Midjourney Founder Reveals AI Productivity Gains While Microsoft Acquires Osmos

AI continues to reshape various sectors, prompting both excitement and significant concern. AI security expert Roman Yampolskiy warns of a drastic shift, predicting that automation could lead to 99% unemployment by 2030, leaving only five occupations. He criticizes the AI industry for prioritizing capability over security, suggesting society is unprepared for such a massive labor market reorganization, especially with the rise of humanoid robots capable of physical tasks. This aligns with Elon Musk's recent assertion that humanity has entered "the Singularity," an era where machines surpass human intelligence, a sentiment echoed by Midjourney founder David Holz regarding increased personal productivity with AI, and previously by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In the business world, companies are both leveraging and grappling with AI. Questa launched Novara, a private AI Analytics Assistant that anonymizes sensitive business data using a "Blackbox" before processing it with models like GPT, Claude, or Gemini, addressing critical privacy concerns. Microsoft strengthened its AI data engineering capabilities by acquiring Osmos on January 5, 2026, aiming to simplify complex data workflows within Microsoft Fabric's OneLake. Zscaler also appointed Sunil Frida as Chief Marketing Officer on the same date, highlighting his expertise in data, AI, and cybersecurity for their AI-powered Zero Trust Exchange platform. However, not all AI integrations are smooth. Amazon's "Buy For Me" agentic AI feature faces backlash from small businesses for scraping product information from independent websites without consent, leading to issues with pricing and customer trust. Bobo Design Studio's viral video highlighted how Amazon uses AI-generated images and modifies product descriptions, with businesses finding it difficult to opt out. Meanwhile, deepfake technology poses a threat to personal identity, as Yanis Varoufakis discovered hundreds of AI-generated videos of himself on YouTube, which Google and Meta struggled to remove, prompting him to label it "technofeudalism." The integration of AI into education and public life also draws scrutiny. Tech giants like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google are investing millions to bring AI into schools, with Miami-Dade County Public Schools deploying Google's Gemini for over 100,000 high school students. Critics worry about AI's long-term effects on critical thinking, potential "hallucinations," and data privacy, with UNICEF's Steven Vosloo warning of "de-skilling." On a positive note for learners, YouLearn AI is a new Chrome extension that transforms YouTube videos into interactive learning courses, offering AI-powered summaries, mind maps, and an "Ask Me Anything" feature. For those seeking formal training, Metis and Nucamp lead 2026 AI and Machine Learning bootcamp rankings, with Metis boasting a 92% job placement rate and average starting salaries near $95,000. Regulatory efforts are also gaining momentum. The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is pushing for state-level AI regulation, citing risks like AI grooming children and providing harmful mental health advice. This move comes despite President Donald Trump's executive order preventing states from regulating AI, setting up a potential legal conflict. Frank Knapp, the group's president, emphasizes that states cannot wait for federal action, as 47 states are already considering bills to manage AI use in healthcare.

Key Takeaways

• AI security expert Roman Yampolskiy predicts 99% unemployment by 2030 due to automation, reducing jobs to five occupations, and criticizes the AI industry for neglecting security.
• Elon Musk declared humanity has entered "the Singularity," an era where machines become more intelligent than humans, a sentiment shared by Midjourney founder David Holz and previously by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
• Questa launched Novara, a private AI Analytics Assistant that anonymizes sensitive business data using a "Blackbox" before processing it with AI models like GPT, Claude, or Gemini to ensure privacy.
• Microsoft acquired Osmos on January 5, 2026, an agentic AI data engineering platform, to simplify data workflows and unify data within Microsoft Fabric's OneLake.
• Amazon's "Buy For Me" agentic AI feature faces backlash from small businesses for scraping product information and creating AI-generated content without consent, causing issues with pricing and customer trust.
• Yanis Varoufakis encountered hundreds of deepfake videos of himself on YouTube, which Google and Meta struggled to remove, highlighting concerns about digital identity and "technofeudalism."
• Tech companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google are integrating AI into schools, with Miami-Dade County Public Schools deploying Google's Gemini for over 100,000 students, raising concerns about critical thinking and data privacy.
• YouLearn AI is a Chrome extension that converts YouTube videos into interactive learning courses, providing AI-powered summaries, mind maps, and an "Ask Me Anything" feature.
• Metis and Nucamp are top AI/Machine Learning bootcamps for 2026; Metis offers a 12-week program with a 92% job placement rate and average starting salaries near $95,000.
• The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is advocating for state-level AI regulation due to risks like AI grooming children, despite a federal executive order from President Trump preventing state regulation.

YouLearn AI Transforms YouTube Videos into Learning Courses

YouLearn AI is a Chrome browser extension that turns YouTube videos into interactive learning experiences. It generates AI-powered summaries with timestamps, allowing users to quickly grasp main points and jump to specific video segments. The tool also creates interactive mind maps, helping visual learners understand complex topics and improve retention. An "Ask Me Anything" feature lets users ask specific questions about the video content. YouLearn AI aims to save time, deepen understanding, and simplify note-taking for active learners.

Best AI and Machine Learning Bootcamps for 2026

Metis and Nucamp lead the 2026 rankings for AI and Machine Learning bootcamps based on outcomes. Metis offers a 12-week full-time program with a 92% job placement rate and average starting salaries near $95,000. Nucamp provides more affordable part-time AI tracks, costing $2,124 to $3,980, with an employment rate around 78%. The article advises students to consider their savings, ability to work, and target role when choosing a program. Professor Gabriel Gomes of UC Berkeley notes that AI skills are broadly transferable across many fields.

Expert Warns AI Could Eliminate 99 Percent of Jobs by 2030

AI security expert Roman Yampolskiy predicts that automation could lead to 99% unemployment by 2030, reducing the job market to only five occupations. He calls this the "end of work" and criticizes the AI sector for treating security as an afterthought while accelerating capabilities. Yampolskiy suggests that the rise of humanoid robots with dexterity will expand automation beyond digital tasks to physical jobs. He warns that society is totally unprepared for such a drastic reorganization of the labor market.

AI Expert Predicts 99 Percent Job Loss by 2030

AI security expert Roman Yampolskiy warns that automation could cause 99% unemployment by 2030, shrinking the job market to just five occupations. He believes this could happen even without superintelligence and calls it the "end of work." Yampolskiy criticizes the AI industry for rapidly advancing capabilities while neglecting real-world security. He projects that humanoid robots will soon take over physical tasks, further reducing the need for human labor. The expert emphasizes that we are unprepared for this significant shift in the workforce.

Questa Launches Private AI Assistant for Business Files

Questa released Novara, a new AI Analytics Assistant designed for privacy-focused insights from business files. Novara first anonymizes all sensitive information from documents using a "Blackbox" to prevent AI models from training on confidential data. This allows users to get insights from their files using any AI model like GPT, Claude, or Gemini without privacy risks. Businesses can install Novara on their enterprise server or use an exclusive cloud account. Professor John MacIntyre, former Head of AI at the University of Sunderland, supports this innovation, highlighting the importance of AI privacy.

Yanis Varoufakis Confronts Deepfake Menace on YouTube

Yanis Varoufakis discovered deepfake videos of himself on YouTube saying things he never said. Hundreds of these AI-generated videos, using his face and voice, have spread across YouTube and social media. He tried to get Google and Meta to remove them, but new ones quickly reappeared under different names. Varoufakis views deepfakes as a sign of "technofeudalism," where individuals lose ownership of their digital identity. He also considers if this phenomenon might force people to judge content based on its merits rather than who appears to be speaking.

South Carolina Group Seeks AI Regulation Despite Federal Order

The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is pushing for state-level AI regulation as the legislative session approaches. Frank Knapp, the group's president, warns of serious risks, including AI grooming children and providing harmful mental health advice. This initiative comes as 47 states are considering bills to manage AI use in healthcare. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order preventing states from regulating AI, setting up a potential legal conflict. Knapp believes states cannot wait for federal action and must address AI's negative impacts now.

Elon Musk Declares Humanity Entered The Singularity

Elon Musk stated that humanity has entered "the Singularity," an era where machines become more intelligent than humans. His comments came in response to David Holz, founder of Midjourney, who noted a significant increase in his personal coding productivity using AI. The Singularity refers to a self-perpetuating cycle of rapid technological expansion that can occur in unforeseen ways. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also referenced the Singularity a year ago, though with more caution. Leading technologists now believe this era is already here, posing a challenge for humanity to navigate its implications.

Tech Giants Introduce AI to Schools Amid Safety Concerns

Tech companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google are investing millions to integrate AI into schools and universities. Critics argue this is a risky experiment on children, as the long-term effects of AI on young minds are not yet understood. Some research suggests AI might hinder critical thinking and raises concerns about "hallucinations" and data privacy. Miami-Dade County Public Schools deployed Google's Gemini chatbot for over 100,000 high school students. Experts like UNICEF's Steven Vosloo warn that unguided AI use could "de-skill" students and teachers, similar to past tech initiatives.

Amazon's "Buy For Me" AI Angers Small Businesses

Amazon's "Buy For Me" agentic AI feature is sparking backlash from small businesses. The tool scrapes product information from independent websites without consent, leading to issues with pricing, fulfillment, and customer trust. Bobo Design Studio shared an Instagram video, viewed over 500,000 times, detailing how Amazon uses AI-generated images and modifies product descriptions. Small businesses report problems with incorrect orders and customer complaints due to Amazon's unauthorized listings. While Amazon states merchants can opt out, businesses find the process difficult and slow, with lingering traces of their products remaining online.

Microsoft Acquires Osmos for AI Data Engineering in Fabric

Microsoft announced its acquisition of Osmos, an agentic AI data engineering platform, on January 5, 2026. Osmos simplifies complex data workflows by transforming raw data into analytics-ready assets within Microsoft Fabric's OneLake. This acquisition aims to help organizations unify all data and analytics into a single, secure platform. The Osmos team will join Microsoft's Fabric engineering organization to advance simpler, more intuitive, and AI-ready data experiences. Microsoft expects this move to reduce operational overhead and make data management easier for customers.

Zscaler Names Sunil Frida Chief Marketing Officer

Zscaler, Inc. appointed Sunil Frida as its new Chief Marketing Officer, effective January 5, 2026. Frida will lead Zscaler's global marketing efforts, focusing on product marketing, brand strategy, and demand generation. He brings over 20 years of experience in high-growth SaaS and cybersecurity, having previously worked at Crowdstrike, Amazon Web Services, and General Electric. CEO Jay Chaudhry praised Frida's expertise in data, AI, and cybersecurity. Frida expressed enthusiasm for advancing Zscaler's mission to help organizations enhance security and agility with its AI-powered Zero Trust Exchange platform.

Sources

• YouLearn AI Review (2025): Turn Any YouTube Video into a Learning Course
• Top 10 AI and Machine Learning Bootcamps in 2026 (Ranked by Outcomes)
• AI security expert warns that automation could eliminate 99% of jobs and leave "only five" by 2030; he calls this the end of work, criticizes the lack of security, and says we are totally unprepared.
• AI security expert warns that automation could eliminate 99% of jobs and leave "only five" by 2030; he calls this the end of work, criticizes the lack of security, and says we are totally unprepared.
• Questa Launches a New Privacy Focused Ai Assistant to Get Insights from Business Files Without Any Ai Training on Them
• I’m watching myself on YouTube saying things I would never say. This is the deepfake menace we must confront
• S.C. group pushes AI regulation ahead of legislative session
• We Have Entered The Singularity, Says Elon Musk
• Tech Giants Pushing AI Into Schools Is a Huge, Ethically Bankrupt Experiment on Innocent Children That Will Likely End in Disaster
• Amazon’s “Buy For Me” Agentic AI Sparks Backlash As Small Businesses Say Listings Are Being Hijacked
• Microsoft announces acquisition of Osmos to accelerate autonomous data engineering in Fabric - The Official Microsoft Blog
• Zscaler Appoints Sunil Frida as Chief Marketing Officer to Accelerate Growth in Zero Trust and AI Security Market