#36 The Weekend Download – Catching Up on What Matters

Essential insights you need to stay ahead

📩 Issue #36 – 25/10/2025


⚡ Quick Hits – What You Need to Know

🌍 OpenAI launches Atlas, its web browser
OpenAI rolled out Atlas, a browser that integrates ChatGPT natively — another step toward making AI the default way people search, shop, and navigate the web.
Read More (AP)

⚙️ Musk’s robot army ambitions
Wired reports that Elon Musk wants strong personal influence over the humanoid robot industry he’s building — raising questions about power and control in the next AI frontier.
Read More (Wired)


🔥 Top Insights

🏢 The “996” startup culture goes global
Washington Post deep dive shows how brutal work hours once associated with Chinese tech firms are now spreading to global AI startups racing for dominance.
Read More (Washington Post)

💸 Ad Age: who’s still spending big
The latest Ad Age report reveals which brands are keeping marketing budgets high despite economic uncertainty – and how ad spend is shifting across platforms.
Read More (Ad Age)

💡 How consumers actually spend time and money
McKinsey’s new report reveals surprising shifts: people are spending more on experiences than goods – but also craving quiet, offline moments.
Read More (McKinsey)


📊 Movements to Watch

🎬 Netflix bets big on GenAI
Netflix is going all-in on generative AI, using it across production, marketing, and personalization – even as Hollywood remains divided over the tech’s creative and ethical implications.
Read More (TechCrunch)

🧳 ‘Glowmads’ and ‘Altitude Shift’
Skyscanner’s Travel Trends Report shows what travellers are looking for in 2026.
Read More (Globetrender)


💡 Something to Think About

🎨 AI art enters the museum era
Museums are embracing AI-generated art — but the New York Times asks: when the line between human and machine creativity blurs, what makes art art?
Read More (New York Times)

🤖 China’s DeepSeek expands in Africa
The Chinese AI company is rapidly scaling across Africa, offering low-cost tools that could bring generative AI to millions – and shift global tech power dynamics.
Read More (Bloomberg)


🌀 Offbeat & Unexpected

📵 The rise of phone-free bars
A growing number of venues are banning phones to encourage genuine connection — and patrons love it. Could this be the start of a digital backlash?
Read More (Washington Post)

🧑‍🏫 The rise of the AI abstainers
Students, workers, and artists are skipping AI tools over privacy, accuracy, and skill concerns – with some small businesses even pledging to stay AI-free.
Read More (Washington Post)

🧠 Dance your way to a better brain
National Geographic feature highlights how dance isn’t just exercise — it rewires the brain, improves memory, and boosts mood more effectively than many other workouts.
Read More (National Geographic)

Read more