The Comunicano Sunday Edition for February 9th 2025
Super(Bowl) Sunday
Today we stand at the precipice of choice. A choice between blind obedience to the forces that seek to dictate the terms of our existence and the fearless pursuit of our own rational self-interest.
Consider UPS’ bold decision to sever ties with Amazon—not out of fear, not out of sentimentality, but in the name of profit. It is not the quantity of labor that justifies its existence but the value it produces. Profit, contrary to the feeble-minded platitudes of collectivists, is the lifeblood of progress. It is the metric of human achievement. UPS has recognized a fundamental truth: not all customers are created equal, and not all partnerships serve the cause of prosperity. Let this be a lesson to every entrepreneur, every creator, every individual who still dares to think. Do not shackle yourself to the demands of the insatiable masses. Instead, align yourself with those who value you as you deserve to be valued.
And yet, as we celebrate this recognition of value, we must ask: what is becoming of knowledge itself? The advent of Wikitok promises to deliver information not to the mind, but to the reflex. A TikTok-style Wikipedia is not an innovation—it is an admission of defeat. It is the transformation of the intellectual pursuit into mere amusement, the reduction of learning to the mindless flick of a thumb. Knowledge is not a game to be played in 30-second increments; it is a fortress to be built with reason, effort, and persistence. A civilization that treats wisdom as entertainment is one that is unworthy of it.
And what of artificial intelligence? The prophets of technology herald AI as the bringer of abundance, yet the rise in IT unemployment proves otherwise. AI is neither savior nor destroyer; it is a tool—one that demands of those of a higher level of thought, a sharper intellect, a more ruthless pursuit of purpose. Those who fear it are those who refuse to evolve. They lament the loss of old jobs as if stagnation were a virtue. But the world belongs to those who create, not those who cling.
But creation itself is under siege. Witness the desecration of art. Christie’s, a temple once dedicated to the grandeur of human vision, now auctions off the mindless scribbles of a machine. The artists protest, yet they miss the deeper betrayal. AI-generated art is not an abomination because it is artificial. It is an abomination because it is derivative. It does not create—it imitates. It does not innovate—it regurgitates. Art is the soul of man made visible. The moment it becomes a hollow reflection of pre-existing works, it ceases to be art at all.
And yet, amid all this, we see the looming specter of control. In China, DeepSeek AI is being woven into the machinery of censorship, wielded not as an instrument of discovery but as a weapon of suppression. This is the inevitable fate of technology absent the moral compass of individualism. A mind that submits to authority is no mind at all. A system that dictates thought is not a civilization—it is a prison.
So I ask you: in which direction shall we turn? Shall we surrender knowledge to distraction, creation to imitation, technology to tyranny? Or shall we reclaim the right to think, to produce, to profit? The future belongs to those who dare to claim it. The question is—do you? Well, to help figure it out, we have THE COMUNICANO!!!
Andy Abramson
Amazon Watch
UPS Ends Partnership with Amazon to Focus on Profitable Deliveries (Inc.com)
UPS is cutting ties with Amazon to prioritize more profitable deliveries. The logistics giant has decided that handling Amazon’s high volume of packages is not as lucrative as focusing on other customers. This move underscores the importance of businesses choosing their partners based on profitability rather than sheer volume. UPS aims to improve margins and streamline operations, even if it means stepping away from one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world.
Read more here
Wikipedia Watch
Wikitok: A New Way to Explore Wikipedia (Ars Technica)
A new web app called Wikitok is bringing the endless scroll concept to Wikipedia. This innovative platform lets users explore articles in a TikTok-style feed, making knowledge consumption more engaging. By continuously suggesting relevant articles, Wikitok aims to make Wikipedia more accessible and appealing, particularly to younger audiences who are accustomed to short-form content consumption. This experiment could change how people interact with and discover information online.
Read more here
Workforce Watch
IT Unemployment Rises to 5.7% as AI Reshapes Tech Jobs (WSJ.com)
As artificial intelligence advances, the tech sector is experiencing significant job displacement. IT unemployment has risen to 5.7%, with AI-driven automation reducing the demand for certain roles. Many professionals are being forced to adapt by acquiring new skills or transitioning to roles that emphasize human oversight of AI systems. While AI is creating new opportunities, its rapid integration is also making many traditional tech jobs obsolete.
Read more here
ArtAi Watch
Christie’s AI Art Auction Sparks Controversy (TechCrunch)
Christie’s has announced an AI-generated art auction, triggering a debate within the creative community. Many artists argue that AI models are trained on copyrighted material without consent, raising legal and ethical concerns. The auction signifies a growing trend of AI-generated works entering the art world, but critics warn it could devalue human creativity and exploit existing works. The controversy highlights ongoing discussions about AI’s role in artistic expression.
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Artists Call for Christie’s to Cancel AI Art Auction (OpenLetter.Earth)
A coalition of artists has published an open letter demanding Christie’s cancel its AI-generated art auction. They argue that the AI used to create these works is trained on stolen artistic labor, violating copyright and undermining human creativity. The letter calls for stricter regulations on AI-generated art and urges collectors to support original human-made works instead.
Read more here
Meta Watch
Meta’s Brain-Reading AI Stuck in the Lab (MIT Technology Review)
Meta has developed a brain-computer interface that can translate neural activity into text, a breakthrough that could help those with speech disabilities. However, the technology remains experimental, with privacy concerns and technical hurdles keeping it confined to research labs. While the potential applications are groundbreaking, the ethical and practical challenges mean it may be years before it reaches mainstream use.
Read more here
Apple Watch
Apple Watch Users Are Wearing It on Their Ankles (NYTimes.com)
A new trend is emerging among Apple Watch users: wearing the device on their ankles instead of their wrists. Fitness enthusiasts say this placement provides better accuracy for step counting and exercise tracking. While Apple hasn’t officially supported ankle placement, users are experimenting with third-party bands and hacks to make it work. This unexpected use case could influence future wearable designs.
Read more here
DeepSeek Watch
China’s DeepSeek AI Raises Concerns Over Censorship (WSJ.com)
China’s DeepSeek AI is one of the most advanced information retrieval systems, but experts worry about its potential for controlling public discourse. With strict government oversight, DeepSeek could be used to reinforce state-approved narratives while suppressing dissenting viewpoints. This raises broader concerns about the role of AI in shaping information access and political discourse in authoritarian regimes.
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How DeepSeek Stacks Up in News Attribution (NiemanLab.org)
DeepSeek AI has shown impressive capabilities in summarizing news, but it struggles with proper source attribution. The system often fails to provide direct links, sometimes hallucinating fake URLs. While its summarization ability is strong, concerns remain about its transparency and reliability in citing sources accurately.
Read more here
VoIP Watch
China’s Telecom Giants Integrate DeepSeek AI Into Cloud Services (FT.com)
China’s top telecom companies are rapidly adopting DeepSeek AI to enhance their cloud offerings. The AI model’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data makes it a powerful tool for optimizing cloud services. However, concerns about data security and government oversight linger, as these companies operate under strict state regulations.
Read more here
Gates Watch
Bill Gates and Bill Nye Discuss Science, Tech, and the Future (GeekWire)
Bill Gates and Bill Nye recently sat down to discuss the evolution of technology, from the early days of computing to the latest advancements in AI and clean energy. They highlighted how science and innovation have shaped human history and emphasized the importance of continued investment in research to tackle global challenges.
Read more here
ITExpo Watch
ITExpo 2025: The AI Revolution and the Battle for the Future (LinkedIn.com)
This year’s ITExpo 2025 is poised to be a showcase of AI’s transformative power. With global players vying for dominance in artificial intelligence, the event will highlight the latest breakthroughs and the challenges ahead. From ethical dilemmas to economic impacts, the discussions at Expo 2025 will shape the next phase of AI’s integration into society. Here’s what will happen on my panels this time around.
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