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Elon Musk says XAI acquired X

Avery Winslow
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Elon Musk says XAI acquired X

Elon Musk’s AI Startup Acquires Twitter in All-Stock Deal

Musk Announces Acquisition of Twitter

Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, has acquired his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock deal, he announced in a post on X Friday. "xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction," Musk said. "The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt)."

Combining Data, Models, Compute, Distribution, and Talent

Musk went on to describe the two companies’ futures as "intertwined." He added, "Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution, and talent."

Acquisition Places X Under xAI’s Umbrella

The acquisition places X — the highly influential social media platform Musk purchased in 2022 under its former name, Twitter — firmly under the umbrella of Musk’s AI startup, which he founded in 2023 to compete with OpenAI. While xAI’s products, including its AI chatbot Grok, were tightly integrated into the X platform before this deal, Friday’s acquisition further combines two of Musk’s most high-profile companies.

Valuation of X

Musk notes in his post that this deal values X at $33 billion (lowered from an enterprise value of $45 billion due to the company’s $12 billion in debt). Musk originally purchased X for $44 billion in October 2022 and took it private. However, the valuation has swung dramatically in recent years. At one point, Fidelity valued X at less than $10 billion.

Musk’s Ambitions for xAI

Musk launched xAI in 2023 and has since beefed up the startup with industry-leading AI researchers from Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and OpenAI, and built out the massive AI data centers needed to catch up with other frontier AI developers. To fuel these efforts, Musk has gone on a historic fundraising campaign, including a $6 billion funding round in December that valued the startup at $45 billion. According to Musk, xAI’s valuation is now even higher, at $80 billion.

xAI’s Successes and Challenges

xAI has largely been successful in its mad dash to catch up with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. In February, the startup released Grok 3, a frontier AI model that’s competitive with the industry’s leading AI models on benchmarks measuring math, science, and coding. However, xAI’s successes have not stopped Musk from meddling with OpenAI, a startup he co-founded with Sam Altman. Musk is currently trying to thwart OpenAI’s for-profit transition — which it needs to complete to secure future funding — in more ways than one.

Advantages of xAI’s Acquisition of X

One of the major advantages that xAI has over OpenAI and other startups is its access to X. The large body of posts that X has accumulated over the years gives xAI a significant advantage in the race for AI training data. Further, X gives Musk’s AI startup a huge consumer app to reach users in.

Conclusion

The acquisition of X by xAI is a significant move that blurs the lines between Musk’s many companies, highlighting the importance of X in advancing Musk’s broader AI ambitions. As xAI continues to grow and evolve, it will be interesting to see how it leverages the resources and data of X to drive its own success.

FAQs

Q: What is xAI?
A: xAI is Elon Musk’s AI startup, founded in 2023 to compete with OpenAI.

Q: What is the valuation of xAI after the acquisition?
A: The valuation of xAI is now $80 billion, according to Elon Musk.

Q: What is the valuation of X after the acquisition?
A: The valuation of X is now $33 billion, according to Elon Musk.

Q: Why did xAI acquire X?
A: xAI acquired X to combine their data, models, compute, distribution, and talent, and to leverage X’s large body of posts to drive its own success.

Boosting AI Code Generation with NVIDIA AgentIQ

Jordan Waverly
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Boosting AI Code Generation with NVIDIA AgentIQ

How to Build an AI Code Generation Agent in NVIDIA AgentIQ

Why Build Coding Agents with AgentIQ

Large Language Models (LLMs) excel at coding tasks but are limited to a chat interface, lacking autonomy and integration with the real world. In contrast, AI agents, powered by these LLMs, are designed to accomplish real-world goals. They often interact with their environment using tools, memory, and planning to execute tasks such as file editing, code execution, or information search.

AI Agent Design Considerations

AI agents are one example of scaling inference-time computation for improving AI performance. To build an agent or multi-agent system, you must balance flexibility against structure.

Ease of AI Agent Development with AgentIQ

Evaluation, deployment, and optimization are a few common challenges developers can resolve with AgentIQ. The following table summarizes some of the features and benefits of AgentIQ.

Tutorial Prerequisites

You need the following setup:

  • Clone the NVIDIA/AgentIQ GitHub repo
  • Install the AgentIQ library
  • Create a new project template using the AIQ scaffold command

How to Build an AI Code Generation Agent in NVIDIA AgentIQ

In this post, we guide you through integrating AI agents and reasoning models to create an AI code-generation agent in AgentIQ. We build the core agent using LangGraph, integrate a sandbox code execution tool for safety and control, and enhance error correction with DeepSeek-r1. Lastly, we show how the agent can be integrated into a larger system using a supervisor agent.

Set up the project scaffold

First, clone the NVIDIA/AgentIQ GitHub repo. Follow the instructions in the README to install the AgentIQ library. Now create a new project template using the AIQ scaffold command.

Code Generation Agent Example

The input to the code generation agent is a problem statement, code to fix, and unit tests. The agent follows a simple process:

  1. Use a code LLM for code generation to create a git patch that resolves the issue.
  2. Run the updated code against the unit tests in a safe code execution sandbox.
  3. If the test fails, a reasoning model will suggest changes based on the output.
  4. Steps 1-3 repeat until either the generated code passes the desired unit tests, or the maximum number of iterations is exceeded.

Update the Configuration File

The configuration file in AgentIQ defines the entire workflow. By updating the configuration file, such as adding tools (functions), swapping LLMs, or changing other components, agentic workflows can be rapidly developed and iterated on.

Conclusion

Code generation problems are excellent candidates for test-time compute scaling because it’s possible to identify when a solution is correct. For example, a test-driven development agent can iterate on proposed solutions, with the number of iterations limited only by a compute budget. Reasoning LLMs such as DeepSeek’s R1 model provide reflections that can accurately guide a code generation model through a debugging process. Agentic tool use, memory, and planning can be integrated to improve the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is AgentIQ?
A: AgentIQ is an open-source library for connecting and optimizing teams of AI agents.

Q: What are the benefits of using AgentIQ?
A: AgentIQ provides features such as inclusive agent framework, common specification, evaluation, deployment, and optimization.

Q: How do I get started with AgentIQ?
A: You can start by cloning the NVIDIA/AgentIQ GitHub repo and following the instructions in the README to install the AgentIQ library.

Q: What are the system requirements for running AgentIQ?
A: The system requirements for running AgentIQ are not specified in this article. For more information, please refer to the NVIDIA AgentIQ documentation or GitHub repo.

Judge Temporarily Saves the CFPB

Avery Winslow
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Judge Temporarily Saves the CFPB

Court Halts Trump Administration’s Efforts to Disband Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Preliminary Injunction Sides with Workers’ Union and Consumer Groups

A court took action on Friday to keep the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) while its court case plays out.

Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction to Save CFPB

Judge Amy Berman Jackson granted a preliminary injunction to save the CFPB from being further gutted while she decides whether the Trump administration has the legal authority to dismantle it in the first place. "Absent an injunction freezing the status quo – preserving the agency’s data, its operational capacity, and its workforce – there is a substantial risk that the defendants will complete the destruction of the agency completely in violation of law well before the Court can rule on the merits, and it will be impossible to rebuild," Jackson writes.

A Significant Win for Federal Workers’ Union and Consumer Groups

The ruling is a significant win for the federal workers’ union and groups that rely on the CFPB’s work that filed the complaint, alleging that the Trump administration is violating the separation of powers under the Constitution by trying to eliminate an agency established by Congress. They’ve warned that the efforts to wind down the agency have already left many consumers without sufficient recourse for their complaints about financial services.

CFPB’s Work Crucial in Regulating Tech Companies

In recent years, the CFPB has increasingly become a check on the technology industry as tech companies grew into the financial services space. For example, Elon Musk’s X purports to eventually become a payments service.

DOGE’s Involvement in CFPB Raises Concerns

But as DOGE got involved at the agency, according to reporting and testimony presented before the judge, the CFPB terminated technologists — who would, obviously, be necessary staff when regulating tech companies — and placed much of its workforce on administrative leave. After CFPB Acting Director Russell Vought told agency staff on February 10th to "stand down from performing any work task," workers testified they followed that order literally.

Judge Condemns Government’s Arguments

The judge says she was "left with little confidence that the defense can be trusted to tell the truth about anything," saying that the government’s arguments that CFPB workers were back to work have "been shown to be unreliable and inconsistent with the agency’s own contemporaneous records." She also condemned an "eleventh hour attempt to suggest immediately before the hearing that the stop work order was not really a stop work order at all."

CFPB Can Get Back to Work

Essentially, the CFPB can — for now — get back to work. The judge orders the Trump administration to reinstate all probationary and term employees terminated since February 10th, carry out no further terminations without cause or issue any RIF notice, lift the administrative leave requirements and stop-work order, and let employees either return to an office or work remotely. She also requires that the government maintain CFPB data and records, and rescind contract termination notices sent since February 11th.

Workers’ Union Celebrates, but Remains Cautious

Workers are cautiously celebrating. "While we are thrilled and relieved at today’s outcome, union members are under no illusion that this is the end of Trump’s lawless attacks," CFPB Union President Cat Farman says in a statement. "Vought has already violated previous court orders by deleting data and failing to reinstate illegally fired workers. We can’t rely on judges alone to keep wannabe dictators in check. We need everyone to join the fight to save our services, unionize our workplaces, and create more good middle class jobs doing vital work that benefits working people instead of billionaires and Wall Street."

Conclusion

The preliminary injunction granted by Judge Amy Berman Jackson is a significant win for the federal workers’ union and consumer groups, as it temporarily halts the Trump administration’s efforts to disband the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling ensures that the CFPB can continue its work, at least for now, and that workers can return to their jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?
A: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a federal agency responsible for regulating and protecting consumers in the financial services space.

Q: Why is the Trump administration trying to disband the CFPB?
A: The Trump administration has alleged that the CFPB is an overreaching agency that is not necessary in today’s financial services landscape.

Q: What is the impact of the Trump administration’s efforts to disband the CFPB?
A: The efforts to disband the CFPB have already left many consumers without sufficient recourse for their complaints about financial services, and have raised concerns about the agency’s ability to regulate and protect consumers in the financial services space.

Q: What is the significance of the preliminary injunction granted by Judge Amy Berman Jackson?
A: The preliminary injunction is a significant win for the federal workers’ union and consumer groups, as it temporarily halts the Trump administration’s efforts to disband the CFPB and ensures that the agency can continue its work, at least for now.

Scaling Agentic AI: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Emerson Blake
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Scaling Agentic AI: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

The Rise of Agentic AI: A New Era of Automation

A New Level of Automation

Generative AI is starting to deliver promising but limited results. However, the IT industry is pushing full speed ahead to the next level of automation, agentic AI. Since AI can’t yet design, build, and deploy agents, it’s up to humans to learn to create and target these agents productively. But this development is going to take some time.

Scaling AI-Based Services

Recent research from consultant Accenture suggests that scaling AI-based services to achieve sustainable business value is a challenge, with only 13% of projects delivering significant results in this area. The Accenture study covered 3,400 executives and more than 2,000 client projects.

The Need for New Skills

The rapid evolution to agentic AI calls for a new type of talent trained in AI and model development, as well as business acumen. "Our work with leading clients on talent and skills substantiates this," said the report’s authors, led by Jack Azagury, group chief executive for consulting at Accenture.

The Skills Architecture

Talent readiness is one of the biggest barriers to scaling and unlocking value for companies, so a proper skills architecture is needed to win in the age of Gen AI. "Currently, organizations are spending three times more on technology rather than on people — this must change," Azagury said.

The Gap in Training

Most companies are not training people for the age of AI. While Accenture found 94% of workers want to learn about Gen AI, only 5% of companies provide training in this area. "That gap must be closed," he said. "One can invest in all the available Gen AI tools, but if your employees don’t know how or why to use them or put trust in them, the value will simply not be realized."

Types of AI Agents

Azagury said three types of AI agents require companies’ attention at this time:

  • Utility agents: "Perform routine, high-frequency tasks that enhance operational efficiency." Examples include a function in an autonomous vehicle or a dynamic pricing system.
  • Super agents: "Combine multiple functions, synthesizing data to drive strategic workflows." An example is a marketing agent that assembles data from relevant sources and determines the sequence of steps to execute a campaign or report.
  • Orchestrator agents: "Oversee end-to-end processes, breaking down silos and enabling seamless collaboration." An example is an agent that brings together multiple agents across different services, such as a production system that coordinates individual agents handling specific tasks, such as order supply, inventory, and scheduling.

Building and Deploying Agentic Architecture

Azagury said building and deploying agentic architecture requires a special breed of teamwork. This approach means assuming a "dual role of driving a step change in the software development lifecycle," he said. Technology professionals also need to ensure their organizations and employees "thrive using Gen AI overall."

Conclusion

The rise of agentic AI brings new challenges and opportunities for companies. To unlock the full potential of Gen AI, organizations must invest in upskilling their IT workforce with a methodical, skills-based, and structured talent strategy. This will require CEOs and other leaders to be brought up to speed on the implications of AI agents.

FAQs

Q: What is the main challenge in scaling AI-based services?
A: The main challenge is achieving sustainable business value, with only 13% of projects delivering significant results in this area.

Q: What are the three types of AI agents?
A: Utility agents, super agents, and orchestrator agents.

Q: What is the skills architecture required for the age of Gen AI?
A: A proper skills architecture is needed to win in the age of Gen AI, with a focus on AI and model development, as well as business acumen.

Q: What is the gap in training for Gen AI?
A: 94% of workers want to learn about Gen AI, but only 5% of companies provide training in this area.

Digitalize Your Warehouse in 2025

Taylor Marlowe
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Digitalize Your Warehouse in 2025

Agility in Retail and Consumer Goods Supply Chains

Of all the new opportunities and challenges supply chain leaders face in 2025, agility tops the list. To compete in today’s retail and consumer goods industries, supply chain leaders need to be responsive to consumer demand volatility, to adapt, and make faster business decisions.

Agility helps retail and consumer goods supply chains:

  • Quickly switch suppliers, develop more flexible sourcing strategies, and mitigate disruptions from potential tariffs
  • Adapt product offerings and pricing strategies to combat the lingering effects of inflation
  • Adopt more real-time demand forecasting tools and flexible warehousing solutions to keep up with shopping patterns
  • Augment human labor with automation to improve productivity and address labor shortages

Retail and consumer goods organizations that develop greater agility will catapult themselves forward by using insights from their supply chains as a critical enabler.

Nonetheless, many retailers’ supply chains struggle with agility because warehouse data is often still on-premises—and that’s holding them back from the latest technologies. Because data is central to all business processes, it’s data that either fuels or inhibits supply chain growth. Reliance on on-premises data and legacy systems likely inhibits supply chain growth because it:

  • Causes latency that slows decision-making since leaders lack access to real-time data and often rely on outdated snapshots of old data
  • Prevents visibility and collaboration since data is often fragmented and siloed
  • Limits scale because systems can’t efficiently process increased data volumes and fluctuating demand
  • Impedes flexibility when systems can’t adapt quickly to shifting market conditions and demand
  • Impairs adoption of new technologies and processes when existing platforms aren’t adaptable

The warehouse is the ideal starting place for increased digitalization because investments made at the warehouse create value that extends to other parts of the supply chain and enterprise.

Digitalizing the Warehouse

Digitalizing the warehouse enables operational excellence and innovation through:

  • Data-driven decision-making through real-time insights that help managers make more informed decisions and get teams unified around the same information so retailers can get ahead of demand
  • Reduced operating costs related to warehousing operations through enhanced efficiencies gained by automation and robotics—and improved warehouse throughput through layout optimization, labor efficiencies, and automation
  • Seamless integration throughout supply chain systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and warehouse management systems
  • More scalability, making it easier for retailers to handle seasonal demand fluctuations or rapid growth without disrupting operations

Helping Warehouse Managers Drive Operational Excellence with Agentic AI

The role of the warehouse manager is pivotal in the supply chain ecosystem, yet warehouse managers are overloaded with information from multiple sources, making it hard to parse what’s relevant and useful. Blue Yonder’s warehouse manager AI agent offers an easy-to-digest, interactive report designed to help warehouse managers stay up to date with the most important data and information.

Optimize Warehouse Design, Planning, and Operations with Simulation

Today’s customers expect retailers to have what they want and deliver it fast to their store or home. Warehouses are critical nodes in the supply chain where optimizations can improve growth and profitability. From receiving shipments to sorting, picking, and packaging, every step of warehouse operations is being modernized with AI that analyzes changes in the physical world.

Bend the Curve on Innovation by Digitalizing Your Warehouse in 2025

Improving agility gives retailers the ability to future-proof their business, flex and scale their operations, and be more responsive and adaptive to consumer demands. Supply chain leaders can achieve operational excellence and catapult themselves forward with generative AI, digital twins, and robotics.

Conclusion

Agility is key to competing in today’s retail and consumer goods industries. To achieve agility, supply chain leaders must be responsive to consumer demand volatility, adapt, and make faster business decisions. Digitalizing the warehouse is the ideal starting place for increased agility because investments made at the warehouse create value that extends to other parts of the supply chain and enterprise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the main challenge facing retail and consumer goods supply chains in 2025?
A: Agility is the main challenge, as supply chain leaders must be responsive to consumer demand volatility, adapt, and make faster business decisions.

Q: What are some ways to improve agility in retail and consumer goods supply chains?
A: Improving agility can be achieved through quick switching of suppliers, developing more flexible sourcing strategies, adapting product offerings and pricing strategies, and adopting more real-time demand forecasting tools and flexible warehousing solutions.

Q: What is the ideal starting place for increased digitalization in retail and consumer goods supply chains?
A: The warehouse is the ideal starting place for increased digitalization because investments made at the warehouse create value that extends to other parts of the supply chain and enterprise.

Q: What are some benefits of digitalizing the warehouse in retail and consumer goods supply chains?
A: Digitalizing the warehouse enables operational excellence and innovation through data-driven decision-making, reduced operating costs, seamless integration, and more scalability.

Elon Musk Says He Has Sold X to xAI

Avery Winslow
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Elon Musk Says He Has Sold X to xAI

Elon Musk Sells X to xAI in Unusual Arrangement

Background

Elon Musk, the founder of xAI, an artificial intelligence start-up, announced on Friday that he had sold X, his social media company, to xAI in an all-stock deal valued at $80 billion and $30 billion, respectively.

Terms of the Deal

According to Musk, the price for X is a $14 billion discount from the $44 billion that he paid for the social media company in 2022. The deal is an all-stock transaction, with no cash changing hands.

Intertwined Futures

In a post on X, Musk wrote, "XAI and X’s futures are intertwined. Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution, and talent." He emphasized that the combined company will deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to its core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge.

Shared Resources

The two companies already share significant resources. xAI’s artificial intelligence models are trained on data posted by X users, and the companies share some engineers. Additionally, xAI’s chatbot, Grok, was available to paying X subscribers. Last month, bankers for X told investors that some of the social media’s revenue came from xAI.

Conclusion

The sale of X to xAI marks a significant development in the tech industry, with implications for the future of social media and artificial intelligence. The combined company will have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with each other online and access information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the value of xAI and X?
A: xAI is valued at $80 billion, while X is valued at $30 billion.

Q: How much did Elon Musk pay for X in 2022?
A: Musk paid $44 billion for X in 2022.

Q: What does the combined company aim to achieve?
A: The combined company aims to deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to its core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge.

Q: What resources do xAI and X share?
A: The two companies share artificial intelligence models, engineers, and a chatbot, Grok.

Oracle Suffers Two Separate Breaches Exposing Thousands of Customers’ PII

Emerson Blake
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Oracle Suffers Two Separate Breaches Exposing Thousands of Customers’ PII

Oracle Cloud Breach: A Stand-Off between Researchers and the Company

A Potential High-Value Access Breach

Trustwave’s Spider Labs, meanwhile, said the sample of LDAP credentials provided by rose87168 "reveals a substantial amount of sensitive IAM data associated with a user within an Oracle Cloud multi-tenant environment. The data includes personally identifiable information (PII) and administrative role assignments, indicating potential high-value access within the enterprise system."

Oracle’s Initial Denial

Oracle initially denied any such breach had occurred against its cloud infrastructure, telling publications: "There has been no breach of Oracle Cloud. The published credentials are not for the Oracle Cloud. No Oracle Cloud customers experienced a breach or lost any data."

A Spokesperson’s No-Comment

On Friday, when I asked Oracle for comment, a spokesperson asked if they could provide a statement that couldn’t be attributed to Oracle in any way. After I declined, the spokesperson said Oracle would have no comment.

The Stand-Off Continues

For the moment, there’s a stand-off between Oracle on the one hand, and researchers and journalists on the other, over whether two serious breaches have exposed sensitive information belonging to its customers. Reporting that Oracle is notifying customers of data compromises in unofficial letterhead sent by outside attorneys is also concerning. This post will be updated if new information becomes available.

Conclusion

The situation remains unclear, with Oracle denying any breach occurred, while researchers and journalists argue that sensitive information has been compromised. The lack of a clear statement from Oracle leaves many questions unanswered, and the situation continues to unfold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Oracle Cloud?
A: The Oracle Cloud is a cloud infrastructure provided by Oracle Corporation, offering a range of cloud services including infrastructure, platform, and software as a service.

Q: What are LDAP credentials?
A: LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) credentials are a type of username and password combination used to access a network or system.

Q: What is the purpose of Trustwave’s Spider Labs?
A: Trustwave’s Spider Labs is a research and development team that focuses on identifying and mitigating security threats.

Q: Why did Oracle initially deny the breach?
A: Oracle initially denied the breach, stating that the published credentials were not for the Oracle Cloud and that no Oracle Cloud customers experienced a breach or lost any data.

I’m Obsessed with Brian Eno’s Photoshop Obsession

Phil
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I’m Obsessed with Brian Eno’s Photoshop Obsession

The Dark Side of Creativity: Brian Eno’s Photoshop Addiction

The Unlikely Story of a Musical Genius’s Digital Obsession

Brian Eno might be best known for his pioneering ambient oeuvre, but it turns out that beneath the calm exterior, the man has been battling a terrifying inner demon since the ’90s. I refer, of course, to his crippling Photoshop addiction.

The Diary Entries of a Digital Descent

Eno published a series of diaries covering the year 1995, titled A Year with Swollen Appendices. The book covers a period during which, believe it or not, the artist was laid up with swollen appendices. And not only are they a fascinating insight into the musician’s daily life, but the whole thing might as well have been sponsored by Adobe, so frequent are the references to Photoshop.

The Lethal Time-Waster

"Too long playing with Photoshop – lethal time-waster – like chronic alcoholism. Should schedule it in the diary and not use it otherwise," reads one early entry. Another describes how he "wrecked the morning by resorting to Photoshop."

The Existential Crisis of Digital Manipulation

But it seems Photoshop speaks to the entirety of the human condition for Eno. While some Photoshop references are playful and even juvenile, ("enlarging bottoms, mostly"), they also take a turn for the existential: "My first Photoshop dream. I dreamed I was erasing my past in Photoshop, but it turned out that I was using the ‘clone tool’ – so instead of erasing I was just copying chunks of the past into the future."

Conclusion

In a world of addictive tech and ‘brain rot’, there’s something delightfully nostalgic about the idea of a Photoshop addiction. It’s certainly sounds like a far more creative use of time that doomscrolling. But if you do decide to check out the best Creative Cloud deals, please do remember to edit responsibly.

FAQs

Q: What is A Year with Swollen Appendices?
A: A Year with Swollen Appendices is a diary series published by Brian Eno in 1995, covering his daily life during a period of time when he was laid up with swollen appendices.

Q: What is the significance of Photoshop in Eno’s diary entries?
A: The frequency and emphasis on Photoshop in Eno’s diary entries suggest that he was struggling with an addiction to the software, which he refers to as a "lethal time-waster" and "like chronic alcoholism".

Q: What does Eno’s Photoshop addiction reveal about his character?
A: Eno’s Photoshop addiction reveals a more playful and humorous side to his personality, as well as a deeper introspection and self-awareness about the impact of technology on his life and creativity.

DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse

Avery Winslow
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DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse

SSA’s Core Logic: A Legacy of COBOL

A Legacy of COBOL

The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) core "logic" is written largely in COBOL, a programming language that was first introduced in the 1950s. This code is responsible for issuing social security numbers, managing payments, and calculating the total amount beneficiaries should receive for different services, according to a former senior SSA technologist who worked in the office of the chief information officer.

A Challenging Migration

Migrating this legacy code to a more modern language is a daunting task. As Dan Hon, principal of Very Little Gravitas, a technology strategy consultancy that helps government modernize services, notes, "If you weren’t worried about a whole bunch of people not getting benefits or getting the wrong benefits, or getting the wrong entitlements, or having to wait ages, then sure go ahead."

Unclear Timeline for Migration

It’s unclear when exactly the code migration would start. A recent document circulated amongst SSA staff laying out the agency’s priorities through May does not mention it, instead naming other priorities like terminating "non-essential contracts" and adopting artificial intelligence to "augment" administrative and technical writing.

DOGE Operatives’ Involvement

Earlier this month, WIRED reported that at least 10 DOGE operatives were currently working within SSA, including a number of young and inexperienced engineers like Luke Farritor and Ethan Shaotran. At the time, sources told WIRED that the DOGE operatives would focus on how people identify themselves to access their benefits online.

The "Are You Alive Project"

Sources within SSA expect the project to begin in earnest once DOGE identifies and marks remaining beneficiaries as deceased and connecting disparate agency databases. In a Thursday morning court filing, an affidavit from SSA acting administrator Leland Dudek said that at least two DOGE operatives are currently working on a project formally called the "Are You Alive Project," targeting what these operatives believe to be improper payments and fraud within the agency’s system by calling individual beneficiaries.

The Challenge of Migration

To migrate all COBOL code into a more modern language within a few months, DOGE would likely need to employ some form of generative artificial intelligence to help translate the millions of lines of code. "DOGE thinks if they can say they got rid of all the COBOL in months, then their way is the right way, and we all just suck for not breaking shit," says the SSA technologist.

The Risks of Migration

The SSA technologist also notes that DOGE would need to develop tests to ensure the new system’s outputs match the previous one. It would be difficult to resolve all of the possible edge cases over the course of several years, let alone months.

The Current State of the System

"This is an environment that is held together with bail wire and duct tape," the former senior SSA technologist working in the office of the chief information officer tells WIRED. "The leaders need to understand that they’re dealing with a house of cards or Jenga. If they start pulling pieces out, which they’ve already stated they’re doing, things can break."

Conclusion

The SSA’s legacy code is a complex and daunting challenge. With the involvement of DOGE operatives, the agency is poised to undertake a massive migration of its COBOL code to a more modern language. However, the risks involved are significant, and the agency must be careful to ensure that the new system is stable and accurate.

FAQs

Q: What is COBOL?
A: COBOL is a programming language that was first introduced in the 1950s.

Q: What is the purpose of the "Are You Alive Project"?
A: The "Are You Alive Project" is a project aimed at identifying and marking remaining beneficiaries as deceased and connecting disparate agency databases.

Q: What is the timeline for the code migration?
A: The timeline for the code migration is unclear, as it is not mentioned in a recent document circulated amongst SSA staff laying out the agency’s priorities through May.

Q: What are the risks involved in the code migration?
A: The risks involved in the code migration include the possibility of cascading failures across programs, the need to develop tests to ensure the new system’s outputs match the previous one, and the difficulty of resolving all possible edge cases over a short period of time.

Building a Strong Code Review Culture

Parker Lennox
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Building a Strong Code Review Culture

Start with the "why"

Before changing processes or adding new tools, it’s essential to align with the team on why you’re doing code reviews in the first place. Most devs already get that it’s important. But few stop to really think about what they want to get out of it.

Goals of a Good Code Review Culture

Here are some clear goals that a good code review culture can bring:

  • Improve code quality and consistency.
  • Share knowledge among devs with different levels.
  • Catch bugs or risks before production.
  • Talk about architectural decisions in a lightweight and ongoing way.
  • Create an environment where learning from others is part of the flow.

Set Clear Standards (and Share Them with Everyone)

Nothing creates more tension between reviewers and authors than unspoken expectations. A good starting point is to document the principles that guide the team when reviewing and submitting PRs. This can include:

  • Ideal PR size.
  • What to review: logic? naming? performance? tests?
  • Max time to give the first feedback.
  • Who should review: subject-matter experts or anyone on the team?

Create a Safe Space to Give and Receive Feedback

This is where culture is really built (or breaks). A healthy code review culture is, above all, a safe space to learn from mistakes and from each other. That means:

  • Don’t use review as a weapon: avoid passive-aggressive or condescending tones.
  • Focus on the code, not the person: critique the decision, not the author.
  • Highlight good practices: praise when something’s done well.
  • Assume good intent: not every mistake is carelessness.

Take Care of Response Time and PR Size

Few things are more frustrating than a PR sitting there for days waiting for review. Or a giant PR that takes an hour of deep focus just to understand. Here are two solid practices:

  • Max time for first feedback: Make it clear that everyone should get at least an initial response within 24 hours.
  • Small PRs: Encourage breaking things into smaller steps whenever possible.

Don’t Confuse Review with Gatekeeping

A common mistake is treating code review like some kind of authoritarian approval funnel. Like: "I’m the senior, so I decide what goes in."

Use Tools That Reinforce the Culture (Not the Opposite)

Tools are part of the culture too. If you’re using GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket with clunky flows, confusing rules, or ignored alerts—you’re creating frustration. Pick tools that help, not ones that get in the way.

Train the Team to Review Better

Code review is something you learn. And like any skill, it takes practice and feedback. If you want a strong review culture, invest in helping the team get better at it.

Leave Ego at the Door

Last but maybe most important: keep your ego out of the process. Every dev who writes code knows how hard it is to detach from the solution you came up with. But that’s exactly why review exists. So a second (or third) opinion can make that code even better.

Conclusion: Culture is What You Do

At the end of the day, culture isn’t what you write in a doc. Culture is what you tolerate, what you reinforce, and what you do every day. If you want a strong code review culture, start by setting the example. Give good feedback. Ask for feedback. Encourage exchange. Value those who are learning.

FAQs

Q: What are the goals of a good code review culture?
A: To improve code quality and consistency, share knowledge among devs, catch bugs or risks, talk about architectural decisions, and create an environment where learning from others is part of the flow.

Q: How do I create a safe space to give and receive feedback?
A: By avoiding passive-aggressive or condescending tones, focusing on the code, not the person, highlighting good practices, and assuming good intent.

Q: What are some solid practices for code review?
A: Max time for first feedback, small PRs, and using tools that help, not ones that get in the way.

Q: How do I leave my ego at the door?
A: By keeping your ego out of the process and focusing on the code, not the person.

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