June 25, 2025

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Meta AI 'Junk Food' Criticized, Apple Siri AI Upgrade

Several developments are shaping the AI landscape. In the realm of social connections, Hinge CEO Justin McLeod has voiced strong opinions against AI replacing human interaction, particularly criticizing Meta's vision of AI friends as 'junk food.' He emphasizes Hinge's focus on using AI for matchmaking and coaching, not virtual companionship. Meanwhile, Apple is actively exploring AI partnerships, holding talks with Thinking Machines Lab (founded by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati) and considering acquiring or partnering with Perplexity AI to enhance Siri and Safari's capabilities. Perplexity AI, known for its AI search engine, has also attracted interest from Meta. In the workplace, a Resume Genius survey reveals that while 60% of Gen Z workers believe AI boosts their speed, 23% report negative impacts on their mental health, and a concerning 40% of Gen Z men admit to using AI to cheat at work. On the infrastructure front, Deloitte forecasts a massive surge in power demand from AI data centers, potentially requiring 30 times more power by 2035, reaching 123 gigawatts, and identifies challenges in grid connections and skilled labor. In the financial sector, Goldman Sachs has rolled out its GS AI Assistant to all employees, aiming to improve efficiency using large language models like GPT and Gemini. BingX has enhanced its AI trading assistant to offer full-service crypto support, providing real-time guidance and personalized insights. CharterSync, a cargo charter portal, is investing in AI and machine learning to improve enquiry processing and cargo-aircraft matching. Investors are increasingly interested in social, dating, and AI startups, with companies like Midjourney gaining attention. Finally, there's a growing concern that current AI benchmarks don't accurately measure real-world skills, prompting the development of new benchmarks like LiveCodeBench Pro to evaluate AI's practical usefulness.

Key Takeaways

  • Hinge CEO Justin McLeod criticizes Meta's AI friend concept, advocating for AI in matchmaking, not replacement of human connection.
  • Apple is exploring AI deals with Thinking Machines and Perplexity AI to enhance Siri and Safari.
  • Meta considered acquiring Perplexity AI, an AI search engine startup.
  • A survey reveals that 40% of Gen Z men admit to using AI to cheat at work.
  • Deloitte forecasts AI data centers will need 30 times more power by 2035, reaching 123 gigawatts.
  • BingX enhances its AI trading assistant to offer full-service crypto support.
  • CharterSync invests in AI to improve cargo charter portal operations.
  • Investors are eyeing social, dating, and AI startups like Midjourney.
  • Goldman Sachs rolls out its GS AI Assistant to all employees to improve efficiency.
  • New AI benchmarks like LiveCodeBench Pro are being developed to measure real-world skills more accurately.

Hinge CEO says AI should coach, not replace human dating

Hinge CEO Justin McLeod believes AI can help people find better matches but shouldn't replace human connection. He envisions AI as a "personal matchmaker" that helps users make thoughtful choices. Hinge already uses AI to give feedback on user prompts. McLeod cautions against unchecked AI development, referencing social media's negative impacts. He emphasizes the importance of personal values and wisdom in using technology for relationships.

Hinge CEO slams Zuckerberg's AI friend vision as 'junk food'

Hinge CEO Justin McLeod criticized Mark Zuckerberg's idea of AI friends, calling it an 'extraordinarily reductive view' of friendship. McLeod believes AI can't replace real human connections. He said Hinge will use AI for matchmaking and coaching, not virtual partners. McLeod warns that AI friends could make people feel drained and displace real relationships. Meta previously launched AI assistants with celebrity likenesses but later discontinued them.

Apple explores AI deals with Thinking Machines and Perplexity AI

Apple is reportedly in talks with AI startups to boost its own AI technology. They held meetings with Thinking Machines Lab, founded by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Apple is also considering a partnership or acquisition of Perplexity AI for its search technology. These moves suggest Apple is looking for quick AI solutions instead of waiting for in-house development to improve Siri and Safari.

Perplexity AI draws interest from Meta and Apple for its search tech

Perplexity, an AI search engine startup, has gained attention from Meta and Apple. Meta considered acquiring Perplexity, while Apple discussed a possible acquisition. Perplexity uses AI to provide summarized answers with source links. It offers both free and paid tiers, with the paid tier providing access to more AI models. The company also faces competition from ChatGPT and has dealt with content usage controversies.

Survey says 40% of Gen Z men use AI to cheat at work

A Resume Genius survey found that 60% of Gen Z workers believe AI helps them work faster. However, 23% feel AI negatively impacts their mental health, and 39% feel burned out by constant AI updates. Alarmingly, 31% admitted to breaking company policies by using AI, and 30% use AI to generate fake work. 40% of Gen Z men admitted to passing off AI-generated work as their own, compared to only 20% of women.

Deloitte warns AI data centers could need 30x more power by 2035

Deloitte predicts AI data centers will need 30 times more power by 2035, reaching 123 gigawatts. The report identifies seven challenges, including long wait times for grid connections and skilled worker shortages. Only 15% of data center executives and 8% of power company executives see their partnerships as highly effective. Over the next five years, electric and gas utilities are expected to spend over $1 trillion. The industry is exploring ways to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.

BingX AI trading assistant now offers full service crypto support

BingX, a crypto exchange, has enhanced its AI trading assistant to provide full-service support. BingX AI helps users make informed trading decisions with real-time guidance. It uses different AI models to answer questions and provides personalized insights. Users can analyze past trades, explore market trends, and improve trading strategies. BingX aims to make data-driven investing the new standard.

CharterSync to boost AI after investment for cargo charter portal

CharterSync, a cargo charter portal, will invest in AI and machine learning after a new investment round. The company will use AI to improve enquiry processing and cargo-aircraft matching. Natural language processing will extract shipment data from forwarder enquiries. Intelligent matching algorithms will analyze aircraft performance and cargo requirements. CharterSync aims to identify optimal charter options faster and more accurately.

Investors eye 19 social, dating, and AI startups in 2025

Venture capitalists are focusing on consumer tech startups in social networking, dating, and AI. Startups like Midjourney, Tolan, and Sitch are gaining attention for their AI applications. Niche social networks and apps that facilitate real-life connections are also popular. Swsh, a photo-sharing app for events, and Status, an AI-driven social media simulator, are examples of startups attracting investor interest. AI is a key factor for startups seeking funding.

Goldman Sachs rolls out AI assistant for all employees

Goldman Sachs has launched its GS AI Assistant across the firm, giving all employees access. The AI assistant helps with tasks like summarizing documents and analyzing data. It uses large language models like GPT and Gemini within Goldman's secure system. The goal is to improve employee efficiency, not replace jobs. Other banks like Citi and Bank of America are also using AI chatbots to automate tasks.

Is AI evaluation in crisis New benchmarks try to measure real skills

Experts say current AI benchmarks don't accurately measure true intelligence. Models are often trained to score well on tests without real improvement. New benchmarks like LiveCodeBench Pro use challenging coding problems to test AI. Researchers are also focusing on evaluating AI's reliability and riskiness. Projects like Xbench aim to assess AI's practical usefulness in real-world tasks.

Sources

AI Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Dating Apps Hinge Justin McLeod Matchmaking AI Assistants Mark Zuckerberg Meta Apple Thinking Machines Perplexity AI AI Search Siri Safari Gen Z AI Cheating Resume Genius AI in the Workplace Deloitte AI Data Centers Energy Consumption BingX Crypto Trading CharterSync Cargo Charter Natural Language Processing Venture Capital AI Startups Midjourney Goldman Sachs GS AI Assistant Large Language Models GPT Gemini AI Benchmarks LiveCodeBench Pro AI Evaluation AI Risk AI Reliability Xbench