📢Your brand’s got a new (very smart) voice
👋 Welcome! Today, we’re covering a range of topics from transformation of information gathering and modern day news formats to how AI is becoming an essential part of communicating and marketing. Get ready for a full spectrum of insights that will keep you informed and engaged!
AI & TECH
This headline could be written by AI – Americans are ditching cable news for podcasts and AI chatbots. A new study shows rising trust in personalities like Joe Rogan and even synthetic voices over legacy media. It’s official: the future of news might be streamed, summarized—and spoken by someone (or something) without a newsroom.
Reddit’s AI ads slide into the thread – Reddit unveiled new AI ad tools: Reddit Insights gives marketers rich metadata to guide strategy, while Conversation Summary Add-ons let brands embed real Reddit threads beneath their ads. The result? Smarter campaigns that blend into comment culture—sponsored posts now come with crowd-sourced credibility (and maybe upvotes, too).
Alibaba’s Qwen3 joins the Apple party – Alibaba just launched its Qwen3 AI model optimized for Apple’s new MLX chip architecture—inching closer to Apple Intelligence releasing in China. The move boosts compatibility and performance for AI developers using Apple hardware, signaling Alibaba’s ambitions to play nice (and smart) in Cupertino’s expanding machine learning playground.
CAREER & WORK
Secret remote jobs? – Recent study shows the rise of U.S. workers secretly juggling two (or more) full‑time remote jobs—earning up to $300K annually. The hustle pays off: savings, debt payoff, early retirement—though burnout is a serious risk and yes, you are technically not supposed to.
AI sage flags safe career zones – Geoffrey Hinton—the “Godfather of AI”—warns that “mundane intellectual labor” is vulnerable to automation. He highlights resilient sectors: creative arts, hands-on trades, and other roles where human nuance still rules
Graduates hit a labor market wall – Unemployment among recent graduates aged 22–27 has surged to about 5.8%, the highest since 2021. Hiring freezes and layoffs in tech and finance—compounded by AI displacing entry-level roles—have cut first-job prospects by roughly 17% since 2019. Many grads now turn to retail or return to school.
ECONOMY & FINANCE
Senate haggles over Trump's tax-cut – Senate Republicans unveil tweaks to the Trump-era tax bill—capping SALT deductions, extending EV/green energy credits, and hiking defense and debt limits. Sparks House clash ahead of a July 4 deadline.
Tron crypto IPO? Just wait.. – Tron, the blockchain platform founded by crypto mogul Justin Sun, is reportedly preparing for a public listing following the pause of a U.S. regulatory probe. The IPO could mark a major shift in crypto's mainstream ambitions, signaling renewed confidence in digital assets despite ongoing scrutiny and market volatility.
Calm market amid Mideast storm – Markets opened flat at start of the week despite geopolitical tensions. This noted unusual tranquility as war headlines between Israel and Iran escalate—a sign investors are taking cover… or conserving ammo.
VC & FUNDING
Alta plans to AI-ify your closet – Alta raised $11 million in seed funding to bring its AI-powered fashion assistant to life. The closet AI platform lets users digitize their wardrobe by scanning receipts or snapping outfit photos, then offers personalized styling suggestions. Backers include industry veterans betting on tech-savvy consumers transforming the way they dress daily.
Stripe pushes the dev button – PostHog quietly raked in $70 million in a Series D round led by Stripe, boosting its valuation to around $920 million. The platform helps developers build product features with real-time analytics.
Lumion raises $10.7M to assist in education – Lumion, a SaaS platform for trade and technical schools, grabbed $10.7 million in seed funding to streamline enrollment, payments, and student management amid soaring vocational ed demand.
BIG THINK
AI in Marketing: Creative Boost or Emerging Ethical Hazard?
AI is reshaping marketing workflows, enabling brands to hyper-personalize ads, automate production, and gain insights on consumer behavior through massive data analysis.
AI is reshaping how brands create and deploy ads. Reddit recently rolled out AI-driven ad tools like Reddit Insights and Conversation Summary Add-ons to tap into real-time user discussions, helping advertisers craft resonant, community-aligned campaigns.
Meta is also set to join this race by aiming to fully automate ad creation and targeting by 2026, leveraging AI to build tailored campaigns for small-to-mid sized businesses. While this could democratize marketing, concerns are rising about loss of creative control and inconsistent quality
Meanwhile, TikTok’s upgraded “Symphony” platform enables marketers to create realistic AI avatars that demonstrate clothes or products automatically. While it lowers costs and boosts output, it also risks disenfranchising human influencers and raises questions about authenticity .
But not everyone’s convinced. Critics argue AI‑generated ads may become formulaic and emotionally hollow. A recent report from Financial Times noted that agencies fear “mini‑max” campaigns risk sacrificing storytelling depth and empathy . Ethical concerns also loom—consumer data is being processed at scale, with rising unease over algorithmic targeting, cultural bias, and lack of transparency. AI-enabled tools can inadvertently reinforce stereotypes or invade privacy.
Despite these critiques, the market for AI-driven advertising is booming. Spending on AI-backed search ads is expected to rise from roughly $1 billion today to nearly $26 billion by 2029 in the U.S.—confirming AI is not just a trend, but a structural shift.
Actionable Insights:
Cultivate AI-Human creative synergy: Use AI to research trends and generate drafts, but ensure human teams refine messaging to preserve authentic storytelling and emotional connection.
Enforce ethical AI practices: Develop clear guidelines on data usage, bias audits, and transparency labeling. Regularly review models and outputs to guard against manipulation and reputational harm.
JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES
Entry Level UX Designer | Full time | Hybrid | NY, NY
Entry Level Software Engineer | Full time | Hybrid | USA-wide
Entry-Level Procurement Financial Analyst | Full time | In‑office | Everett, WA
Entry Level Marketing Assistant | Full time | In-office | Berkely, CA
Have a job or opportunity to share? Post for free here and we will highlight a few each week!
THE NUMBER:
34%
The percentage of Arctic-boreal zone (ABZ) that transitioned from a carbon sink to a carbon source, meaning it's releasing more CO2 than it's absorbing.
WISDOM
“Without commitment, you'll never start, but more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish.”