Jason Michael Perry

Latest Thoughts

📺 Conversations with My AI Doppelgänger

And the interview:
📰 Issue #60: Conversations with My AI Doppelgänger

Howdy 👋🏾. A classic plot in many movies questions nature vs nurture—are you who you are because of your innate traits, or are you shaped by your experiences? How crucial are your memories to your identity? Could changing or deleting a core memory alter who you fundamentally are? In sci-fi, this trope pops up in […]
🧠 Closing the Digital Divide: The Urgency of Internet Access for All

Marketplace has a compelling series called “Breaking Ground” that delves into the impact of the Chip Act, which aims to ensure every home in the U.S. has high-speed internet by 2030.

This series serves as a powerful reminder that the digital divide is still a reality for many, especially in rural areas where internet access is scarce. While many of us have become dependent on the internet for everything—from streaming TV to ordering groceries—there are countless communities across the U.S. that live without reliable access.

Here in Baltimore, it’s heartbreaking to hear that some students head to the library after hours just to use Wi-Fi for their homework. One librarian interviewed in the midwest mentioned finding people camped outside in the cold with sleeping bags, using the library’s connection because it’s the only high-speed option available in their community.

I often say that what feels normal to many of us, especially those deeply ingrained in the tech world, isn’t always reflective of everyone’s reality. But we can and must do better. Closing this gap is becoming as essential as providing water or electricity.

Breaking Ground Archives – Marketplace
Are we living through an economic turning point?
🧠 Yelp Seizes the Moment After Google’s Antitrust Defeat

In the wake of Google’s recent antitrust loss, it’s clear that Yelp smells blood in the water. Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp’s CEO, recently penned a blog post announcing that Yelp is suing Google, accusing it of being a monopoly that unfairly suppresses local search results.

Stoppelman makes a compelling case, arguing that Google has been propping up what Yelp calls an inferior local search product to capture more search traffic within its own ecosystem—something widely known as “zero-click search.”

As I’ve pointed out in my newsletter, this couldn’t come at a worse time for Google. For the first time, competitors like OpenAI and Perplexity AI see a path to challenge Google’s dominance in search. But AI-driven search is a different beast, something I’ve referred to as “answer engines.” Unlike traditional search, these tools don’t provide a list of links or drive traffic to the sources they pull from; instead, they deliver direct answers, posing a new kind of threat to Google’s search empire.

yelp-v-google
🧠 EVs Are the Future, Just Not as Soon as We Thought

EV sales are up, just not as quickly as expected, but growth remains steady. Look, you know I have my issues with charging networks, but after nearly a year of driving an electric car, I can confidently say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Range anxiety, especially during the last mile when traveling, continues to be a challenge. But for day-to-day commuting, it’s the best type of car you could choose—assuming you have the infrastructure at home to support a charger. When I hop in my car for a meeting, it’s charged to the recommended 80% (I only max out at 100% if I’m planning a long drive), and even on round trips from Baltimore to DC and back, I’ve never felt the need to stop and charge.

If we’re talking about real car anxiety—I don’t miss the days of coming home late with less than a quarter tank of gas, only to wake up rushing to a meeting and needing to stop at a gas station on the way. An electric car at home is like waking up every morning with a gas station in your house that filled your car overnight.

The transition may take longer than we thought, and maybe hybrids will help people ease into the shift, but I have no doubt EVs are the future. I just hope these lousy charging networks get their act together and more people adopt EVs, helping solve the last mile problem that adoption will ultimately fix.

The EV evolution is going to take longer than we thought
Things are likely to remain volatile and unpredictable. And that’s okay.
🧠 Can We Even Trust Disses in Songs Anymore?

First, Drake used AI to add a voice clone of Snoop Dogg to a track, and now Grimes, Elon Musk’s ex and mother of his child, was impersonated to create a diss track—all with AI. It’s wild when you realize that even the disses in songs might not be real anymore!

AI-Generated Grimes Song Dissing Elon Musk Fools Newsweek
A former Vine star has used Grimes’ AI to diss her famous ex and highlight the pitfalls of the burgeoning technology.
📺 What is a Photo?
📰 Issue #59: What is a Photo?

Howdy👋🏾. The power of AI has blurred the lines between reality and make-believe in ways that many are unprepared for. One glaring example is the rise of deepfakes—advanced technology that can create lifelike but entirely fabricated audio and video content. We’ve already seen this tech rear its head in the current Presidential election, with fake […]
🧠 Over Half of Fortune 500s List AI as a Threat

According to Arize, over 56% of Fortune 500 companies now list AI as a risk factor in their annual reports to the SEC.

The risk is undeniable—generative AI will be one of the most transformative revolutions we’ve ever witnessed, and companies that are slow to adapt could face substantial losses.

This reminds me of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s quote: ‘While some worry that AI may take their jobs, someone who’s an expert with AI will.’ As I often say when discussing the role of the CAIO, the same principle applies to business: the companies that succeed will be those who learn to deeply understand and leverage AI.

More companies are disclosing potential AI risk to investors – Marketplace
According to an Arize AI report, 92% of media and entertainment companies in the Fortune 500 mentioned AI as a material risk.
🧠 Don’t Connect Your TV to the Internet

It’s no secret that companies like Vizio have long subsidized the cost of their TVs by selling data about what you watch.

As Vizio increasingly subsidized the cost of the TV with other revenue sources its made it harder and harder for other brands to compete, forcing them to follow suit. Now the practice of monetizing user data is becoming the norm with many top manufacturers joining the trend by injecting ads and, in some cases, overlaying them on top of your content.

While this strategy might reduce the upfront cost of a TV, many manufacturers know that customers dislike these features and often obscure them in settings. Even those convenient buttons for streaming apps on your remote, or the apps pre-installed on your TV, result from licensing deals that are more about revenue than user convenience.

The evolution of the smart TV is not just about advancing technology but also about finding ways to monetize a product with traditionally low margins long after the initial sale.

Here’s my rule: avoid buying a smart TV if possible, which is increasingly difficult. If you do end up with one, resist connecting it to the Internet. Opt instead for an external device like a Google TV or Apple TV, which generally offer a cleaner experiences. Oh, and avoid Roku (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/30/24145177/roku-home-screen-video-ads)!

Your TV set has become a digital billboard. And it’s only getting worse.
TV software is getting loaded with ads, changing what it means to own a TV set.
🧠 Epic Game Store Launches in the EU

The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is finally paving the way for competing app stores. Available exclusively in EU countries, residents can now download the Epic Game Store. You might recall, particularly in the US, that Epic introduced changes to Fortnite to circumvent app store rules, leading to its ban from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Epic took legal action against Apple and Google, claiming their app stores operated as monopolies. While Apple mostly prevailed in its legal battle, Google lost, yet little has shifted in the US market, leaving Fortnite still largely inaccessible on iOS and iPadOS devices.

With this new launch, Fortnite makes a comeback in the EU. For a glimpse into what it takes to install a new marketplace and what the Epic Store offers, check out the video below.
📰 Issue #58: AI is Front and Center at Google’s Pixel Event

Howdy👋🏾. Before we dive in, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the Thoughts on Tech & Things monthly speaker series in partnership with Southern University of New Orleans’s Small Business Incubator program. Designed to teach small business owners and individuals how to use AI, these sessions will cover a range of AI-related topics, kicking […]
🧠 Exploring Yelp’s Response to Google’s Monopoly Status

Yelp’s CEO, Jeremy Stoppelman, recently weighed in on Google’s long-standing monopoly, highlighting the distinction between general and vertical search engines. Yelp, for instance, specializes as a vertical search engine, focusing narrowly on areas like restaurant reviews and local businesses, unlike Google’s broad scope.

Back in 2011, Google acquired Zagat, a strategic move that showcased its intention to dominate not just general search but also specific verticals such as restaurant reviews. This acquisition was part of Google’s broader strategy to keep users within its ecosystem by providing extensive information directly on its properties. For example, Google’s “zero-search” approach enables users to see restaurant menus, reviews, and other details directly on Google, reducing the need to visit vertical search engines like Yelp or the actual restaurant websites.

With the rise of AI-driven search tools like OpenAI’s SearchGPT and PerplexityAI, which aim to directly answer users’ queries, traditional search engines like Google could face real competition. This shifts the landscape for specialized platforms like Yelp. Should Yelp build higher walls around its content and profit from licensing its data, much like it does with Apple Maps?

A watershed decision for fair competition, innovation, and consumer choice
This week marks a historic turning point in the fight for fair competition. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta’s landmark decision in U.S. v. Google has unequivocally found that Google willfully used illegal means to maintain its monopoly in the general search market.
🧠 🚀 Stranded in Space

Are any of you following the unfolding space drama? I’m wondering whether the astronauts on the space station will return on a Boeing craft or if SpaceX will be called in for a mic drop pickup. What started as a mission as brief as Gilligan’s Island’s “three-hour tour” has spiraled into potential year-long stranding. Boeing sunk $1.6 billion into this spacecraft, and it’s shocking to think their tech might be as underwhelming as a ship controlled by a Logitech joystick (Infamous $30 Logitech F710 called out in $50M lawsuit over Titan sub implosion).

What are your thoughts? Should they take Boeing’s Starliner, or will SpaceX need to step in and save the day?

Starliner issues throw a wrench in NASA’s crew rotation plans
NASA‘s mood toward’s the safety of returning Boeing‘s Crewed Flight Test crew back on Starliner has switched from steadfast support…
🧠 Will Battery Tech Ease Range Anxiety?

One silver lining for future EV owners is the rapid advancement in battery technology. I own a Tesla Model 3 with a lower range, and for my daily commuting and city errands, it provides more than enough charge.

Where range anxiety kicks in is on longer trips. Sadly, as noted in my earlier post, America’s charging infrastructure is still not quite there. But imagine this: future EVs with these new batteries could boost ranges to 600-900 miles. You could drive from Charlotte, NC, to New Orleans (about 700 miles) without needing to recharge.

Of course, these long-range capabilities will be available in premium models, but as technology progresses, each new generation of EVs will benefit from these advancements. This battery trickle-down effect ensures continual improvements across the market – and over the next decade battery tech could kill range anxiety.

Samsung to Mass-Produce Solid-State Batteries for ‘Super Premium’ EVs by 2027
Multiple automakers have been testing product samples, bringing them closer to hitting the market. But like most new technologies, they won’t be cheap.
🧠 Guess what? EV Charging Still Sucks

I keep hoping for better news, but Tesla’s Supercharger network remains the gold standard, which is concerning considering their recent decision to lay off the entire Supercharger division.

Earlier this year, I rented an EV in New Orleans and had a frustrating experience. The nearest charger was at least 20 minutes away, and none of the downtown hotels seemed to offer charging. Even in areas with great charging infrastructure, the inability to charge at your destination can be a significant inconvenience, and it’s especially challenging in rural and southern regions, where options are even scarcer.

The move to EV is clearly a transition, not an overnight revolution. However, the persistent narrative of unreliable charging networks stokes fear and hesitation with potential buyers. Sometimes it feels like sabotage that no other company can provide a reliable, large-scale charging network at par with Tesla.

An analysis of 20,000 EV stations concludes that charging is still a massive bummer
There might be more broken chargers than the apps say.
🧠 Is CrowdStrike’s Mishap A Blow for Test Driven Development Enthusiasts?

TDD, or Test Driven Development, is a coding practice where tests are written before the actual code. It’s designed to validate functionality and improve code quality. However, a deep dive into the recent CrowdStrike incident reveals potential weaknesses in this approach.

A critical error was outlined in their analysis:

“The new IPC Template Type defined 21 input parameter fields, but the integration code that invoked the Content Interpreter with Channel File 291’s Template Instances supplied only 20 input values to match against.”

Also, on July 19, 2024:

“Two additional IPC Template Instances were deployed, introducing a non-wildcard matching criterion for the 21st input parameter. These new Template Instances resulted in a version of Channel File 291 that required the sensor to inspect the 21st input parameter—a condition not met by previous versions.”

Essentially, the test expected 21 parameters, and always filled in the 21st parameter, even if one was not provided. This allowed the test to pass, but when only 20 were delivered, the app failed leading to a null reference for the missing 21st parameter. This highlights a oversight in the testing process where the test did not accommodate real-world application changes.

While TDD and unit testing are valuable, they are not foolproof. I find development teams often write poorly designed tests sometimes with the goal of meeting a quote on code coverage, or with the idea that they can update the test later. This incident serves as a reminder that quality in testing should never be sacrificed for coverage metrics.

Do you employ TDD in your projects? What has been your experience with balancing test quality and coverage?’

https://www.crowdstrike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Channel-File-291-Incident-Root-Cause-Analysis-08.06.2024.pdf
📰 Issue #57: Google’s Legal Challenges Could Reshape the Tech Landscape

Howdy👋🏾. It’s official: Google has been ruled a monopoly and found to have violated antitrust rules by acting to prevent competition. The facts are clear: Google accounts for 90% of all internet searches, with its closest competitor, Microsoft Bing, at just 6%. Although Google will likely appeal, we can expect a court decision on remedies […]
🧠 Is Meta Building A Celebrity Voice Assistant?

Meta is reportedly in discussions with several celebrities about licensing their voices for upcoming AI projects. The buzz is that they’re aiming to launch a voice assistant like Siri or Google Assistant, but allow users to choose from a list of celebrity’s voices.

This concept isn’t entirely new. Remember Waze and its popular feature allowing users to select celebrity voices for navigation? However, it raises questions about the potential restrictions such licensing deals might impose on the assistant’s dialogue capabilities. Could celebrity-endorsed voices limit what your AI can say?

The Morning After: Meta is reportedly offering millions to get Hollywood voices into its AI projects
The biggest news stories this morning: OpenAI is looking into text watermarking for ChatGPT, which could expose cheating students, Nintendo profits fall 55 percent as people save their cash for the Switch 2.
🧠 Microsoft lists OpenAI as a competitor

In a shift, Microsoft has officially listed OpenAI as a competitor in its latest SEC filing. As the two giants roll out increasingly overlapping products—from ChatGPT versus CoPilot to Bing versus SearchGPT—the dynamics of their relationship seem to be evolving. The addition of a new CEO to Microsoft’s AI division only adds to it.

This might also be seen as a strategic move to placate regulatory concerns from the FTC, which has expressed concerns about the closeness of their partnership. It begs the question: are Microsoft and OpenAI partners, competitors, or perhaps something in between—frenemies?

Microsoft says OpenAI is now a competitor in AI and search
What once was a strategic, long-term partnership between the world’s biggest software company and an AI startup has morphed into something more complicated.