Trump's Attack on Data, AI Pricing, and Scaring Wolves with AC/DC

Political Interference with Government Data

• ⚠️ Donald Trump fired the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Erika McEntarfer, in response to a jobs report showing slower growth, an unprecedented move in recent US history.
• 🏛️ Historically, presidents have respected the BLS's independence, with Nixon being the closest precedent for attempting to manipulate data, though he did not fire the commissioner.
• 📊 The BLS collects data through surveys of over 120,000 businesses monthly, with revisions occurring as more complete data becomes available, a standard process that Trump alleged was politically motivated.
• 📉 Revisions to job growth numbers are a normal part of the BLS process, occurring because it takes time for businesses to report their payroll data, often via various methods including electronic, email, or fax.
• 📉 The firing and ongoing budget cuts risk eroding trust in crucial economic data, impacting policy decisions and economic planning.

AI and the Rise of Dynamic Pricing

• ✈️ The airline industry is a leader in using AI for dynamic pricing, where ticket prices fluctuate constantly based on what a customer is willing to pay.
• 💻 Companies like Fetcher are developing AI tools to apply sophisticated trading algorithms to consumer purchases, aiming to maximize revenue by identifying the highest possible price for each individual.
• 🏠 This AI-driven pricing strategy is expanding beyond airlines to landlords setting rents, online retailers, ride-sharing services (affecting both fares and driver pay), and potentially meat packing prices.
• ⚠️ A nightmare scenario involves AI exploiting desperate situations, such as jacking up prices for urgent travel or drastically reducing driver pay for those in immediate need of cash.
• 🤝 There's a concern about AI collusion, where pricing algorithms from competing companies could work together to fix prices, a practice already being investigated.
• 🔒 While some companies claim not to use personal data for pricing, AI's black-box nature and the potential for data leakage, combined with sophisticated behavioral targeting, mean consumers may be exploited even without direct personal data access.
• 💡 The future may see AI applied on behalf of consumers to counter corporate pricing algorithms, with services acting as digital deal-finders.

Unconventional Methods for Predator Deterrence

• 🐺 Ranchers in the American West are struggling with wolves preying on cattle, a challenge exacerbated by wolves being an endangered species, making them illegal to kill.
• 🎧 Innovative methods are being used to deter wolves, including heat-seeking drones that play specific sounds and movie scenes.
• 🎶 Sounds used include thunder, gunshots, and notably, the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck."
• 🎬 A particularly effective deterrent is playing a scene from the movie "Marriage Story" featuring an intense argument between Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, which apparently disrupts the wolves' appetite.
• 🔊 The tactic leverages the idea that witnessing intense conflict or hearing aggressive sounds can be unsettling, even for apex predators, leading them to lose their appetite for hunting.