🤖 CEOs blame AI for job cuts but economists disagree

🔐 Discord will require age verification for full access

💰 Crypto. com founder buys AI. com for $70M

🌕 Elon Musk shifts SpaceX focus from Mars to the Moon

🚕 Pony AI and Toyota move robotaxis into mass production

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Over the past year, US companies have cited artificial intelligence as the reason for more than 54,000 layoffs, but economists argue many cuts are actually driven by tariffs, pandemic era overhiring, and profit optimization rather than true AI replacement.

Analysts say current AI can realistically replace only a narrow set of tasks like customer support or technical writing, with research suggesting just 6 percent of US jobs will be automated by 2030, far less than CEO rhetoric implies.

Blaming layoffs on AI can be convenient for executives because it sounds innovative and avoids political or economic backlash, even when roles are cut mainly to reduce labor costs or replace senior staff with cheaper workers.

Discord announced it will roll out global age verification next month, automatically placing all users into a teen appropriate experience unless they confirm they are adults using a face scan or government ID.

Unverified users will lose access to age restricted servers and channels, stage channel speaking, and some direct messages, with restricted servers appearing as blacked out until age verification is completed.

Discord says users can verify age through on device facial age estimation or third party ID checks that are deleted quickly, while an internal age inference model may exempt some users from verification if they are confidently identified as adults.

Crypto. com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek says he purchased the AI. com domain for $70M, the largest domain sale ever, and launched it as a consumer autonomous AI agent platform with a Super Bowl commercial.

The platform promises a personal AI agent that requires no technical setup and can handle tasks like stock trading, calendar management, messaging, and workflow automation.

Marszalek envisions a future network of agents that improve themselves and share upgrades across users, though it remains uncertain whether the product can truly rival the rapid agentic progress from established AI labs.

Elon Musk says SpaceX is prioritizing building a self growing city on the Moon, arguing it could be achieved in under 10 years, while a similar effort on Mars would take more than 20 years.

Musk says the Moon offers easier logistics due to proximity to Earth and simpler launch timing, marking a sharp change from earlier claims that the Moon was a distraction and that SpaceX would go straight to Mars.

The shift comes as NASA plans to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028 through the Artemis program, with Musk now saying Moon development will come first while Mars efforts proceed in parallel.

Pony AI has started mass production of autonomous robotaxis developed with Toyota, with the first 1,000 vehicles set to launch this year across major Chinese cities.

The company plans to scale the fleet to 3,000 robotaxis operating in China and international markets by the end of 2026, with Toyota acting as both a strategic investor and manufacturing partner.

The vehicles use Level 4 autonomous driving technology that runs without human intervention in most conditions, marking a shift from pilot programs to real commercial deployment at scale.

A. Yes, it’s manipulative - 89% 🏆

B. No, it’s just good UX - 11%