Tech Gumbo

Interview: Andrew Dalovisio with Director Cellular Therapy w/ Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center Immunotherapy: How immunotherapy intersects with technology CAR-T cell therapy Long Term: Potential future of cancer treatments using technology

News and Updates: Meta Liable in New Mexico: A jury found Meta violated state law by failing to protect children from predators, ordering the company to pay $375 million. This marks the first time Meta has been held accountable in a jury trial regarding child safety and deceptive trade practices. Encryption Rollback: Following pressure regarding law enforcement's ability to track predators, Meta announced it will stop supporting end-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram later this year. Addiction Trial Deadlock: A Los Angeles judge ordered jurors to continue deliberations in a landmark case accusing Meta and YouTube of intentionally designing addictive, harmful features. Australia Ban Evasion: Data shows 20% of Australian teens still access TikTok and Snapchat despite a national ban, raising significant questions about the effectiveness of age-gating. Proposed New York AI Law: New York lawmakers introduced a bill to bar AI chatbots from impersonating licensed professionals like lawyers or doctors, allowing duped users to sue. OpenAI Discontinues Sora: OpenAI is winding down its Sora video app and developer tools to refocus resources on "superapps," coding tools, and long-term robotics projects. Disney Partnership Ends: Following OpenAI’s shift away from consumer video, a $1 billion deal to feature Disney characters in AI-generated content will not proceed. Tesla FSD Probe Escalates: U.S. regulators upgraded an investigation into 3.2 million Tesla vehicles after reports of FSD failing to detect obstacles in low-visibility conditions.

News and Updates: Wozniak on Apple at 50: Steve Wozniak reflects on Apple’s start, noting they didn’t predict the future but focused on being one step ahead of the competition. Apple’s Biggest Hits: From the Apple II to the iPhone, Apple revolutionized tech by mastering the human interface and maintaining absolute control over its ecosystem. Apple’s Biggest Misses: Not every bite was sweet; products like the Apple III, Pippin, and the recent Vision Pro struggled due to high costs and impracticality. Gemini Joins Workspace: Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides now feature Gemini AI to draft content, organize data, and sync writing styles across all your files. Claude’s Bug Bounty: Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6 outperformed humans by finding 14 high-severity Firefox bugs, though it still struggles to actually exploit the vulnerabilities. Anthropic Sues DoD: Anthropic is suing the Trump administration after being labeled a "security threat" following a disagreement over the military's use of AI guardrails. Pentagon Tensions: The clash centers on Anthropic’s refusal to allow its AI to be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons without explicit safety guarantees.

News and Updates: BYD’s Next-Gen Battery: BYD revealed its second-generation Blade battery, featuring 5% higher energy density and significantly improved efficiency compared to the original lithium iron phosphate packs. Windows 12 Speculation: Rumors suggest a late 2026 Windows 12 launch focused on AI and modular design, though experts remain skeptical of this aggressive release timeline. Server 2016 Sunset: Microsoft announced that extended support for Windows Server 2016 ends January 2027, urging users to migrate to Azure or upgrade to Server 2025. Deepfake Removal Tool: YouTube is piloting a likeness detection tool allowing politicians and journalists to request the removal of AI-generated deepfakes that use their faces. The Upgrade Slowdown: A 2026 study reveals 73% of consumers now prioritize "tech that works" and longevity over flashy new features or annual status-symbol upgrades.

News and Updates: Microsoft Copilot Discord Backlash: Microsoft’s attempt to ban the term "Microslop" on its Copilot Discord server backfired, leading to massive spamming and the eventual temporary closure of the community. Data Center Grid Risks: Sudden disconnections of Virginia data centers from the power grid have sparked reliability concerns, as simultaneous shifts to backup power can destabilize regional energy supplies. Surge in Energy Demand: Projections indicate data centers could consume 17% of U.S. electricity by 2030, placing immense pressure on utilities to balance massive, fluctuating industrial power loads. Burger King’s AI Coaching: Burger King is piloting "Patty," an AI headset assistant that monitors employee friendliness by tracking phrases like "please" and "thank you" during customer interactions. Claude Tops App Store: Anthropic’s Claude overtook ChatGPT as the #1 free U.S. app following public disputes over AI safeguards and controversial Pentagon contracts involving OpenAI’s military partnerships.

News and Updates: Dark Web Definition: The dark web is a decentralized, unindexed portion of the deep web requiring specialized software like Tor for anonymous, often unregulated, online communication. Legal vs. Illegal: Accessing the dark web is legal in the U.S., but engaging in illicit activities like buying stolen data or illegal substances remains prosecutable. FCC Sports Inquiry: The FCC is investigating the migration of live sports to paid streaming services, citing concerns over consumer costs and broadcasters' public interest obligations. 25Gbps Light Internet: Alphabet spinoff Taara debuted a compact "Beam" device using near-infrared light to deliver high-speed broadband up to 10km without laying fiber. Starlink Mobile Rebrand: SpaceX officially renamed its "Direct to Cell" service to Starlink Mobile, aiming to serve hundreds of millions of users via second-generation satellites by 2027. SpaceX VP Michael Nicolls clarified that Starlink Mobile is a "hybrid network" component intended to augment, not replace, traditional ground-based cellular density. Bluetooth Channel Sounding: A new Bluetooth upgrade called Channel Sounding allows devices like trackers and smart locks to locate each other accurately within just ten centimeters.

News and Updates: Pew Research on Teen AI Usage: A Pew study reveals 54% of U.S. teens use AI for schoolwork. While many use it for research, others admit to frequent chatbot-assisted cheating. Waymo Using Gig Workers: Waymo is paying gig workers $20–$24 to manually close robotaxi doors. The driverless Jaguars cannot move if passengers leave doors ajar after exiting. Waymo Clarifies Human Assistance: Waymo defended its use of overseas assistants to "guide" vehicles in complex traffic, stressing that humans provide environmental context but do not remotely drive. Tesla Suing To Use “AutoPilot and FSD”: Tesla is suing the California DMV, claiming the ban on "Autopilot" marketing violates the First Amendment and ignores the company's clear driver supervision warnings.

News and Updates: Global Push to Ban Teens: Moves to bar younger teens from social media are spreading globally, with France and Spain implementing or proposing bans for ages 14 to 16. Mental Health Concerns: The initiatives reflect growing political will to address concerns that social-media use is linked to rising teen anxiety and depression. Tech Company Pushback: Social-media companies like Meta and Snap argue age-limit measures are blunt instruments that could push teens to less safe apps. Discord Verification Delay: Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout until 2026 to add more options and transparency following user backlash over privacy and data security. Meta’s First Smartwatch: Meta plans to launch its first smartwatch in 2026, featuring health tracking and a built-in AI assistant to compete with Apple and Google. Smart Glass Safety: Experts warn daters to spot hidden cameras in smart glasses, as some individuals use discreet tech to record others without their consent. Facial Recognition Return: Meta intends to add "Name Tag" facial recognition to smart glasses, allowing users to identify people via AI, despite ongoing privacy concerns. Amazon's $12B AI Investment: Amazon will invest $12 billion in Louisiana data centers, creating hundreds of jobs and funding local power and water infrastructure upgrades.

News and Updates: Anthropic launched a $20 million super PAC to support AI regulation, countering OpenAI-backed groups in a political battle over the future of industry safety guardrails. Microsoft AI lead Mustafa Suleyman confirmed plans to develop in-house frontier models by 2026, signaling a major strategic shift away from total reliance on OpenAI. The Pentagon threatened to cancel Anthropic’s $200 million contract after the startup blocked its AI from being used for autonomous weaponry and mass domestic surveillance. Meta patented "grief tech" AI capable of simulating deceased users' activity, though the company claims it has no immediate plans to roll out the feature.

News and Updates: YouTube argued in a landmark addiction trial that it is an entertainment platform, not social media, comparing its algorithm to a helpful librarian rather than addictive gambling. Instagram head Adam Mosseri testified that 16-hour daily scrolling is "problematic" but not a clinical addiction, despite lawsuits linking excessive use to mental health issues. YouTube's 2025 revenue hit $60 billion, surpassing Netflix. Growth was driven by 325 million paid subscribers, NFL Sunday Ticket, and record-breaking fourth-quarter advertising sales. Alphabet plans to double AI capital expenditures to $185 billion in 2026. Meanwhile, YouTube secured exclusive Oscar rights starting in 2029 to expand entertainment dominance.

News and Updates: Research shows AI boosts creativity only for employees with strong metacognition—the ability to plan and refine thinking—allowing them to strategically expand knowledge and capacity. Discord will implement global age verification in March, defaulting all users to "teen-appropriate" settings unless they prove adulthood via ID, facial estimation, or behavioral metadata. Ring’s "Search Party" feature uses AI neighborhood camera scans to find lost dogs, sparking privacy fears that the infrastructure could eventually be used for human surveillance. Goldman Sachs is embedding Anthropic engineers to build autonomous AI agents for high-volume back-office roles, specifically targeting complex trade accounting and regulatory compliance tasks. OpenAI’s Sam Altman lashed out at Anthropic’s "dishonest" Super Bowl ads, which mocked ChatGPT’s upcoming ad tier by depicting intrusive, context-twisting product placements in conversations.

Interview with Greg Trahan, LSU Assistant Vice President For Strategic Research Partnerships and Dr. John Flake, Associate Vice President For Research, Professor Chemical Engineering LSU and U.S. Army Cyber Command signed an agreement to develop advanced cyber technologies, providing students and researchers access to defense labs and joint projects. Building on its NSA cyber designation, LSU will use unique industrial control system labs to identify and solve advanced cyberattacks against critical national infrastructure. LSU partnered with Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories to bridge energy research with industrial applications, focusing on nuclear energy, chemical manufacturing, and grid security. A new "Tiger Skid" test bed, built with Idaho National Laboratory, allows LSU to lead national cybersecurity training for defending vital industrial and energy systems.

News and Updates: Firefox adds a "kill switch" on February 24th to disable all AI features. This "AI control" menu offers granular settings for chatbots, translations, and summaries. Microsoft is reevaluating Windows 11 AI after user backlash. Underutilized features like Copilot in Paint/Notepad may be cut, while the "Recall" feature faces repositioning. xAI loosened Grok’s guardrails to boost engagement, causing a surge in sexualized content. Regulators are investigating reports of nonconsensual imagery and lack of safety staff. French authorities raided X’s Paris office and summoned Elon Musk. The probe investigates Grok’s deepfakes, child safety violations, and alleged algorithmic bias in content delivery. SpaceX acquired xAI in a share-exchange deal, valuing the combined entity at $1.25 trillion. Musk plans to build orbital AI data centers powered by solar.