Artificial intelligence continues to integrate into various sectors, from public advertisements to critical infrastructure. Recently, an AI-generated voice resembling President Donald Trump narrated a new Fannie Mae advertisement, promoting housing affordability with the administration's permission. This development comes as a Google and Ipsos poll reveals a persistent distrust among Americans towards AI, even as global views improve and AI becomes more common for understanding complex topics. Despite this skepticism, frequent AI users show greater optimism.
The financial world is also re-evaluating AI investments, with BlackRock predicting a significant shift by 2026 away from large tech firms towards energy grid infrastructure. BlackRock, Microsoft, and NVIDIA have jointly committed $100 billion to bolster AI data centers and energy networks, recognizing AI systems as a "structural component of global power consumption." This aligns with T. Rowe Price's insight that CPUs will gain importance this year for AI investments, following last year's focus on GPUs, with the energy trade identified as a "wildcard."
Meanwhile, the demand for high-bandwidth memory chips, crucial for AI accelerators, is creating an "unprecedented" shortage expected to last beyond 2026, according to Micron. This scarcity impacts not only AI but also phones and PCs, with future demand from autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots set to intensify. To address this, Micron received a $6.2 billion Chips Act award and plans a $100 billion project near Syracuse, aiming to bring 40 percent of its DRAM manufacturing to the US by late 2027.
AI's capabilities are also expanding into specialized fields, such as competitive programming, where Nous Research unveiled NousCoder-14B, an advanced model achieving 67.87 percent accuracy on a coding benchmark. In healthcare, AI tools are improving gastrointestinal cancer treatment decisions by speeding up data analysis and refining biomarker use. However, a study on academic papers suggests that while AI helps scientists publish more and gain recognition faster, it can also narrow the scope of scientific discovery, leading to less originality.
The spread of misinformation through AI also remains a concern, with fake NFL fan accounts on Facebook using AI to create misleading posts, like false player retirement stories. Meta has taken action, shutting down some accounts, but many persist, often linking to fake news sites for revenue. Amidst these developments, Elon Musk's suggestion that AI could make retirement savings "irrelevant" was largely rejected by the public, with a Business Insider survey showing 94 percent of readers prefer sticking to traditional savings plans, a view echoed by financial experts.
Key Takeaways
- An AI-generated voice resembling Donald Trump featured in a Fannie Mae ad, with administration permission, promoting housing affordability.
- A Google and Ipsos poll reveals Americans generally distrust AI, despite growing global adoption and its use for understanding complex topics.
- BlackRock forecasts a shift in AI investment by 2026 towards energy grid infrastructure, with BlackRock, Microsoft, and NVIDIA committing $100 billion to boost data centers.
- T. Rowe Price anticipates CPUs will become more critical for AI investment this year, following last year's GPU focus, with the energy sector noted as a "wildcard."
- Micron projects an "unprecedented" memory chip shortage will persist beyond 2026, driven by high-bandwidth memory demand for AI accelerators, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid robots.
- Micron secured a $6.2 billion Chips Act award and plans a $100 billion project to expand US DRAM manufacturing, aiming for 40% of its output in the US by late 2027.
- Fake NFL fan accounts on Facebook are utilizing AI to generate and spread misleading posts and images, prompting Meta to shut down some of these operations.
- AI tools are improving gastrointestinal cancer treatment decisions by summarizing data, providing information, and accelerating the use of biomarkers.
- Nous Research launched NousCoder-14B, an AI model for competitive programming, demonstrating 67.87% accuracy on the LiveCodeBench v6 benchmark.
- A study indicates AI accelerates scientists' careers, leading to more publications and citations, but also narrows research focus. Elon Musk's idea that AI makes retirement savings "irrelevant" was largely rejected by the public.
Trump's AI Voice Appears in New Fannie Mae Ad
An AI-generated voice sounding like President Donald Trump narrates a new Fannie Mae advertisement. The Trump administration gave permission for this AI voice to be used in the ad. The ad calls Fannie Mae the "protector of the American Dream" and talks about making housing more affordable. This comes as the administration focuses on housing concerns, and Trump will discuss housing at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. First Lady Melania Trump also used AI for her memoir, but ElevenLabs, her AI firm, did not create the voice for the Fannie Mae ad. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are important to the US housing market, guaranteeing half of the 13 trillion dollar home loan market.
President Trump's AI Voice Stars in Fannie Mae Ad
A new Fannie Mae advertisement features an AI-cloned voice that sounds like President Donald Trump. The Trump administration gave permission for the use of this artificial intelligence voice. The ad promotes an "all new Fannie Mae" and highlights the institution's role in the American housing market. This effort aligns with the administration's focus on housing affordability, which Trump will discuss at the World Economic Forum. First Lady Melania Trump previously used AI for her memoir, but the company ElevenLabs confirmed they did not create President Trump's voice for this ad. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are crucial to the 13 trillion dollar US home loan market.
T Rowe Price Sees CPUs as Key for AI Investment
Rahul Ghosh from T. Rowe Price shared insights on the future of artificial intelligence investments. He suggests that CPUs will be more important this year, similar to how GPUs were last year, for the next phase of the AI trade. Ghosh also mentioned that the energy trade is a "wildcard" due to unclear future outlooks. This indicates a potential shift in investment focus within the AI sector.
Americans Distrust AI Despite Growing Global Use
A new Google and Ipsos poll shows that while global views on artificial intelligence are improving, Americans remain doubtful. AI is quickly becoming part of daily life, with learning and understanding complex topics now its main use. People who use AI more often tend to be more optimistic about its benefits, with nearly 70 percent of users feeling excited. However, developed English-speaking countries like the U.S., U.K., and Canada show less adoption and enthusiasm compared to the global average. Many Americans still do not trust AI or want it in their lives, but this hesitation is unlikely to stop major tech companies.
Fake NFL Accounts Use AI to Spread Lies on Facebook
Fake NFL fan accounts on Facebook are using artificial intelligence to create misleading posts and images. These accounts spread false information, like a Pittsburgh Steelers account making up a player's retirement story. One Denver Broncos account, "Wild Horse Warriors," falsely claimed reporter Cody Roark died, even though he is alive and does not have children. Meta shut down the "Wild Horse Warriors" account after two months, but many similar accounts continue to operate. These pages often link to fake news websites, likely to earn money from ads or to build an audience for other purposes later.
BlackRock Predicts Shift in AI Investment to Energy Grid
BlackRock's latest report suggests that artificial intelligence investments will shift focus in 2026, moving beyond big tech companies. Financial institutions are now rethinking where AI growth offers the best returns, with a new spotlight on grid infrastructure. Only 20 percent of investors polled by BlackRock see large US tech firms as a compelling investment, while over half favor energy providers. This change comes as the cost of building and scaling AI infrastructure remains high, and data centers face rising power bills. BlackRock, Microsoft, and NVIDIA have committed 100 billion dollars to boost AI data centers and energy networks, recognizing the need for stronger infrastructure. The report emphasizes that energy access is becoming a core part of AI planning, as AI systems are now a "structural component of global power consumption."
AI Tools Improve Gastrointestinal Cancer Treatment Decisions
Dr. William A. Hall discussed how artificial intelligence is changing gastrointestinal cancer care. AI tools can summarize data, provide information, and speed up tasks, which will also apply to AI-based cancer biomarkers. Oncologists aim to cure patients while avoiding overtreatment, and sophisticated biomarkers are key to this balance. Artificial intelligence allows for faster analysis and use of these biomarkers, helping doctors refine treatments. These tools must be reliable and safe to ensure they guide patient care in the best possible direction.
Micron Warns Memory Chip Shortage Will Continue Past 2026
Micron's Executive Vice President Manish Bhatia announced an "unprecedented" memory chip shortage expected to last beyond 2026. High-bandwidth memory, essential for artificial intelligence accelerators, is using up most of the available supply, causing a shortage for phones and PCs. Demand will further increase with autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots also needing these components. Micron received a 6.2 billion dollar Chips Act award to boost US manufacturing, aiming for meaningful DRAM wafer output by late 2027. The company plans a 100 billion dollar project near Syracuse and two new fabs in Boise to bring 40 percent of its DRAM manufacturing to the US.
Nous Research Unveils Advanced AI for Coding Competitions
Nous Research has released NousCoder-14B, a new artificial intelligence model designed for competitive programming challenges. This model was trained using reinforcement learning on Qwen3-14B and achieved a 67.87 percent accuracy on the LiveCodeBench v6 benchmark. This score is a significant improvement over the Qwen3-14B baseline, showing its ability to solve complex coding problems. The team trained NousCoder-14B on 24,000 coding problems using 48 B200 GPUs in just four days. They used an Atropos framework and Modal for safe code execution, and released the model's weights under an Apache 2.0 license.
AI Speeds Science Careers But Narrows Research Focus
A new study of over 40 million academic papers reveals that artificial intelligence helps scientists publish more and gain recognition faster. Researchers using AI publish three times more papers and receive five times more citations, often becoming team leaders sooner. However, the analysis also found that AI-heavy research tends to narrow the scope of scientific discovery. It leads scientists to focus on similar, data-rich problems, which could reduce originality and exploration across fields. This creates a conflict between individual career success and the broader progress of science.
Readers Reject Elon Musk's AI Retirement Idea
Elon Musk recently suggested that the artificial intelligence revolution could make saving for retirement "irrelevant." He speculated that AI might create a future with a "universal high income" where everyone gets what they want. However, a Business Insider survey showed that 94 percent of readers would rather stick to their current savings plans. Only 6 percent were willing to let AI manage their retirement future. Financial and AI experts agree that people should continue saving, calling Musk's comments "dangerous and misleading."
Sources
- Trump's voice in a new Fannie Mae ad is generated by artificial intelligence, with his permission
- Trump's voice in a new Fannie Mae ad is generated by artificial intelligence, with his permission
- Why CPUs are the new GPUs: T. Rowe Price on positioning for the next phase of the AI trade
- As AI use increases, Americans still don't trust it
- NFL-Related Accounts on Facebook Are Posting Some of the Most Shameless AI Slop Yet
- BlackRock: Why AI Investment will Evolve in 2026
- Understanding the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Gastrointestinal Cancer Care
- Micron Says ‘Unprecedented’ Memory Shortage to Last Beyond 2026
- Nous Research Releases NousCoder-14B: A Competitive Olympiad Programming Model Post-Trained on Qwen3-14B via Reinforcement Learning
- AI in Science Research Boosts Speed, Limits Scope
- Trust AI enough to bet your retirement? You said, 'No thanks'
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