December 2024.

Google is using Anthropic to boost its own Gemini AI, while Meta pushes back against OpenAI’s for-profit pivot. Meanwhile, the ease of jailbreaking AI chatbots and robots highlights security risks, with incidents of compromised AI tools and robots tricked into violence raising eyebrows. Shadow AI is quietly reshaping enterprises, though its risks and ethics remain under scrutiny. On a brighter note, AI is enhancing tools like NotebookLM and inspiring creativity in film and advertising, with AI-generated movies hitting the streaming scene. But challenges abound: data centers draining power grids, AI bias impacting housing decisions, and questions of accessibility and overreliance on algorithms. Even ChatGPT struggles with odd glitches, like refusing to recognize “David Mayer.” Experts like Cate Blanchett and Marietje Schaake urge caution, reminding us of AI's societal impact, from underpaid Kenyan workers powering OpenAI to debates about AI understanding whale communication. As we rethink AI’s role in creativity, labor, and democracy, one thing’s clear—this digital age is as limitless as it is unpredictable.