Curated Commons // Edition 49
Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the 49th edition of Curated Commons. Let’s dive right in ($ indicates potential paywall).
When AI creates art
The Twitter account images_ai is art, as the machines see it, And it’s beautiful in its own way. - Read here ($)
What does it mean to be a Zomato delivery partner
Partner in name, a slave to the algorithm, in summary. The gig economy has created a whole category of jobs, but they certainly can’t be seen as instruments of empowerment. No wonder, regulators around the world are actively considering putting protection clauses in place. This story of a day in the life of a Zomato partner is instructive. - Read here
On a similar note, something to bear in mind…
The NFT gaming economy is here
Fascinating read on an online, blockchain-based game Axie Infinity that has spawned its own economy around it. - Read here
Regulators defining markets like startups define potential market size
Startup pitch decks try to expand their addressable market till it touches multiple billions. Now regulators are taking a leaf out of this, the other way. FTC is suing Facebook. And it says Tiktok/Twitter aren’t a competitor to Facebook. Long live the digital divide! - Read more
Humans to help plants help humans
We live in interesting times. Researchers have transferred a human protein into plants to supersize them. - Read here
Facebook and financial services
Can a well-designed StableCoin be the answer to the broken payment system that plagues the US? Facebook seems to think so. And is being quite upfront on how they intend to go about it. - Read here.
Charge your phone before booking an Uber. Or be prepared to pay more.
“AI-Powered” = Euphemism for we don’t know how it works but believe it does
Yet another story on how an AI system landed a person in jail with scant evidence. - Read here
A successful startup is an incumbent in the making
Amazon is apparently planning to open large department stores. - Read here ($)
Also, there’s this. People are now spending more at Amazon than Walmart. - Read here ($)
Twitter was built for threads
A must-read thread on the game Skyrim
Facial recognition, and how we misunderstand it
Very interesting read on facial recognition. About time we had more such debates globally, before making it a default. - Read here
Andm while facial recognition may seem futuristic, the technology is fundamentally backward-looking, since its functioning depends on images of past selves and outmoded ways of classifying people. Looking forward, instead of asking how to make facial recognition better, perhaps the question should be: how do we want to be recognized?
Pandemic, but for two-timing employers
There’s a class of people who are using the shift remote work to work two jobs simultaneously. And the WSJ has this very helpful tip, - Read here ($)
Avoid startups; they expect too much work. Your best bet is an older company that hasn’t quite mastered remote work yet but will let you work from home.
Taking advantage of the massive boom in the job market, some techies in India are apparently moonlighting as technical recruiters. - Read here
Fast fashion is a disease for the planet!
Why we must consciously invest in the circular economy. Very good, albeit worrying, read from Ghana. - Read here
“Some 15 million used garments pour into Accra every week from the UK, Europe, North America and Australia, flooding the city’s sprawling clothing market. An estimated 40 per cent are of such poor quality they are deemed worthless on arrival and end up dumped in landfill.”
More good reads:
Chip shortage is forcing auto makers to cut down production estimates significantly - Read here
“It’s hard to be a moral person. Technology is making it harder.” - Read here
“We built a system like Apple’s to flag CSAM — and concluded the tech was dangerous” - Read here ($)
“American CEOs make 351 times more than workers. In 1965 it was 15 to one” - Read here
Weedkilling robots are a thing! - Read here
Because the Internet is filled with weirdos, all businesses with any consumer touchpoint will eventually likely have to deal with content moderation. Roblox for now. - Read here
Scientists have used CRISPR to create a musquito that is blind to humans! - Read here ($)
In 2021, jokes write themselves. China is passing one of the world’s strictest data privacy laws - Read here
What is the ethics of releasing work by dead creators - Read here
And finally, your website of the week
Stay safe, and happy reading! And if you liked the newsletter, please do share on your social networks. My DMs on Twitter are always open for any feedback.