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We’re so back / It’s so over. It’s been a roller coaster of a week for AI (though you could probably say that every week of this year). But today, just a few days after Italy lifted its ChatGPT ban, tech giant Samsung cracked down with a new ban. The culprit? An engineer accidentally uploaded a sensitive internal source code to the chatbot. Oops.
In other news… corporations are contributing to inflation, Dungeons & Dragons takes on therapy, and Hollywood writers go on strike.
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BUSINESS
Corporate profit hoarding might be the key to inflation
The Future. While most supply-chain disruptions of the last few years have waned, consumer goods are still getting more expensive. Some economists think that it could be due to corporate profiteering. Until major companies agree to cut better deals or sell cheaper goods, the economy could remain unbalanced indefinitely.
Rising costs, soaring profit margins
A new paper from researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst calls this sellers’ inflation.
Bottlenecks (like supply-chain shortages) are giving companies “temporary monopoly” status, which makes it easier for them to raise prices.
Some companies argue that their employees are forcing them to raise pay, which is forcing them to raise costs. But according to the report, workers are just asking to keep their pay comparable to the already rising cost of goods.
No relief for wallets anytime soon
If companies don’t lower their prices, consumers may have to cut back even further — or rack up untenable amounts of debt to pay for the everyday goods they need to survive.
CULTURE
Mask off // Illustration by Kate Walker
The healing power of tabletop role-playing games
The Future. Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons can be a powerful therapy for neurodiverse folks, according to experts. Creating accommodations where neurodivergent players can safely express themselves can help release masking behaviors.
Keeping the lines of communication open
Masking is the imitation of neurotypicality — potentially turning a safe space to unwind into a draining one.
The question of how to facilitate healthy self-expression during games is still up for debate.
Psychologists and academics question whether using a person’s neurodivergence as a strength in TTRPGs is helpful or harmful.
Recognizing neurodivergence as a superpower
But while the idea of reframing a neurological difference may seem to empower, it might accidentally leave behind those whose uniqueness doesn’t fit neatly into the box of any TTRPG.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Writers and producers can’t cut a deal // Illustration by Kate Walker
Hollywood writers strike after negotiations fail
The Future. The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) went on strike yesterday after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed. The strike could cost California billions — especially if it drives actors and directors to join them.
That’s all, folks
As a result of the strike — the first in 15 years — many live shows have already stopped production.
The WGA asked for higher wages and residuals, better benefits and pension plans, and protections against AI writing and “mini-rooms.”
The AMPTP offered to increase compensation and streaming residuals but refused to meet the union’s demands for mandatory staffing and duration of employment requirements, which would guarantee that a set amount of writers be paid for a set period of time to work on a show.
According to the WGA, this refusal creates a gig economy within a union workforce and makes agreement impossible.
Strike one…
This strike will be costly. It’s also likely to embolden the screen actors’ and directors’ guilds when they renegotiate their contracts in June. If they strike, say goodbye to your television… and maybe the economy.
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Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
How prioritizing growth doomed First Republic
The collapse of First Republic Bank this March was the second largest in US history. Though First Republic ostensibly failed due to the Fed’s rate hike program, the real culprit was the bank’s aggressive growth strategies, which kept them from diversifying their portfolio and led them to deny financial realities. Not all risks are rewarded.
Read More → wsj
AI trailblazer leaves Google to speak out about AI’s dangers
In 2018, Geoffrey Hinton won the Turing Award — the most prestigious award in computer science — for his AI work, which paved the way for Gen AI programs like ChatGPT and Google Bard. Now, his concerns about these programs’ misinformation problems have led him to resign from Google and warn the public about the tech’s risks.
Read More → theverge
Jack Ma returns to teaching after angering Chinese authorities
As the co-founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, Jack Ma was once China’s richest man. But after he criticized Chinese regulators in 2020, national authorities cracked down on Alibaba (and Ma’s other companies). He’s since returned to his teaching roots as a professor in sustainable agriculture and food production at Tokyo College. Can you say lay low?
Read More → insider
Wikipedia’s split over whether or not to use Gen AI
ChatGPT could be a godsend to Wikipedia’s editors, helping the team generate and edit huge amounts of new content. But given Gen AI’s well-documented problems with factual inaccuracies, the tech’s contributions would require extensive human review and could end up being more trouble than they’re worth.
Read More → vice
Why Mexican beer dominates US markets
Mexico is the world’s largest beer exporter, but that’s not why everyone in the US drinks Modelo. The real story involves Brazil, the biggest brewer in the world, and an antitrust lawsuit that forced the sale of Modelo’s US business to a US company. To outcompete an American, just sell your business to one.
Read More → wapo
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Today's email was brought to you by Kait Cunniff and Luke Perrotta. Editing by Melody Song. Publishing by Sara Kitnick.