“Number one goal: serve the guest. Number one goal. Number two goal: serve the team. That's it. We take care of the guests. We take care of the team. Everything else will typically sort itself out.”
– David Breeden, Chef de Cuisine of The French Laundry
1. AMD Powers Up With ZT Systems
To challenge a certain big green GPU giant’s dominance, AMD is buying ZT Systems, an equipment maker for data centers, for nearly $5 billion to boost its AI and cloud computing capabilities. ZT Systems pulls in $10 billion in annual sales designing servers and infrastructure for AI systems. AMD will sell ZT's manufacturing arm but retain its design team to offer integrated AI solutions to major clients like Microsoft and Meta.
2. AI Risk Repository
Some small school in New England has built and launched a database containing over 700 identified risks associated with AI. Created by researchers at MIT's Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, this living database aims to provide a comprehensive and updatable overview of AI risks, filling gaps in existing frameworks. The repository is a valuable tool for AI governance, offering categorized risks across seven domains, though it has limitations in scope and potential biases.
3. The FAA Needs To Modernize Safety
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls out the FAA to update its safety practices and manage emerging aviation technologies, highlighting the need to modernize its methods for evaluating and regulating novel concepts like autonomous flight and new aircraft configurations. Congress is urged to fund research and enhance FAA oversight to ensure safety across increasingly complex technologies and operations. No word yet on whether this helps us get late-night drone deliveries of Taco Bell.
4. Don’t Print These at Home
While 3D printers offer amazing possibilities, some items are better left unprinted at home due to safety risks. These include bike helmets, which may not protect adequately; step stools, which can fail under weight; anything that touches food, due to potential contamination; kids' toys, which may have harmful additives or choking hazards; and medical items, which require professional oversight. Despite 3D printing's advancements, some things are too risky to DIY. Who knew printing a new liver would be so regulated?
5. Craftsman: A Reshoring Failure
Movie time! Craftsman, a classic tool brand established in 1927 by Sears, was bought by Stanley Black & Decker in 2017, when Sears was struggling. They’ve tried to bring some manufacturing back to the United States, but a factory in Texas closed in 2023, and now most of their tools are made overseas again. Was it COVID or was it corporate greed? We may never know. While they still offer a lifetime warranty on older tools, some fans are worried about quality and the brand's future.
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