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Midweek is here, and so are more big moves in tech. Even giants like Meta are feeling behind in the AI race, and are opening their wallets wide in hopes of catching up. Will it work? Maybe for them. But for everyday users and small businesses now buried by AI-driven search, the outlook feels less certain. The good news? AI still can’t replace human taste or emotional insight. Let’s dive in.

• 📰 News and Trends.

• 🧰 AI Tools - Sports Betting.

• Why Zuckerberg is Betting Everything on Scale AI?

• 🧠 Learning Corner - The Gradient

• AI Is Crushing News Site Traffic

• In the Age of AI Overload, Human Taste Is a Superpower

📰 AI News and Trends

• Corporate AI adoption may be leveling off, according to Ramp data

• OpenAI releases o3-pro, a souped-up version of its o3 AI reasoning model and 80% cheaper

• The FDA looks to AI to Enhance Efficiency and speed drugs to the market after a Trump-driven reduction of nearly 2,000 employees.

• China is developing AI-powered, robotic “guard dogs” for its Tiangong space station that can push unwanted objects away from it.

🌐 Other Tech news

• Russia is moving toward replacing WhatsApp with a “national messenger.”

• China Courts American Influencers for Soft Power Push as US Boots Top TikToker

• Replacing all human drivers with artificial intelligence could save approximately 34,000 lives each year in the US alone, if the numbers from existing self-driving cars can be extrapolated.

• Snap to launch smaller, lighter augmented reality Specs smartglasses in 2026

• Google offers buyouts to employees across the company, including Search

• The SmartLess podcast team is launching a low-cost phone company, SmartLess Mobile.

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Why Zuckerberg is Betting Everything on Scale AI?

Meta is investing $14.8 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI, making it one of Meta's largest acquisitions since WhatsApp in 2014. As part of the deal, Scale AI's CEO Alexandr Wang will join Meta to lead a new AI research lab focused on developing "super intelligence."

Zuckerberg's frustration is driving this decision. Current and former Meta employees reveal he's grown increasingly agitated that competitors like OpenAI, Google, and even China's DeepSeek appear ahead of Meta in both AI models and consumer applications. Meta's recent Llama 4 release was poorly received by developers, and their massive "Behemoth" model remains unreleased due to concerns it can't compete with rivals.

About Scale AI

Scale AI has become the behind-the-scenes powerhouse of modern AI development:

• Data is the foundation - Scale specializes in preparing and labeling the massive datasets needed to train cutting-edge AI models

• Industry connections - They work with virtually every major AI company (OpenAI, Google, Microsoft) and have insights into how competitors build their models

• Evolution with AI - As AI advanced, Scale pivoted from basic data labeling to sophisticated human feedback training that makes chatbots more natural and specialized

One competitor noted that Scale has "covered probably 70% of all the models that are built," meaning Wang brings unprecedented intelligence about the entire AI landscape.

Strategic Implications

This represents a dramatic shift for Zuckerberg, who typically promotes loyalists to top positions. Bringing in Wang as an outsider shows the magnitude of Meta's AI challenges. Rather than a full acquisition (which could trigger antitrust scrutiny while Meta faces FTC lawsuits), this investment structure mirrors moves by Google and Microsoft with other AI startups.

The move is essentially to buy expertise and insider knowledge of the entire AI ecosystem to accelerate their development and close the gap with competitors who have pulled ahead in the AI arms race.

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🧰 AI Tools

Sports Betting.

• BetBuddy (by Playtech) - Uses AI and behavioral analytics to identify smart betting patterns and risky behavior.

• SportsLine - Uses predictive models and expert consensus to deliver AI-driven picks across NFL, NBA, MLB, and more.

• The Action Network - Offers betting models, real-time odds, AI-generated betting projections, and trends.

• ZCode System - AI + historical data to generate betting predictions and system picks.

• OddsJam - Real-time AI scanning of sportsbooks to find profitable arbitrage and value bets.

Download our list of 1000+ Tools for free.

AI Is Crushing News Site Traffic

Google’s new AI tools, like AI Overviews and AI Mode, are slashing traffic to news publishers by offering direct answers instead of link-based results. HuffPost, Washington Post, and Business Insider have seen search traffic drop by more than 50% in the last three years. The Atlantic warns search traffic could soon hit zero, prompting a shift toward direct reader engagement, events, and subscriptions. As generative AI rewires web behavior, media giants are fighting back with lawsuits, licensing deals, and new revenue models — preparing for a “post-search era.”

But what are the possible solutions and the path forward?

1. Build Direct Audience Relationships - Growing loyal audiences via newsletters, mobile apps, and podcasts can be a solution. Companies like Dotdash Meredith slashed Google reliance from 60% to 33% using tools like MyRecipes.

2. Monetize Through Events & Subscriptions
   The Atlantic is boosting print, apps, and live events. NYT and WSJ lean on subscriptions and brand trust to drive direct visits.

3. License Content & Pursue Legal Options. NYT sued OpenAI but also signed a deal with Amazon. WSJ’s parent, News Corp, has a content licensing deal with OpenAI and is suing Perplexity.

4. Invest in Niche and Habit-Driven Products. Recipes, finance tools, hyper-local coverage — build services that readers return to intentionally, not via search.

5. Experiment with AI-Powered Products. Use AI to personalize content, power search within news apps, or build tools that enhance reader value directly.

The media can survive AI disruption — but only by shifting away from algorithmic dependence and toward trust, utility, and loyalty. The future is direct.

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In the Age of AI Overload, Human Taste Is a Superpower

As AI floods the world with endless content and choices, good taste, the human ability to discern what’s meaningful, beautiful, or resonant, is becoming a critical skill. Unlike algorithms, taste is shaped by lived experience, cultural nuance, and ethical judgment.

Leaders with strong taste will stand out by curating the best from the noise, guiding teams through overwhelming options with clarity and integrity. In this new era, taste isn’t a luxury; it’s a competitive advantage that can be cultivated through exposure, reflection, and intentional practice.

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🧠 Learning Corner.