Optimus Unmasked

Last week, Musk's Tesla Robotaxi event had everyone talking, especially after Optimus, the humanoid robot, served drinks and interacted with guests. Here's the kicker: Are those viral videos of Optimus moving around autonomously? It turns out they weren’t as independent as we thought.

While the Optimus robots impressed attendees with their seemingly lifelike movements, reports suggest they were actually controlled by humans. In the video, robots gave high-fives and played games, but it's now known that many of them were controlled remotely- a fact Musk conveniently ignored.

Musk promised Optimus would become Tesla's most significant product, but this recent reveal raised questions about how far the technology has come. While it was a flashy showcase, we'll have to wait a while before seeing fully autonomous robots.

Israel’s Dilemma

It looks like the Biden administration isn’t pulling any punches with Israel this time. It has been made clear by the U.S. that if Israel does not start allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza within the next 30 days, they could lose access to U.S. weapons funding. Yes, you read that right — aid for weapons. In a letter to their Israeli counterparts, Blinken and Austin outlined that at least 350 aid trucks a day must pass through, or the money train for military aid will cease.

Israel’s response? Well, they've assured the U.S. they won't strike any Iranian nuclear or oil sites, but the bigger issue remains - the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Civilian casualties keep mounting, and aid has been bottlenecked for months. Indeed, Israel is caught between conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah, but Washington is exhausted of excuses.

Israel has enjoyed rock-solid support from the Biden administration, but with elections looming, there's growing pressure for real humanitarian action. The clock is ticking, and all eyes are on whether Israel will meet the U.S.'s demands in time.

Clock Wars

It's that time of year again! We're all preparing to "fall back" and switch the clocks, but what if it was our last time? It's true; legislators are again debating whether to make daylight saving time permanent. Imagine evenings with more sunlight, even in winter. Sounds nice, right? Well, some people disagree with that.

Yes, getting rid of the twice-yearly clock change might reduce heart attacks and car crashes, and businesses like restaurants and golf courses would love the extra daylight. But sleep experts aren’t thrilled. In their view, daylight saving time might disrupt our sleep patterns because our bodies were designed for standard time. So, what’s it going to be? Extra evening light or better sleep? The debate is heating up!

OpenAI vs Open AI

It's almost too wild to believe: OpenAI, the billion-dollar company behind ChatGPT, is suing another Open AI. But it’s no joke—it’s an actual legal battle involving a one-man company owned by Guy Ravine. Ravine grabbed the domain "open.ai" and filed for a trademark on “Open AI” (with a space) in 2015, a few months before Sam Altman and Greg Brockman launched OpenAI (without a space).

Before Altman and Brockman came on the scene, Ravine pitched a similar idea of a collective AI platform for Silicon Valley giants like Google's Larry Page. OpenAI, though, accuses Ravine of confusing users and “squatting” on their names. The tech giant has the legal muscle and billions behind them, but Ravine has fought back with a countersuit, arguing the tech giants hijacked his original vision.

It’s a David vs. Goliath tale in the AI world, where Ravine is fighting not just for a domain name but for recognition as an AI visionary who wants technology to benefit everyone.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Stunning photos of people earning a living from an e-waste landfill.

🧮 Core Count: 100,000

Your heart beats on average every day.

🗓️ Flashback:

1934 - Mao Zedong and 25,000 troops begin their 6,000 mile Long March.

1923 - Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio is founded.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran