTRPG players can be intimidated by lots of options, and might prefer the simplicity of playing a fighter who’s mostly going to move and attack on their turn, rather than considering which spells to use and prepare. Wizards of the Coast worked to offer more complexity to martial characters in the 2024 rules with the weapon mastery system, but mostly created more subclasses that are hybrids of casters and weapon-wielders.No matter your class, Daggerheart characters all have equivalent options, thanks to a card system reminiscent of 4e D&D or Gloomhaven. Every level, characters get to choose new cards, which could represent a wizard using a runic ward, or a bard bolstering their allies with a pep talk. The modularity of the system also makes it easier to multiclass by just taking cards associated with other classes, at the price of digging deeper into your base abilities.There’s still more work to be doneFor all the problems they’ve solved, the Daggerheart designers left some big holes that need filling. The downtime action section is very thinly sketched. The game is deeply ambivalent about loot, preferring to abstract treasure rewards and costs into amounts like “a handful of gold” or “a chest of gold.” Upgrading gear is important to stay competitive, but the section on weapons is the weakest past of the entire book: Weapons follow a clear linear progression based on character tier, but their stats are printed over and over again, rather than being condensed with the formula.And GMs are encouraged to come up with their own gear, but there are no tools provided. Special items only available at higher tiers have random names, like Wand of Essek or Aantari Bow, with no descriptions to give them the character of powerful D&D magic items.But overall, Daggerheart is a strong evolution of medieval fantasy roleplaying. It shows a deep understanding of Dungeons & Dragons’ flaws, addressing them by drawing on the strengths of other systems. Even for groups not ready to fully make the switch to a new game, the book can provide some inspiration for making a D&D game a bit better.Daggerheart is available for purchase now at through Critical Role shops and local game stores in the Darrington Press Guild, which offer a PDF free with a physical copy. The core set will arrive at Amazon and book stores including Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million starting June 3. The free beta playtest is still available at DriveThruRPG.For those who want to see Daggerheart in action, Critical Role has released several one-shots and specials. “Age of Umbra,” new eight-episode series run by Matthew Mercer will launch on May 29.See More:

According to Thales, AI and quantum threats have catapulted to the top of the worry list for organisations wrestling with data security. That’s the key takeaway from the cybersecurity giant’s 2025 Data Threat Report, an annual deep dive into the latest data security threats, emerging trends, and hot topics.This year’s findings are stark: almost seven out of ten organisations now see the sheer speed of AI development – especially where generative AI is concerned – as the number one security headache related to its adoption. This anxiety isn’t just about pace; it’s also fed by concerns over a fundamental lack of integrity in AI systems (flagged by 64% of those surveyed) and a troubling deficit in trustworthiness (a worry for 57%).Generative AI is a data-hungry beast, relying heavily on high-quality, often sensitive, information for core functions like training models, making inferences, and, of course, generating content.As we make rapid advancements in “agentic AI” – systems that can act more autonomously – the pressure to ensure data quality is high calibre becomes even more critical. After all, sound decisionmaking and reliable actions from AI systems depend entirely on the data they’re fed.Many organisations are already diving in, with a third of respondents indicating generative AI is either being actively integrated or is already a force for transformation within their operations.Security threats increase as organisations embrace generative AIAs generative AI throws up a complex web of data security challenges while simultaneously offering strategic avenues to bolster defences, its growing integration signals a distinct shift. Businesses are moving beyond just dipping their toes in the AI water; they’re now looking at more mature, operational deployments.Interestingly, while most respondents tabbed the swift uptake of GenAI as their biggest security concern, those further along the AI adoption curve aren’t hitting the pause button to completely lock down their systems or fine-tune their tech stacks before forging ahead. This dash for rapid transformation – often overshadowing efforts to ensure organisational readiness – could mean these companies are, perhaps unwittingly, creating their own most serious security weak spots.Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research, said: “The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution, as they race to stay ahead of the adoption curve.“Many enterprises are deploying GenAI faster than they can fully understand their application architectures, compounded by the rapid spread of SaaS tools embedding GenAI capabilities, adding layers of complexity and risk.”On a more positive note, 73% of respondents report they are putting money into AI-specific security tools to counter threats, either through fresh budgets or by reshuffling existing resources. Those making AI security a priority are also diversifying their approaches: over two-thirds have sourced tools from their cloud providers, three in five are turning to established security vendors, and almost half are looking to new or emerging startups for solutions.What’s particularly telling is how quickly security for generative AI has climbed the spending charts, nabbing the second spot in ranked-choice voting, just pipped to the post by the perennial concern of cloud security. This shift powerfully underscores the growing recognition of AI-driven risks and the urgent need for specialised defences to counter them.Data breaches show modest decline, though threats remain elevatedWhile the nightmare of a data breach still looms large for many, their reported frequency has actually dipped slightly over the past few years.Back in 2021, 56% of enterprises surveyed said they’d experienced a breach at some point; that figure has eased to 45% in the 2025 report. Delving deeper, the percentage of respondents reporting a breach within the last 12 months has dropped from 23% in 2021 to a more encouraging 14% in 2025.When it comes to the persistent villains of the threat landscape, malware continues to lead the pack, holding onto its top spot since 2021. Phishing has craftily climbed into second place, nudging ransomware down to third.As for who’s causing the most concern, external actors dominate: hacktivists are currently seen as the primary menace, followed by nation-state actors. Human error, whilst still a significant factor, has slipped to third, down one position from the previous year.Vendors pressed on readiness for quantum threatsThe 2025 Thales Data Threat Report also casts a revealing light on the growing unease within most organisations about quantum-related security risks.The top threat here, cited by a hefty 63% of respondents, is the looming danger of “future encryption compromise.” This is the unsettling prospect that powerful quantum computers could one day shatter current or even future encryption algorithms, exposing data previously thought to be securely locked away. Hot on its heels, 61% identified key distribution vulnerabilities, where quantum breakthroughs could undermine the methods we use to securely exchange encryption keys. Furthermore, 58% highlighted the “harvest now, decrypt later” (HNDL) threat – a chilling scenario where encrypted data, scooped up today, could be decrypted by powerful quantum machines in the future.In response to these gathering clouds, half of the organisations surveyed are taking a hard look at their current encryption strategies with 60% already prototyping or evaluating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) solutions. However, it seems trust is a scarce commodity, as only a third are pinning their hopes on telecom or cloud providers to navigate this complex transition for them.Todd Moore, Global VP of Data Security Products at Thales, commented: “The clock is ticking on post-quantum readiness. It’s encouraging that three out of five organisations are already prototyping new ciphers, but deployment timelines are tight and falling behind could leave critical data exposed.“Even with clear timelines for transitioning to PQC algorithms, the pace of encryption change has been slower than expected due to a mix of legacy systems, complexity, and the challenge of balancing innovation with security.”There’s clearly a lot more work to be done to get operational data security truly up to speed, not just to support the advanced capabilities of emerging technologies like generative AI, but also to lay down a secure foundation for whatever threats are just around the corner.(Image by Pete Linforth)Want to learn more about cybersecurity and the cloud from industry leaders? Check out Cyber Security & Cloud Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Digital Transformation Week, IoT Tech Expo, Blockchain Expo, and AI & Big Data Expo.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

The Supreme Court reportedly observed that the issue of regulation for cryptocurrencies in the country must be taken up in consultation with experts. According to a Bar and Bench report, a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh addressed the lack of crypto regulations in India. The observation was made during the hearing of a case linked to a rise in crypto frauds across multiple states. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati will reportedly submit the government's position on cryptocurrency by July.As per the report the bench emphasised need for both regulatory measures to govern the crypto sector and oversight.Justice Kant reportedly told the ASG that in the absence of regulations, courts have been facing practical challenges, with regard to crypto cases.For instance, the justices said were facing a difficulty in assessing if the plaintiff was the victim or victimiser in the crypto fraud case. For now, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been asked to complete the probe in this case by May 30.In November 2023, the Supreme Court rejected a petition seeking clear guidelines to oversee crypto trading in the country. That bench was headed by former Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud. At the time, the bench had deferred the petition blaming the petitioner for trying to seek bail from proceedings that were pending then.Between 2022 and 2025, India has gradually introduced layers of legislationsn to govern some parts of the crypto and Web3 sector.India has been taxing crypto gains by 30 percent since 2022. The finance ministry also levied one percent TDS on all crypto transactions in order to maintain a trail of crypto transactions, that are otherwise largely private and even anonymous.Crypto firms operating in the country have been mandated to comply with anti-money laundering rules and KYC collection guidelines. In addition, every firm offering services related to digital assets in the country have to obtain a registration from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to make their operations legal.A crypto discussion paper from the finance ministry is due for release. In February, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said that this discussion paper will bring more clarity around virtual digital assets in the nation.The discussion paper will guide the future of the country's cryptocurrency sector, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth had claimed in July 2024.Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman previously said that India's position on crypto is that they cannot be currencies.Former RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das had also expressed concerns around cryptocurrencies during the World Economic Forum last year, but the RBI's 2024 Financial Stability Report acknowledged the global expansion of digital financial systems and highlighted blockchain's significant implications for the financial sector.

Vernacular Building and AI: Can Data Alone Bridge the Gap?Presented by:Save this picture!100 Classrooms for Refugee Children / Emergency Architecture & Human Rights. Image © Martina RubinoAs artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in society, it's essential to pause and reflect on the foundations that sustain it—and the dimensions to which it extends. At the heart of AI's learning are datasets, whose structure and content shape how these systems interpret and respond to the world. This reliance creates a deep interdependence—one that not only informs AI's capabilities but also defines its potential blind spots. In light of this, we must ask: What forms of understanding might this process exclude, especially those not easily captured in digital form?Indigenous wisdom, passed down orally or embedded in daily practices, conveys a deep connection to place and history. Vernacular construction technologies, local materials, and ways of inhabiting—rooted in specific conditions—embody a collective memory and intelligence that algorithms may struggle to grasp fully in their cultural and material depth. Are we capturing this material memory? And if so, what might still be missing or diluted in translation? Organizations such as UNESCO have raised questions around AI, especially in the context of increasing digitization of content on the Internet, which brings to the forefront the complex and often tenuous intersection with traditional knowledge systems. Save this picture!The gap between technology and the vernacular was evident not so long ago. Today, with the rapid acceleration driven by AI, that gap persists—and may even be widening. While innovation moves in one direction, local materials and vernacular techniques lie on the other side, generating an increasingly marked disparity. It's true that generative AIs can recognize visual patterns and accurately replicate the fractal designs of the Kassena tribe or the self-supporting tents of Mongol nomads. But can it truly understand the techniques or narratives behind them?Save this picture!Save this picture! Collective Intelligence and the Contextual Understanding of Building Materials When comparing "modern" materials with vernacular ones, a fundamental difference emerges in how knowledge is transmitted. AI can easily process modern materials—quantified in data, yields, and imagery—while traditional materials rely on knowledge passed through practice and shared experience.In vernacular cultures, people understand materials in a deep and situated context: climate, harvest time, thermal behaviors, accessibility, and symbolism. They are not just objects of construction, but living elements within a shared ecosystem. This form of knowledge moves away from systematization. It is nourished by direct experience, rooted in everyday life, in what we call a collective intelligence that emerges from the constant interaction of the community with its environment.Save this picture!Save this picture!We can also consider what Juhani Pallasmaa reflects on traditional African cultures in an interview, where building practices are transmitted more through the haptic sense than visual codes or styles. Rather than being defined by abstract or aesthetic concepts, the teachings pass through sensation, touching, feeling, and experiencing the materials. Thus, we understand that the téchne—art, craft, skill—and logía—study, knowledge—are not limited to plans, data, and technical specifications, but are expressed in direct contact with the environment: a palpable knowledge, inherited across generations, a collective wisdom transmitted not only rationally, but from body to body, from generation to generation.Save this picture!Contemporary Technology as a Bridge Between the Natural and the ArtificialRather than positioning artificial intelligence in opposition to vernacular traditions, it may be more productive to explore their points of convergence. Contemporary technology serves as a bridge. Depending on the perspective, people may see it either as a manifestation of the artificial or as a tool grounded in technique.In this view, contemporary technologies provide new ways of engaging with vernacular knowledge—through documentation, analysis, and even production. Applications such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning allow for high-precision 3D mapping and digitization of space. This technology is beneficial for preserving and studying constructions, generating detailed digital models that provide valuable data for analysis. A related technique is photogrammetry, which allows the creation of three-dimensional models from images through photographs and software. This measurement and modeling technology helps document and reproduce construction techniques digitally. The data collected by these technologies can intersect with artificial intelligence to predict materials' durability, behavior, or adaptability under changing conditions, thus offering options to optimize their use.Save this picture!Save this picture!But documentation is only one part of this convergence. To translate this integration to the physical plane, technologies such as digital fabrication have been key in linking materials and technological systems. Additive methods—such as 3D printing with earth-based materials—make it possible to recreate complex forms that would be difficult to achieve manually with traditional labor. These technologies open up the possibility of creating prototypes or architectural components based on vernacular techniques, adapting them to new needs.Save this picture!Save this picture!Throughout this process —whether scanning, documenting, or fabricating/printing— it is essential to continually ask: Why? This questioning sustains critical reflection. For contemporary architectural production to incorporate contextualized construction techniques, it must go through an understanding of the climate, the link with the territory, and, why not, even community life. Only in this way can they be considered a form of living heritage. Without these elements, an earth block is nothing more than a collection of minerals compressed in a mold.This type of knowledge may not be fully transferable to a digital environment, nor may it need to be fully "understood" by artificial intelligence. What matters most is that we, as human beings, recognize the value each of these elements brings to the construction of our environment. It is often said that knowledge of the past offers valuable guidance in the face of environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and other pressing issues. In light of this, it is pertinent to rethink the notion of "intelligence" as the capacity to adapt to the environment, from a perspective interconnected with different disciplines and forms of knowledge.Save this picture!This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: What Is Future Intelligence?, proudly presented by Gendo, an AI co-pilot for Architects.Our mission at Gendo is to help architects produce concept images 100X faster by focusing on the core of the design process. We have built a cutting edge AI tool in collaboration with architects from some of the most renowned firms such as Zaha Hadid, KPF and David Chipperfield.Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us. Image gallerySee allShow less About this authorEnrique TovarAuthor••• Cite: Enrique Tovar. "Vernacular Building and AI: Can Data Alone Bridge the Gap?" 20 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030019/vernacular-building-and-ai-can-data-alone-bridge-the-gap&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 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

Marcelino "Mashico" Abad celebrating his 124th birthday, as local authorities claim he might be the world's oldest ever person. Huanuco, Peru in 2024. Pension 65/via REUTERS 2025-05-20T13:30:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? AI is reshaping tech hiring, reducing demand for entry-level roles in favor of experienced talent. SignalFire data shows a 50% drop in entry-level Big Tech hiring since pre-pandemic times. Tech firms now prioritize mid-senior hires, valuing experience over youthful potential. For decades, Silicon Valley thrived on a mythology of youth. Tech giants and startups hired young, hungry employees who were relatively inexperienced but could work every waking hour to write code and ship product.This era of youthful dominance in tech hiring may be fading, and it's partly due to the rise of AI. That's according to a new report from SignalFire, a venture capital firm that uses data and technology to guide its investment decisions.Youth no longer at the centerIn the past, young graduates were seen as hungry, moldable, and cost-effective hires. But today, new grads face the steepest employment challenges the tech industry has seen in years. SignalFire's latest State of Talent report reveals that entry-level hiring in Big Tech is down more than 50% from pre-pandemic levels, and startups aren't far behind."Tech startups have long been synonymous with youth," said Heather Doshay, a partner and head of talent at SignalFire. "But today, our data shows that many of those same early career professionals are struggling to find a way in."Startups are mostly focused on survival, cutting burn rates, and extending runway. That means fewer hands, more output, and a demand for autonomous doers. In short, they want experienced individual contributors who can hit the ground running, not entry-level hires who require more management time and training."With reduced headcount, every hire must be high ROI," Doshay added. "Right now, that points squarely to mid-senior level individual contributors — autonomous doers who deliver against immediate company needs."AI: The catalyst for a hiring resetAI isn't the sole cause of this generational hiring shift, but it's a major catalyst. Asher Bantock, head of research at SignalFire, noted that AI tools are increasingly automating the types of narrowly scoped tasks that were once assigned to junior developers. "What's increasingly scarce is not keystrokes but discernment," he told me. Crafting effective AI prompts, debugging machine-generated code, and integrating tools at scale requires architectural thinking, skills honed through years of experience, not a college diploma.Data from SignalFire's new report reveals this trend:At Big Tech companies, new grads now account for just 7% of hires, with new hires down 25% from 2023 and over 50% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.At startups, new grads make up under 6% of hires, with new hires down 11% from 2023 and over 30% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.The average age of technical hires has increased by three years since 2021.Big Tech companies are now focusing their resources on mid- and senior-level engineers, particularly in roles related to machine learning and data science. Meanwhile, functions like recruiting, design, and product marketing are shrinking across the board, the data also shows.The "experience paradox"This AI-driven shift has created what SignalFire calls the "experience paradox." Companies want junior hires to come pre-trained (just like those AI models!).But young candidates often struggle to gain experience without being given a chance. It's a classic Catch-22, especially in a job market where 37% of managers say they'd rather use AI than hire a Gen Z employee, according to SignalFire's data.Even top computer science grads from elite universities are struggling. The share of these graduates landing roles at the "Magnificent Seven" (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Tesla) has plummeted by more than half since 2022, according to SignalFire's report. A chart from SignalFire's State of Talent 2025 report SignalFire A cultural shiftThis isn't just an economic or technical evolution, it's a cultural one. Where Silicon Valley once idolized youth, today's market prizes proven execution. Risk tolerance has dropped across the startup ecosystem, and with venture capital funding tightening, founders are hesitant to invest in long-term potential over short-term impact.Interestingly, this has opened the door for more seasoned professionals. While C-suite hiring has also slowed, companies are increasingly turning to "fractional" roles — part-time CTOs, CMOs, and advisors — to access senior talent without inflating their burn rate, according to SignalFire.More hustle than everFor younger professionals, the path into tech now requires more creativity and hustle than ever. Bootcamps, freelancing, open-source contributions, and AI fluency are becoming critical entry points. Simply having a degree, even from a top school, is no longer enough.For companies, the long-term risk of this shift is clear. Without reinvesting in early-career talent, the tech industry risks breaking its talent pipeline. While AI may temporarily reduce the need for junior hires, the future may still depend on building and training the next generation of technologists.The mythology of youth in tech isn't dead, but in 2025, it's being rewritten. Recommended video

TRS-80, Commodore 64. Early PCs have laughable specifications by today’s standards, but they inspired a lot of creativity. Take Jacob Anderson, owner of Beyond Ordinary Software, for example. He started programming a Commodore 64 as a tween by building character management tools for his Dungeons and Dragons game. The Commodore 64 was an 8-bit machine with the Basic programming language built in. “I was 11 years old and very isolated in a small town, so I didn't really have any exposure to the outside world and everything that was happening with the whole personal computer revolution,” says Anderson. “My dad was the janitor at the middle school, so I helped him clean. One evening, he sat me down in a math classroom that had a Commodore 64-style environment, so I started playing Artillery Duel. I noticed a button on the keyboard called, ‘Run Stop,’ and if you hit that key, the program stops executing and becomes a terminal. I hit that key by accident and typed “list” and I saw all the source code. I instinctively understood everything.” His uncle subsequently helped his family buy a Commodore 64 and peripherals for Anderson, including a dot matrix printer. He became obsessed, spending nearly all his time programming. However, in high school, his progress slowed as he discovered girls and did the things high school kids do. When he went to college on a US Navy ROTC program scholarship at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), he discovered the program actually ran at The College of the Holy Cross in the evenings, which conflicted with his computer science schedule. Anderson chose to give up his three-year Navy scholarship to pursue a dual major in nuclear engineering and computer science. Since he had to figure out a way to pay for school, he got into the Science and Engineering Research Semester (SERS) program at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Applied Theoretical Physics Division, which develops novel applications of theoretical physics.  Related:At the time, Los Alamos was retiring its punch card mainframes and adopting modern software development practices. That was significant because at the time, the legacy software had been written in very old Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP).  When Anderson arrived for the SERS program, his advisor was John Hendricks, a Ph.D. nuclear engineer from MIT. Hendricks had Anderson running MCNP test problems to validate the physics that the problems were testing.  “I took the SERS program to complete my major qualifying project (MQP) at WPI, which was required for graduation. However, I felt that running test problems was a waste of time, so I voiced my concerns to my WPI advisor, John Mayer, and later to John Hendricks, who didn't appreciate my attitude,” says Anderson. “As a result, I planned to leave the SERS program and return to WPI to work on a different MQP.” Related:However, before Anderson could leave, Ken Van Riper, a Ph.D. astrophysicist from Cornell, met with him.  “[Ken] appreciated my perspective and offered me a project he was working on. I proposed developing a full GUI for it, and he let me take the lead. I stayed in the SERS program and completed the project, which became MUD—MCNP User Demonstration,” says Anderson. “MUD was a 3D graphics-based problem setup tool that could create MCNP input files, run MCNP and visualize the output as particle tracks. Nobody had previously developed a complete package with a simple ‘click the button’ approach. After I graduated from WPI, [Los Alamos] hired me as staff.” Next, he went to work at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN), where he found himself working for the Department of Defense (DoD) again and PRAJA, a dot-com immersive experience company. It focused on 3D visualization tracking of people in complex environments. While at PRAJA, he was the project lead on FOX NFL GameTracker 2000 and PRAJA Football 99. After that, he founded Beyond Ordinary Consulting alongside corporate roles as President of AccessQuery, a web-based job search engine, and XPLive, a SaaS company. He also served as managing partner and later managing director of Totally Evil Entertainment. Related:Important Lesson CIOs Can Learn Vicariously One thing Anderson has learned along the way is that military personnel can benefit the tech industry. “Military personnel are often highly trained, but they're focused on a very unique niche, and they own that entire niche. Whatever their operational job was, they own it. And that’s somewhat unique, because in the [civilian world], most people take a job for a little while, and then they bounce. They're very scattered when it comes to their career choices,” says Anderson. “When you deal with technical people you want them well versed in their niche job. And that's where the DoD comes in very handy, because the people who get that role are going to know it inside, out and backwards. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to hire DoD people.” Those who worked for the DoD are very regimented because they must adhere to certain policies and rules. “Military personnel understand the playing field and limitations. They’re good at limiting themselves, and they also understand large-scale systems on a worldwide scale,” says Anderson. “A defense department in any country is enormous, much larger than entities in the private sector. They know how to compartmentalize and manage complex systems. Most people have a really hard time compartmentalizing at a world scale.” However, he says cultural IQ is the most important thing CIOs and other organizational leaders must understand and use to their advantage.“Because the DoD is world scale, you get experience with different cultures, different people from different parts of the world. As a result, you must learn to understand individuals from their cultural point of view. Otherwise, you’re just going to be frustrated all the time,” says Anderson. “The military is the same. It’s important to understand the nuances and respect them so you can engage people more effectively. The military personnel who aren’t good at that wash out early. The ones that are really good at it rise.” 

Hyundai has used the clean-sheet nature of electric powertrains to make new vehicles radically different from its internal-combustion models, but what happens when the best thing a new car can be is ordinary?  The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a three-row SUV that, to succeed, needs to prioritize space and an effortless ownership experience over radical styling or sports-car driving dynamics. That doesn’t leave much room for creativity, but Hyundai has done its best by giving the Ioniq 9 futuristic styling combined with the proven E-GMP dedicated EV platform from its other Ioniq models and the Kia EV9.  The enthusiastic response to the EV9, from Hyundai’s sibling brand, shows why, despite having two gasoline three-row SUVs in its lineup already, Hyundai needed an all-electric one as well.Another daring design from Hyundai Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Many automakers create a family look across their lineups, but Hyundai went in a different direction with its Ioniq EVs. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 are polar opposites when it comes to styling, and the Ioniq 9 follows yet another path that helps it stand out from other three-row SUVs. Recommended Videos It’s clear that engineers spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel, but unlike so many other low-drag designs, the Ioniq 9 still has the upright proportions of a true SUV. The result is something that looks like it would be right at home on a school pickup line in the Tron Grid. The tall hood is decidedly SUV-like, but the front end is smoothed as if by erosion. Squared-off fenders add a bit of ruggedness but don’t stick out far enough to impede air flow. And at the back, the body sides taper back, and the roof descends, into a chopped-off tail not unlike what helped make the 2004 Toyota Prius so distinctive and aerodynamically efficient. All of this is topped off with another iteration of the pixel lighting previously seen on the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. The light bar running across the hood gives the Ioniq 9 a distinctive and futuristic look when viewed through a rearview mirror, while at the back the lights form a hoop around the tailgate. This helps punch up the design a bit, adding visual interest to the otherwise smooth and unadorned surfaces of this electric SUV. Less successful in that regard is the copious black plastic trim, which seems tacked-on. And just as piano-black plastic interior trim is hard to keep clean, the black license-plate surround will likely always be covered in fingerprints. Still a practical three-row SUV Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends As with so many of its other vehicles, Hyundai made a different styling statement while using the same platform as a dramatically different-looking model from sibling brand Kia. The Ioniq 9 is based on the same plus-sized version of the E-GMP architecture as the Kia EV9 (a Genesis luxury model is also on the way). The EV9 trades the Ioniq 9’s wind-smoothed surfaces for sharp edges, but they look virtually identical to a measuring tape. The Hyundai is 2.0 inches longer, 1.6 inches taller, and just 0.1 inch wider. Headroom and legroom are pretty much identical as well, no matter which seating position you’re talking about. And like most three-row vehicles, Hyundai offers second-row bench seat and captain’s chairs options, making the Ioniq 9 a six- or seven-seater, respectively. The second row can slide forward or back in either case, but even with the seats slid all the way forward, adults won’t find much knee room in the third row. There’s still plenty of space for the kids that will most likely be occupying it, though. Open the Ioniq 9’s standard power tailgate and you get 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space. That expands to 46.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 86.9 cubic feet with the second row folded. All three numbers surpass the EV9, and Hyundai claims more cargo space behind the second and third rows than in a Rivian R1S (Rivian doesn’t publish its own comparable figures to verify this). But while the R1S has a spacious frunk, the Ioniq 9 only has a small under-hood compartment just spacious enough for charging cables. Hyundai’s dual-screen setup, with 12.3-inch screens serving as the instrument cluster and touchscreen, remains impressive — especially now that Hyundai is integrating wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with this bigger display. But the Ioniq 9’s Universal Island 2.0 center console really stole the show. Incorporating plenty of storage space front and rear, it’s also accessible from either direction and slides fore and aft. It’s a thoughtful feature for a vehicle where every seat is important.  Quick, but not sporty Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Hyundai is offering three powertrain configurations for the 2026 model year, all with a 110.3-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The Ioniq 9 S base model has a single motor sending 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. SE and SEL models have a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain making 303 hp and 446 lb-ft. Limited, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Design models have a “performance” dual-motor powertrain rated at 422 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The rear-wheel drive Ioniq 9’s output is identical to a rear-wheel drive EV9, but the highest-output version of the Hyundai has a bit more horsepower than the Kia (torque is the same), getting it from zero to 60 mph 0.1 second quicker, at 4.9 seconds. The advantage will shift to Kia once a more powerful EV9 GT arrives later this year, though. Quick acceleration is handy for merging onto highways, but it’s not really the point of the Ioniq 9. It doesn’t try to be anything other than a big, comfortable SUV that will whisk kids to extracurricular activities, or serve as an analogue to the big sedans of old for buyers who simply want a spacious vehicle. The suspension absorbed bumps without any waterbed-like jiggling, and like all EVs the Ioniq 9 was impressively quiet (although there was a bit more tire noise than anticipated). It’s nice to drive, just not exciting. Helping to maintain comfort and composure is Hyundai’s i-Pedal brake-control system. This automatically blends regenerative braking and friction braking to slow the vehicle as smoothly and efficiently as possible. It’s a carryover feature from other Ioniq EVs, but the tuning for the Ioniq 9 was particularly good. While it’s still possible to summon a burst of regenerative braking with steering-wheel paddles, it was hard to match i-Pedal’s smoothness. NACS onboard Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends Hyundai estimates 335 miles of range for the base rear-wheel drive S trim level, 320 miles for dual-motor SE and SEL models, and 311 miles for the high-end Limited, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Design models, all of which have the more powerful “performance” powertrain tune. That gives the Ioniq 9 a range advantage over its Kia EV9 platform-mate, which only tops 300 miles in rear-wheel drive Light Long Range form, but that advantage is achieved with a larger battery pack. Both Hyundai and Kia are switching to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) charging port for the 2026 model year, giving drivers access to Tesla Supercharger DC fast-charging stations. This provides access to more chargers with a proven reliability record, but in this case it doesn’t necessarily mean faster charging. Hyundai estimates that the Ioniq 9 can complete a 10%-80% charge in 41 minutes at a V3 Supercharger, but that drops to 24 minutes at a 350-kilowatt Combined Charging Standard (CCS) station, using an adapter. When Level 2 AC charging, a full recharge takes nine hours and 40 minutes at 11 kW, according to Hyundai. Like other models based on the E-GMP architecture, the Ioniq 9 is also capable of bidirectional charging for powering devices and appliances. So far, Hyundai hasn’t discussed a full home backup-power system like the one that’s available for the EV9, but its Hyundai Home marketplace provides a ready portal for selling such equipment. A relative value in a high-priced market segment Stephen Edelstein/Digital Trends With a base price of $60,555 with rear-wheel drive, the Ioniq 9 is the most expensive SUV in Hyundai’s lineup. Prices rise significantly from there. The all-wheel drive SE and SEL start at $64,365 and $67,920, respectively. The luxe Limited starts at $72,850, the Calligraphy starts at $76,590, and the Calligraphy Design tops things off at $78,090. Kia hadn’t released pricing for the 2026 EV9 at press time, but for reference the 2025 model started at $56,395 with a smaller battery pack and less range than the base Ioniq 9. Hyundai’s trim walk is also more top heavy with high-end trim levels, but that may also be the case for the EV9 — Kia has already confirmed Nightfall Edition and GT models for 2026 that likely won’t be bargains. All Ioniq 9 models will also be built in Georgia and will qualify for a $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but that’s not guaranteed with the EV9. This pricing structure might help differentiate the two brands, but it doesn’t make much sense for customers, as the EV9 and Ioniq 9 offer similar features, interior space, and the same generous warranty coverage. The Ioniq 9 does at least stay below the Rivian R1S and the handful of luxury-brand three-row electric SUVs currently on the market. It’s a sensible choice, but not an extraordinary value. That’s appropriate for what is an ordinary vehicle, not an extraordinary one — just as the mission brief says.