A Turbulent Week in Tech, Policy, and Society

Longer Newsletter for a Tumultuous Period in AI, DEI, and Misinformation

As someone who’s navigated life as an international student in the US, worked on a visa, and simply lived as a human being trying to make sense of it all, I’ve found myself reflecting on quite a bit this week. While I promised myself to steer clear of political discussions here, it’s hard to ignore the deep ties between policies and the societies, organizations, and digital platforms they shape (TikTok, for instance, gets a brief reprieve: CBC News).

Updates from my interest areas (aka research streams: DEI, AI, and Misinformation)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
A major shake-up in DEI efforts within the US government: Trump’s executive order places all diversity staff on paid leave, effective immediately. This policy decision raises questions about the future of organizational equity initiatives and their long-term societal impact.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The AI landscape continues to evolve, and this week brought some big announcements:

• $500 Billion Investment in AI Infrastructure: A staggering amount of private-sector investment in AI infrastructure was announced to bolster the U.S. as a global leader in artificial intelligence (CBS News). However, Elon Musk quickly cast doubt on the actual size of the investment, sparking further debate.

• Chinese Competitor Challenges OpenAI: DeepSeek claims its reasoning model outperforms OpenAI’s O1 on specific benchmarks (TechCrunch).

• ChatGPT Free Tier Gets Upgraded: OpenAI announced that its free tier will soon include the O3-mini model (source).

• Executive Order on AI Risks Revoked: President Trump revoked Biden’s Executive Order 14110 (October 2023), which aimed to promote the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence (Reuters). This marks a major shift in how the U.S. government approaches AI governance, raising questions about the future of oversight and ethical safeguards in the industry.

Misinformation:

New Executive Order on Disinformation: President Trump issued an order prohibiting federal officials from engaging in any actions that "would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen" (CNN). While framed as a safeguard for free speech, critics argue it could limit efforts to counter harmful disinformation online. A noteworthy comment by one of the critics- “Disinformation is not a partisan issue; it’s a democracy issue.”

The Rise of AI-Based User-Generated Content (UGC)

AI is transforming content creation. Imagine an "influencer" selling shampoo on TikTok—not a person, but an AI bot. Companies like MakeUGC already offer influencer-style content creation for as little as $7, no human needed.

My students worry this signals the demise of authenticity and the influencer economy as we know it. While there’s reason for caution, I believe this transformation will lead to an evolution rather than an outright end. Platforms, audiences, and creators will adapt in ways we can’t yet predict, reshaping the future of digital content and engagement.

Other interesting reads this week:

1. Failed projects can cost you a lot (or why you should be in my Project Management course!): Failed projects can cost companies millions—a great reason to consider my Project Management course! Read about Sonos’s missteps and their CEO’s resignation in The Verge.

2. How Digital Platforms Shape Our Behaviors: This article review explores how Spotify influences user behavior and our relationship with music. A fascinating read on the power of digital platforms in the New Yorker.