Jevons Paradox is a term being invoked by tech leaders but one I hadn’t heard before and had to look up.

For reference:

Jevons Paradox is a concept from economics that describes a counterintuitive phenomenon: as technological improvements make a resource more efficient to use, the total consumption of that resource may increase instead of decrease. This happens because increased efficiency often lowers costs, which can drive up demand.

First announced at CES back in January 2020, Woven City, Toyota's $10 billion futuristic living laboratory near Mount Fuji, is set to welcome its first 100 residents later this year. The city is designed to test and develop driverless cars, smart homes, and robotics in a real-world environment. When complete, the project will house up to 2,000 people.

Blueprints feature solar-powered homes equipped with AI that monitors residents' health and provides daily life assistance. Robotics will play a key role in making life more convenient and efficient. 

Streets will be divided into three types of paths: for pedestrians, fast-moving traffic, and slower vehicles, ensuring a safe and smooth flow for everyone.

Select researchers and their families, termed "Weavers," will initially occupy the city to create technologies addressing societal problems. 

Limited visits for the public are expected by 2026.

I love this concept and would love to see this at some point.

Google DeepMind’s FACTS Grounding (Factual Accuracy in Content Through Source-grounding) is a new tool designed to evaluate and improve the accuracy of AI-generated responses by ensuring they stay grounded in real information. The project includes a public leaderboard to track and compare model performance. Learn more here.

Generative AI is already useful but we have to stop the models from making stuff up (hallucinating) so we can trust them in high-stakes situations. A public leaderboard grading how the models perform at this is a great resource. View the leaderboard here.

The End of Traditional Search

Google’s market share slipped recently, according to a report from searchengineland.com, hinting at a larger shift in how we search online. The article highlights the growing changes to user habits as our use of AI expands.

I replaced Google with the OpenAI ChatGPT search extension and haven’t looked back. It’s simpler, faster, and more direct. A recent comparative study backs up this choice, showing how tools like ChatGPT deliver the instant answers I need.

Click to listen to an AI-generated podcast of the report generated with Google NotebookLM

Zero-click, AI-driven searches are making the traditional page of links feel outdated. While some still enjoy sifting through results, most people just want quick, accurate answers. As voice-based interfaces push us toward a “just give me the answer” mindset, lists of links will feel even more obsolete.

It’s essentially the rise of AI assistants that will ultimately become personalized, trusted partners we will soon take for granted.

I, for one, welcome the change.

Enron has unveiled The Egg, a groundbreaking at-home nuclear reactor designed to revolutionize personal energy use. According to Enron it’s good for up to 10 years of power before requiring refueling.