1. Your Future-Self Wants to Talk, Thanks to A.I. |
What would you ask yourself 50 years from now about the decisions you're making today?
"Should I get back with my ex?"
"Would I be more successful if I change careers?"
"Plastic surgery is always a bad idea, right?"
Better yet, is there unsolicited advice your future self might offer, and what could it be?
If this all sounds like something out of science fiction, it's now a reality thanks to A.I.
UCLA professor Hal Hershfield spent 15 years researching the subject, and has partnered with MIT to make a "future you" bot. It turns out, people who feel an emotional connection to their upcoming selves tend to get richer, feel better, and take more care. They also feel less anxiety about the future. Maybe it really is time to book an appointment with yourself in 2050. Will you be a nicer person by then? Kidding. Let's hope you're already living your best life, thanks to that recent plastic surgery and career change you made without running it past ANY OF US.
Also, no. You should not get back with your ex. That's not your future-self talking, it's just a universal truth. Watch Now |
|
|
Want to actually read a newsletter? |
|
|
| We hear ya. Big Business This Week recaps the biggest business stories from the biggest businesses in the world's biggest economy every Friday. |
|
|
2. A New App Can Fix Your Horrific Golf Swing |
If you're a golfer, the chances are you've hit the occasional banana slice off the tee. Even pro golfers miss the target sometimes. But when U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau was missing fairways to the right before his recent victory, he called Sportsbox A.I. to help.
Founded by lifelong golfer and former LPGA player Jeehae Lee, Sportsbox works for champs and chumps alike. Take a simple video of your golf swing, and the app analyzes it to create objective measurements and specific instructions for "athletes." Or amateurs. However you describe your golf game.
"Everybody has a stretch of great golf moments, whether it's five shots on the range or two weeks of great golf," said Jeehae. "The thing I wanted to answer for myself was what exactly do I do differently?"
Now Sportsbox is looking to bring that same objectivity and insight to all sports, with a baseball and softball version in beta. Next up, they might even try to fix your terrible tennis serve, Chad. Although they should probably change their name to Pandora's Box from Sportsbox, if they're going to do that. Ha ha ha, just kidding. Your serve is exquisite. Promise. Watch Now |
|
|
3. How Much do Heat Waves Cost America? |
Last week's early heat wave shattered temperature records across the country. But the cost of record heat goes far beyond booming AC bills. In fact, heat waves lead to billions of lost dollars in productivity, taking 1% off the value of our economy each year. That's set to rocket up to 3.5% by 2050 and to 16% by 2100, says climate economist Chris Lafakis at Moody's Analytics.
As anyone who's tried to work a pizza oven on a 100-degree day knows, the major impact of extreme heat is to prevent people from doing their jobs. We should also prepare for people to go on strike, and for businesses to close in extreme heat, Chris said. If we can't prevent temperature rise, we'll need to plan for it.
Then again, it's not all bad news. Investors can support companies who'll support the transition to a new normal like electric car manufacturers. And there are other growth areas, too. Watch Now |
|
|
4. A.I. Investments Carry Amazon Over $2 Trillion Valuation Threshold |
Move over unicorns. There's a new trillionaire on the block. Say, what do you call a trillion-dollar-valued company, anyway? A moolah-corn? A cash-zilla? A golden goose?
Whatever we want to nickname it now, Amazon just strutted past the $2 trillion mark, after Nvidia hit a $3 trillion valuation last week. Amazon has been making big investments in A.I., powering its cloud-based computing platforms to more growth. The tech giant has also invested $4 billion in the San Francisco-based A.I. company Anthropic. Amazon also makes and designs its own A.I. chips. It's almost funny to think it all sprang from Jeff Bezos mailing books out of a garage in Seattle. Almost. Read More |
|
|
5. Someone Stole Your ID To File Fake Taxes And Snag The "Refund"? Good Luck Getting The IRS To Fix It |
Victims of identity theft face "unconscionable" 22-month delays in IRS resolution of their cases, says IRS watchdog Erin Collins. The situation is especially dire for low-income individuals, whose financial stability and credit standings hang in the balance.
With a vow to make amends, the IRS plans to streamline its systems and pour more resources into the fray—but will it be enough? The delays have actually risen by three months since January. Read More |
|
|
|