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Technology & Productivity

The Rise of 'Workslop': AI-Generated Content Hindering Productivity

Researchers at BetterUp Labs, along with Stanford Social Media Lab, have identified a new problem called 'workslop,' which refers to low-quality, AI-generated work that appears useful but lacks substance. This 'workslop' can be unhelpful, incomplete, or missing crucial context, ultimately shifting the workload to others for correction or interpretation. A survey revealed that 40% of U.S. employees have encountered 'workslop' in the past month. The researchers advise leaders to promote thoughtful AI usage with clear guidelines to prevent this issue.

Artificial Intelligence

South Korea's Ambitious AI Initiative: Competing with Global Giants

South Korea is investing ₩530 billion (about $390 million) in five local companies to develop large language models tailored to the Korean language and culture. The goal is to reduce reliance on foreign AI technologies and strengthen national security. The selected companies include LG AI Research, SK Telecom, Naver Cloud, NC AI, and Upstage. Each company brings unique strengths, from industry-specific data to telecom infrastructure. They aim to compete with OpenAI and Google by focusing on efficiency, real-world applications, and specialized models.

Robotics

Rodney Brooks: Humanoid Robot Hype is Overblown

Roboticist Rodney Brooks criticizes the massive investment in humanoid robot startups, particularly those attempting to mimic human dexterity through video training.

He argues that the complexity of human touch and the safety risks associated with large, energy-intensive humanoid robots make current approaches impractical.

Brooks predicts that future successful robots will deviate from the human form, utilizing wheels, multiple arms, and specialized sensors.

He believes current investments are funding expensive experiments unlikely to achieve mass production.

Finance

Checkout.com's Valuation Reaches $12 Billion Amid Employee Stock Buyback

Fintech company Checkout.com has reached a $12 billion valuation through an employee stock buyback program. This valuation follows a period where it was valued at $40 billion in 2022 but later reduced to $11 billion. The current valuation is based on a 409A valuation by an independent third party. Checkout.com, a payment company popular among large e-commerce sites like eBay and Pinterest, is on track for full-year profitability in 2025 and processes about $1 billion in e-commerce payments daily. The company has also expanded its workforce to 2,000 employees across 19 global offices.

Business & Finance

Electronic Arts Poised for Landmark $50 Billion Acquisition

Electronic Arts (EA) is reportedly nearing a $50 billion acquisition by an investor group including Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The deal, potentially the largest leveraged buyout in history, could see EA, known for franchises like Madden NFL, FIFA, The Sims, and Battlefield, go private. News of the potential acquisition led to a 15% surge in EA's stock price.

Entertainment

The Social Reckoning: A Sequel to 'The Social Network' Focusing on Facebook's Controversies

Aaron Sorkin is set to write and direct 'The Social Reckoning,' a sequel to 'The Social Network,' slated for release on October 9, 2026. Jeremy Strong will replace Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison will play Frances Haugen.

The film will center on Haugen's 2021 leaks of internal documents, which revealed Facebook's awareness of Instagram's negative impact on teenage girls' mental health and the company's prioritization of profits over user well-being.

The leaks also exposed that Facebook under-resourced content moderation in non-English languages and that the majority of spending was toward English language content

Social Networking

Friendship Apps Rise to Combat Loneliness and Foster Social Connections

As loneliness and social isolation increase, friendship apps are gaining popularity. These apps aim to provide platforms for individuals to form platonic connections based on shared interests and hobbies. According to Appfigures, local-focused friendship apps in the U.S. have generated approximately $16 million in consumer spending and 4.3 million downloads in 2025.

Several apps cater to this growing demand, including 222, Bumble BFF, Clyx, Les Amis, Meetup, Meet5, Pie, Timeleft, and Wyzr Friends. These platforms offer features like personality-based matching, group event organization, and activity-based connections to help users find meaningful friendships and build local communities.

From major players like Meetup, established in 2002, to newer apps like Pie, these platforms address the need for accessible and less awkward ways to initiate friendships. The apps often provide curated environments where users can be open about seeking friendship, reducing the intimidation factor.

Energy Tech

Anode Technology Company: Moxion's Founder Relaunches with $9M Seed Funding

Paul Huelskamp, co-founder of the bankrupt battery startup Moxion Power, has launched a new company, Anode Technology Company, with $9 million in seed funding led by Eclipse. Anode aims to replace diesel generators at festivals, construction sites, and EV charging locations. The startup will use contract manufacturers, a key difference from Moxion's in-house manufacturing approach. Anode's mobile battery is designed to be smaller and more cost-effective, optimizing for the lowest cost of delivered energy. The company plans to use AI to optimize operations, aiming to drive down costs close to grid electricity parity.

Data Security

Data Spill Exposes Sensitive Indian Bank Transfer Records

A data spill from an unsecured cloud server exposed hundreds of thousands of sensitive bank transfer documents in India, revealing account numbers, transaction figures, and individuals’ contact details. Cybersecurity firm UpGuard discovered the publicly accessible Amazon-hosted storage server containing 273,000 PDF documents. The exposed files contained transaction forms intended for processing via the National Automated Clearing House (NACH). The data was linked to at least 38 different banks and financial institutions. NuPay confirmed that it addressed a configuration gap in an Amazon S3 storage bucket that contained the bank transfer forms. UpGuard disputed NuPay’s claims, stating that only a few hundred files appeared to contain test data or had NuPay’s name on the forms.

Clean Technology

Anode Technology Company: Moxion's Founder Relaunches with $9M Seed Funding

Paul Huelskamp, co-founder of the bankrupt battery startup Moxion Power, has launched Anode Technology Company with $9 million in seed funding. Anode aims to replace diesel generators at construction sites and live events, similar to Moxion's goal.

Anode's focus is on optimizing the cost of delivered energy by using contract manufacturers, a lesson learned from Moxion's in-house manufacturing struggles. The company has designed an inverter suitable for EV charging, construction sites, and live events.

Anode will use AI to optimize its operations, including charging and delivery, with the goal of reducing costs to approach parity with grid electricity. Investors are drawn to the project due to the learnings from Moxion's previous challenges.