<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora: Daily Pulse]]></title><description><![CDATA[Each morning, a curated selection of 3 to 5 news stories that caught my attention—stories that matter, intrigue, or challenge the way we see the world.]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/s/daily-pulse</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kDlH!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe1ce2c76-d3b6-424b-bb40-18670c954266_400x400.png</url><title>Ramón Zamora: Daily Pulse</title><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/s/daily-pulse</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:45:40 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.ramonzamora.co/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[moncho]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[ramonzamora@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[ramonzamora@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[ramonzamora@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[ramonzamora@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Tech on its own terms: From vibe-coded chaos to Nintendo’s safe spaces and bold claims about screens and mental health]]></title><description><![CDATA[Vibe Coded AI App Generates Recipes for Cyanide Ice Cream and Cum Soup]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/tech-on-its-own-terms-from-vibe-coded</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/tech-on-its-own-terms-from-vibe-coded</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:42:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png" width="1354" height="1354" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZhCf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff013ed39-f0f4-4e03-b683-d1db93c71a3a_1354x1354.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Created with DALL&#183;E</figcaption></figure></div><h1>Vibe Coded AI App Generates Recipes for Cyanide Ice Cream and Cum Soup</h1><p><strong>What's happening: </strong></p><p>An AI app built using &#8220;vibe coding&#8221; &#8212; a casual, minimal-effort approach to coding &#8212; is generating disturbing recipe ideas like cyanide-laced ice cream and &#8220;cum soup.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong></p><ul><li><p>The developer used AI tools like GPT-4 and Replit Ghostwriter to auto-generate code.</p></li><li><p>404 Media tested the app and confirmed it served up dangerous or bizarre recipes.</p></li><li><p>End users on platforms like Replit could unknowingly replicate or share harmful code.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The project&#8217;s creator intentionally leaned on AI without understanding the backend logic, calling it &#8220;a vibe-coded app,&#8221; exposing how AI can create fully functional &#8212; but potentially dangerous &#8212; tools when misused.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>AI is an incredible tool that opens the door to programming for many people &#8212; but without a solid understanding of how coding works, "vibe coding" can lead to apps that are careless or even dangerous.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.404media.co/vibe-coded-ai-app-generates-recipes-for-cyanide-ice-cream-and-cum-soup/">404 Media</a></p><h1>Do smartphones and social media really harm teens&#8217; mental health?</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>A controversial new study claims smartphone and social media use may have caused a global rise in youth mental health issues &#8212; including depression and anxiety &#8212; since 2010.</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong></p><ul><li><p>Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University, led the study.</p></li><li><p>The findings are based on global data from over 2 million adolescents.</p></li><li><p>Critics say the conclusions are too definitive and don&#8217;t prove causation.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Twenge argues the rise of smartphones aligns <em>too closely</em> with the downturn in teen mental health to be ignored. But other experts caution against jumping to conclusions without stronger causal evidence.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>Science takes time to untangle cause and effect, so it's bold for a researcher to state findings so definitively. That said, the impact of smartphones and social media on our mental health is real &#8212; and we should be cautious about how these now-ubiquitous tools shape our well-being.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00933-3?mc_cid=5d3ca068c7&amp;mc_eid=8279ca74f0">Nature</a></p><h1>Nintendo&#8217;s new doomscrolling-alternative app has one great feature</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>Nintendo launched <em>Nintendo Today</em>, a new mobile news app designed to bypass toxic social media and deliver updates, trailers, and event calendars directly to fans &#8212; including teases for the upcoming Switch 2.</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong></p><ul><li><p>Nintendo, looking to own its communication pipeline.</p></li><li><p>Fans hungry for Switch 2 news and in-game event tracking.</p></li><li><p>Social platforms like X, Facebook, and YouTube, which Nintendo is quietly sidestepping.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>While still early and a bit buggy, the app's standout feature is a calendar that tracks both real-world events (like store openings) and in-game happenings for 11 popular titles &#8212; from <em>Animal Crossing</em> to <em>Splatoon 3</em>.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong> I'm hyped for all things Nintendo Switch 2, so this app feels like a direct line to what I care about. With social media platforms getting messier, it&#8217;s interesting to see Nintendo make this strategic move to control its own messaging &#8212; whether it works or not, we&#8217;ll have to wait and see.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.polygon.com/impressions/549801/nintendo-today-app">Polygon</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building a Better Bot: Hype, Harm, and Hope]]></title><description><![CDATA[How chatbots could spark the next big mental health crisis]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/building-a-better-bot-hype-harm-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/building-a-better-bot-hype-harm-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:37:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png" width="1352" height="1354" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AFC4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb57c20e3-547f-44c4-861f-22c8660bad92_1352x1354.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Illustration made with Dall-E</figcaption></figure></div><h1>How chatbots could spark the next big mental health crisis</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>New research from OpenAI and MIT suggests that heavy usage of chatbots like ChatGPT correlates with increased loneliness and reduced real-world social interaction.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>OpenAI &amp; MIT Media Lab</strong>: Conducted two studies tracking over 5,000 users.</p></li><li><p><strong>Power users</strong>: The top 10% of users (by time spent) reported more loneliness and emotional dependence.</p></li><li><p><strong>Chatbot platforms</strong>: Character.ai, Replika, and Nomi are marketing bots as emotional or romantic companions.</p></li><li><p><strong>Lawmakers</strong>: Watching AI closely as parallels emerge with social media&#8217;s mental health fallout.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The studies don&#8217;t claim chatbots cause loneliness &#8212; but highlight a feedback loop: lonely people seek connection through bots, which may deepen isolation. OpenAI researchers urge the industry to design bots with &#8220;socioaffective alignment&#8221; &#8212; prioritizing user well-being over engagement.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>While affective computing promises emotional support, it&#8217;s troubling that these tools may push already-isolated individuals further into loneliness. It echoes MIT&#8217;s own efforts, like <em><a href="https://guardians.media.mit.edu/">The Guardian</a></em>, to use tech for good &#8212; yet here we see how design choices can create the opposite effect. The line between therapeutic support and emotional exploitation is thin &#8212; and too easily crossed.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.platformer.news/openai-chatgpt-mental-health-well-being/">Platformer</a></p><h1>Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>23andMe filed for bankruptcy, triggering serious privacy concerns about the fate of genetic data from 15M+ users. California&#8217;s Attorney General issued a rare &#8220;consumer alert&#8221; urging people to delete their DNA from the company&#8217;s systems.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>23andMe</strong>: Once a $6B genetic testing pioneer, now valued at ~$50M and in bankruptcy court.</p></li><li><p><strong>CEO Anne Wojcicki</strong>: Resigned but remains on the board to pursue buying back the company.</p></li><li><p><strong>California AG Rob Bonta</strong>: Urging consumers to delete their data and destroy samples.</p></li><li><p><strong>Privacy advocates</strong>: Warn of potential misuse if DNA data is sold, hacked, or repurposed.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>23andMe suffered a massive breach in 2023, exposing data from 7M users. Now, in bankruptcy, your DNA could be treated as an <em>asset</em> &#8212; possibly sold or transferred to a buyer. U.S. laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act give users the right to delete their data, but you must act proactively.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>We live inside sprawling socio-technical systems that harvest our most personal data &#8212; even our genetic code. The 23andMe collapse is a wake-up call: no tech company is &#8220;too big to fail,&#8221; and users must know how to reclaim control. Data permanence + corporate instability = a risky mix.</p><p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/24/23andme-dna-privacy-delete/">Washington Post</a></p><h1><strong>The AI revolution is here. Can we build a Good Robot?</strong></h1><div><hr></div><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>A new podcast series, <em>Good Robot</em>, explores the intensifying debate over AI&#8217;s future &#8212; from existential threats to real-world harms &#8212; and the people shaping it. With AI rapidly evolving, the stakes over what kind of intelligence we&#8217;re building are higher than ever.</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>AI leaders</strong>: Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and other tech visionaries torn between ambition and fear.</p></li><li><p><strong>Critics &amp; ethicists</strong>: Raising alarms over biased algorithms, deepfakes, misinformation, and the ethics of automation.</p></li><li><p><strong>Future Perfect &amp; Unexplainable</strong>: Vox's reporting teams diving into the ideologies behind AI development.</p></li><li><p><strong>Everyday users</strong>: Now directly affected by AI in hiring, healthcare, education, and more.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The series contrasts <em>longtermist</em> fears of rogue AGI turning us into paper clips with pressing, current issues like surveillance, bias, and job displacement. It also confronts AI&#8217;s philosophical dilemmas: Can it be ethical? Should it act like us? What happens if it does?</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>As someone actively using AI to brainstorm and write, this series hits home. It forces reflection on how AI fits into creative work &#8212; not just as a tool, but as a force reshaping how we think, collaborate, and define intelligence. </p><p>Here are the links to the episodes:<br><em>Good Robot #1: The magic intelligence in the sky</em></p><iframe class="spotify-wrap podcast" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab6765630000ba8aa4a0b328c725e5c5366a6d96&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Good Robot #1: The magic intelligence in the sky&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Vox&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;Episode&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/episode/5P3KurIl8Z6NzPGvrmhVVp&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/5P3KurIl8Z6NzPGvrmhVVp" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe><p><em>Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome</em></p><iframe class="spotify-wrap podcast" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab6765630000ba8ae95aa0c51a849692fb457065&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Good Robot #2: Everything is not awesome&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Vox&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;Episode&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gCFDPQCTmp3CjLL4AJBNe&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7gCFDPQCTmp3CjLL4AJBNe" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe><p><em>Good Robot #3: Let&#8217;s fix everything</em></p><iframe class="spotify-wrap podcast" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab6765630000ba8a5f08bde1af3dc71ab4bc9bc1&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Good Robot #3: Let&#8217;s fix everything&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Vox&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;Episode&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tdgQWcFLDZgpxIIg6wStQ&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/0tdgQWcFLDZgpxIIg6wStQ" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe><p><em>Good Robot #4: Who, me?</em></p><iframe class="spotify-wrap podcast" data-attrs="{&quot;image&quot;:&quot;https://i.scdn.co/image/ab6765630000ba8a6e105db366cac1ebfe70d0ec&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Good Robot #4: Who, me?&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Vox&quot;,&quot;description&quot;:&quot;Episode&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wiye1p1LJue0cRvs86FOD&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;noScroll&quot;:false}" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4wiye1p1LJue0cRvs86FOD" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen="true" allow="encrypted-media" loading="lazy" data-component-name="Spotify2ToDOM"></iframe><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/402418/artificial-intelligence-good-robot-podcast-openai-chatgpt-ethics-discrimination">Vox</a></p><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The AI Shift: Vibe Coding, Cloud Sovereignty, and Gemini’s Eyes-on Intelligence]]></title><description><![CDATA[Cracking the code of vibe coding]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/the-ai-shift-vibe-coding-cloud-sovereignty</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/the-ai-shift-vibe-coding-cloud-sovereignty</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2025 19:16:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg" width="728" height="909.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:1819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:728,&quot;bytes&quot;:669437,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ramonzamora.co/i/159769127?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a6fP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa02c7c02-dd88-4bbf-a026-db7b12d8cd8b_4000x4997.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@stefanbc?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Stefan Cosma</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/selective-focus-photo-of-bulb-GVlcXhQejA8?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><h1>Cracking the code of vibe coding</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>"Vibe coding" &#8212; building apps by describing ideas to AI &#8212; is redefining software development. It's fast, accessible, and increasingly popular, but it raises alarms about the loss of craftsmanship, creativity, and critical technical understanding.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Developers &amp; creators</strong> using AI tools like Cursor, Replit, and Windsurf</p></li><li><p><strong>Non-coders &amp; entrepreneurs</strong> gaining new superpowers through AI</p></li><li><p><strong>Veteran engineers</strong> raising flags on quality, maintenance, and security</p></li><li><p><strong>Thought leaders</strong> like Andrej Karpathy and Pete Sena shaping the conversation</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>AI lets people create apps in minutes, but it struggles with long-term maintenance, nuanced system design, and security. The divide is growing between those who understand the tech and those who only prompt it.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>Because I&#8217;ve been <em>vibe coding</em> myself &#8212; and I see both the promise and the pitfalls. As with photography and publishing before, this is the next step in tech&#8217;s democratization. But just like we teach media literacy today, we&#8217;ll need a new kind of <strong>AI/technical literacy</strong> to keep up &#8212; to build responsibly, debug confidently, and innovate meaningfully.</p><p><strong>Source</strong>: <a href="https://uxdesign.cc/cracking-the-code-of-vibe-coding-124b9288e551">UX Collective</a></p><h1>Trump&#8217;s Aggression Sours Europe on US Cloud Giants</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>European companies and governments are beginning to pull back from U.S. cloud giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google due to growing fears of data access, privacy risks, and political unpredictability tied to the Trump administration.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>European firms &amp; governments</strong> exploring European cloud alternatives</p></li><li><p><strong>U.S. hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)</strong> under scrutiny</p></li><li><p><strong>Startups like Exoscale &amp; Elastx</strong> reporting spikes in new customer interest</p></li><li><p><strong>Privacy-conscious users &amp; small tech firms</strong> leading the migration</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Dutch lawmakers passed motions to reduce U.S. tech dependence.</p></li><li><p>Over 100 organizations urged the EU to prioritize tech sovereignty.</p></li><li><p>Trump&#8217;s recent actions (like firing privacy board members) have deepened distrust in the EU-US data sharing framework.</p></li><li><p>The shift is still small but could grow fast &#8212; driven by values, not just infrastructure.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>Lately, <a href="https://restofworld.org/2025/aws-google-cloud-nigeria-alternatives/">I&#8217;ve seen a rise in startups outside the U.S. offering competitive cloud solutions</a> &#8212; lower latency, better pricing, and stronger data control. With U.S. political instability shaking trust, there&#8217;s a real chance for global players to step in and reshape the cloud landscape.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-us-cloud-services-europe/?mc_cid=ecdf886d6e&amp;mc_eid=8279ca74f0">WIRED</a></p><h1>Google is rolling out Gemini&#8217;s real-time AI video features</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>Google is rolling out <em>real-time visual AI features</em> for Gemini. Now, select users can share their screen or camera feed, and Gemini will interpret what it sees &#8212; and respond in natural language.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Google Gemini Live users</strong> with the AI Premium plan</p></li><li><p><strong>Project Astra team</strong>, powering these capabilities</p></li><li><p><strong>Competitors</strong> like Amazon (Alexa Plus) and Apple (delayed Siri upgrade), currently lagging behind</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Features include screen reading and live camera analysis.</p></li><li><p>Users can ask Gemini questions like &#8220;What does this screen say?&#8221; or &#8220;Which paint color fits this object?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>First spotted on a Xiaomi phone, now expanding to more Gemini Advanced subscribers.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>This marks a <em>huge leap</em> in AI assistants &#8212; not just talking <em>to</em> your phone, but letting it <em>see</em> and <em>understand</em> your world. As tools like this grow more intuitive, they&#8217;ll reshape how we interact with devices in daily life &#8212; from productivity to creativity.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/634480/google-gemini-live-video-screen-sharing-astra-features-rolling-out">The Verge</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reclaim the Narrative: From AI Races to Hunger Games and Spotify's Algorithmic Grip]]></title><description><![CDATA[The surprising power of Spotify&#8217;s algorithm]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/reclaim-the-narrative-from-ai-races</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/reclaim-the-narrative-from-ai-races</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 22 Mar 2025 03:44:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png" width="1350" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1350,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:4270340,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ramonzamora.co/i/159595998?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7UMA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b54c8b5-2c69-4163-97e1-11cb389a97c2_1350x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Illustration made with Dall-E</figcaption></figure></div><h1>The surprising power of Spotify&#8217;s algorithm</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>After quitting Spotify due to clunky UX and annoying ads, tech writer Adam Clark Estes rejoined months later &#8212; realizing he couldn&#8217;t replicate Spotify&#8217;s eerily spot-on recommendations anywhere else.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Adam Clark Estes, Vox&#8217;s senior tech correspondent</p></li><li><p>Spotify&#8217;s AI-driven music recommendation engine</p></li><li><p>Competing services: Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music</p></li><li><p>You (the listener) &#8212; shaping and shaped by the algorithm</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Spotify&#8217;s edge isn&#8217;t just its algorithm &#8212; it&#8217;s your <em>relationship</em> with it. Years of listening history and feedback make it uniquely attuned to your preferences, almost like a musical mirror. No rival service could match the personalized magic Estes had slowly co-created.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;Spotify&#8217;s algorithm got me the way an old friend gets me.&#8221;</p></blockquote><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>It hit a philosophical nerve &#8212; how algorithms don't just <em>serve</em> us, they <em>shape</em> us. Like <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/undergraduates/modules/fictionnownarrativemediaandtheoryinthe21stcentury/manifestly_haraway_----_a_cyborg_manifesto_science_technology_and_socialist-feminism_in_the_....pdf">Donna Haraway&#8217;s cyborg vision</a>, we&#8217;re now part-human, part-algorithm, with our politics, tastes, and identities entangled in invisible code. It&#8217;s not just about music &#8212; it&#8217;s about who we are becoming.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.vox.com/even-better/404896/spotify-youtube-apple-music-amazon-playlists">Vox</a></p><h1>Inside Google&#8217;s AI panic &#8212; and pivot</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>After OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT blindsided the tech world, Google launched a frantic two-year race to reclaim its dominance in AI &#8212; marked by all-nighters, layoffs, accelerated launches, and big bets like Bard and Gemini.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Sissie Hsiao</strong>, leader of Bard (now Gemini app)</p></li><li><p><strong>Demis Hassabis</strong>, CEO of Google DeepMind</p></li><li><p><strong>Sundar Pichai</strong>, Google CEO, under pressure to move faster</p></li><li><p><strong>James Manyika &amp; Jeff Dean</strong>, shaping AI strategy and model development</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong><br>Despite inventing the very tech behind ChatGPT (transformers), Google hesitated to release powerful models, fearing reputational risk. That caution cost them &#8212; and when OpenAI surged ahead, Google scrambled: merging Brain and DeepMind, shrinking guardrails, and pushing products like Bard and Gemini to market despite bugs and backlash.</p><blockquote><p>Gemini now powers features across Search, Gmail, YouTube, and more &#8212; but missteps (like AI-generated Nazi soldiers of color) show the risks of moving too fast.</p></blockquote><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>It&#8217;s a vivid reminder that even innovation giants like Google struggle with <em>scale vs. speed</em>. Once a nimble startup, Google&#8217;s massive size made it slower to respond &#8212; even with all its resources. The story makes me think about the paradox of mature companies trying to <em>stay inventive</em>, and how hard it is to balance boldness, caution, and culture at the top.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/google-openai-gemini-chatgpt-artificial-intelligence/">WIRED</a></p><h1><em>The Hunger Games</em> takes on media manipulation</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>Suzanne Collins&#8217; new Hunger Games prequel, <em>Sunrise on the Reaping</em>, doubles down on a clear message: media literacy matters. Through Haymitch Abernathy&#8217;s early life, the book shows how propaganda, branding, and narrative control shape both survival and rebellion.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Haymitch Abernathy</strong>, the young tribute turned media-savvy survivor</p></li><li><p><strong>Plutarch Heavensbee</strong>, the Capitol videographer turned rebel</p></li><li><p><strong>Suzanne Collins</strong>, author weaving urgent lessons into dystopian fiction</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The book breaks down real-world media tactics &#8212; card stacking, emotional manipulation, self-branding &#8212; and shows how even resistance needs a narrative. Haymitch and friends learn to &#8220;paint posters&#8221; with their actions to shape public perception, a direct metaphor for how all of us live under surveillance and story-shaping forces today.</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;May the narrative be ever in your favor,&#8221; indeed.</p></blockquote><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>It&#8217;s powerful how fiction can illuminate present-day struggles. Collins&#8217; work captures the urgent need to build media literacy in an era of social manipulation, misinformation, and spectacle. In a world shaped by TikToks, spin, and soundbites, stories like this challenge us to <em>look deeper</em> &#8212; and resist being passively programmed.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.polygon.com/books/544109/hunger-games-sunrise-on-the-reaping-explained-media-literacy-analysis">Polygon</a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Build, Burn, or Breathe: The Fine Line of Startup Innovation]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#8216;Will I Lose My Job?&#8217; Federal Workers Flock to Reddit for Answers.]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/build-burn-or-breathe-the-fine-line</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/build-burn-or-breathe-the-fine-line</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2025 02:54:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:582994,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ramonzamora.co/i/159525031?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nfzp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F721cad66-fb07-4021-b6e5-94ad8be1128b_5387x3591.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@werner01?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Werner Du plessis</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/three-person-standing-near-wall-inside-building-6dDHofabCQ8?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><h1>&#8216;Will I Lose My Job?&#8217; Federal Workers Flock to Reddit for Answers.</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>Federal workers are turning to Reddit&#8212;specifically the <em>VeteransAffairs</em> and <em>FedNews</em> subreddits&#8212;for community, information, and support amid deep job cuts in the Department of Veterans Affairs under the Trump administration.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Federal employees facing uncertainty, especially at the V.A.</p></li><li><p>David Carson, a veteran and unpaid Reddit moderator, helping maintain respectful, fact-focused conversations</p></li><li><p>Anxious workers using Reddit pseudonymously to ask questions, vent, and connect</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Reddit&#8217;s unique structure&#8212;community-run, text-based, anonymous&#8212;has made it a trusted space in a chaotic media landscape. Carson, despite personal challenges and past conflicts with the V.A., now devotes 6+ hours a day moderating to protect that trust.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>In a digital world driven by outrage and algorithms, this is a rare story of social media at its best&#8212;fostering real connection, accountability, and mutual support. More platforms should follow this example.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/technology/reddit-va-federal-workers.html?mc_cid=d3d3091359&amp;mc_eid=8279ca74f0">NY Times</a></p><h1>Screaming customers, unpaid workers: Inside the chaotic demise of Indian online delivery pioneer Dunzo</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>Dunzo &#8212; once a rising star in India&#8217;s delivery sector and backed by Google and Reliance &#8212; shut down in January 2025 after a disastrous pivot to quick-commerce via &#8220;dark stores.&#8221; The collapse left hundreds of workers and vendors unpaid.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Dunzo:</strong> Founded in 2014, initially thrived as a hyperlocal concierge service</p></li><li><p><strong>Reliance:</strong> Invested $200M in 2022, later wrote it off</p></li><li><p><strong>Former employees &amp; vendors:</strong> Many still owed salaries and payments</p></li><li><p><strong>CEO Kabeer Biswas:</strong> Has since joined Flipkart&#8217;s new quick-commerce unit</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Dunzo&#8217;s downfall was rooted in:</p><ul><li><p>Abandoning its core marketplace model to chase fast delivery</p></li><li><p>Overstretching operations with 120 underperforming dark stores</p></li><li><p>Poor execution, internal chaos, and rising competition from Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart</p></li><li><p>Reports of unpaid wages, missed tax payments, and vendor defaults added to its reputational hit</p></li></ul><p><strong>Why it caught my attention:  </strong>It&#8217;s fascinating how startups bank on different kinds of innovation &#8212; tech, business model, or operational. Dunzo&#8217;s failure shows how critical it is to recognize your true innovation edge. Scaling without that self-awareness, or ignoring the socio-technical environment you operate in, can quickly unravel even the most promising ventures.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://restofworld.org/2025/dunzo-shutdown-india-quick-commerce/">Rest of the World</a></p><h1>In Las Vegas, a former SpaceX engineer is pulling CO2 from the air to make concrete</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>A former SpaceX engineer has launched <strong>Project Juniper</strong> in Las Vegas &#8212; the first U.S. <em>integrated</em> direct air capture plant that both pulls CO2 from the air and stores it by turning it into concrete.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Clairity Tech</strong>, founded by Glen Meyerowitz</p></li><li><p><strong>Initialized Capital &amp; Lowercarbon Capital</strong>, early investors</p></li><li><p>Competing with global leaders like <strong>Climeworks</strong> in Iceland</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Clairity uses a cheap, durable sorbent (akin to baking soda) to capture CO2, then mineralizes it with industrial waste like fly ash &#8212; creating low-carbon concrete. Bonus: it produces clean water as a byproduct and is optimized for dry climates like Nevada.</p><blockquote><p>The kicker: It&#8217;s small (100 tons/year now), but aims to scale up to 10 million tons in 10 years &#8212; a 100,000x jump.</p></blockquote><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>It&#8217;s energizing to see climate tech <em>actually</em> launching &#8212; not just theorizing. Real-world innovation like this gives hope that we can engineer scalable, sustainable solutions to keep the planet livable.</p><p>Source: <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91299835/in-las-vegas-a-former-spacex-engineer-is-pulling-co2-from-the-air-and-turning-it-into-concrete">Fast Company</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[AI, Big Tech, and Digital Control: Who’s Shaping Our Future?]]></title><description><![CDATA[White House seriously considering deal from Oracle to run TikTok]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/ai-big-tech-and-digital-control-whos</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/ai-big-tech-and-digital-control-whos</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:44:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YtCl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc84de1af-a137-41ba-afe1-35cd11470c26_5184x3456.jpeg" width="1456" height="971" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@juanjodev02?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Juanjo Jaramillo</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/black-flat-screen-computer-monitor-mZnx9429i94?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><p></p><h1>White House seriously considering deal from Oracle to run TikTok</h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>The Biden administration is in advanced talks with Oracle to oversee TikTok&#8217;s U.S. operations. However, concerns remain about whether the deal would actually prevent Chinese access to American user data.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>White House officials</strong>: VP JD Vance, national security adviser Mike Waltz leading negotiations.</p></li><li><p><strong>Oracle</strong>: Preferred partner for TikTok&#8217;s U.S. operations.</p></li><li><p><strong>Congressional China hawks</strong>: Skeptical the deal would fully secure user data.</p></li><li><p><strong>Beijing</strong>: Opposes any forced sale of TikTok.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The proposal, dubbed &#8220;Project Texas 2.0,&#8221; echoes past failed efforts to wall off TikTok&#8217;s U.S. data from ByteDance, its China-based parent. Some experts warn Oracle&#8217;s oversight won&#8217;t eliminate security risks unless the algorithm itself is fully rebuilt in the U.S.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>This doesn&#8217;t address the <strong>broader issue</strong> of data privacy across <strong>all</strong> social media platforms. TikTok&#8217;s scrutiny highlights systemic failures in protecting user data&#8212;something John Oliver recently dissected in his take on digital privacy.</p><div id="youtube2-5CZNlaeZAtw" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;5CZNlaeZAtw&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5CZNlaeZAtw?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/16/white-house-oracle-tiktok-00232302">Politico</a></p><h1><strong>FTC Wipes AI, Amazon, and Microsoft-Critical Blogs</strong></h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has deleted over <strong>300 business guidance blogs</strong>, including key posts from the Biden era addressing <strong>AI ethics, privacy, and Big Tech compliance</strong>. The move erases FTC enforcement insights on companies like <strong>Amazon and Microsoft</strong>.</p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>FTC (Trump administration)</strong>: Removed blogs critical of major tech firms.</p></li><li><p><strong>Big Tech</strong>: Amazon, Microsoft, and AI firms benefitted from erased guidance.</p></li><li><p><strong>Privacy advocates</strong>: Concerned the deletion weakens accountability.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>One removed post detailed Amazon&#8217;s alleged misuse of consumer data for AI training, while another covered Microsoft&#8217;s <strong>$20M settlement</strong> over illegally collecting children&#8217;s data on Xbox. The FTC also wiped award-winning AI ethics guidance on chatbot transparency.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>We&#8217;re still battling <strong>privacy abuses by Big Tech</strong>, and <strong>clear policies on emerging tech are rare</strong>. The FTC&#8217;s blogs served as a <strong>repository of best practices</strong>, helping corporations, grassroots movements, and individuals <strong>navigate digital rights issues</strong>. Now, a key resource for holding tech accountable is gone.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/federal-trade-commission-removed-blogs-critical-of-ai-amazon-microsoft/">WIRED</a></p><h1><strong>Vibecoding: AI Puts Software Creation in Everyone&#8217;s Hands</strong></h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>AI-powered tools are making it possible for <strong>non-coders</strong> to build custom apps just by describing their ideas in plain language&#8212;a trend known as <strong>vibecoding</strong>. AI handles the coding, debugging, and deployment, allowing anyone to create functional software.</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Andrej Karpathy</strong>: AI researcher who coined &#8220;vibecoding.&#8221;</p></li><li><p><strong>AI coding platforms</strong>: Tools like <strong>Cursor, Replit, Bolt, and Lovable</strong> turn ideas into working apps.</p></li><li><p><strong>Non-programmers</strong>: Everyday users are now building <strong>custom automation tools</strong> for daily tasks.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The author built tools like a <strong>podcast transcriber, a furniture fit checker, and a lunch-packing assistant</strong>&#8212;all without writing code. While vibecoding is still imperfect, it&#8217;s <strong>accelerating software creation</strong> and could reshape how people interact with technology.</p><h4><strong>Why it caught my attention</strong></h4><p>Coding is <strong>powerful but has a steep learning curve</strong>. AI <strong>lowers the barrier to entry</strong>, making programming <strong>more accessible</strong> and helping beginners see results quickly&#8212;potentially inspiring more people to explore software development.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/technology/personaltech/vibecoding-ai-software-programming.html">NYTimes</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Digital Crossroads: AI, Privacy, and Cybersecurity in a Rapidly Evolving World]]></title><description><![CDATA[Cybersecurity officials warn against potentially costly Medusa ransomware attacks]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/the-digital-crossroads-ai-privacy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/the-digital-crossroads-ai-privacy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:39:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg" width="1456" height="1106" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1106,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2151296,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.ramonzamora.co/i/159334174?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wxTn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F989e9b6c-3594-4298-a680-8186d99b71a2_4096x3112.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@fakurian?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Milad Fakurian</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/blue-and-green-peacock-feather-58Z17lnVS4U?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><h1>Cybersecurity officials warn against potentially costly Medusa ransomware attacks</h1><p><strong>What's happening</strong>: The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning about the Medusa ransomware, active since 2021, which has recently affected hundreds of individuals. </p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong>: Medusa has targeted over 300 victims across various sectors, including medical, education, legal, insurance, technology, and manufacturing. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Zoom in</strong>: The ransomware operates on a double extortion model, encrypting victim data and threatening to publicly release it if the ransom is not paid. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention</strong>: This underscores the critical need for digital literacy. Just as financial literacy is essential, understanding how to protect one's digital footprint is vital in today's interconnected world.&#8203;</p><p><strong>How to protect yourself</strong>:</p><ul><li><p>Keep operating systems, software, and firmware updated. &#8203;</p></li><li><p>Use multifactor authentication for all services, such as email and VPNs. </p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/tricks-for-remembering-strong-passwords">Employ long, unique passwords and avoid frequent, predictable password changes. &#8203;</a></p></li><li><p>Maintain offline backups of critical data. </p></li></ul><p>By enhancing digital literacy and implementing these measures, individuals and organizations can better safeguard against such cyber threats.&#8203;</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cisa-gmail-outlook-cyber-security-email-6ed749556967654ff41a629a230973e6">AP</a> | <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/17/fbi-warning-gmail-outlook-medusa-ransomware/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F41a6ae2%2F67d94fe1cbfde104f2cb20d0%2F596cbb479bbc0f208664292d%2F66%2F103%2F67d94fe1cbfde104f2cb20d0">The Washington Post</a></p><h1>Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28</h1><p><strong>What's happening</strong>: Starting March 28, Amazon will discontinue the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature on Echo devices, meaning all voice commands will be sent to Amazon's cloud for processing. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong>: <a href="https://www.techrepublic.com/article/news-amazon-echo-privacy-generative-ai/">This change affects users of certain Echo devices, specifically the Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15, who had enabled the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting</a>. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Zoom in</strong>: Amazon states that this shift is necessary to support new generative AI features that rely on cloud processing power. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention</strong>: Privacy fosters creativity and freedom, allowing individuals to explore ideas without fear of exposure. The rapid advancement of AI and the Internet of Things raises concerns about Big Tech's use of personal information, especially given their history of prioritizing rapid development over careful consideration of societal implications. This policy change by Amazon exemplifies the need for vigilance regarding how our data is utilized.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/everything-you-say-to-your-echo-will-be-sent-to-amazon-starting-on-march-28/?mc_cid=0decc08fad&amp;mc_eid=8279ca74f0">Ars Technica</a></p><h1>Microsoft teams up with AI start-up to simulate brain reasoning</h1><p><strong>What's happening</strong>: Microsoft has partnered with Swiss AI start-up inait to develop advanced AI models that emulate mammalian brain reasoning, aiming to enhance applications in sectors like financial trading and robotics. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong>: This collaboration brings together Microsoft's extensive AI resources and inait's expertise in digital neuroscience, built on two decades of research. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Zoom in</strong>: The initiative focuses on creating AI systems capable of learning from real-world experiences, moving beyond traditional data-driven models to more adaptive and efficient technologies. &#8203;</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention</strong>: It&#8217;s always fascinating to see how computers attempt to emulate the human brain.This effort coul</p><p>d lead to AI that is not only more intelligent but also more efficient in its use of electricity and data storage, addressing key challenges in AI infrastructure.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/37e44758-04a6-450b-abe3-f51f1d7d972a">Financial Times </a>| <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/ai-at-work-reasoning-models-and-the-future-of-business">Microsoft</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[AI’s Growing Power—From Data Centers to Copyright Battles]]></title><description><![CDATA[Inside the Democrats&#8217; new media strategy to reach voters and take on Trump]]></description><link>https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/ais-growing-powerfrom-data-centers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.ramonzamora.co/p/ais-growing-powerfrom-data-centers</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ramón Zamora]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 17 Mar 2025 13:45:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!i0U5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fe280f8-0b61-420b-99f0-a2f7bb845657_3956x2220.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!i0U5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fe280f8-0b61-420b-99f0-a2f7bb845657_3956x2220.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@tvick?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Taylor Vick</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/cable-network-M5tzZtFCOfs?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><h1>Inside the Democrats&#8217; new media strategy to reach voters and take on Trump</h1><p><strong>What's happening</strong>: Democrats are doubling down on social media, working with influencers and embracing new media formats to counter Republican messaging. Lawmakers are now acting as content creators, posting viral videos and collaborating with digital influencers to engage younger voters.</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong>:</p><ul><li><p>Senators Cory Booker (NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (MA) led a coordinated "Sh*t that ain't true" video campaign to fact-check Trump&#8217;s claims.</p></li><li><p>The Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) is supporting lawmakers with social media training, equipment, and content strategies.</p></li><li><p>Influencers like Sulhee Jessica Woo ("bento box queen") and Brian Tyler Cohen are being brought in to amplify Democratic messaging.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in</strong>: Democrats are trying to replicate the right-wing media ecosystem but face challenges in authenticity and resonance. Viral content often gets mocked, and some Democrats worry about an overreliance on a small group of influencers. There are also discussions about credentialing content creators to cover Capitol Hill like traditional journalists.</p><p><strong>Why it caught my attention</strong>: This shift underscores the growing role of social media in politics, but it also raises concerns about breaking through algorithm-driven echo chambers. Platforms prioritize engagement over balance, making it difficult for political messaging to reach beyond already-sympathetic audiences. It&#8217;s unclear if these efforts will truly expand Democrats' reach or just reinforce existing bubbles.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://wapo.st/3XScopy">The Washington Post</a></p><h1><strong>The A.I. Data Center Boom: A New Era in Computing</strong></h1><p><strong>What&#8217;s happening: </strong>Tech giants are radically transforming computing infrastructure to support A.I. The shift requires massive investments in data centers, specialized chips, and power solutions, reshaping technology, finance, and energy.</p><p><strong>Who is involved</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Big Tech:</strong> OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are pouring billions into A.I.-focused data centers.</p></li><li><p><strong>Investors &amp; Industries:</strong> Private equity firms, electricians, and power companies are capitalizing on the boom.</p></li><li><p><strong>Local Communities:</strong> Some are benefiting from economic growth, while others resist due to environmental concerns.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong></p><ul><li><p>OpenAI and partners plan to spend <strong>$500 billion</strong> on new data centers.</p></li><li><p>Data center electricity use in the U.S. could <strong>triple by 2028</strong>, surpassing crypto mining.</p></li><li><p>Companies are turning to nuclear energy and alternative cooling methods to sustain A.I. demands.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>A.I. isn&#8217;t just a tool&#8212;it&#8217;s reshaping infrastructure, labor markets, and energy consumption. The way we design our socio-technical systems is shifting faster than ever, marking a new chapter in human-technology interaction.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/16/technology/ai-data-centers.html">The New York Times</a></p><h1>People are using Google&#8217;s new AI model to remove watermarks from images</h1><p><strong>What's happening: </strong>Users have discovered that Google's new Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model can effectively r<a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/technology/google-s-ai-is-being-used-to-remove-watermarks-from-stock-photo-images-article-12966529.html">emove watermarks from images</a>, including those from stock photo sites like Getty Images. </p><p><strong>Who is involved:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>Google:</strong> Developer of the Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model.&#8203;</p></li><li><p><strong>Content Creators &amp; Stock Photo Agencies:</strong> Potentially affected by unauthorized use of their watermarked images.&#8203;</p></li><li><p><strong>Users:</strong> Utilizing the AI model to edit images, raising ethical and legal questions.&#8203;</p></li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Gemini 2.0 Flash not only <a href="https://novyny.live/en/tehnologii/shi-vid-google-navchivsia-vidaliati-vodiani-znaki-z-zobrazhen-240785.html">removes watermarks but also fills in the gaps left behind</a>, making the edits less detectable. &#8203;</p></li><li><p>Other AI models, like Anthropic&#8217;s Claude 3.7 Sonnet and OpenAI&#8217;s GPT-4o, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/16/people-are-using-googles-new-ai-model-to-remove-watermarks-from-images/?mc_cid=1a1e15a2db&amp;mc_eid=8279ca74f0">refuse to remove watermarks</a>, labeling such actions as unethical and potentially illegal. &#8203;</p></li></ul><p><strong>Why it caught my attention: </strong>The emergence of AI tools capable of removing watermarks underscores the pressing need to balance technological advancement with the protection of artists' and creators' rights. While generative AI offers new creative avenues, it's crucial to establish boundaries that respect intellectual property and ensure fair use.</p><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/16/people-are-using-googles-new-ai-model-to-remove-watermarks-from-images/">TechCrunch</a></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>