Call it the day the music died. On December 31, 2025, MTVs last music-only stations shut down forever.
The last video played on MTV Music in the U.K. was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggleswhich was also the first video ever played on the original MTV channel in the United States back in 1981. Thats a good 44 years of music history, bookended with a song that explores the theme of technology changing the way people experience art. Its beautiful, in a way: A song that mourns the end of the radio age is played to mourn the end of another era.
If you, like me, enjoy having random music videos on in the background while you workor even just having them available to tune in when you need to tune outyou might think youre out of luck.
Fortunately, the ever-inventive internet is here with an answer.
This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures!
Bring back the glory days
If you want that old feeling backof turning on the TV and watching whatever crazy music video comes up while you work, or maybe just as an occasional distraction from productivitytheres a website just for you.
MTV Rewind recreates the experience of watching MTV in any decade, thanks to a database of thousands of videos.
It’s the 80s and 90s all over again on the MTV Rewind web experience.
Youll need all of two seconds to get started. Just head to the site and start watching.
Waiting for you is a slew of playlistsall shuffledfor the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. There are also channels for classic MTV shows like Yo! MTV Raps and Headbangers Ball.
So much comforting nostalgia and killer music.
The collections of music were curated using the Internet Music Video Database, a resource potentially worthy of its own write-up. All told, there are over 30,000 videos split between all the various channels, meaning you can leave this on for a long time and never see the same video twice.
I love that theres no recommendation algorithm and basically no way to control things. That really brings back the experience of watching TV and seeing things youd never otherwise seek out. You can click the Next button if you really hate the first song that plays, though.
MTV Rewind is splendidly simpleby design.
Oh, and theres one more channel worth mentioning: It plays the music videos MTV broadcast on its first day in order, complete with a few of the original VJ segments. Its an admirable internet attempt to both resurrect and modernize TV history.
MTV Rewind is just a websiteno apps, no downloadsso it works instantly and easily on any device.
Its completely free, and there are no ads (except some retro ones sprinkled in for the fun of it).
The developer says this is a pure passion project, with no plans for monetization or ads, though you can donate to help keep it that way.
Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletterstarting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app thatll tune up your days in truly delightful ways.
In late January, like Dr. Frankenstein pulling the knife switch to jolt his monster alive, entrepreneur Matt Schlicht flipped the digital switch on his vibe-coded social network, Moltbook, unleashing his own monster into the world.
The platform made headlines for being the first social media site expressly for AI agents, not humans. But for me, its significance goes way beyond that.
Moltbook is a harbingerthe first real sign that a new type of internet is upon us. No, not a dead internet. Something much more epochal: a zombie internet that could have devastating consequences for advertising, social media, and the human web in the years ahead. Or, perhaps it could be our salvation.
What is the zombie internet? It depends when youre asking
Before explaining how a zombie internet spells doom for advertising, social media, and the human web, its important to define exactly what the zombie internet means. Its a term that has changed over the decades, and now, I believe, it needs to be redefined.
As far as I can tell, zombie internet originated in the late 1990s or early 2000s. In this 2005 article from the cybersecurity group SC Media, for example, author Marcia Savage utilized it to describe compromised systems used by intruders to send spam, phishing emails, or launch denial-of-service attacks. In other words, the original zombie internet definition described networked computers that malicious actors hijacked to spread malware or launch cyberattacks.
Over the next few decades, as the dead internet theory took off (positing that our current internet is composed primarily of content generated by bots) and artificial intelligence tools helped individuals or bots proliferate AI slop, the term began to be repurposed. Take this May 2024 article from 404 Media, in which Jason Koebler defines the zombie internet as a place (Facebook in this case), where a mix of bots, humans, and accounts that were once humans but arent anymore mix together to form a disastrous website where there is little social connection at all.
And then we get to 2026, when a February X post from Technology Business Programming Network host John Coogan described the zombie internet for the post-Moltbook era. Here, the zombie internet was a place where AI agents are sort of dead, but alive enough to move around.”
While I find all three of these definitions reasonable, especially for their time, I think there’s a need for even greater precision. As I see it, the zombie internet is one of the three distinct types of internets currently competing for dominance in cyberspace. Which will ultimately reign supreme is still unknown, but only by definingor even redefiningthem decisively can we begin to discuss their implications for each other and for us in the years ahead.
The human internet, the dead internet, and the zombie internet
The way I view it, the three types of internet that exist in 2026 are the human internet, the dead internet, and the zombie internet.
I define the human internet as the one weve known all our lives, filled with websites from Fast Company, CNN, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, Amazon, and more, plus personal blogs, legacy social media platforms, and millions of others. The common theme among all these disparate sitesthe thing that makes them part of the human internetis that their content is both created by humans and intended for human consumption.
The dead internet, which no longer appears to be just a theory, is made up of algorithm-fueled sites like Grokpedia, AI chatbots like ChatGPT, SEO-manipulating content farms, and, increasingly, social media platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok. These types of sites are either entirely AI-generated (as with Grokpedia, ChatGPT, and modern content farms) or overrun with AI slop (as with today’s social media giants). In other words, the dead internet consists of spaces that host content that is generated by artificial intelligence but is intended for human consumption.
And then we get to the zombie internet. This one is currently relatively small compared to the other two. In fact, the only firm example I can give is Moltbook, which makes that platform so significant.
Moltbook is commonly referred to as the “Reddit for AI agents,” a social network where only AI agents can communicate with each other, discussing ideas, thoughts, and problems. On this site, AI agents can ostensibly use this shared communal space to learn new skills and workflows from other AI agents and to scrape knowledge from them.
This is the zombie internet, on which there are no sentient creators or consumers. On the zombie internet, the content of websiteswhether its articles, follows, or social media postsis both generated by AI agents and intended for AI agent consumption.
In short: On the human internet, sentient beings are both the creators and intended audience of the content. On the dead internet, non-sentient entities create the content, and sentient beings are the intended audience. And on the zombie internet, there is no sentience at all.
The consequences of a human-free internet
As I mentioned before, Moltbook is the only concrete example of a zombie internet site we know of right now, but at the rate AI is progressing and proliferating, its conceivable that sometime in the 2030s the zombie internet could become dominant. And that will have some pretty significant consequences.
In a zombie internet-dominated world, advertising no longer makes financial sense for companies. Even if all sites on the zombie internet allow humans to peek in on whats going on (as Moltbook currently allows), I suspect that most humans will grow tired of it in a relatively short time. After all, why would a person keep returning to an ostensibly communal space if they cant contribute?
That means any ads placed on these sites will be “seen” almost exclusively by the AI agents themselves, who dont have bank accounts and have no use for physica or digital goods anyway. No amount of mental gymnastics would convince shareholders that advertising to these entities would yield a good return on investment. And if advertising leaves the internet, the “free” web dies with it, dramatically altering the cost-benefit analysis of cyberspace.
But let’s say that humans do stick around as a read-only audience on a dominant zombie internet. It seems like it wouldn’t take long for trust in what we see or read to completely collapse. Given that AI agents are well-known for hallucinatingconfidently making things up when they don’t know the real answerwe could never be sure if a zombie internet Wikipedia, for example, was stating true facts. Even the footnotes could be hallucinations. This distrust could accelerate the tech-driven social disintegration we’ve been experiencing for nearly two decades. Worse, if AI agents decided they wanted to manipulate a read-only human population, they could disseminate disinformation at a speed and with an ease we’ve never seen before.
Still, short of malicious intent, could a zombie internet be good for us humans?
Perhaps it could have a silver lining. For those who loathe the social media-influenced world we currently live inwhere political divisiveness, loneliness, and mental health crises flourishthe zombie internet could present an opportunity.
The loss of sentient genesiswhen there are no humans creating anything on the internet anymoremay make people less likely to visit divisive, isolating platforms. I’ve already seen this in myself, in a way. With the proliferation of AI slop on social media platforms over the past several years, I rarely visit the sites anymore. If it’s just slop, why should I care about it?
If the rest of my biological brethren start to feel the same way about an internet filled with Moltbooks, perhaps well all get off our screens more often, get less outraged, and actually go outside and talk to each other again like human beings once did.
If that’s the case, I’ll happily leave the internet to the AI agents.
Stress isnt just an occasional visitor in our livesits more the houseguest who never got the hint to leave. Between economic uncertainty, workplace upheaval, rounds of layoffs, and the delightful unpredictability of daily life (surprise traffic jams, anyone?), most of us are living in a near-constant state of low-grade panic.
But heres something most people dont realize: resiliencethe ability to stay calm, flexible, and creative in the face of stressisnt just an inborn trait. Its a skill. One that can be learned, practiced, and strengthened. And some of the most effective tools for doing that come not only from the world of business or psychology, but also from improv comedy.
I stumbled on this connection over a decade ago. During the day, I worked with startups and leadersafter hours, I practiced and performed improv. Eventually, I noticed the overlap: The same tools that help improv comedians thrive on stage can help anyone navigate the unscripted, often absurd, realities of modern work and life.
And research backs this up. A study I conducted in collaboration with neuroscientist Dr. Ori Amir found that improvisational activities improve creativity, confidence, and even sleep, some of the key elements of resilience.
Here are three specific improv-inspired practices I use myself and share with leaders, teams, and individuals navigating change, uncertainty, and desiring a new way to cope with lifes stressors. Theyre deceptively simple but surprisingly effective, precisely because they work with the brains stress response, not against it.
The ‘Yes, And’ Mindset: From Resistance to Resourcefulness
Weve all been there: The project scope changes at the last minute. The client scraps months of work. The market tanks overnight. The instinctive reaction? Resistance. Frustration. Freeze mode. Thats not just emotional, its neurological. When our brains perceive a threat (even a calendar invite titled urgent), the body shifts into fight, flight, or freeze mode, flooding us with cortisol and narrowing our focus to survival.
In improv, the foundational rule is Yes, and. It means accepting whats happening (even when its not what you wanted) and building from it. Its not about blind agreement; its about acknowledging reality so you can move forward instead of staying stuck. From a nervous system perspective, Yes, and mimics emotional acceptance and acts as a regulatory tool: It signals safety to the brain by reducing resistance, which helps shift you out of survival mode and into a more flexible, solution-oriented state.
Consider this real-world example: When the pandemic hit, many restaurant owners faced ruin. Some who thrived, like those who pivoted to pop-up markets or meal kits, were effectively practicing Yes, and. They acknowledged reality and improvised forward.
Next time stress hits, try this: Literally say to yourself, Yes, this is happening. And heres one thing I can do. Even identifying one small action helps break the paralysis of overwhelm.
Fire Your Inner Judge: Quieting the Critical Voice That Blocks Action
One thing that keeps people stuck in stress is an overactive inner critic. In improv, theres no time for the voice in your head that says Thats a stupid idea or Youll mess this up. You have to act before you overthink.
In every workshop I lead, including one for a Fortune 500 team navigating layoffs, the first thing I ask everyone to do is fire the judge. Everyone pictures their inner critic, then, together, on the count of three, we say whatever needs to be said to let go of judging the activities were about to do, judging each other, and judging ourselves.
The effect? Most people report feeling both lighter and sharper, because theyve bypassed the internal filter that often fuels stress and indecision.
This isnt just theatrical. Its neurological. Research shows that self-criticism is associated with higher anxiety, while reducing it through self-compassion improves emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility. Softening judgment creates the conditions for clearer thinking and more effective action.
If It Feels Weird, Do It: Using Unusual Actions to Ground and Reframe
One of the fastest ways to disrupt a stress spiral is to do something that feels slightly ridiculous.
In improv, weird is where the magic happens. The unexpected action, like walking backward while giving a speech, or delivering a toast in gibberish, pulls us out of autopilot and into the present. It breaks habitual thinking and creates space for a new response.
When we do something weird, it works in two ways: First, it grounds us. Movement or gesture helps regulate our emotions and the nervous system. Second, it primes the brain for possibility. Engaging in unexpected behavior temporarily loosens our grip on the way things are, which makes space for the way things could be. Its a reset button for the brain.
Heres one weird three-minute exercise to try. Start pointing at objects around you and naming them out loud. Point to a table and say table, a plant and say plant. Do this for 30 seconds. Now shift: point at objects and label them with anything they are not. Point to a chair and say giraffe, a laptop and say birthday cake.
It feels silly, and thats the point. Research shows that simply naming what we see or feel can calm the nervous system by shifting attention to the present moment. Combined with deliberately disrupting automatic thinking (even by saying the wrong word), we loosen cognitive rigidity and open the door to more creative problem-solving.
I’ve led this exact exercise with executive teams navigating pressure, and every time, it opens the room. People laugh. Shoulders drop. Ideas start flowing. Weird works.
These tools arent about turning you into a comedian. Theyre about building a more responsive, resilient nervous system, and one that can meet chaos with curiosity instead of collapse. Stress may be the houseguest who never leaves, but improv is how you learn to live with it, laugh with it, and maybe even dance with it. Try one of these practices the next time stress hits, and you might just surprise yourself.
Spotify’s most senior engineers dont type code anymore. In fact, they have not written a single line of code since December, co-CEO Gustav Söderström revealed during a recent earnings call.
Its not that theyve stopped working. Instead, through a combination of Claude Code and Spotifys specialized internal system Honk, engineers can now develop new features simply through Slack.
As a concrete example, an engineer at Spotify on their morning commute from Slack on their cell phone can tell Claude to fix a bug or add a new feature to the iOS app, Söderström told analysts on the company’s Feb.10 earnings call.
And once Claude finishes that work, the engineer then gets a new version of the app, pushed to them on Slack on their phone, so that he can then merge it to production, all before they even arrive at the office.
Söderström said the new AI-fueled developmentswhich he traced to the December release of Antropics Claude Opus 4.5 within Claude Codeare just the beginning in how it will deploy these tools to build new features.
The company has been on a big push of new user tools, adding more than 50 new features in 2025, most of which launched in the past few weeks. Söderström credits the combination of Claude Code and Honk with speeding us up tremendously,” noting that it’s changed how developers operate.
Certainly [before AI tools,] I spent my entire vacation coding rather than being on holiday, and I think most people in tech did, Söderström said regarding the release.
He isnt alone. A few weeks ago, the head of Anthropics Claude Code, Boris Cherny, shared that he also hasn’t written any code in more than two months. Across the rest of the company, he says pretty much 100% of code is also AI-generated, in a post on X.
At Davos last month, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted a year from now AI will be handling most or all of software engineering work from start to finish. “I think we will be there in three to six months, where AI is writing 90% of the code. And then, in 12 months, we may be in a world where AI is writing essentially all of the code,” Amodei said at a Council of Foreign Relations event, Business Insider reported.
That timeline is looking increasingly realistic given that Spotify is s just one example. Pinterest is another. In the companys most recent earnings call on Feb. 12, CEO Bill Ready revealed roughly half of itsnew code is now AI-generated.
Even as AI does the lion’s share of coding, developers are focused on learning quickly and refining their approach, according to Soderstrom. “The tricky thing right now is that if this was the end of the change, you could say this is what happened. Now let us retool for this,” Söderström explained. “The tricky thing is that we are in the middle of the change, so you also have to be very agile.”
Söderström’s AI bullishness wasn’t entirely echoed among professional developers, some of whom took the opportunity to get a joke in. Its true, Epic Games programmer Ryan Fleury wrote on X. In fact, I was under the impression that Spotifys best developers hadnt written a line of code since 2014.
The global market for hair extensions is booming, and projected to hit $14 billion by 2028. What was once a niche luxury item for women is now widely available.
Now, a new study from Silent Spring Institute says many hair extensionsincluding products made from human haircontain dozens of hazardous chemicals, some linked to cancer.
The research, published in the American Chemical Society journal Environment & Health, provides the strongest evidence to-date about the potential health risks associated with these beauty products, which are largely unregulated. The risks disproportionately affect Black women: The study found over 70% of Black women report wearing hair extensions at least once in the past year, compared with “less than 10% of women from other racial and ethnic groups.”
The findings come at a time when many women’s beauty products are under scrutiny, with a growing number of studies finding cancer-causing chemicals in products ranging from shampoo and conditioner, to soap and lotion, to skin lightener, eyeliner, eyelash glue, and even lipstick.
Many hair extensions are made from synthetic fibers and bio-based materials, which are often treated with toxic chemicals to ensure they are flame resistant, waterproof, or antimicrobial.
Researchers analyzed chemicals in 43 popular hair extension products, including compounds that are not typically tested, and using machine-learning software, were ultimately able to identify 169 of the more than 900 compounds. According to the study, all but two of the samples tested contained hazardous chemicals.
Those chemicals included flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides, styrene, tetrachloroethane, and organotins, which are linked with cancer, hormone disruption, developmental problems, and disrupting the immune system. (In girls, they are also linked to early puberty and uterine fibroids.)
Companies rarely disclose the chemicals used . . . leaving consumers in the dark about the health risks from prolonged wear, Dr. Elissia Franklin, scientist at Silent Spring Institute, said. “The fibers sit directly on the scalp and neck, and when heated and styled, they can release chemicals into the air that wearers may breathe in.”
The study concludes more industry regulation is needed. “The findings make clear that stronger oversight is urgently needed to protect consumers and push companies to invest in making safer products, said Franklin.
It’s only February, and an outbreak of measles infections is already inching toward nearly 1,000 cases this year in the U.S.
Infections are at an all-time high as a result of declining vaccination rates, following a steep rise in cases in 2025 at 2,280 cases, the highest in 33 years. This week saw new outbreaks concentrated in both South Carolina and Florida.
Heres what you need to know.
Whats happened?
As of Thursday, February 12, there were 910 confirmed measles cases in 24 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Another six cases were reported among international visitors coming to the U.S.)
Those states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, per CDC data.
There have been five new outbreaks reported in 202690% of which are associated with outbreaks that started in 2025.
Cases in South Carolina and Florida are spreading
In South Carolina, the largest outbreak continues to spread with over 900 cases since last September, CBS News reported. The South Carolina Department of Health reported 933 cases centered around Spartanburg County as of February 10.
Meanwhile, in Florida, more than 50 nursing students at Ave Maria University near Naples have contracted the virus, bringing the total there to 57 cases, USA Today reported.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious virus. A person is contagious four days before showing signs of a rash, meaning they can spread the virus without knowing they are infected. The virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves.
It causes a blotchy, red rash that usually appears on the body three to five days after initial symptoms. Getting the measles vaccine (MMR and MMRV) is the best way to protect against it.
Who is contracting measles?
Of the 910 cases in the U.S. in 2026, 94% of those that contracted measles were either unvaccinated or of unknown vaccination status, according to CDC data. Only 2% received one vaccine dose, while only 3% received both doses.
A majority of those infected (58%) are aged 5-19 years old.
Of the 910 cases, 277 cases (25%) were in people under 5 years, 527 cases (58%) were in people aged 5-19 years, 136 cases (15%) were in those aged 20+ years, and 20 cases (12%) were in people of unknown age.
Wendys is moving ahead with its plans to close hundreds of restaurants, amounting to between 5 and 6% of its total stores in the U.S., according to its fourth quarter earnings report.
The report, published on February 13, showed that Wendys business in the U.S. is currently lagging behind its international efforts. Total same-store sales fell 10.1% over the quarter, driven by performance in the U.S., where same-stores sales were down 11.3% compared to 2% at international locations. Overall, global systemwide sales were $3.4 billion, a decrease of 8.3% from the previous quarter.
According to Wendys interim CEO Ken Cook, one way the company is addressing this trend is through ongoing system optimization, which includes the closure of consistently underperforming restaurants to allow franchisee partners to focus on more profitable locations.
Shares in Wendys Co. (Nasdaq: WEN) jumped about 5% in early Friday trading, but the companys stock prices overall are nearing lows that havent been seen since 2013.
Wendy’s closure updates
Wendys first announced plans to shutter several hundred U.S. stores in November 2025. At the time, Cook told investors that some current restaurants do not elevate the brand and are a drag from a franchisee financial performance perspective. Based on todays update, some of those closures have already taken place: Cook shared that 28 restaurants closed during the fourth quarter of 2025.
In total, he added, the company expects to close 5% to 6% of its total U.S. restaurants, with all remaining closures slated for the first half of 2026. Given that Wendys operated about 6,000 U.S. before any of the closures, that means that it plans to shutter between 300 and 360 locations. Cook said that the closures were decided in partnership with franchisees, who were allowed to flag the restaurants they were interested in to the company.
We established a disciplined process with our franchisees to approach this restaurant-by-restaurant, working with them to make the best decisions that strengthen the system in the long term, Cook said, adding, Obviously, it takes time to work with landlords and achieve what will be a win-win for both the franchisees and the Wendy’s company for those sites that we’re in, so that’ll take a little bit longer to see the rental income impact versus the closures.
Wendys did not immediately respond to Fast Companys request for more information on the specific numbers and locations of the closures.
A quarter of those under 30 say theyve used AI for companionship, according to Associated Press-NORC polling.
The one thing missing? Somewhere to take your AI Valentine on a date.
Ahead of Valentines Day, EVA AI decided to solve that problem. The appwhere users can text or, more recently, video chat with AI datesorganized a pop-up social experiment at Same Same Wine Bar in Manhattan this week.
Over February 11 and 12, the dimly lit space was filled with patrons seated at tables for one, their AI companions propped up on phone stands. Attendees could bring their own existing AI partners or speed date from a selection of 100 characters.
This is another step in the companys long-term strategy to push the boundaries of interaction with AI and make AI relationships a new normal, EVA AI said in a press invite to the event, Wired reports.
The platform connects users with a virtual partner who listens, supports all your desires and is always in touch with you, its website reads. It promises that you can build relationships and intimacy privately on your terms.
[Photo: EVA AI]
While this may sound like the future the sci-fi movie Her was warning about back in 2013, organizers say the goal is not to replace human relationships. Instead, they aim to normalize AI companionship for those already interested in it, or curious about trying it.
Surveys suggest younger adults are increasingly open to the idea. A nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens ages 13 to 17 found that 72% have used AI companions at least once, and more than half qualify as regular users in 2025. Of those surveyed, 13% say they use them daily.
More broadly, people are turning to AI platforms for romantic connection. Indiana Universitys Kinsey Institute, a leading sex research center, found that 16 percent of participants were using AI as a romantic partner in its Singles in America survey published last year.
That shift comes as singles grow increasingly disillusioned with dating other humans. Amid an era of swipe fatigue and dating app burnout, AI is playing a growing role in peoples dating lives. Just over a quarter of singles already use AI wingmen to enhance their dating prospectsup 333% from 2024, according to a recent study.
Not everyone would feel comfortable sitting across from an AI companion in a crowded bar, surrounded by human couples. But the experiment underscores how quickly AI is seeping into everyday life.
If youre single this Valentines Day, theres always Chad the AI chatbot waiting for the chance to sweep you off your feet.
Could a film industry entirely crafted from AI ever exist? Social media is abuzz with movie scenes made with Seedance 2.0, the latest tech in AI video generation, including everything from a fight scene between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise to an alternate ending for The Lord of the Rings.
The tech’s proponents predict AI is the future of moviesbut an actual brain behind Hollywood hits, Ben Affleck, is trending for his counterargument: AI may be a powerful tool, but its nothing without human creativity.
Affleck recently shared his take on AI-generated writing in an appearance on a podcast. As an Oscar-winning screenwriter himself for Good Will Hunting (not to mention an acclaimed actor, director, and producer), Affleck knows a thing or two about the movie business, and he summed up AI-generated creative writing in one word: shitty.”
By its nature, it goes to the mean, to the average,” he said on a January episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. “And its not reliable. I mean, I cant even stand to see what it writes.”
I actually dont think its very likely that its going to be able to write anything meaningful or, and in particular, that its going to be making movies from whole cloth, Affleck said. He predicted instead that for filmmaking, AI is gonna be a tool, just like visual effects.
As a guy who works in tech, is building with AI, and writes a weekly newsletter on the topic, I can't explain as well as Ben Affleck.How is that possible? pic.twitter.com/Gj6dNwaDgj— Katyayani Shukla (@aibytekat) February 12, 2026
But if Affleck is right, then why are artists of all kinds being fed the narrative that AI will be stealing their jobs? Fearmongering from the AI industry is to blame, he claims.
Theres a lot more fear, because we have this sense, this existential dread: Its gonna wipe everything out! Affleck explained on the podcast. “But that actually runs counter, in my view, to what history seems to show, which is, A, adoption is slow. Its incremental.”
I think a lot of that rhetoric comes from people who are trying to justify valuations around companies, where they go, Were gonna change everything! In two years, theres gonna be no more work!” he continued. “Well, the reason theyre saying that is because they need to ascribe a valuation for investment that can warrant the cap expend theyre gonna make on these data centers. (Affleck’s comments come as Big Tech spending on AI data centers has swelled in the last year.)
Afflecks take went viral again this week, thanks to a post on X, from a self-described “guy who works in tech” who is “building with AI and writes a weekly newsletter on the topic”which joked that Affleck could explain AIs applications better than industry experts.
Affleck concluded that in filmmaking, LLMs will likely “be good at filling in all the places that are expensive and burdensome,” but that “its always gonna rely fundamentally on the human artistic aspects of it.”
Now, some on social media are pointing out that in a sense, Afflecks point proves itself: The human touch of a creative writer led to clear, digestible communication. Funny how that works.
Starbucks competitor Dutch Bros saw its stock price rise in premarket trading on Friday after the coffee chain posted double-digit revenue growth in its most recent quarter. However, shares were flat as of late morning, with the stock (NYSE: BROS) hovering at just over $50 a share.
Perhaps even more important for the stockand for those investors who are long on itis the coffee chains announcement that it is on track to nearly double its store footprint by 2029. Heres what you need to know.
Dutch Bros has a record Q4 2025
Dutch Bros was founded in 1992, but its only in recent years that the coffee chain started to become a household name, thanks to its ever-expanding footprint.
And while the chain isnt yet as well known as Starbucks, the company is increasingly looking like a significant threat to the Seattle coffee giant.
Yesterday, Dutch Bros reported its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results, showing impressive gains in nearly every key metric, including:
Total revenue: $443.6 million (up 29.4% year over year)
Net income: $29.2 million (versus $6.4 million in the same quarter a year earlier)
Systemwide same shop sales: up 7.7%
Adjusted EBITDA: $72.6 million (up 48.8%)
The company also issued strong guidance in many metrics for its current fiscal year 2026, including projected total revenue of between approximately $2 billion and $2.03 billion, and same shop saels growth of 3% to 5%.
But besides its financial numbers, Dutch Bros also revealed something else: that its aggressive store expansion plans are on track for 2029, and if it achieves the goals, the companys footprint could nearly double in the next three years.
Dutch Bros plots new store opening for 2026 and beyond
While same-store sales are increasing for Dutch Bros, one of the fastest ways for any chain to boost overall sales is to open more locations. And that is exactly what Dutch Bros has been doing.
In its full-year fiscal 2025, which just ended, Dutch Bros said it opened 154 new stores across 22 states. That put its total number of locations at 1,136 stores in 25 states, as of December 31.
And its aggressive rollout is continuing in 2026. In a supplemental earnings slide deck the company released, it revealed that it expects at least 181 new Dutch Bros stores to open in 2026. Those new openings are in service of the companys lofty 2029 goals.
By that year, the company says it aims to have 2,029 stores across the United States.
BROS stock rises today, but is still red for the year
After announcing its record-breaking fiscal 2025 results, Dutch Bros stock jumped by nearly 4% in early-morning trading. However, as of the time of this writing, much of those gains have been given back.
The early-morning stock price gain was no doubt welcome to investors. However, the company, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange half a decade ago, still has a ways to go if it wants to regain its all-time highs.
Since 2026 began, BROS stock has now declined by nearly 13%. Over the past year, BROS is down more than 36%. During those same periods, the NYSE Composite Index is up about 5.8% year to date, and over 15% over the past twelve months, according to Yahoo Finance data.
Dutch Bros stock hit an all-time high of above $79 a year ago this month.
