When Tech Goes Bad

When the "move fast and break things" tech mantra actually breaks humans and disrupts society, we need regulators with the guts to step in and stop it.

The FDA is reportedly planning to ban Juul from the marketplace. The company got people hooked on e-cigs, then pivoted to marketing their products as smoking cessation aides. When bad tech causes problems, why do we allow the same creators to attempt solutions? Regulators allowed Uber and Lyft to “fix” our broken transit systems by flooding the streets with additional cars, causing even more transit woes. (Edward Ongweso Jr)

See above: Amazon has developed technology to synthesize the voice of a deceased loved one from one minute of recorded audio. The new tech was presented with a demonstration where a deceased grandmother “read” a story to her grandson. Will Amazon develop virtual counselors to handle the prolonged and disjointed process of grieving someone whose voice is still present? (Florence Ion)

It’s time to “start digging your trench.” With recession looming, small businesses need to start planning for a variety of scenarios as soon as possible. (Rebecca Deczynski)

2022 has already featured early heat waves, wildfires, powerful floods (see Yellowstone), and a few derechos that traveled in strange directions. Meteorologists also predict a highly active Atlantic hurricane season. All of this is caused by an entrenched La Niña pattern that is being aggravated by climate change. (Chris Baraniuk)