NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

The Google Effect: Why We Remember Less but Feel Smarter

Ever walked into a room and immediately forgotten why you’re there? Or Googled something only to forget it seconds later? You’re not alone.

Scientists have found evidence that tech is changing the way we remember things—how we store and retrieve memories. Instead of holding onto information, we’ve learned to rely on digital tools to do the remembering for us.

Here’s what they found:

• We remember where to find info, not the info itself: This is called the ‘Google Effect’—our brains have learned that we don’t need to store facts because Google will always be there to look them up.

• GPS is messing with our sense of direction: Studies show that people who rely on GPS struggle to recall routes later, just like those who’ve never driven them at all.

• AI could take this even further: A study found that people who used Google to answer trivia questions thought they had better memory than those who answered without it—just because they felt smarter.

• AI-generated info can rewrite our memory: AI doesn’t just retrieve facts; it creates them. Chatbots sometimes generate false details, and over time, we might start believing things that never actually happened.

Should you be worried? Well, our brains have always adapted to new ways of storing and finding information—from telling stories around a fire to writing things down in books to looking everything up online. AI is just the latest step in that evolution.

But there’s a key difference: past technologies helped us store and retrieve knowledge, while AI actively reshapes it. We’re not just outsourcing memory; we’re relying on AI to filter, summarize, and even generate information for us. If we stop engaging with that process, the risk isn’t just forgetting things—it’s losing the habit of thinking critically about what we’re being told.

So go ahead and use AI as a tool, but let’s all make sure we stay actively engaged with what you learn. Thinking critically is an invaluable skill in an age of AI. ♥️

WOMAN IN TECH

Meet Nancy Xu, Founder & CEO of Moonhub AI

Celebrating this week's Woman in Tech 🥳: Meet Nancy Xu, founder and CEO of Moonhub, an AI-powered recruiting platform used by billion-dollar companies to hire top talent.

Born in China and raised in the US, Xu became the first person to complete a dual PhD in AI and MBA at Stanford. She trained for the US Math and Physics teams as a student and later co-founded The Gradient, a widely read AI publication focused on research and industry developments.

She began her career at Meta’s AI research division before leading healthcare AI and automation at AKASA.

In 2022, she founded Moonhub, aiming to improve hiring with AI. Unlike traditional recruiting tools that rely on keyword searches, Moonhub’s AI scans billions of data points from platforms like LinkedIn, GitHub, and Google Scholar to identify qualified candidates.

The startup has seen remarkable success:

• Secured over $14M in funding from investors like Khosla Ventures, GV, and Marc Benioff.

• Surpassed $1M in revenue in its first year.

• Used by 100+ companies, including AI unicorns like Inflection and Anthropic.

Beyond Moonhub, Xu is an active investor through Xu Ventures, backing early-stage AI startups shaping the future of work. Her contributions to AI and the recruiting industry have earned her a spot on TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI (2023).

My fave quote from Xu:

“One of the biggest gifts that I've been given is access to opportunity. I believe that one of the best things and the greatest gifts you can give to anyone on this planet is access to opportunity.”

Would You Watch Robots Compete in Sports?

Move over, Cristiano. We have a new man of the match. 😎

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and NVIDIA have developed an AI system that teaches robots to pull off signature moves from world-class athletes.

In a recent demonstration, a robot successfully performed Cristiano Ronaldo’s mid-air spin and LeBron James’ game-winning shot, which is a big deal when it comes to teaching robots full-body movement.

The system, called ASAP (Aligning Simulation and Real Physics), allows robots to study real sports footage, breaking down human motion and translating it into robotic actions with impressive accuracy.

While it’s a big advancement in robotics, many feel that their movements are still robotic and not very agile. The question remains, could professional robot sports become a thing, or would the lack of human finesse take the thrill out of the game? What do you think?