The CEO Was a Deepfake
"We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works."
— Douglas Adams
So here's the thing—technology is sprinting, but we’re barely jogging beside it with our shoelaces untied. This week's stories highlight a theme that's hard to miss: we're seeing epic innovation, but also epic confusion. From AI deepfakes running corporate meetings to contact lenses that let you see in the dark, it’s clear we’ve unlocked a future where our tools are smarter than ever. But we’re also watching them cheat on exams, make up fake books, and confuse color filters with Picasso palettes.
There’s this tension building: we love what tech can do for us, but we’re not entirely sure what to do with it. It's saving dog lives and childhood cancer patients, but it's also faking its way through journalism. It’s making camera sensors smarter while our students have to prove they’re not secretly robots.
The takeaway? We’re in a weird phase. Like adolescence, but for civilization. All the tools are here, but the rules haven't caught up. We’re trusting AI with our finances, health, education—and it’s still learning not to color outside the lines.
Zoom In, Profits Out (5 min)
Big Tech CEOs are so over traditional earnings calls, they’re now outsourcing the job to—wait for it—AI avatars. Klarna, Zoom, and others are using synthetic stand-ins to woo investors while sipping cold brew in the background. The goal? Streamline comms, cut costs, and maybe dodge awkward questions. But here's the kicker: these deepfake suits are polished, professional, and terrifyingly convincing. Like Siri got an MBA. While this might save time and money, it raises ethical eyebrows—especially when fake faces deliver real financial forecasts. What happens when the line between human and bot starts to blur in boardrooms?
Paws, Cures, and Cancer (6 min)
Imagine a world where dogs help cure cancer in kids. Welcome to comparative oncology, where vets and docs team up to study osteosarcoma in both species. Dogs naturally develop this rare cancer, which makes them perfect candidates for shared clinical trials. The approach is faster, more ethical, and potentially game-changing for pediatric oncology. It's like man's best friend is now medicine’s best hope. Fido might not just fetch sticks—he might help save lives. Woof.
Eyes Wide Open—At Night (4 min)
Night vision contact lenses aren’t just sci-fi anymore. Researchers are testing lenses infused with infrared sensors, giving wearers owl-like vision in the dark. No bulky goggles, no glowing green screens—just sleek, superhero-level eyewear. It’s still early days, but the implications are massive for military, surveillance, and maybe even future smart fashion. Imagine checking your fridge in pitch black—or winning hide-and-seek forever.
AI Cheated. Schools Rebooted. (5 min)
AI cheating is so rampant, schools are reviving the dreaded blue books. Yeah, those old-school essay booklets you scribbled in during finals. With students outsourcing essays to ChatGPT clones, educators are cracking down by demanding handwritten proof of actual brain activity. It’s like digital detox meets academic integrity. Sorry, AI—your writing days may be numbered (at least in exams). Long live the smudged pen ink and hand cramps.
AI Summer Reading List is One Big Plot Twist (4 min)
The Chicago Sun-Times got busted publishing an AI-generated summer reading list full of fake books. Some sounded legit—others sounded like your weird uncle’s fanfic. Turns out, no human checked the AI’s work, and it invented entire novels. Critics called it “journalistic malpractice,” but honestly, it’s just peak 2025: outsourcing creativity to a bot and ending up with imaginary literature. At least the titles were spicy.
Color Me CMOS (5 min)
CMOS camera tech just got a major color upgrade. Researchers at Columbia developed a tunable color filter that captures full-spectrum color data, unlike traditional RGB sensors. Translation? Sharper, richer, more lifelike photos and video—without any Instagram filters. It’s a game-changer for machine vision, robotics, and your next selfie. Imagine your camera actually seeing what you see. Finally.
Your curiosity fuels everything we do. Keep asking big questions, celebrating weird wins, and staying sharp as tech evolves around—and sometimes past—us. Until next week, stay curious, stay grounded, and remember: just because it's shiny doesn't mean it's ready for prime time.