Author: openjargon

• Rapid advances in AI may concentrate power and wealth among a small elite.
• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says a universal basic income may not sufficiently address the shift.
• He says there needs to be a broader economic reorganization.

The rapid advances in AI could consolidate power and wealth in the hands of a small few, which is why many in the tech industry have called for a universal basic income.

But some AI leaders worry even a UBI wouldn't be enough.

"I certainly think that's better than nothing," Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei told Time. "But I would much prefer a world in which everyone can contribute. It would be kind of dystopian if there are these few people that can make trillions of dollars, and then the government hands it all out to the unwashed masses."

Amodei, a former OpenAI employee, launched Anthropic in 2021 with his sister, Daniela, and five other OpenAI colleagues. They believed AI would have a dramatic impact on the world and wanted to build a company that would ensure it was aligned with human values. Amodei described it to Time as a company focused on "public benefit."

Many in the tech industry have expressed support for universal basic income, a recurring cash payment to all adults in a given population regardless of their wealth or employment status, to mitigate the economic impact of AI. The idea is that it will act as a safety net for individuals whose jobs have been threatened by the technology.

But Amodei thinks that AI will alter society in such a fundamental way that we need to design a more comprehensive solution. "I think in the long run, we're really going to need to think about how do we organize the economy, and how humans think about their lives?" He doesn't have the answer, in part, because he believes it needs to be a "conversation among humanity."

Amodei isn't the only one thinking beyond universal basic income. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, while a vocal proponent of it, has also proposed the idea of a "universal basic compute." The idea is that as large language models advance, owning a slice of one will be more valuable than money.

• President Joe Biden has struggled to make his infrastructure success resonate with voters.
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told the Times that many voters simply aren't plugged into DC.
• "I think the pandemic's taken a toll. People are stressed out," she told the newspaper.

When Gretchen Whitmer first ran for the Michigan governorship in 2018, she pledged to "fix the damn roads."

The slogan stuck and was a big part of Whitmer's winning campaign that year. So she knows a lot about effective political messaging.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Whitmer was asked why President Joe Biden has so far struggled to earn widespread credit for the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law among voters.

Her response? Voters have been worn out by the pandemic and many just haven't been tuned in to what's happening in Washington.

"I think the pandemic's taken a toll. People are stressed out," Whitmer told the Times. "They're just trying to pay the grocery bill, get the kids off to school, show up at their job, and maybe get a little bit of sleep at night. They're not consuming everything."

Whitmer, a cochair of Biden's reelection campaign and a figure often touted as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, remarked that Democrats have to go out and effectively speak with voters about the merits of the infrastructure overhaul and laws like the CHIPS Act — which was crafted to turbocharge semiconductor manufacturing in the United States.

"We've got to tell that story better," the governor added.

Biden counts the infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021 as one of his crowning political achievements.

But voters in recent surveys have only given him a slight edge on the issue compared to Trump — who floated infrastructure reforms numerous times during his presidency but failed to produce a concrete framework for lawmakers.

In a Politico-Morning Consult poll conducted in April, 40% of registered voters said Biden had done more on infrastructure upgrades and job creation, while 37% of respondents selected Trump.

• Gen Z pays more in housing costs than millennials did a decade ago, according to WaPo.
• In an economy battered by inflation, higher costs have created economic uncertainty for Gen Z.
• In 2020, Biden easily won young voters. But he now faces a tougher challenge to win them over.

During the Great Recession and much of the 2010s, millennials bore the brunt of one of the biggest economic upheavals in generations.

A tough job market — where layoffs and high unemployment sidelined many budding careers — defined the earliest stages of adulthood for many millennials.

More than a decade after the Great Recession and over four years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Z is now enduring its own economic challenges.

Gen Z is spending more on housing and car insurance than their millennial counterparts did at the same age, and the younger generation is also holding more debt than millennials did, according to The Washington Post.

The newspaper reported that Gen Z workers are more likely to have attended college and earn higher pay than millennials, but debt is weighing them down: About 1 in 7 Gen Zers have hit their credit card limits.

"Gen Z consumers have seen their finances significantly impacted by the pandemic and its aftermath, even more so than the challenges faced by millennials as a result of the global financial crisis," TransUnion US research head Michele Raneri told the Post. "Both of these cohorts have emerged from a difficult financial situation, but Gen Z is having a harder time affording this new cost of living."

These findings are significant as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both fight for Gen Z votes ahead of the November election.

Spending more and more

Gen Z is spending 31% more on housing costs compared to what millennials paid 10 years ago, a figure which also factors in inflation, according to the Post.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, car insurance costs increased more than twofold for Americans aged 16 to 24 between 2012 and 2022, and health insurance costs spiked 46% for this group during the same time span.

Debt accounted for 16% of Gen Z income at the end of 2023, whereas debt among millennials only accounted for 12% 10 years ago, the Post reported.

Gen Z has seen an economic recovery since the throes of the pandemic, buoyed by a 4% unemployment rate. But with higher costs taking out a large chunk of their salaries, many Gen Z workers feel like they're falling behind.

Biden v. Trump redux

In 2020, young voters overwhelmingly supported Biden. That year, the president carried voters aged 18 to 29 by 24 points (59% to 35%) over Trump, according to Pew Research.

During that cycle, the leading issues among young voters included the economy, student-loan forgiveness, reproductive rights, climate change, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequality.

This year, Gen Z has once again prioritized the economy as a defining issue of the election. And Biden — already struggling with younger voters over the conflict in Gaza — will have to craft a persuasive defense of his policies to ensure their support.

In the latest New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College swing-state poll conducted in late April and early May, 18% of registered voters aged 18 to 29 listed the economy as their top issue.

This age group was the most pessimistic of any generation regarding the economy: 59% rated it as "poor," while 32% rated it as "only fair." About 7% of registered voters said the economy was "good."

Only 1% of registered voters aged 18 to 29 rated the economy as "excellent."

Trump is campaigning in cities like New York and Philadelphia to make inroads with younger and more infrequent voters to cut into the Democratic margins that are key for Biden.

The struggles of Gen Z — whether it's high rents or elevated insurance costs — are poised to be a defining issue for the Biden and Trump campaigns during this critical summer stretch. And whoever finds a way to address Gen Z concerns and craft potential solutions effectively will likely emerge as the presidential victor in November.

• Some therapists who have lost their licenses have rebranded themselves as "life coaches."
• The life coaching industry generated $4.5 billion in revenue in 2022.
• Life coaching is an unregulated industry, so prospective patients should tread carefully.

When therapists lose their licenses, even for serious offenses, they don't always have to change careers. They can try "life coaching" instead.

Life coaches are wellness professionals who offer clients advice on improving their lives. Unlike therapists, they're not required to be trained or held to ethical guidelines, and they are not regulated by the state or federal government. This loosely defined group of professionals generated $4.5 billion in revenue in 2022, according to The International Coaching Federation.

While many people credit life coaches with positively changing their lives or careers, anyone can call themselves a life coach, and therein lies the problem.

Jodi Hildebrandt, a former therapist in Utah who famously ran the controversial parenting YouTube channel ConneXions with Ruby Franke, called herself a life coach for years. The two were sentenced this February for up to 30 years in prison for child abuse.

Hildebrandt is an extreme example. But a new ProPublica report found that at least a third of the 43 mental health professionals in Utah who've given up their licenses since 2010 have continued doing similar work. They refer to themselves on LinkedIn as mental health "associates," motivational speakers, and, of course, life coaches.

There are a range of reasons a therapist might lose their license, from disclosing confidential information to engaging in inappropriate relationships. ProPublica's analysis found that a handful of therapists who were still practicing had lost their licenses for "serious reasons," ranging from drug and substance abuse to inappropriate contact with patients to sexual exploitation.

Mark Steinagel, a director in the Utah state government who oversees licensing, told the outlet that licensers can't prevent these individuals from doing the same work as life coaches. However, investigators do try to watch them to ensure they don't veer back into therapy.

The Hildebrandt case inspired legislation in Utah to regulate the life coaching industry. The bill is now undergoing legislative review.

In the meantime, prospective patients should research before choosing a life coach.

"Coaching is not therapy and I don't want it to be confused in any way," life coach Suzanne Culberg said in an interview about the ethics of life coaching with the YouTuber Danielle Ryan.

Over her career, Culberg said she's seen life coaches misrepresent themselves by inflating their annual earnings and overselling their qualifications.

"They say all the right things, and their sales pages look slick," she said. But "coaching is an unregulated industry."

• Thousands of Iran-backed fighters are ready to join Hezbollah in its fight against Israel.
• The Israel Defense Forces have approved plans for a potential offensive in Lebanon.
• The UN Secretary-General warned of a catastrophe "beyond imagination" if the conflict escalated.

Thousands of Iran-backed fighters are ready to join the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon as tensions rise with neighboring Israel, the Associated Press reported.

In a speech Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that militant leaders from the Iran-led "axis of resistance" have offered to send tens of thousands of fighters to support Hezbollah as the group's clashes with Israel threaten to spill over into all-out war.

"We told them, thank you, but we are overwhelmed by the numbers we have," Nasrallah said, per the AP, adding that Hezbollah already had 100,000 fighters in its ranks.

An Atlantic Council report from May 2020 said that Hezbollah had about 30,000 active fighters and up to 20,000 reserves at the time.

One unnamed official with an Iran-backed group in Iraq told the AP in Baghdad that if there were an all-out war, "we will be (fighting) shoulder to shoulder with Hezbollah," adding that some advisors from Iraq were already in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has been launching strikes against Israel in support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas since the latter's October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel.

Israel has struck back hard against the group, targeting its commanders and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Israel has also been weighing an all-out war with the group, with the country's defense minister, Israel Katz, saying on Tuesday that a decision on such a move was near.

"We are very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit," Katz wrote on X.

It came as the IDF announced plans had been approved for an "offensive" in Lebanon.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that an escalation in the conflict would have devastating consequences.

"Let's be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza," he said.

"One rash move – one miscalculation – could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination," he said.

A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank that was published in March said that even if Israel achieved a decisive defeat of Hezbollah in an all-out war, it would likely "not lead to the group's destruction given its deep roots in Lebanon and strong support from Iran."

• Ukraine is facing a severe manpower shortage as it continues to battle Russia's invasion.
• But Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade is one of the most popular units in the Ukrainian army.
• It attracts new recruits with its PR-savvy approach and 12-strong media team.

For months, Ukraine's armed forces have faced a severe manpower shortage.

In April, one brigade commander told Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne that the country's manpower problems were "much more important than ammunition" and that one Ukrainian soldier was having to carry out the tasks of three to four soldiers.

Since December, Ukrainian military officers have sought as many as 500,000 extra recruits.

Lawmakers have since taken steps to try to address that need.

In April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed into law a bill lowering the minimum conscription age from 27 to 25.

And in May, Ukrainian lawmakers passed a bill allowing convicts in certain categories to serve in the military.

Though people recognize the need to fight, "since the mobilization system is not very well organized and is not perceived as just, this lowers motivation," Julia Kazdobina, a Senior Fellow at Ukrainian Prism's Security Studies Program, and a former advisor to the Ukrainian Information Policy Minister, told Business Insider.

The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade

But one place Ukraine isn't struggling to find new recruits is in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, an elite fighting force that has taken part in a number of the war's most intense battles, from Bakhmut to Avdiivka.

The squad emerged from the Azov Brigade, a controversial regiment founded by the right-wing politician Andriy Biletsky in 2014 that played a crucial role in the Russian siege of Mariupol in 2022.

The 3rd Brigade has since become famous for its battle-hardened, fearless approach to combat.

But this is just one of the reasons the unit is receiving more than 900 volunteers a month, according to an April report by the Washington DC-based think tank the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

While many brigades use social media platforms to advertise and celebrate battlefield wins, the 3rd Brigade is especially skilled at PR.

The unit has 12 full-time media staff, including press officers, cameramen, and editors — and they are "pioneers in running a public recruitment campaign," Kazdobina said.

"The brigade is run by people with extensive combat experience and a reputation for bravery," she added.

The 3rd also has a professional website as well as a YouTube channel with more than a million subscribers — where some videos have attracted more than nine million views.

Last week, the brigade released a video appearing to show Russian troops emerging from a trench with their hands raised or tied behind their backs. The prisoners of war were later filmed and interviewed, sitting in what appeared to be a school classroom.

All of this is designed to appeal to young and eager potential recruits.

Training

Elina Beketova, a defense fellow at CEPA, told BI that the brigade has had success recruiting "because they have a system."

"They start with intensive training to prepare volunteers for frontline duties both physically and mentally," she said. "Then, they match people's preferences with different roles. If someone isn't ready for combat, they continue training them and find the best role for that person."

The brigade has four recruitment centers — Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, and Odesa.

The unit's website says it offers a seven-day training course for potential recruits who want to assess their readiness to join the armed forces.

"If you realize that the army is not for you, you can halt the test and leave at any time," it says.

Those who choose to join undergo a 30-day training program. If, at the end of this program, the recruit does not feel ready, the training period can be extended.

Yurii Kovtun, a brigade sergeant, told Radio ROKS last year: "Our task, if he is weak, is to make the weakest the strongest."

"We will not send him somewhere to die," he added.

The 3rd also tries to help recruits with specific skills find the role that best fits those abilities.

"The 3rd Brigade customizes mobilization and contracts tailored to individuals. If someone isn't ready for artillery work but is prepared for another role, they will try to find a different position for that individual," Beketova said.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry has noted the benefit of this.

In March, the department announced that it would be rolling out a new recruitment algorithm for the armed forces.

This algorithm "offers a clear mechanism for voluntary enlistment through recruiting centers and online," Beketova said. "Candidates undergo interviews and tests before being assigned to their chosen unit."

The brigade also offers a "patronage service," which is designed to care for wounded fighters and prisoners of war.

"One often hears that there are two Ukrainian armies," Kazdobina told BI.

"One following Soviet tradition of inefficiency and humiliation and one that is dynamic, well organized and respects soldier lives," she said. "The Third Assault Brigade falls into the second category."

The 3rd Brigade did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.