For Now, No Evidence AI Is A Job Killer

If you believe AI will kill jobs, think again. A study found that chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have had no impact yet on employment levels or wages, even in those occupations widely seen as vulnerable to AI. 

A 95-paged University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics Working Paper No. 2025-56 titled "Large Language Models, Small Labor Market Effects" by two economists Anders Humlum and Emilie Vestergaard and posted on April 17, 2025 studied the labor market effects of AI chatbots using two large-scale adoption surveys (late 2023 and 2024) covering 11 exposed occupations (25,000 workers, 7,000 workplaces), linked to matched employer-employee data in Denmark.

The report should concern the tech industry, which has hyped AI's economic potential while plowing billions into infrastructure meant to support it. Humlum had noted that the adoption of these chatbots has been remarkably fast. 

"Most workers in the exposed occupations have now adopted these chatbots. Employers are also shifting gears and actively encouraging it. But then when we look at the economic outcomes, it really has not moved the needle", he had attested.

Meaning, despite rapid adoption and substantial investments by both workers and firms, their key finding is that AI chatbots have had minimal impact on productivity and labor market outcomes to date. Moreover, they find no evidence of differential trends over time, suggesting that the limited effects are not merely a very short-run phenomenon. 

In this sense, their results echo Robert Solow’s famous observation about the IT revolution: “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics” (Solow, 1987). 

However, their analysis sheds light on mechanisms through which Generative AI could become transformative over time. First, consistent with Brynjolfsson, Rock and Syverson (2021), they find that firm-driven investments and workplace reorganizations are critical to unlocking AI’s potential: Take-up rates and productivity benefits of AI chatbots are substantially higher when employers encourage usage, provide training, or deploy in-house models. Second, aligning with theoretical predictions for how automation technologies may reinstate labor demand (Acemoglu and Restrepo, 2019), they find that AI chatbots have created new job tasks – extending even to workers who do not use the tools directly – signaling broader workplace transformations. And thirdly, labor market rigidities appear to delay the economic impact, as productivity gains from AI chatbots translate only weakly into earnings growth, particularly in firms that do not actively promote their usage. 

The findings, therefore, challenge narratives of imminent labor market transformation due to Generative AI. 

Just Stop Oil Hold Their Last Climate Protest

Just Stop Oil have held their final demonstration in London, ending three years of high-profile climate protest stunts as they moved their focus away from civil disobedience. 

On April 26, hundreds of supporters walked peacefully through the centre of the UK capital, from parliament to the headquarters of oil and gas giant Shell, where they removed their familiar high-vis orange vests. 

The UK environmental activist group mainly campaigned for the United Kingdom to end the extraction of oil and gas by 2030 and had become one of the country’s best-known protest organisations. In March, they announced they would halt their headline-grabbing protests, arguing they had accomplished their initial aim of stopping the UK approving new oil and gas projects. 

More than 3,000 Just Stop Oil protesters have been arrested since they were founded in 2022 and eleven of them are currently in jail, including 58-year-old co-founder Roger Hallam. Five more are due to be sentenced in May. 

Stunts by their activists included targeting Vincent van Gogh‘s Sunflowers painting with tomato soup and daubing the historical landmark Stonehenge with orange paint powder. They also disrupted theatre and sporting events, including tennis matches at Wimbledon. 

Over the years, the actions have drawn condemnation from politicians, police and some sections of the public. 

But the group claimed a victory after the UK Labour government halted new oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea. However, Labour have distanced themselves from Just Stop Oil. 

Just Stop Oil have been coy about their future strategy, but have said they will “continue to tell the truth in the courts, speak out for our political prisoners and call out the UK’s oppressive anti-protest laws”. 

“In the background, we are working with other [similar] groups… to develop a strategy for what comes next”, said Mel Carrington, a spokesperson for the protest group.

The 15-minute Vatican Meeting

Ukraine's [V]ladimir [Z]elensky met with US President Donald Trump at the Vatican. For a whole fifteen minutes.

And just before a funeral on Saturday. 

It was their first encounter since the White House shouting match.

Trump was still trying to show the world that he is an astute and consummate dealmaker. Still, I don't believe a deal will happen anytime soon. 

Sure, [V]ladimir [Z]elensky may be well-behaved at the Vatican but both Ukraine and Russia are poles apart in their positions. Besides, Russia has emphasized that any viable long-term settlement must reflect the territorial realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. 

Trump badly wants a deal to score political points. His credibility is plummeting and his popularity is plunging. He must have this deal to save face because the world already knows he is losing the trade war with China.

Apple's Plan to Move iPhone Assembly to India from China Unrealistic.

As Apple grapples with US President Donald Trump’s tariff war with China, they have laid out plans to move to Indian assembly of the majority of iPhones they sell in the US by the end of 2026, a move that would double their current output from the South Asian nation and away from China. 

Eighty percent of the 60 million iPhones sold in the US are produced in China and this proposed shift is a key step that would help them mitigate some of the costs they face amid rising tariffs on China. 

But leading analyst Craig Moffett suggests any plans to migrate US iPhone assembly to India is unrealistic. Moffett, ranked as a top analyst multiple times by Institutional Investor, sent a memo to clients on Friday after the Financial Times reported on Apple's said strategy. He’s questioning how a move could bring down costs tied to tariffs because the iPhone components would still be made in China.

“You have a tremendous menu of problems created by tariffs, and moving to India doesn’t solve all the problems. Now granted, it helps to some degree”, the MoffettNathanson partner and senior managing director told CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Friday. “I would question how that’s going to work”. 

For sure, the switch in production will cost Apple. According to a Reuters report citing an unnamed source, manufacturing iPhones in India is 5-8 percent more expensive than in China. 

“India will help, but it’s not moving the needle on China’s dependence for Apple. It will take years to make this move, as Apple is caught in the tariff storm”, Dan Ives, analyst at Wedbush Securities, pointed out.

And Moffett contends that it’s not so easy to diversify to India – telling clients Apple’s supply chain would still be anchored in China and would likely face resistance. 

“The bottom line is a global trade war is a two-front battle, impacting costs and sales. Moving assembly to India might (and we emphasize might) help with the former. The latter may ultimately be the bigger issue”, he wrote to clients. 

Moffett cut his Apple price target on Monday to $141 from $184 a share. It implies a 33% drop from Friday’s close. The price target is also the Street low, according to FactSet. 

“I don’t think of myself as the biggest Apple bear”, he said. “I think quite highly of Apple. My concern about Apple has been the valuation more than the company”. Moffett has had a “sell” rating on Apple since January 07. Since then, the company’s shares are down about 14%. “None of this is because Apple is a bad company. They still have a great balance sheet [and] a great consumer franchise”, he said. “It’s just the reality of there are no good answers when you are a product company, and your products are going to be significantly tariffed, and you’re heading into a market that is likely to have at least some deceleration in consumer demand because of the macro economy”. 

Moffett notes Apple also aren’t getting help from their carriers to cushion the blow of tariffs.

“You also have the demand destruction that’s created by potentially higher prices. Remember, you had AT&T, Verizon and T Mobile all this week come out and say we’re not going to underwrite the additional cost of tariff [on] handset”, he added. “The consumer is going to have to pay for that. So, you’re going to have some demand destruction that’s going to show up in even longer holding periods and slower upgrade rates – all of which probably trims estimates [in] next year’s consensus”.

According to Moffett, the backlash against Apple in China over US tariffs will also hurt iPhone sales. 

“It’s a very real problem”, Moffett said. “Volumes are really going to the Huaweis and the Vivos and the local competitors in China rather than to Apple”. 

Apple stock is coming off a winning week – up more than 6%. It comes ahead of the iPhone maker’s quarterly earnings report due Thursday after the market close.

The Oscars Order Academy Voters to Actually Watch the Movies

If you don't already know, the Academy Awards are inevitably political: it's Hollywood's own internal popularity contest and an opportunity to reward those who have it coming as much as those who actually deserve the accolades. 

But now, Oscar voters will no longer be able to skip watching some of the nominated films. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced on April 21, 2025 that members will from now on be required to watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round of Oscar voting. 

Up until now, Oscar voters had only been encouraged to watch the nominees, and vote in categories they felt qualified in. 

But in recent years, what films get watched by academy members has been increasingly seen as a significant factor in what wins. At the same time, the publication of anonymous Oscar ballots has often featured members confessing that they didn’t get around to watching some notable films or not finishing lengthier nominees.

Another new ruling requires voters not to consider the use of AI in evaluating nominees: "The academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award". 

At the Grasshopper Cup Squash 2025 final yesterday, women's Asian champion and world No. 11 Sivasangari Subramaniam fell short against world No. 1 and world champion Nouran Gohar, losing 11-7, 14-12, 11-9. It was Sivasangari's fourth defeat to Nouran in as many meetings.

Liverpool Are English Champs For A 20th Time

Liverpool, who last won the league in 2019-20, were given the English crown yesterday. The small detail was Tottenham Hotspur had been swept aside 5-1. The big picture was Liverpool were now officially the Premier League champions and, with great significance, had equalled Manchester United's total of 20 titles. 

This was a moment 35 years in the making.

Anfield, in fact, was ready to celebrate at kick-off but Dominic Solanke's header in the twelfth minute gave Spurs a surprise early lead.

The Reds hit back quickly, Luis Díaz’s equaliser awarded four minutes later after a VAR review, before Alexis Mac Allister smashed home in the 23rd minute to put the hosts in front. Cody Gakpo struck from a corner in the thirty-fourth minute to leave the outcome all but guaranteed.

The second half was a sun-kissed title party, crowned when Mohamed Salah received the ball from Dominik Szoboszlai, cut in and blasted a shot into the bottom corner in the sixty-third minute – the Egyptian’s 28th league goal of an extraordinary season. Salah was poised to add another with 20 minutes left, but a Spurs player reached the ball first for an unfortunate own goal.

Liverpool’s triumph and the end of Manchester City’s four-season reign as Premier League champions has appeared inevitable for some time with the club building a commanding lead over their nearest challengers, Arsenal, since the turn of the year. Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday left Slot’s side needing just one point from their final five matches and they sealed the title with four games remaining.

Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Saturday reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Kursk Region has been completely liberated from Ukrainian troops. And that the Kiev regime lost more than 76,000 troops and more than 7,700 weapon systems have been destroyed, in their incursion into Russia. 

Elsewhere, Ukrainian soldier numbers are fast depleting, even as the country's war against Russia is ongoing. 

Already, no effort is spared to recruit Ukrainian males. Whether they are willing or not. Whether they want to or not. And so, men are kidnapped, beaten and even tortured by recruiters in brutal fashion. 

Check out this video:

Ukraine is doomed.

Popcorn-eating Mukbang That Is A Surreal Masterpiece

A surreal masterpiece! Check out this 360 degree GoPro camera video of a dude eating popcorn that is unintentionally a humorous mukbang.

This camera doesn't just distort reality – it turns snack time into a Salvador Dalí painting, making it look as if he's extending his mouth deep into the bowl each time he takes a bite.

 

Asian champion Sivasangari Subramaniam produced a sensational performance to stun world No. 6 Tinne Gilis of Belgium and book her spot in the final of the Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland, on Saturday. 

The world No. 11 Malaysian battled to a thrilling 13-11, 7-11, 11-8, 15-13 semi-final victory in 53 minutes – her second win over the Belgian in three meetings. 

Sivasangari will now face world No. 1 Nouran Gohar of Egypt in the final today. 

It will be her second career Gold-level final after winning last year's London Classic.

Celtic Seal 13th Scottish Title In 14 Years

Celtic have clearly been the best team in Scotland by quite some distance. And yesterday, they thumped Dundee United 5-0 to secure their fourth successive Scottish Premiership title & 13th in 14 years – and with four more matches remaining!

Celtic took the lead at the half-hour mark when Arne Engels's corner was turned in by an opposing player for an own goal. 

Eight minutes later, Nicolas Kuhn doubled their lead when he got on the end of Daizen Maeda's cross at the far post. The duo combined for a third just before halftime but this time it was a cutback from the Japanese forward which was put away by Kuhn. 

Adam Idah scored less than two minutes after the restart when he headed home Alistair Johnston's cross from close range. Idah added another in the 58th minute with a sharp right-footed finish after good set-up play from skipper Callum McGregor.

This win marks Celtic’s 55th Scottish top-flight title, taking them level with Old Firm rivals Rangers’ title-winning record.

Celtic, though, will press on in search of a treble. They beat Rangers on penalties after a six-goal thriller in December’s final of the Scottish League Cup and last Sunday they beat St Johnstone 5-0 to reach next month’s Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen. 

US President Donald Trump sat down for an hour-long interview with TIME at the White House on April 22. 

Of course, Trump cast his 100 days of his term as an unbridled success. [Note: His 100th day is actually April 29, 2025]. And as might be expected, you get blathering drivel from him. 

And, of course, Ukraine came up.  

Q: You said you would end the war in Ukraine on Day One. 

A: Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point, and you know, it gets, of course, by the fake news [unintelligible]. Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that it will be ended.

😜😜😜

Chinese Embassy in Japan Issues Safety Advisory

I bet you would never think this could happen in Japan but it did. The Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a safety advisory on April 17, 2025 urging Chinese citizens in Japan, particularly tourists, to enhance their safety precautions and pay attention to personal and food hygiene. 

The advisory emphasised the importance of raising safety awareness, maintaining dietary hygiene, and preparing adequately before travelling. The announcement cited Japanese media reports indicating an increase in violent crimes across the country. 

Since December 2024, indiscriminate killings have been reported in locations such as Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture; Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture; and Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, leaving multiple innocent victims dead or injured. In the first two weeks of April, murders targeting young women have occurred in areas such as Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture; Shinjuku, Tokyo; and Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. Additionally, cases of theft, stalking, and telecom fraud continue to be reported, with a number of Chinese nationals among the victims.

The advisory also highlighted recent food hygiene incidents in multiple locations, including Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture; Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture; Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture; Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture; Seki City, Gifu Prefecture; and Fukutsu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Guests in these areas contracted norovirus after consuming contaminated food, resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some severe cases led to fatalities. 

Research institutions in Japan reported that cases of infectious gastroenteritis caused by norovirus have reached their highest levels in a decade for the same period. 

Sure, Japan generally has a low crime rate. And although Japan has seen food poisoning incidents, its overall food safety standards are by and large, high. Still, it's always prudent to exercise caution.

Asian champion Sivasangari Subramaniam ended her Egyptian jinx with a clinical win over world No. 15 Nada Abbas to storm into the semi-finals of the Grasshopper Cup Squash 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland on Friday. 

The world No. 11 Malaysian, who had lost to Egyptian opponents in her last three tournaments, needed just 15 minutes to seal a commanding 11-6, 11-3 victory. 

It marked her first appearance in the Grasshopper Cup semi-finals and her third win over Abbas in four meetings. 

Sivasangari will now face Belgium's world No. 6 Tinne Gilis for a place in the final on Saturday.

Slasher Film Fest

Some of the quintessential characters like Winnie the Pooh and friends in the Hundred Acre Wood from AA Milne's original 1926 book, the black-and-white version of Mickey Mouse from the 1928 short film "Steamboat Willie" by Walt Disney Animation Studios and the original Popeye the Sailor Man from EC Segar's 1929 comic strip "Thimble Theatre" have turned into serial killers. And that's because they have all entered the public domain. Meaning, they are now free for anyone to share and adapt.

Therefore, Rhys Frake-Waterfield took the opportunity to produce "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" (2023), a violent new take on the beloved childhood classic. The film was panned by critics, with many considering it one of the worst films of all time, and received five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture. Despite this, the film was a box-office success, grossing $7.7 million worldwide on a budget of just $100,000. 

A sequel, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2", was released on March 26, 2024. And two days later, Variety reported that the third instalment of IP-bludgeoning slasher Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey has been confirmed.

Even, Pooh's sidekick, Piglet is getting his own slasher movie this year, separate from the Winnie-the-Pooh horror universe. 

Not forgetting, "Bambi: The Reckoning" (2025), a horror film inspired by Felix Salten's 1923 novel, "Bambi, a Life in the Woods", which was the basis for the 1942 Disney classic, "Bambi".

And last year's "Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Death and Porridge", a horror slasher that is inspired by the classic fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears".

Then, we have horror reimaginings of Mickey Mouse: "The Mouse Trap" (2024), "Mouse of Horrors" (2025), "Mouseboat Massacre" (2025), and "Screamboat" (2025).

And three Popeye slasher movies out this year: "Popeye The Slayer Man", "Popeye's Revenge", and "Shiver Me Timbers". 

It looks like the film world is suffering from a seeming terminal creative bankruptcy.

Maybe so, but with slasher films, you really can't go wrong. They are  flourishing and very popular. And who doesn't enjoy being "on edge"? 

We're sure to have our fill of intense emotions in a safe environment and besides, it's an adrenaline-surging way to tap into our primal anxieties. Cool! 😬😬😬

Donald Trump 2028 Merch on Sale

Donald Trump’s online store is selling merchandise emblazoned with “Trump 2028”, the year of the next US presidential election, in which the Republican is constitutionally banned from running. 

The 78-year-old, who has seen his approval rating sink to new lows in recent opinion polls, has not ruled out serving a third term – even though it would require amending the Constitution. Most political experts, including his own attorney general, say that would be tough to pull off. 

Yet, a social media account linked to Trump shared a photo Thursday of his son Eric (right) sporting one of the new red caps, which is priced at $50. “Make a statement with this Made in America Trump 2028 hat”, a product description on the Trump Store website says. 

The shop is also selling T-shirts in navy and red, priced at $36, which read “Trump 2028 (Rewrite the Rules)”, with matching beer can coolers for $18.  

Opinion polls have reflected American concerns over his handling of key issues during the first 100 days of his second term, including living costs and chaotic tariff policies. 

The 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution states that “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice”. 

Trump (left), who also served as president from 2017 to 2021, has insisted he is “not joking” about a third term, saying last month there are “methods” that would allow it to happen. 

Any serious effort to amend the founding document would send the US into uncharted territory. 

Changing the US Constitution to allow a third presidential term would require a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

An amendment would also need ratification by at least 38 of the 50 US state legislatures, another slim possibility.

Trump has amassed an impressive range of branded products to promote his political career alongside his real estate empire. They include Mother’s Day-inspired gifts such as pink pajamas and pickleball paddles with Trump logos. Also on sale are earrings and necklaces styled with the numbers 45 and 47 to represent Trump’s two presidencies. 

On Wednesday, Trump also offered an invitation to a private dinner to the top 220 investors in his lucrative cryptocurrency, dubbed $TRUMP, the New York Times reported. 

In the past, the billionaire has flogged everything from steaks to “Trump University” courses to stock in his own media company, best known for the platform Truth Social. As well as the “God Bless the USA Bible”, priced at $59.99, in a collaboration with American country singer Lee Greenwood.

Malaysia's world No. 11 Sivasangari Subramaniam, who received a first round bye, registered an easy win over Hong Kong's world No. 34 Lee Ka Yi in the second round of the $123,000 Grasshopper Cup in Zurich, Switzerland on Thursday. 

The Asian champion only needed 11 minutes to end the contest, 11-6, 11-2, for her fifth win over Ka Yi. 

Third-seed Sivasangari will face Egypt's world No. 15 Nada Abbas in the quarter-finals later today. 

She has been thwarted by Egyptians since winning the Cincinnati Cup in February. Ranked seventh then, she has dropped out of the world top 10 since. 

Let's hope she stays focused.

WSC's Fortieth Meeting

Dr Pregalathan Namasivayam stepped up to organize/host our fortieth meeting on Wednesday. 

And he was quick to reveal the meeting theme even before he picked his choice of venue – it was "Love the life you live, Live the life you love", attributed to Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley. 

The locale was Hookie Dookie Lounge & Bar located in Plaza Arkadia at Desa Parkcity, Kuala Lumpur – it boasts of bold flavors and unbeatable value with their handcrafted dishes, a fusion of Western and Asian cuisine. 

Numbers-wise, we saw only modest attendance. Three members and a guest (Dr Malar) came. Still, the conversations were humming, lively and positive. And all our four speeches struck a similar tone – they were upbeat, cheery and optimistic. 

But a resonance of veracity pushed through the envelope of positivity when Prega displayed a picture of an hourglass on his phone. It symbolized time's inevitable passing and indicated the finite nature of human existence. And so, he nudged us to love the life we live; after all, we're living the life we love. 

And in a moment of truth, he prompted us to not only count our blessings, but that we should also make our blessings count. I, for one, accepted the advice with alacrity.

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