NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

There’s Energy Under Your Feet

The US needs a lot more electricity.

AI data centers, new factories, and electric vehicles are pushing demand - and utilities are hunting for power sources that can run cleanly and reliably.

Geothermal fits that bill. Unlike wind or solar, it runs 24/7, regardless of weather. The problem is finding it.

Traditionally, geothermal exploration looks for clues like hot springs or steam vents. But across much of the American West, there’s nothing except flat desert. For decades, companies assumed there was nothing useful below.

A startup called Zanskar has raised $115M to challenge that assumption:

• Zanskar feeds decades of geological data into an AI model that predicts where heat reservoirs might be - then sends geologists to test those spots.

• It has already identified dozens of similar sites, each capable of powering thousands of homes.

• The strongest proof so far is Big Blind, a site in Nevada’s desert. It looked unremarkable, but Zanskar uncovered a heat reservoir measuring 250°F - hot enough to generate electricity.

Currently, geothermal provides less than 1% of US electricity because exploration has long been risky and expensive. Zanskar’s bet is that AI can change that by cutting out the guesswork and unlocking clean energy hiding in plain sight.

(Source: Benoît Morenne reporting for The Wall Street Journal)

The Hidden Gender Gap in AI

When it comes to using AI at work, there’s a big gender gap brewing. Now, we might know why.

A new study from Northeastern University (based on surveys of 3,000 people in the US and Canada) found that women are more skeptical of AI than men - but only when its economic impact is uncertain.

When people are told that AI will create jobs and improve outcomes, the gender gap disappears. In other words, uncertainty is the trigger.

• Women were 11% more likely to say that risks are greater when it comes to AI.

• They were also more likely to say they weren’t sure if AI could actually deliver meaningful economic gains.

Researchers point to two main reasons…

First, women tend to be more cautious about risk in general - a pattern long observed in finance and trade policy. In the study, this was measured by asking people to choose between a guaranteed payout and a high-risk option.

Second, women are more exposed to AI’s downsides (such as job displacement and biases) while being less likely to benefit. Women hold only 20% of senior leadership roles in tech, meaning they have less access to the high-paying jobs AI is creating.

My take: Caution is rational. If adoption is the goal, the path forward is clearer job pathways, transparent impacts, and fair access to new opportunities.

(Source: Tanner Stening reporting for Northeastern Global News)

Robot-Designed Homes, Anyone?

Imagine telling people your house was designed by a robot.

In Denmark, a humanoid robot artist named Ai-Da has designed a full building concept - and it’s now up on display.

The design is a retro-futuristic pod house, inspired by 1960s space-age architecture, with curved walls, porthole windows, and even a smaller pod inside - possibly for a robot roommate. 🤖

Ai-Da came up with the idea itself, then physically sketched and painted the building using a robotic arm, before producing digital renders of the interior and exterior.