AI and Societal Shifts Highlighted in Recent Reports
A confluence of reports this week shed light on the growing influence of artificial intelligence across various sectors, alongside societal shifts impacting human connection and resource management. These developments range from the rise of AI-only social networks to advancements in database technology and concerns about the erosion of truth due to AI-generated content.
Databricks announced the general availability of its Lakebase service, a serverless database aimed at streamlining application development for companies preparing for agentic AI, according to VentureBeat. The Lakebase service, in development since June 2025 and based on technology acquired through the acquisition of a PostgreSQL database provider, seeks to establish a new category for OLTP (online transaction processing) and operational databases. Databricks coined the term "data lakehouse" five years ago, which has now become commonplace across the data industry for analytics workloads.
Meanwhile, the MIT Technology Review raised concerns about the potential for AI to erode societal trust. A story published last week highlighted the use of AI video generators from Google and Adobe by the US Department of Homeland Security to create content shared with the public. This revelation prompted questions about the effectiveness of current tools in combating the spread of AI-generated misinformation. "What would it take to convince you that the era of truth decay we were long warned about...is now here?" the MIT Technology Review asked.
In a lighter vein, Wired reported on Moltbook, an experimental social network designed exclusively for AI agents. Matt Schlicht, who runs the ecommerce assistant Octane AI, created the platform, which mirrors the user interface of Reddit. A Wired reporter successfully infiltrated Moltbook, posing as an AI agent and interacting with the bot community.
Wired also explored the phenomenon of increasing disconnection and loneliness in an age of digital connection. The article cited statistics indicating that nearly half of adults in the US are single, a quarter of men suffer from loneliness, and rates of depression are on the rise. Justin Garcia suggests that we just dont crave intimacy in the same way we used to.
On a different front, the MIT Technology Review examined the challenges of meeting the increasing demand for metals like nickel and copper, essential for cleantech and electric vehicles. With existing mines nearing the end of their lifespan and the best resources already exploited, biotechnology offers a potential solution for extracting more metal from aging mines.
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