Good morning readers. Yesterday, some risqué AI-generated pics of Taylor Swift flooded social media, exposing the dark side of AI's talent for crafting shockingly authentic and explicit content. These pictures, seen mostly on X (formerly Twitter), attracted a colossal audience before getting removed – but, let's face it, nothing vanishes completely on the internet. It truly is the Wild West out there folks, and experts suggest we need more than a "Swift" response to tackle it.

Let’s jump into today’s storylines.

In today’s digest:

• The future of journalism isn’t looking so bright

• Headline Hustle: Alabama inmate first to get executed with nitrogen gas, FTC launches AI inquiry into Amazon, Alphabet, and Microsoft, Cornell’s president asked to step down over toxic diversity policies

• NASA’s Ingenuity hangs up its rotors

• Pulse Points: What’s Trending

MEDIA

Recent layoffs push journalism to the brink

As we enter the new year, the news industry seems to be playing a somber version of musical chairs, with fewer seats available when the music stops. Major media outlets, from the Los Angeles Times to Business Insider, are slashing their headcount as they grapple with a crisis that's reshaping the world of journalism.

This crisis isn’t playing favorites

While these high-profile layoffs have dominated headlines, they merely scratch the surface of a trend that’s cast a long shadow over the journalism landscape for the past 18 months. Both national and local news organizations have grappled with painful decisions to trim their workforces.

• Notable players such as CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, Vice Media, Sports Illustrated, Vox Media, NBC News, CNBC, and others have all resorted to significant staff reductions.

• At the grassroots level, newspaper giant Gannett and other local outlets have also had to trim their ranks.

Unpacking the reasons behind this seemingly relentless wave of layoffs reveals a complex narrative. One major driver has been the shifting behavior of news consumers, as they increasingly gravitate toward platforms like TikTok and Netflix, abandoning traditional news sources. As for ratings and traffic? Down they go, and with them, ad revenues.

To make matters worse, social media and search behemoths like Google and Meta have siphoned off a substantial chunk of the online advertising revenue that once flowed into news outlets. Research conducted by Columbia University suggests that these tech titans should be compensating news organizations to the tune of approximately $14 billion annually for the content and traffic they generate. The reason they haven’t? They just don’t want to.

The implications of this ongoing crisis are profound. Trust in the media has faded, and some politicians are using that to their advantage by attacking journalists who are supposed to keep them in check.

The bottom line? Journalism's in a jam. Trust in media is taking a nosedive, leaving the field wide open for misinformation to take root. There are glimmers of hope with some local outlets finding their digital footing, but the industry at large needs a serious reboot. If the news world doesn't adapt pronto, we might just find our next breaking story in the obituaries section.

Headline Hustle

💭 Alabama inmate first in U.S. to be executed by nitrogen gas. Alabama made history by executing inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen hypoxia, marking the first time this method was employed in the United States. Nitrogen hypoxia, which involved depriving the inmate of oxygen by inhaling nitrogen gas, gained attention as an alternative to the increasingly problematic lethal injection. The execution took approximately 22 minutes, during which Smith seemed conscious for several minutes, leading to questions about the method's humanity. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall defended the procedure's effectiveness, despite international criticism and legal challenges.

🔎 FTC launches AI inquiry into Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft. The FTC is launching an extensive study into prominent AI giants, including Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Chair Lina Khan announced this inquiry, focused on AI developers' partnerships with major cloud service providers, during the agency's tech summit. The FTC aims to ensure these companies adhere to existing regulations, prevent competition stifling, and deceptive practices. While Google and Microsoft are open to cooperation, Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic have yet to comment.

🏫 Growing battle between Ivy League schools and frustrated alumni hits Cornell. Prominent Cornell alumnus and donor Jon Lindseth is demanding the immediate resignations of Cornell University President Martha Pollack and Provost Michael Kotlikoff. Lindseth, an emeritus member of the university's board of trustees, criticizes Cornell's handling of antisemitism and its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. He calls for a "culture shift" at Cornell, particularly in regards to DEI, which has become a contentious issue in universities and corporate America. While some see DEI programs as necessary for addressing racial disparities, critics argue they go too far. Cornell's board of trustees, however, expresses support for President Pollack.

SPACE

Ground control to Major Tom: NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity ends its epic journey

Say goodbye to the little chopper that could: NASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, is hanging up its rotors for good. This pint-sized pioneer, famous for its historic Mars flights, is being retired due to a busted rotor blade.

Ingenuity was never meant to be a marathon flier. Initially slated for a 30-day demo with a max of five flights, this high-flying chopper blew past expectations, logging 72 flights, cruising 10.5 miles, and clocking in over two hours in the Martian skies. Its crowning achievement? Soaring up to a dizzying 78.7 feet. Not bad for a sidekick to NASA's Perseverance rover, which had its own agenda of digging up Martian dirt.

Ingenuity's first liftoff on April 19, 2021, had the same wow factor as the Wright brothers' historic flight, and NASA didn’t stop there. They pushed this rotorcraft to the edge, beefing up its flight plans over time.

But even Martian explorers have their limits. During its second-to-last outing, Ingenuity got disoriented and had to make an emergency landing. Its final attempt was more of a hiccup than a hop, leading to a damaged rotor and a permanent grounding.

One for the books: Despite the dramatic finale, NASA's giving Ingenuity a standing ovation. The chopper's feats are a leap towards future sky-high explorations on Mars and beyond. Next stop? Saturn's moon Titan, with the Dragonfly rotorcraft in the pipeline. Ingenuity's legacy? Proving that helicopters can, indeed, thrive on Mars. For now, it's lights out for Ingenuity as Perseverance rolls on, leaving the tiny trailblazer to rest in its Martian field of dreams.

SNIPPETS

Pulse Points

• Layoffs seem to be the theme of 2024, with Microsoft planning to lay off approximately 1,900 employees from its Activision unit, roughly 9% of the division's workforce.

• General Motors and Honda Motor have started commercial production of hydrogen fuel cell systems, marking a move towards providing zero-emission alternatives besides battery-electric vehicles.

• A woman who previously received a payout from WWE boss Vince McMahon is now suing him, WWE, and a former executive for sex trafficking, raising concerns about the extent of an internal investigation conducted last year by a law firm.

• The U.K. has decided to pause trade negotiations with Canada due to a lack of progress, primarily over disagreements regarding agriculture and market access for the Canadian agrifood sector.

• Meta is implementing new restrictions on direct messages for teens on Facebook and Instagram, preventing them from receiving unsolicited messages.

• Mattel is launching its first animated theatrical movie, "Bob the Builder," as part of its latest toy-inspired film project.

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