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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important. I also try to include some resources & opportunities. Please let me know what you think.
Important Items
Planet’s first catastrophic climate tipping point reached w coral reefs
Widespread death of coral reefs is the first climate tipping point reached in series of catastrophic and potentially irreversible scenarios, per report by 160 scientists from 25 countries.
CBP will photograph non-citizens entering and exiting the US for its facial recognition database
https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/cbp-will-photograph-non-citizens-
entering-and-exiting-the-us-for-its-facial-recognition-database-184557905.html
DHS Wants a Fleet of AI-Powered Surveillance Trucks
US border patrol is asking companies to submit plans to turn standard 4×4 trucks into AI-powered watchtowers—combining radar, cameras, and autonomous tracking to extend surveillance on demand.
https://www.wired.com/story/dhs-wants-a-fleet-of-ai-powered-surveillance-trucks/
Innovation
Google DeepMind partners w fusion startup
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/16/google-deepmind-clean-energy-fusion
Technology
Salesforce sued by authors over artificial intelligence software
Novelists Molly Tanzer and Jennifer Gilmore said in the complaint that Salesforce infringed copyrights by using their work to train its xGen AI models to process language.
Three writers argue their views on the use of AI by authors
@Shimmr_AI’s Nadim Sandek: Fear AI no more than a typewriter.
Toby Litt: The new collaborator.
Society of Authors CEO Anna Ganley: Hold on to our shared humanity.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03064220251382209
Google Taps Creators for YouTube Shopping
OpenAI is reportedly working on an AI music-generation tool
https://www.engadget.com/openai-is-reportedly-working-on-an-ai-music-generation-tool-204208186.html
Snapchat makes its first open prompt AI Lens available for free in the US
Snapchat has made its “Imagine Lens,” an AI image-generation tool previously for subscribers, free for all U.S. users to create custom AI Snaps from prompts.
Google Earth AI wants to help us spot weather disasters and climate issues before they happen
An Opinionated Guide to Using AI Right Now
@emollick‘s updated guide on which AI tools to use right now, some tips on how to use them, and how to avoid falling into some common traps.
https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/an-opinionated-guide-to-using-ai
The Case for Optimism in the Age of AI
https://www.truegrittexturesupply.com/blogs/news/the-case-for-optimism-in-the-age-of-ai
Detection firm finds 82% of herbal remedy books on Amazon ‘likely written’ by AI
What to know about Atlas, OpenAI’s new free web browser
OpenAI wants people to know that there are risks using Atlas, especially in agent mode. There is always some risk that attackers could access your data or take actions as you on logged in sites.
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/21/openai-atlas-what-to-know
Two days after OpenAI’s Atlas, Microsoft relaunches a nearly identical AI browser
Copilot can “see and reason over your open tabs, summarize and compare info.” “Actions” to fill out forms or book hotels, “Journeys” let it trace connections btwn open tabs.
Amazon fixes huge AWS outage that broke much of the internet – here’s what happened
The AWS Outage Was a Nightmare for College Students
https://www.wired.com/story/the-aws-outage-was-a-nightmare-for-college-students/
Anthropic Has a Plan to Keep Its AI From Building a Nuclear Weapon. Will It Work?
Hundreds of public figures, incl Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak & Virgin’s Richard Branson urge AI ‘superintelligence’ ban
Report: AI Assistants Linked to News Errors
The long-predicted deepfake dystopia has arrived with Sora 2
Per NewsGuard, Sora 2 produced convincing, news-style vids for known false claims in mins — incl those tied to Russian propaganda. Some Sora-generated fakes already went viral, misleading millions
https://the-decoder.com/the-long-predicted-deepfake-dystopia-has-arrived-with-sora-2/
People Who Say They’re Experiencing AI Psychosis Beg the FTC for Help
https://www.wired.com/story/ftc-complaints-chatgpt-ai-psychosis/
The Housing Market Is Already Terrible. A.I. Is Making It Even Worse.
While digital staging is nothing new to real estate, bot-made listings are forcing homebuyers and professionals to ask themselves if this is a straight-up deceptive practice.
https://slate.com/business/2025/10/home-buying-artificial-intelligence-slop-real-estate.html
Facebook’s new button lets its AI look at photos you haven’t uploaded yet
OpenAI’s ‘embarrassing’ math
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/19/openais-embarrassing-math/
Training AI on “Brain Rot” Content Causes Lasting Cognitive Damage
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-brain-rot
Printing Money: Paxos Mints, Then Burns $300 Trillion in PayPal Stablecoins
https://decrypt.co/344463/printing-money-paxos-mints-burns-300-trillion-paypal-stablecoins
GM plans to launch eyes-off driving, Google AI and other new in-vehicle tech by 2028
Google Gemini AI will begin rolling out in GM cars next year. In 3 years, they plan to let drivers go hands free and take their eyes off road (but people can take control of car when they want).
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/gm-tech-google-ai.html
Amazon unveils AI smart glasses for its delivery drivers
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/22/amazon-unveils-ai-smart-glasses-for-its-delivery-drivers/
Uber wants drivers to train AI in their free time
What could go wrong? Uber’s new “digital tasks” program lets drivers get paid for small jobs that help train AI models when they’re not driving. As driverless robotaxis begin to fill streets in scattered cities across the U.S., Uber is enlisting its gig workforce to help train the technology that could replace them.
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/20/uber-ai-jobs-drivers-training-digital-tasks
Dizzying deal delirium: How the AI bubble bursts
In July, MIT found 95% of organizations achieved zero return on investment, despite spending $30 billion to $40 billion on GenAI across more than 300 initiatives.
https://fortune.com/2025/10/07/how-will-the-ai-bubble-burst-nvidia-openai-dotcom-circular/
Google AI Mode: Powerful Search, Poor Usability
Google’s new AI Mode provides a new way to search the web but is hampered by discoverability and navigation issues — especially for AI novices. Via
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/google-ai-mode/
Walmart deploys millions of new sensors in retail’s first large-scale deployment of IoT tech
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/15/walmart-deploying-millions-of-internet-iot-sensors-across-us.html
Amazon Plans to Replace More Than Half a Million Jobs With Robots
The Most Reviled Tech CEO in New York Confronts His Haters
ICYMI Avi Schiffmann says he’s enjoying the angry reaction to the Friend AI pendant. Is he serious?
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/10/friend-ai-companion-ads/684451/
Publishing & Media
New Report Urges Publishers to Capitalize on Hidden Strengths
Booker prize launches £50,000 children’s award
Rolling Stone Merges With Vibe magazine
https://pitchfork.com/news/rolling-stone-merges-with-vibe/
Publishing Futures: Academic Publishing
A report from a community-led review of the open research publishing ecosystem.
https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/what-we-offer/research-publishing/publishing-futures
TikTok didn’t mean to become a breaking news platform – but it did
In Medill’s latest State of Local News report, a “festering, 20-year-old problem” looms larger than ever
136 US newspapers closed in the past year. “Digital news sites don’t come close to replacing the number of newspapers and journalism jobs being lost. And the digital news providers are almost entirely concentrated in metro areas, leaving vast swaths of the country with little to no access to local news.”
Patron-Supported Journalism Can’t Be the Future of News
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/patron-supported-journalism-cant-be-the-future-of-news
Top 10 key media trends of 2025
https://www.marketing-interactive.com/10-key-media-trends-2025
58 Books You Need to Read (Recommended by People Who Know)
42 Writers, Editors, and Booksellers on the best books they’ve read in the last 25 years.
https://lithub.com/58-books-you-need-to-read-recommended-by-people-who-know/
Why Carnegie’s Libraries Are Getting $10,000 Checks
Every Carnegie Library in America is receiving a $10,000 gift in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Penguin Random House and United for Libraries Announce 2026 Grant Program for Rural and Small Libraries
Federal Judge Rules Texas Book Ratings Law Unconstitutional
The bill (HB 900) would require bookstores “to assign subjective, confusing, and unworkable Rating Requirements,” using a 16-step process, and “encourages ad hoc judgments which can vary from bookseller to bookseller.”
Email your legislators to support libraries
https://action.everylibrary.org/emailreps
Resources & Opportunities
Book Marketing Meetup with Catherine Cioffi and Ann-Marie Nieves
10/30 5:15pm In person Westchester – WMG Members Only
Join WMG member Catherine Cioffi for a Small Group Social with special guest Ann-Marie Nieves, founder of Get Red PR. Ann-Marie will share insights about the differences between publicity and marketing strategies across three popular publishing paths — self-publishing, hybrid, and traditional publishing — to help you navigate the promotional landscape with confidence.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6384958
AI for Authors & Book Publishers: Fauzia Burke in Conversation with Jane Wesman
11/5 12-1pm ET Virtual – All are welcome
Join WMG for a focused virtual session with Fauzia Burke, founder of FSB Associates and author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors. Fauzia will demystify how artificial intelligence is transforming publishing — from creating a media kit to discovering audiences. She’ll lead a thoughtful discussion on the promise and pitfalls of AI for writers and publishers, highlighting the essential skills authors and media professionals need to stay ahead. Drawing on real-world examples, Fauzia will share practical tools and frameworks to help you use AI responsibly and creatively. You’ll come away with actionable strategies to integrate AI into your marketing and promotion efforts — and learn how to leverage new technologies to elevate your message, strengthen your brand, and build lasting connections with readers. She will be in conversation with Jane Wesman, Co-President of WMG and President of Jane Wesman Public Relations, Inc.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6389643
Words as Weapons: Women, Online Abuse, & the Fight for Digital Safety
11/12 5:30-7:30pm at Penguin Random House, 1745 Broadway, NYC.
$15 for members; $20 for non-members. All are welcome.
Includes wine and light bites.
Online harassment isn’t just a tech problem. It’s a systems problem—rooted in misogyny, racism, surveillance, and disinformation. And women in media are among the most targeted. Journalists. Editors. Authors. Truth-tellers. Women who dare to speak publicly. You’ll hear from powerhouse women who’ve endured harassment, fought back, and supported others through it. You’ll gain insights into the structural forces behind digital abuse—and the strategies being developed to confront them. We won’t just name the harm. We’ll share real tools for healing, resilience, and collective protection—because staying silent is no longer an option.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-6393924
Live Performance of “If Beale Street Could Talk” with Literature to Life
11/15 2pm Girls Write Now NYC
Join WMG member Elise Thoron for a performance and discussion of If Beale Street Could Talk, put on by her company, Literature to Life. James Baldwin’s story about abiding love in the face of injustice remains disturbingly poignant sixty years after it was first published. Told from the perspective of its young heroine, this is the story of one family’s fight for justice in a society where institutional discrimination has the power to destroy lives, a theme that resonates today with audiences from all walks of life. If Beale Street Could Talk will be performed by Channie Waites, and was adapted and directed by Elise. This event will be held at Girls Write Now, which is a scholarship partner of WMG. Space is limited.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6384992
Bursting the Blue-Red Bubbles
12/4 at noon. Lunch included. Red Rooster Harlem (the acclaimed Marcus Samuelsson restaurant), NYC
Early Bird (until 11/4): $75 members | $85 non-members
Join WMG for a powerful and timely conversation with Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House Press Secretary and author of the highly anticipated memoir, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines. The discussion will be moderated by Natasha S. Alford, Senior Vice President at TheGrio.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6406290
International Women’s Media Foundation Safety Ambassadors Fellowship
RT @IWMF Passionate about supporting journalists’ safety? Applications are now open for our new Safety Ambassadors Fellowship! With support from The Press Forward, we’re expanding our NSAA initiative, educating new safety trainers across the U.S.
Free virtual Cover Letter Workshop for Publishing
From The Young Publishers Association 11/18 8pm ET
https://www.youngpublishers.org/events/upgrade-your-cover-letter
Navigating the Infodemic: Public Safety, Health & the Environment
NYPL with the Center for Communication at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, NYC 10/27 6-7:30pm ET
https://www.showclix.com/event/navigatingtheinfodemic
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