The signs that AI could lead to mass job displacement are already piling up: entry-level job postings in the U.S. have sunk 35% since 2023, mass layoffs have swept across Big Tech, and even AI leaders themselves are warning about what’s coming. 

Backstage at the Axios AI Summit in Washington on Wednesday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said a venture capitalist recently told him he’s writing software investments down to zero in large part due to the strides of Anthropic’s Claude, and a major law firm told him it’s not hiring first-year associates because AI can now handle much of the work once assigned to junior lawyers.

Warner says the fear of AI-related job loss is “palpable,” even as data from one AI company suggests AI hasn’t yet started taking jobs. As those fears grow, they’re bleeding over into a different fight, which is who should foot the bill.

Warner has a proposal: tax the data centers powering the AI boom and use that revenue to help workers through the transition. He hasn’t introduced legislation yet, but the idea is gaining urgency as public anger toward AI and data centers grows.

Across the U.S., there’s been pushback on data centers, including a bill on Wednesday introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), calling for a data center moratorium. The loudest concerns are about noise, pollution, and rising electricity costs. But there’s a bubbling resentment underneath those concerns, a resistance to suffering the potential ill effects of having a data center in your backyard that powers the technology some fear will replace workers. 

Warner doesn’t plan to support his colleagues’ bill. On stage at the event, he said: “A data center moratorium simply means China is gonna move quicker, and this is one where we can’t lose.”

There’s no stuffing the genie back into the bottle when it comes to AI and data centers, he added. And while Warner believes in strict requirements that ensure data centers don’t pass their water and power costs to residents, he told TechCrunch he thinks there’s another way for communities to extract their “pound of flesh” in a way that addresses the underlying job loss fears. 

“I’ve thought for a long time there’s an obligation from the industry to help figure this out and help pay for it, but one of the questions I was asking was, Who should pay?” Warner told TechCrunch. “Should it be the chip makers, Jensen [Huang, Nvidia’s CEO]? Should it be the large language model companies? Should it be the Goldman Sachs of the world who are using these tools to cut back on a number of first-year associates?”

Ultimately, he said, he thinks the “easiest place to extract the pound of flesh is probably going to be from the data centers.”

That could look like putting data center tax revenue toward training for new nurses or funding AI upskilling programs — so long as there’s a “tangible benefit to communities” as they navigate this economic transition AI companies have foisted on them. 

Warner sees it as a way to balance the need to build data centers with some obligation to the communities bearing their costs

The idea is not without precedent. Warner pointed to Henrico County, Virginia which used the tax revenue from a local data center to kickstart a new affordable housing project.  

Finding a way to connect data centers to a tangible benefit to the community will be essential, he says, because otherwise, “the pitchforks are coming out.”

The public mood suggests he could be on to something. According to a recent NBC News poll, AI has a lower public approval rating than Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with 46% of registered voters viewing AI negatively compared to only 26% viewing it positively. In Virginia, that is playing out in a proposal to repeal the state’s tax breaks for data center buildouts, which cost the state and localities nearly $2 billion a year in lost tax revenue in one of the world’s largest data center markets. Warner says other states might follow suit. 

AI and data centers, he said, are “easy to demonize.”

Harvey’s platform uses AI agents to reduce manual effort for lawyers by running complete workflows for high-volume and increasingly complex tasks.

AI legal-tech start-up Harvey has raised $200m at a valuation of $11bn.

The new funds will be used to further develop the company’s AI agents for legal firms and in-house legal departments, and grow the engineering teams that support them.

The funding round was co-led by returning investors GIC and Sequoia, with participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Conviction Partners, Elad Gil, Evantic and Kleiner Perkins.

Harvey’s platform uses AI agents to reduce manual effort for lawyers by running complete workflows for high-volume and increasingly complex tasks, according to the company, which has now raised more than $1bn to date.

“AI isn’t just assisting lawyers. It’s becoming the system through which legal work gets done,” said Winston Weinberg, CEO and co-founder of Harvey.

“The law firms and in-house teams leading the way are building agents that execute complex workflows so lawyers can focus on judgement, strategy and outcomes.”

The company said it runs more than 25,000 custom agents executing work in fields such as contracts, compliance, litigation, due diligence, and mergers and acquisitions.

“Harvey has become the platform on which legal work runs,” said Pat Grady, partner at Sequoia.

“More than 100,000 lawyers around the world run their most critical work on Harvey, and we believe it’s positioned to become one of the most important companies of the next decade.”

Harvey was founded in 2022 and is based in San Francisco. It claims more than 1,300 customers – including “global law firms and Fortune 500 enterprises” – in more than 60 countries around the world.

In January, Harvey began hiring for roles at a new Dublin office. At the end of last year, the company was valued at $8bn.

The legal-tech start-up sector is a lively one at the moment.

Two weeks ago, Swedish player Legora announced a Series D raise of $550m, bringing the company’s valuation to $5.55bn.

Last November, Canadian company Clio closed a $500m Series G funding round, taking it to a $5bn valuation, and also unveiled its plans for an office in Dublin.

Norwegian software company Newcode will also open a Dublin office after raising more than $6.5m this week, adding to its existing locations in the US and Europe.

And last November, Ireland and UK-based company TrialView secured $4.1m in a growth funding round led by Elkstone Ventures.

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Just this week, Meta was found to be enabling social media addiction, and endangering children on its platforms.

Meta has begun laying off several hundred employees globally, as the company continues to redirect priorities towards AI.

Some news publications have placed the total number of layoffs globally at 700. According to reports, affected departments include Reality Labs, Facebook, global operations, recruiting and sales.

The tech giant employs nearly 79,000 globally, with around 1,800 in Ireland spread across 80 teams. SiliconRepublic.com understands that around 15 jobs were impacted in Ireland, with no roles in Reality Labs affected – which, The Information reports, is expected to be hit hard globally.

“Teams across Meta regularly restructure or implement changes to ensure they’re in the best position to achieve their goals,” a Meta spokesperson told SiliconRepublic.com. “Where possible, we are finding other opportunities for employees whose positions may be impacted.”

Meanwhile, as the company lays off hundreds, a stock option for its key leaders announced on 24 March could see some of them increase their compensation by more than $900m over the next five years.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Meta was planning to cut 20pc or more of the company’s global workforce. Meta called this a “speculative report about theoretical approaches.” It is understood that the latest organisational changes are unrelated to Reuters’ story.

Reports from January 2026 suggested that Meta could cut 10pc of its Reality Labs division, which employs roughly 15,000. In December, it was speculated that the company would be reducing the budget and cutting staff in its ‘metaverse’ sections.

The layoffs highlight a strong shift in how Big Tech companies are approaching work and productivity. In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that 2026 might be the year “AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work.

“We’re starting to see projects that used to require big teams now be accomplished by a single very talented person,” he said.

Meta’s not alone in this – Atlassian, Amazon and Block have all laid off thousands in recent months as slimmer teams and AI tools take the industry by storm. Oracle could also cut thousands of jobs to funnel funds into its AI data centre expansion efforts.

The Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook parent lost two landmark lawsuits this past week, with critics hailing this as Big Tech’s ‘Big Tobacco moment’.

Earlier this week, a New Mexico jury found that Meta endangered children by misleading users about the safety of its platforms, while yesterday, a Los Angeles jury found that Instagram and YouTube design their platforms to addict young users.

However, the $1.5trn company is only facing penalties of less than $380m for both the lawsuits combined.

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Sony seems to have moved on from the PlayStation Vita, but its influence clearly hasn’t gone anywhere.

Anbernic has just unveiled the new RG Vita and RG Vite Pro, which are two handheld gaming consoles that feature a design inspired by the PS Vita. From the wide layout to the button placement and overall aesthetic, these pay homage to Sony’s last true portable console.

But these aren’t a one-on-one copy, and rather serve as a modern take on the Vita idea.

Everything you need to know about the Vitas

The lineup consists of two variants, namely the RG Vita and RG Vita Pro.

The standard Vita is a more affordable option that featurse a 5.46-inch IPS display with 720p resolution, powered by a Unisoc T618 chipset, paired with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. On the other hand, the RG Vita Pro steps things with a slightly taller 1080p IPS display, a more capable Rockchip RK3576 processor, 4GB RAM, and the same expandable storage support via microSD.

Both models are powered by a 5,000mAh batteries that promise to offer several hours of gameplay.

Built for retro, but doesn’t stick to the past

Anbernic’s new RG Vita series is a throwback to a great age in game, but it isn’t just about nostalgia.

The consoles supports Android (and Linux on the Pro), which allows it to run Android games and the emulators for consoles like PS2, PSP, GameCube, and more. So it is a lot more versatile than its original inspiration. Anbernic is even adding modern touches like WiFi, Bluetooth, USB-C output, and even AI-based features like real-time translate and in-game assistance tools.

That said, this isn’t aiming to be a true successor to the PS Vita. Performane is aimed more at emulation and casual Android gaming rather than running modern AAA titles.

Anbernic has yet to confirm the official pricing, but the devices are expected to land in the budget to mid-range handheld category.

Sony wants to use your phone as a secondary input for a PlayStation controller, and it might actually change how we play games. 

Gaming controllers have come a long way, but let’s be honest, they haven’t changed that much at all. Sure, we got haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and TMR sensors, but the core design and gameplay have remained the same for decades. Sony might be about to change that, and the solution is your phone.

As reported by CheatHappens, a newly discovered Sony patent describes a hybrid input system that attaches your smartphone to a PlayStation controller using a magnetic attachment unit. 

The phone essentially becomes a second controller, giving developers access to its cameras, gyroscope, touchscreen, and other sensors to create entirely new gameplay experiences.

What’s the need for this patent?

The patent makes an interesting argument. Traditional controllers are excellent for certain game genres, such as racing titles, where physical buttons and triggers shine, but they’re not ideal for first-person shooters.

By mounting a phone onto the controller, developers get access to a much wider variety of inputs, making the hybrid system more versatile across all game genres.

The possibilities are exciting. Developers could use the phone’s camera for in-game avatar customization, leverage motion sensors for spatial awareness, or display extra gameplay data directly on the phone.

Is this just a concept or could it become a reality?

That’s the big question. Sony has filed several unconventional patents in recent years, and most of them haven’t seen the next stage. It’s not just Sony; on average, only 2–5% of patents that are filed actually materialize into a real product, so the probabilities are not in favor. 

However, this patent has several advantages that could help it reach the market. It doesn’t require new hardware, the attachment mechanism should be straightforward, and the potential benefits for gamers are real. 

If Sony can make this work, it could genuinely add more depth to console gaming without asking players to buy an extra accessory.

One might think that [Da_Rius]’s mostly 3D printed wire stripper would count its insulation-shearing blades among the small number of metal parts required, but that turns out to not be the case. The blades are actually printed in PLA, seem to work just fine for this purpose. (We imagine they need somewhat frequent replacement, but still.)

Proper wire strippers are one of the most useful tools for a budding electronics enthusiast, because stripping hookup wire is a common task and purpose-built strippers make for quick and consistent results.

As far as tools go they are neither particularly expensive nor difficult to source, but making one’s own has a certain appeal to it. The process of assembling the tool is doubtless a rewarding one, and it looks like it results in a pretty good conversation starter if nothing else.

As mentioned, the tool is mostly 3D printed and does require some metal parts: fasteners, heat-set inserts, and a couple springs. Metal nuts and heat-set inserts are easy enough to obtain, but springs of particular size and shape are a bit trickier.

It is perfectly possible to make custom springs, and as it happens [Da_Rius] already has that covered with a separate project for using a hex key and printed jig to make exactly the right shapes and sizes from pre-tempered spring wire.

Mate Rimac, the founder of Croatian electric vehicle maker Rimac Group, started working on electric robotaxis seven years ago. Now, part of his vision is coming to fruition through a strategic partnership between Uber, Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai, and his own robotaxi startup Verne.

The three companies announced plans Thursday to launch a commercial robotaxi service in Europe, starting in Zagreb, Croatia. Pony.ai will supply the autonomous driving system and a robotaxi called the Arcfox Alpha T5 that was developed with Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne will own and operate the fleet, and Uber will provide its vast ride-hailing network.

The ride-hailing giant also indicated it intends to invest an undisclosed amount into Verne and support future expansion as a strategic partner.

The companies didn’t provide a specific launch date for the commercial service, though on-road testing in Zagreb — where Rimac Group is based — is already underway.

Verne doesn’t have the same name recognition as Waymo or Tesla — at least not in the United States. But it has the same outsized ambitions.

Verne started in 2019 as a project called Project 3 Mobility (or P3) within Rimac Group, a growing ecosystem of companies that includes hypercar maker Rimac Bugatti, Rimac Energy, and Rimac Technology. Mate Rimac holds a 23% stake in the group.

There were occasional updates about the project, but it wasn’t until July 2024 — when Verne launched with 100 million euros in funding — that the public got a more detailed look at its plans.

Rimac’s vision has always been for Verne to operate an urban robotaxi service with purpose-built two-seater electric vehicles. That might sound like an odd mission for the person behind the Nevera, an electric hypercar that starts around $2.2 million. But as he explained to this reporter a couple of years ago, Rimac was never interested in making a high-volume EV that humans would drive — precisely because he believes that autonomous vehicle technology will make that business obsolete.

“It will take a while, but it’s coming; I’m sure about that,” he’d told me at the time.

Verne isn’t developing its own self-driving system. Instead, the company is focused on the urban electric vehicle, the ride-hailing app, and the back-end infrastructure to manage the fleet, including cleaning and maintenance.

Verne plans to produce its robotaxi EVs at a new factory in Lučko, Croatia, expected to begin operations later this year.

Verne hasn’t launched the two seaters yet, nor did it provide an update on the vehicles in its announcement with Uber and Pony.ai. The company said in November that it had produced and tested 60 verification prototypes.

For now, the Verne robotaxi service will use the Pony.ai-BAIC vehicle, the Arcfox Alpha T5. Users will be able to hail one via Uber as well as through Verne’s own app.

Verne is starting small with its commercial launch, but it has plans to scale to a “fleet of thousands of robotaxis over the next few years,” according to Thursday’s announcement. And its aspirations go far beyond the borders of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia and home to Rimac Group.

“Europe needs autonomous mobility that can move from testing to a real service,” said Verne CEO Marko Pejkovic, in a statement. “At Verne, we are bringing together the technology, platform, and operational capabilities required to make this a reality, starting in Zagreb before expanding to new markets.”

from the ruh-roh dept

It’s somewhat stunning to realize that the United States has been operating with Surgeon Generals that are merely “acting” in the role or “performing the duties of” since January 20th of 2025. The last Senate-confirmed SG was Dr. Vivek Murthy. The current nominee from the Trump/Kennedy team is Dr. Casey Means. This nomination has been languishing since May of last year. There has been plenty of pushback on her, due largely to her current profession as “wellness influencer” and the fact that she didn’t complete her residency and doesn’t have a license to practice in any of our 50 states.

She recently went before the Senate for her confirmation hearing and it, um, didn’t go all that well. As a result, it appears her nomination is very much in trouble. There are several GOP senators who are publicly expressing doubts about her, perhaps none more important then Bill Cassidy.

Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) all expressed concern in a confirmation hearing last month about her potential role and appear to remain doubtful. Just one of those senators may be enough to block her nomination from advancing beyond the Senate Health Committee.

Afterward, Senators Collins and Murkowski both said they still had questions. Murkowski also said she had “strong reservations” about Means’ nomination and that, as of last week, that opinion hadn’t changed, according to the Post.

So why did the confirmation hearing go so poorly? For some reasons you’d expect, and some you probably didn’t. Means mostly ducked questions about vaccines, giving interested senators no idea where she actually lands on the issue. There were also perfectly reasonable questions about her qualifications, given that she is not currently a practicing doctor of any kind. In her influencer career, she has mirrored much of what RFK Jr. has claimed about diet and exercise being the cure to most health issues, all while hocking your stereotypical supplements and magic potions.

But then there are the drugs and the lunar-worship.

A book that she co-authored with her brother, titled Good Energy, considered by some to be the “MAHA bible,” contains a chapter titled, “Trust Yourself, Not Your Doctor.” She has also drawn criticism for writing about taking magic mushrooms, consulting a “spiritual medium,” and participating in “full moon ceremonies.”

I won’t say I’m against the use of psychedelics generally, but I typically don’t love hearing about how great they are from my doctor.

As we’ve talked about before, it has become very clear that Kennedy simply lied a whole bunch in his own confirmation hearings as to what he would do as Secretary at HHS, particularly when it comes to vaccines. The thing about lying to people like Bill Cassidy, though, is now Kennedy needs him to confirm his hand-picked ally for Surgeon General.

And unless Cassidy is far stupider than I think he is, you have to believe he isn’t going to let Lucy pull the football away at the last moment for a second time.

Filed Under: bill cassidy, casey means, lisa murkowski, rfk jr., surgeon general, susan collins, thom tillis