Amid multiple layoffs and cyberattacks, millionaires are buying luxurious EV cars, and Elon Musk wants to take over the mobile network market and restore the vision of the blind. Nothing unusual, just another tech week.
Tech’s Strange Week: AI Takes Jobs, Hackers Target Supermarkets, and Ferrari Goes Electric
19% layoff in Squarespace
November started with fresh layoffs, and something tells me we will have more close to the year-end. Squarespace is a website-building, domain, and hosting registration company that has been successfully operating and growing teams for 25 years. Around 300 employees from product and engineering teams got notices; CEO Anthony Casalena says the company needs smaller teams, fewer management layers, and a new operating model to keep up with changing technology. While he hasn’t blamed AI for the layoff, the timing is hard to ignore. Today, AI website builders can create functional websites with simple prompts, challenging Squarespace and similar businesses.
Only this year, 93,247 tech employees lost their jobs because of AI, according to Layoffs.fyi. The forecasts say these numbers will dramatically grow year by year. Read more at TechSpot.
SpaceX is planning to become your next mobile carrier
Elon Musk is not giving up on his plans to enter the US wireless market. SpaceX is now in talks to acquire Boost Mobile from EchoStar, and if they agree, SpaceX will build a hybrid cellular-satellite network and become the fourth-largest network provider. “This is the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle needed for SpaceX to provide complete phone coverage in America,” Musk wrote on X. If Boost agrees, SpaceX will get a base of 7.5 million customers and access to existing mobile infrastructure. The deal is still under discussion, not confirmed. The full story is on the source.
12 AI models were asked what they really think of humans
We started using AI skeptically, then we began trusting our secrets and sharing our emotions with it. But have you ever asked what your AI thinks of you? That’s what researchers did. In an experiment published by ModelCompare, researchers took 12 AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and DeepSeek, and asked them to share their most controversial opinions about humanity.
Out of 35 responses, 29 came to almost the same conclusion: humans would rather fit in than challenge their own beliefs, even when the facts suggest otherwise. In other words, humans have conformity bias, a tendency to behave like members of a group to gain approval or avoid social rejection. If they had the same answer, did it mean that AI also has conformity bias? Read the whole article at Yahoo Tech.
AI home monitoring system to support older adults
Bellevue-based startup Thessai has developed a home monitoring system using AI and motion sensors to help families keep an eye on older relatives living alone, without cameras, microphones, or wearables. Its system learns from daily routines, such as waking up and moving around the house, then sends alerts when something unusual happens, like inactivity for a long time or movement in the middle of the night.
The idea of the startup came to Michael Nassirian, a former Microsoft executive, after his mother-in-law suffered an unnoticed fall. The phone and emergency button haven’t been used, and she told her family after she needed emergency help. Thessai has already attracted a few hundred customers. Its basic package costs $195 plus a $38 monthly subscription. Find out more on GeekWire.
North Korea rejects allegations about stealing $6.3 billion
Last week’s Binance hacking scandal took on a geopolitical twist after the source of the breach. North Korea, though, rejects US allegations that its hackers were behind the $6.3 billion cryptocurrency theft, calling the accusations absurd rhetoric and a political provocation. Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, accused Washington of repeatedly blaming North Korea for major cybercrimes.
On its side, Finance has announced that the withdrawal spike has been addressed, and everything is relatively stable now. The company has launched campaigns to attract new users. Read the details of the news on Reuters.
Hackers have attacked supermarket fridges
The week started pretty hot for Europe, literally. Cyberattacks have hit supermarkets in six countries across Europe, targeting something nobody expected: refrigeration systems. Hackers manipulated freezer controls and pushed temperatures high enough to spoil tons of products.
The attacks exploited remotely connected refrigeration systems, exposing a weakness in everyday retail infrastructure. A reminder that a similar attack occurred in France on October 12, and the scenario was the same. No one took responsibility for the attacks, nor did they explain the goal. One thing is clear: Europe is not living its best days. Get the full story on Euronews.
Neuralink to help blind people see
From flying cars to controlling computers with thoughts, this is what Elon Musk’s brain-to-computer Neuralink promises to do. The brain implant, Blindsight, promises to restore synthetic vision by using a camera to send visual information directly to the brain’s visual cortex. Elon Musk says the device is technically ready and awaiting regulatory approval. Researchers are not very optimistic, claiming that a cortical visual prosthesis is a Class III device, the most regulated category. Plus, the scientists claim that cortical stimulation does not result in vision or anything close.
Restoring sight is the ambition. Proving it works is the real challenge. Read the full article here.
Google will allow schools to turn off AI and lose Search at the same time
With the new controls rolling out, Google offers more control flexibility for schools, particularly in using its AI tools. However, once disabled, the users will lose access to Google Search. The decision was a response to growing concerns about AI use in schools, increased screen time, and other safety risks. Starting next year, Gemini, NotebookLM, and Search will be switched off by default for K-12 accounts unless administrators enable them. Google’s Chromebook laptop may be next. Read more at CNN.
Canva cuts 1,271 jobs
The second mass layoff of the week is from the AI design giant, which couldn’t keep the same pace. As announced, the company is cutting or restructuring 22% of its workforce, affecting 1,271 employees. This is the biggest organizational shake-up in 13 years. Since 2013, it has been the hardest year, and growth has been slower for the first time, the CEO explained.
As predicted, AI is the main antagonist. Canva is investing in its own AI tools while facing competition from ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI design platforms. Laid-off employees will get a six-month compensation package and support to find new roles. Check the source for details.
Ferrari’s first electric car is already sold out
Closing the week on a good note, let’s check out the new Ferrari EV. You heard it right: Ferrari presented its first electric car, the Luce (pronounced “loo-chay”), which is already sold out. The announcement in May lowered stock prices, but demand showed a different picture. Ferrari has not disclosed the number of vehicles (allegedly around 500 in 2027) to be produced, but the waiting list is long. Check out more on TechCrunch.
The startup world was no less exciting this week. We saw multiple investment rounds totaling millions of dollars, with some solving the energy shortage and others supporting the wars. Check out this week’s startup news and make sure you don’t miss the most interesting developments.
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