The Register
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1 week ago
Ashutosh Rath created Atrophy, a command-line tool that tracks coding skill decay by testing developers across five skill areas including syntax recall, debugging, and code reading using an Elo-style rating system starting at 1200 per skill. Users complete a 25-minute baseline exam and then take 5-10 minute drills two to three times weekly, with the app targeting the most neglected skills and optionally measuring skill gaps between AI-assisted and unassisted coding once monthly. The tool allows developers to monitor whether reliance on AI agents is eroding their independent programming abilities before real-world consequences like technical interviews or outages expose the gaps.
Google Research
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1 week ago
Google Research modified its Google Maps routing algorithm to guide trips away from congested segments in 10 major US cities, studying how coordinated navigation interventions affect citywide traffic. The experiment redirected less than 2% of observed trips over six months, resulting in a median 2% speed increase on targeted segments and 0.5-1.0% reduction in fuel consumption. The findings demonstrate that coordinating a small fraction of trips through navigation apps can reduce congestion and emissions across entire networks, establishing a framework for system-level traffic management without requiring all drivers to participate.
IEEE Spectrum AI
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1 week ago
An anonymous artist revealed he had sold a cropped Monet painting as an NFT titled "Inferior Image" for $40,000, exposing public bias against AI art despite misconceptions about what constitutes it. A market for AI art has emerged across NFTs, physical installations, and stock image platforms, with digital art sales nearly tripling between 2024 and 2025 and a museum dedicated entirely to generative AI opening in Los Angeles with robotic paintings priced at $15,000. Serious AI art requires artists to engage with the technology as both tool and medium through custom model training and complex control systems, fundamentally different from casual text-prompt generation, creating distinct categories within the broader digital art market.
TLDR
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1 week ago
Tech CEOs have reversed their previous predictions that AI would eliminate large numbers of jobs, now arguing instead that AI will increase worker productivity while preserving employment. The shift lacks concrete evidence, with no specific productivity metrics or job retention numbers provided to support the new framing. This change could affect regulatory conversations around AI oversight, since fears of mass joblessness have driven calls for stricter AI governance.
