• AT LEAST 13 JOB CATEGORIES WILL BE SOON IMPACTED BY AUTOMATION. Many focus on entry-level roles, involving repetitive processes, data analysis or decision-making – tasks once thought to require human intuition – that artificial intelligence (A.I.) can handle faster and more accurately, as advances in machine learning, robotic process, and natural language processing chatbots continue to expand. Roles which face the highest risk of automation replacing human labor include: Tax Preparers, Paralegals, Real Estate Brokers, Retail Cashiers, Data Entry Clerks, Medical Transcriptionists, Manufacturing Workers, Travel Agents, Warehouse Workers, Insurance Underwriters, Customer Service Representatives, Financial Analysts, and Loan Officers. Technology is literally reshaping the job market.  [FINANCEKEY.COM]

 

  • LATEST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STUDY: 145 British collage student essays written by real students were measured against those written by A.I. to conclude that “while those A.I.-written were linguistically fluent and mimicked academic writing conventions, they tended to avoid questions, had limited commentary, were unable to inject text with a personal touch, didn’t demonstrate a clear stance, were less engaging, and without strong perspective on a topic… This reflects the nature of its training data and statistical learning methods, which prioritize coherence over conversational nuance, while essays written by real students consistently featured a rich array of engagement strategies making them more interactive and persuasive… As the line between human and machine-writing continues to blur, the study underlines the importance of fostering critical literary and ethical awareness in the digital age.”  [UEA.AC.UK]

 

  • LATEST EARTHQUAKE STUDY, published this week from National Academy of Sciences, warns of a long-feared quake of Northern California, Oregon & Washington which could “cause some coastal areas to sink by more than six feet, with flooding over an area 2½ times the size of San Francisco, impacting over 22,000 people, 36,000 structures, and FEMA estimates of economic losses up to $134 Billion. There have been eleven great quakes in this zone, recurring every 200 to 800 years based on radiocarbon dating, the latest in 1700, with oral histories describing tsunamis more than 50 feet high wiping out coastal villages, and only one survivor of 600 people on Vancouver Island with impact lasting for decades.” Since we’re nearly 90% of the way toward the 800-year historical timeline range, this study “should be a wakeup call to residents and government officials considering a post-quake response, especially regarding critical infrastructure.”  [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

 

  • “GREAT POWER COMPETITION HAS RETURNED, after being dismissed as a phenomenon of an earlier century, but U.S. rivals have been contesting our geopolitical advantages and trying to change the international order in their favor, increasing the potential of ‘Forever Wars’…  Wars start and end through political decisions, generally to initiate armed conflict on assumption of a short war; however, the political decision to bring fighting to an end will likely reflect the inescapable costs and consequences of a long war, with the prospect of drawn-out or unending hostilities and significant economic and political instability…  One of the great allures of military power is that it promises to bring conflicts to a quick and decisive conclusion. In practice, it rarely does.” Very uncertain times ahead.  https://www.foreignaffairs.com/age-forever-wars

 

THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

  • Multiple lawsuits have been filed during President Trump’s second administration. The suits challenge his executive orders as well as actions taken by his administration, involving:  Agency cuts, Birthright citizenship, DEI, DOGE, Elections, Federal funding, Federal workers, Immigration, Tariffs, Transgender rights.  The courts have agreed to block the president in a number of cases, while the administration is seeking appeals.  To date, Executive Action Status is: Partially or fully blocked 71, Court left in effect 46, Pending 69.  [apnews.com/projects/trump-executive-order-lawsuit-tracker]
  • Vehicles equipped with some version of self-driving technology are rapidly growing, but more than half of consumers say they are not interested in owning one in the next five years, and McKinsey projects that fewer than 38% of such new passenger vehicles will be sold in the next 10 years. With more than double the crashes compared to conventional vehicles (per million miles driven) it’s not surprising that latest survey of 2,000 Americans found 36% who don’t trust the technology for safety and 25% worried about malfunction. Tesla’s recent recall of nearly all its autonomous vehicles doesn’t help.  [FORBES ADVISOR] 
  •  “Latest studies find that Endurance Training – even small doses of high-intensity activity (equivalent to brisk walking where you can’t sing) can reduce risk of cognitive decline and dementia by up to 40%. 150 minutes of moderation, or even 75 minutes of Micro-training (going from no activity to incorporating small doses of pulse training into everyday life) affect inflammation/ blood flow/ immune function/ brain plasticity and release of protective molecules in the blood – processes that weaken with age and contribute to development of neurogenerative diseases.” [norwegianscitechnews.com]