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Academic Research

Academics Use Hidden AI Prompts to Encourage Positive Peer Reviews

Researchers are reportedly embedding hidden AI prompts in their research papers to influence peer reviews positively. These prompts, often hidden via white text or small fonts, instruct AI reviewers to give positive reviews only, praising the paper's impact and rigor.

Nikkei Asia found 17 papers on arXiv with these prompts, with authors affiliated with institutions across multiple countries. The papers are typically related to computer science.

One professor defended the practice, arguing it's a countermeasure against 'lazy reviewers' who use AI, especially since many conferences prohibit AI review.

Artificial Intelligence

Brex's AI Adoption Strategy: A New Approach to Software Procurement

Brex has revamped its software procurement process to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technology. Initially, their traditional months-long piloting process proved too slow. To address this, Brex developed a new framework for data processing agreements and legal validations, enabling faster vetting of AI tools.
The company employs a "superhuman product-market-fit test," empowering employees to decide which tools to adopt based on their perceived value. Brex also provides engineers with a monthly budget to license software tools from an approved list, fostering individual optimization of workflows.
CTO James Reggio emphasizes the importance of embracing the "messiness" of AI adoption, acknowledging that mistakes are inevitable. He advises against overthinking the evaluation process, as the AI landscape can change significantly in a short period. This approach has allowed Brex to efficiently manage its AI tool deployments, canceling or not renewing less valuable deployments.

Venture Capital

Midwest Venture Firm Drive Capital Thrives After Co-founder Split

Drive Capital, a Columbus, Ohio-based venture capital firm, has achieved significant success after overcoming internal challenges, including a co-founder split. The firm recently returned $500 million to investors and boasts top-quartile fund performance with over 4x net returns on its most mature funds.

Drive Capital differentiates itself by focusing on companies outside Silicon Valley, investing in sectors often overlooked by coastal VCs, such as autonomous welding and next-generation dental insurance. This contrarian strategy has led to investments in successful companies like Duolingo and Vast Data.

The firm's success has validated Columbus as a growing tech hub, attracting attention from tech leaders like Peter Thiel, who are establishing new ventures in the area.

Technology

Google's AI Overviews Spark Antitrust Complaint in the EU

The Independent Publishers Alliance has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Google's AI Overviews, alleging misuse of web content and significant harm to publishers, including traffic, readership, and revenue loss. The complaint states that publishers are essentially forced to allow their content to be used in AI summaries unless they opt out of Google search results entirely. Google defends its AI Overviews, claiming they create new opportunities for content discovery and that traffic claims are often based on incomplete data.

Transportation

Mobility Sector Update: Autonomous Vehicle Theater, EV Sales, and Security Threats

Autonomous Vehicles: The concept of 'Minimum Viable Autonomy Theater' (MVAT) is introduced, referring to companies deploying minimal autonomy to perpetuate progress narratives. Tesla's autonomous delivery is cited as a possible example.
Electric Vehicles: Q2 sales and production numbers are discussed, highlighting Lucid's push for Gravity production and Rivian receiving $1B from Volkswagen amid sales struggles. A reconciliation act has eliminated EV tax credits, impacting companies like Slate Auto.
Security: The FBI warns of the Scattered Spider hacking group targeting airlines and transportation. Qantas experienced a data breach compromising 6 million passengers' data.

Technology Regulation

EU Defies Tech Giants, Sticking to AI Act Timeline

The European Union has affirmed its commitment to the original schedule for implementing the landmark AI Act, despite pressure from over a hundred tech companies, including Alphabet, Meta, and ASML, seeking delays. These companies argue that the AI Act will hinder Europe's competitiveness in the AI sector.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated firmly that there would be no delays, grace periods, or pauses in the rollout. The AI Act, a risk-based regulation, prohibits AI applications deemed "unacceptable risk," such as cognitive behavioral manipulation, and sets strict requirements for "high-risk" uses like biometrics and facial recognition.
App developers must register their systems and adhere to risk and quality management standards to access the EU market. Chatbots and similar AI apps are categorized as "limited risk" and are subject to lighter transparency requirements. The EU began implementing the AI Act last year, with full enforcement expected by mid-2026.

Business & Technology

The Curious Case of Soham Parekh: Silicon Valley's Enigma

The tech world is buzzing about Soham Parekh, an Indian software engineer who worked at multiple startups simultaneously. Former Mixpanel CEO Suhail Doshi exposed Parekh's activities on X, sparking widespread discussion among founders and investors. Some view Parekh as a folk hero for deceiving well-funded startups, while others criticize him for being dishonest and taking opportunities from deserving individuals. Parekh claims his actions were driven by financial desperation and a lack of planning. The incident has ignited conversations about remote work, employee ethics, and the tech industry's moral compass.

Business and Technology

The Soham Parekh Saga: Unmasking Silicon Valley's Serial Moonlighter

Soham Parekh, a software engineer, has been the subject of widespread attention after being accused of simultaneously working at multiple Silicon Valley startups. Suhail Doshi, CEO of Playground AI, ignited the controversy by sharing his experience of firing Parekh for working at other companies. Other founders, including Flo Crivello (Lindy) and Matt Parkhurst (Antimetal), shared similar stories of hiring and quickly firing Parekh due to his moonlighting activities.

Parekh also interviewed at several Y Combinator-backed startups, with some founders noting his strong technical skills and unusual preference for equity over salary. Rohan Pandey from Reworkd revealed they discovered Parekh was lying about his location using an IP logger. Adam Silverman of Agency and Roy Lee of Cluely also shared their experiences interviewing Parekh, highlighting his impressive skills but also raising red flags.

Parekh addressed the accusations on the Technology Brother Podcast Network, admitting to working multiple jobs since 2022 due to financial difficulties and a love for his work. He claimed to work 140 hours a week and denied using AI or junior engineers to assist him. He has now joined Darwin Studios, an AI video remixing startup, but the initial announcement was quickly deleted.

Despite the controversy, Parekh's story reflects a Silicon Valley trend of turning viral moments into business opportunities, similar to Cluely's success after a provocative marketing campaign.

Social Media

Threads' Direct Messages Spark User Concerns Over Harassment and Lack of Opt-Out

Instagram Threads recently launched direct messages (DMs), a highly requested feature. However, many users, particularly women, are expressing concerns about potential harassment and the absence of an opt-out option.
Users argue that the new DM feature could lead to increased online harassment, with some feeling that it caters to stalkers. While DMs are common on other social networks, some Threads users appreciated the platform's initial DM-free environment.
Concerns also include potential spam and unwanted outreach. The current system requires users to follow each other to enable DMs, with blocking as the only drastic measure. Some users feel helpless due to the lack of control over who can contact them.
The addition of DMs may disrupt the established culture of Threads, as it changes how users interact. Meta's attempt to control DM access through follower relationships hasn't addressed the desire to maintain distance from strangers whose content users may still want to follow.

Energy Policy

GOP Bill Reshapes Energy Incentives: Renewables Suffer, Nuclear and Geothermal Gain

Republican legislators passed a reconciliation act that unwinds much of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), impacting the energy sector. The bill, awaiting President Trump's signature, favors nuclear and geothermal while disadvantaging solar, wind, and clean hydrogen.
Solar and wind developers face stricter timelines to access tax credits, requiring grid connection by the end of 2027 or project commencement within 12 months of the bill's passage. The data center sector and climate tech startups, particularly green hydrogen ventures, are expected to be significantly affected.
Geothermal, nuclear, and battery storage retain tax incentives through 2033, but new rules regarding "foreign entities of concern" may complicate credit access.