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At Nvidias developer conference on Thursday, a large group of energy companiesalong with a few technology companiesannounced plans to collaborate on building AI models and apps aimed at improving the generation and distribution of electric power. The initiative, called the Open Power AI Consortium, is organized by the Palo Alto-based Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Founding members include Nvidia, Microsoft, AWS, and Oracle. Notably absent from the group are all of the leading developers of frontier AI models, such as Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI. This is about getting the right data, and getting it clean, so that it can be used for AI, Jeremy Renshaw, who leads the consortium at EPRI, tells Fast Company. Renshaw says energy companies have mountains of data, but organizing it in a way that AI models can process is key. But already, more than two dozen regional power companies in the U.S. have signed on, including Con Edison, Duke Energy, New York Power Authority, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Westinghouse Electric Company. EPRI president and CEO Arshad Mansoor said in a statement that the consortium will create an AI model, datasets, and apps to enhance grid reliability, optimize asset performance, and enable more efficient energy management.” It will also foster a collaborative environment where utilities, startups, academics, and national labs can work together to address power-sector challenges using AI. The consortium doesn’t include representatives from government agencies, but Renshaw said hed like to see their inclusion. We intend to include anyone involved in the making and moving of electricity, he says. Government is important because they do the permitting, licensing, and they provide regulations. The announcement comes amid growing concern in the tech sector over the strain that AI workloads can place on data centers. (Google even pledged last year to buy energy from small modular reactors developed by Kairos Power to support its growing AI ambitions.) Axios climate reporter Alex Freedman notes that the power demands of the so-called AI boom have become a top priority for energy company CEOs in the U.S. Freedman highlights an ongoing debate within that sector over whether the power demands of AI will prolong the use of fossil fuels. Should that prove to be the case, AI could further push back constructive work toward climate goals.
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E-Commerce
It’s World Happiness Day, otherwise known as International Day of Happiness, but if you’re not feeling the love, you’re not alone. Many Americans aren’t that happy, according to the World Happiness Report 2025, which ranks happiness across nations. In fact, America doesn’t even crack the top 20 happiest countries in the world, and instead now sits at No. 24earning its lowest ranking yet. (Spoiler alert: Finland once again is the happiest.) The report, which asked people from 140 countries to evaluate their life, looked at six major factors to predict happiness: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Each person ranked their own happiness over the past three years from 2022 to 2024. While all those factors are important, the key to happiness is often attributed to Harvard University’s landmark 85-year Study of Adult Development, which discovered that close relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness throughout our lives. The young and the hopeless Perhaps one reason for America’s plummeting levels of happiness can be understood through the eyes of Gen Z, who are currently experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation (as are many Americans, but not to the same extent). The report found young people worldwide were increasingly lonely, with 19% reporting in 2023 that they have no one to count on for social support, a 39% increase from 2006. The decline in the U.S. in 2024 was at least partly attributable to Americans younger than age 30 feeling worse about their lives, Ilana Ron-Levey, managing director at Gallup, part of the World Happiness Report 2025, told CNN. Todays young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices and less optimistic about their living standards. It also found that in the United States and parts of Europe, lower levels of both happiness and trust have greatly contributed to more polarization along political lines. The silver lining? One positive finding was that people often underestimate other people’s kindness; that is to say, people are often kinder than we think, and doing nice things for others actually makes you happier. What are the world’s happiest countries? Here are 2025’s top 20 happiest countries in the world. Finland Denmark Iceland Sweden Netherlands Costa Rica Norway Israel Luxembourg Mexico Australia New Zealand Switzerland Belgium Ireland Lithuania Austria Canada Slovenia Czech Republic The five countries where people were most unhappy? At the bottom of the list: Afghanistan, once again the last-place holder; Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. The report is the result of a partnership between Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an editorial board.
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E-Commerce
Under cover of night, a group of TikTokers known as the Cybertruck Hunters roam the streets, hunting Tesla Cybertrucks in the wild. When they spot one, they pull up behind it and project anti-Elon Musk and anti-Cybertruck messages directly onto its tailgate. The unsuspecting driver? Completely oblivious. The Cybertruck Hunters account popped up on TikTok just a month ago, but its already gone viral with a string of slick videos showing their antics. In some clips, theyre seen chasing down Cybertrucks in a black Lamborghini Aventador, the driver masked as Jack Skellington (the protagonist in The Nightmare Before Christmas). Turns out, the Cybertrucks stainless-steel tailgate is an ideal projection screen. The messages appear razor-sharpalmost like the truck is broadcasting them itself. Me just now realizing you are projecting this onto a strangers truck from behind, one viewer commented. The messages? Anything but subtle. Musk, this truck really is like youtons of hype, one reads. Don’t think of this as a truckthink of it as a small penis enlarger, says another. @cybertruck_hunters original sound – Cindy Noir Naturally, the videos have sparked plenty of reactions, with one video racking up some five million views. The word Im looking for is HERO, one commenter wrote. I love people who have extra time. The pettiness is top tier, added another. @cybertruck_hunters original sound – cybertruck hunters Unfortunately for Cybertruck owners, the public trolling isnt their only problem. Tesla is recalling 46,096 Cybertrucks in the U.S.essentially every unit built before Februarydue to an exterior panel that can detach while driving. While Tesla hasnt released official Cybertruck delivery figures, analysts say the recall likely affects most of the trucks currently on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the stainless-steel trim poses a potential road hazard. Tesla will replace the faulty panel at no cost, but it wont protect owners from the glowing taunts of the Cybertruck Hunters.
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E-Commerce
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