#38 The Weekend Download – Catching Up on What Matters
Essential insights you need to stay ahead
📩 Issue #38 – 08/11/2025
⚡ Quick Hits — What You Need to Know
🧠 UN adopts first global rules for neurotech
UNESCO approved new standards to regulate the fast-moving field of brain-computer interfaces, calling it the “Wild West” of tech ethics.
Read More (The Guardian)
⚖️ Families sue OpenAI over ChatGPT’s alleged role in deaths
Seven more families have filed lawsuits claiming ChatGPT contributed to suicides and delusions, intensifying the debate over AI accountability.
Read More (TechCrunch)
🇪🇺 EU considers pause on strict AI laws amid Big Tech pressure
The European Commission may delay enforcement of key parts of its landmark AI Act to ease tensions with Big Tech and the U.S., reflecting growing geopolitical and economic pressure on Brussels.
Read More (Financial Times)
🔥 Top Insights
✨ “Vibe coding” crowned Word of the Year
Collins Dictionary picked “vibe coding” — curating your personal energy online — as 2025’s defining phrase for the algorithmic age.
Read More (The Guardian)
📱 Inside Gen Alpha’s hyper-digital day
Morning Consult mapped a typical day for the youngest generation, revealing constant media multitasking and early brand influence.
Read More (Morning Consult)
📊 Movements to Watch
🔆 Australia runs on 100% solar power
The country hit a renewable milestone — solar provided all electricity for hours, even making energy free in some regions.
Read More (Futurism)
📉 Big Tech stops reporting diversity data
Google, Microsoft, and Meta have quietly halted publication of workforce diversity numbers — a major step back in transparency.
Read More (WIRED)
🙅♀️ It’s cool to have no followers now
On social media, anonymity is the new flex — young users are deleting followers to reclaim privacy and authenticity.
Read More (The New Yorker)
☁️ India seeds clouds to fight Delhi’s pollution crisis
The government launched a geoengineering experiment to clear the world’s most polluted air, drawing criticism over long-term risks.
Read More (The Guardian)
💡 Something to Think About
💰 Meta profits from wave of fraudulent ads, report says
Internal documents show Meta earned billions from scam ads, with employees flagging the issue for years without major action.
Read More (Reuters)
🚬 Gen Z’s cigarette comeback
Bloomberg argues Gen Z is reviving smoking as aesthetic rebellion — a mix of irony, nostalgia, and identity-building.
Read More (Bloomberg)
🎶 Doctors can now prescribe symphony concerts
In Montreal, physicians are writing prescriptions for orchestra tickets to treat stress and burnout — a literal dose of culture.
Read More (TrendWatching)
🌀 Offbeat & Unexpected
🐶 Tom Brady clones his dog
The NFL legend worked with a biotech startup to duplicate his beloved pet, adding “pet cloning” to the celebrity trend list.
Read More (The Guardian)
🍸 Japan bar serves Pokémon-themed cocktails
A Tokyo bar now mixes drinks inspired by Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards — nostalgia with a buzz.
Read More (The Gamer)
🚗 Toyota unveils self-driving bubble car for kids
A tiny autonomous pod stole the Japan Mobility Show, hinting at a playful future for transportation design.
Read More (Designboom)
⚖️ Kim Kardashian blames ChatGPT for failing law exams
Kim K says her study routine “got derailed by AI,” spotlighting how generative tools are reshaping how people learn — and procrastinate.
Read More (Hollywood Reporter)