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In a bold move that exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit of tech professionals, 35-year-old Dryden Brown is spearheading an ambitious project to build an entirely new city called ‘Esmeralda’ in California. The former Palantir employee and his team at Praxis have already secured an impressive $15 million in funding and acquired 6,000 acres of land for this futuristic urban development. What sets this initiative apart is Brown’s vision to create a city designed from the ground up with modern technology integration, potentially leveraging AI systems for governance and infrastructure management.

Lonely Planet, once the bible for adventurous travelers worldwide, is facing a steep decline that mirrors broader shifts in the travel content industry. According to Business Insider, the iconic travel guide publisher has experienced significant downsizing, with its US office closing and staff reductions leaving just a skeleton crew to maintain operations. This transformation from a thriving global brand to a struggling enterprise highlights how digital disruption and changing consumer behaviors are reshaping how travelers access and consume information.

In a significant development for digital policy, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to introduce legislation banning social media for children under 16 years old. The proposed ban, which would be among the world’s strictest social media regulations, comes as governments globally grapple with the impacts of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat on youth mental health and development. Albanese emphasized that social media companies have failed to adequately protect young users, stating, “The risks and harms to our kids are real, and social media companies have had plenty of time to fix this.”

Microsoft has positioned itself as the frontrunner in the artificial intelligence race according to Jefferies analysts, who point to the viral Studio Ghibli-style images generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT as evidence of the tech giant’s strategic advantage. The analysts highlighted that Microsoft’s early and substantial investment in OpenAI is paying significant dividends as generative AI continues to capture public imagination and drive technological innovation. This partnership has allowed Microsoft to integrate cutting-edge AI capabilities into its products while competitors struggle to catch up.

The AI landscape is witnessing a fascinating phenomenon as Studio Ghibli-style AI art has emerged as a significant driver of ChatGPT’s growth. According to recent reports, this trend has become so popular that it’s projected to contribute substantially to OpenAI’s expansion through 2025. Users are flocking to the platform to generate images reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic animation style, demonstrating how cultural nostalgia and artistic aesthetics are becoming powerful catalysts for AI adoption. This development highlights the increasing sophistication of generative AI in capturing nuanced artistic styles that resonate deeply with global audiences.

In a significant shift for the AI industry, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced plans to release the company’s first open-weight AI model in 2025. This strategic move represents a major departure from OpenAI’s recent closed-source approach and could dramatically reshape the competitive landscape in artificial intelligence development. The announcement comes as OpenAI faces mounting pressure from both open-source alternatives and regulatory scrutiny regarding AI transparency and safety.