🤖 Japan turns to AI to ease its loneliness crisis

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Greetings! Your latest quick tech update is here:

☀️ On this day: On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their historic steps on the Moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission. The astronauts were guided by the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), an advanced (for its time) onboard system with just 64KB of memory and a 0.043 MHz processor. Its real-time computing capabilities made precise lunar navigation and landing possible.

What’s happening:

• 🤖 Japan turns to AI to ease its loneliness crisis

• ⚠️ 92 million jobs lost to AI by 2030

• 🥇 OpenAI claims AI wins gold at Math Olympiad

• 🌐 Perplexity’s Comet redefines web browsing

• 📺 Amazon wins case over Prime Video ad tier

• + 📊 Daily poll and results

• + 📈 Trending tools and resources

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Hand-picked news:

🤖 Japan turns to AI to ease its loneliness crisis ↗️LINK

• What: As loneliness surges in Japan, especially among singles and seniors, generative AI tools like ChatGPT, HachiKoko, and Cotomo are being embraced as emotional companions. These systems offer support, conversation, and even nostalgic dialogue aimed at dementia prevention.

• Why: With 38% of households single-person (projected to hit 44.3% by 2050) and a shortage of welfare workers, AI is seen as a scalable solution to address social isolation. Programs like HachiKoko show high user satisfaction.

• Impact: While AI companions offer comfort and accessibility, experts warn of emotional overreliance and blurred realities. Still, trials suggest they may improve well-being and cognitive health when used responsibly.

⚠️ 92 million jobs lost to AI by 2030 ↗️LINK

• What: By 2030, AI is expected to displace 92 million jobs, disproportionately affecting Black, Latino, and low-wage workers, who are overrepresented in roles vulnerable to automation, like cashiers, clerks, and caretakers. At the same time, 170 million new jobs will emerge, largely in sectors like agriculture, delivery, and construction.

• Why: Marginalized groups face dual barriers: overrepresentation in at-risk jobs and underrepresentation in tech roles set to grow. Systemic issues—such as limited access to STEM education, mentorship, and bias—widen this divide.

• Impact: Without intentional equity-focused action, AI may deepen racial and economic disparities. Diverse teams and inclusive policies are critical to prevent biased AI outcomes and ensure fair tech advancement.

🥇 OpenAI claims AI wins gold at Math Olympiad ↗️LINK

• What: OpenAI says one of its experimental models achieved gold medal-level performance at the 2025 International Math Olympiad (IMO), solving 5 of 6 problems under contest-like conditions. The feat, if verified, would mark a major milestone for AI in abstract reasoning.

• Why: This level of math ability was considered years away and is viewed by some as a benchmark for approaching AGI. Experts like Paul Christiano now view a rapid AI “takeoff” as more likely. Yet skeptics question the claim’s accuracy and timing, noting that IMO officials reportedly asked labs to delay announcements.

• Impact: If confirmed, this would represent a new frontier for AI in creative problem-solving. But disputed scoring and concerns over premature hype reveal growing tensions in the AGI race.

🌐 Perplexity’s Comet redefines web browsing ↗️LINK

• What: Perplexity has launched Comet, an AI-powered web browser aimed at replacing traditional search and task management. Comet blends browsing with AI by summarizing content, managing tabs, answering questions, and even executing actions like sending emails or accepting LinkedIn invites.

• Why: With features that surpass standard AI assistants, Comet represents a leap toward autonomous browsing. Its “take control of my browser” command lets it perform complex tasks — like unsubscribing from emails or posting on social media — without user intervention.

• Impact: Though some actions remain faster manually, Comet could significantly aid multitaskers and users needing accessibility support. It also signals a shift in how AI agents may integrate directly into browsers — a space long dominated by Google Chrome.

📺 Amazon wins case over Prime Video ad tier ↗️LINK

• What: A U.S. judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit against Amazon that challenged the company’s move to add ads to Prime Video and charge $3/month to remove them. The lawsuit claimed this was a stealth price hike in violation of Prime's terms.

• Why: Judge Barbara J. Rothstein ruled that adding ads didn't technically raise the subscription price but altered the service’s quality — a legal distinction that lets Amazon offer a higher tier for an ad-free experience without breaching its contract.

• Impact: The ruling shuts down further legal action on this issue and sets a precedent: companies may degrade service quality and charge more for features that were once standard — as long as they don’t raise the base price outright.

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Today’s Poll:

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Yesterday’s Poll Result:

Do you think AI in film production helps or harms creativity?

• A) Helps – It’s a tool to enhance vision - 56% 🏆

• B) Harms – It replaces human creativity - 44%

Reader’s opinion:

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