Beginners in AI

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Welcome to this week's edition of Beginners in AI, where we explore the latest trends, tools, and news in the world of AI and the tech that surrounds it. Like all editions, this is human curated and published with the intention of making AI news and technology more accessible to everyone.

This week’s Top Story looks at Spotify’s data rebellion, where thousands of users turned their listening histories into something they could sell. In the round-up, we cover Will Smith’s AI-edited concert, new technology that could reveal submarines under the sea, Albania’s first virtual minister, Claude’s new file-creation skills, and Lamborghini’s driving sensor that acts like a digital co-pilot. In our Robotics Spotlight, we look at Taipei’s controversial choice to deploy a Chinese-made patrol robot dog.

AI TOP STORY

Spotify’s Data Rebellion

What Happened

Spotify says it’s unhappy after learning that more than 10,000 of its users took their personal listening histories, packaged them up, and sold the data to an outside AI startup. The new company used these playlists, skips, and listening patterns to train its own recommendation system. Spotify claims the sale undercuts its control over user data, which it typically treats as its own asset. The wrinkle: these users willingly took their own records and made them marketable.

What It Means

This isn’t just about Spotify’s playlists. It’s about ownership. As one analyst put it in the piece, “The company never imagined that people would treat their listening history as a product to resell.” It recalls the recent OpenAI–Stack Overflow deal, where years of developer Q&A data became fuel for AI training. Both show that once-closed data wells are starting to leak out into broader circulation, changing who gets to profit from them.

What to Take Away

Here’s the turning point: people didn’t just download their data, they built a company from it. Then they sold it to another AI company. How many other hidden markets might appear if people reclaim what’s been sitting in corporate servers? Your Netflix viewing habits repackaged into a rival streaming tool? Fitness app logs shaping a new kind of health coach? Ride-share travel records powering a smarter city-planning system? The tools today are imperfect — AI can’t stitch every data stream into perfect insight yet — but the door is open. The big question is whether more users will start pulling their own levers, creating markets that weren’t supposed to exist.

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LAST WEEK IN AI AND TECH

Submarine, See? — New Tech Could Expose Stealth Subs

A new imaging method being studied — drawing on quantum magnetometers, sonar networks, and satellite surveillance — could make the oceans more transparent, raising alarms for military projects like the AUKUS nuclear submarines. The idea is that sensors could one day track submarines through dense waters, stripping away the invisibility that stealth subs rely on. One defense researcher warned, “If oceans become transparent, the balance of naval power shifts overnight.” It’s still experimental, but the mere possibility has countries racing to secure their undersea fleets.

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AI Am Legend — Will Smith’s Concert Gets a Digital Makeover

Will Smith allegedly used AI tools to tweak his recent concert footage, sparking fresh debate over how much of live performance is “real” when algorithms can clean, fill, or re-stage moments afterward. Fans spotted uncanny edits in crowd shots and stage angles, leading to speculation that AI was smoothing the show into a more polished highlight reel. As one critic said, “We’re going to see a lot more of this.” The move hints at how entertainment might soon mix raw performance with AI gloss in ways most viewers can’t easily spot.

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Minister.exe — Albania Appoints First Virtual Cabinet Member

Albania has introduced the world’s first “virtual minister,” a digital figure named Diella who will focus on technology and innovation. Prime Minister Edi Rama says Diella will support his government by answering questions, drafting policy ideas, and providing public updates — all through AI. The move has made headlines across Europe as a bold test of how far political offices can blend with digital tools. Rama explained, “Diella will not take decisions, but she will help us think differently.” The experiment sets a precedent that other governments may soon study.

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Docs on Demand — Anthropic Adds Document Powers to Claude

Anthropic has rolled out a new “create files” feature for its Claude AI, letting users generate and edit documents directly inside the chatbot. Instead of copying text into outside editors, people can now produce reports, lists, and even drafts in formats like Markdown or HTML right in one place. Early testers say this makes Claude feel closer to a word processor than a chat window. As Anthropic put it, “You can now create, edit, and download files without ever leaving Claude.” The upgrade puts the company in closer competition with OpenAI’s document tools.

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Fast & Curious — Lamborghini’s AI Sensor Coaches Drivers

Lamborghini says its new AI-powered sensor can step in when drivers make mistakes, adjusting performance in real time. The system measures handling, braking, and acceleration, then fine-tunes the car’s response to keep things smooth — even if the person behind the wheel pushes too far. The tech could give average drivers the feel of professional control without years of training. As one engineer said, “It’s like having a co-pilot who never gets tired.” The company sees it as both a safety net and a way to make driving more thrilling.

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TECH TERMS TO KNOW

Generative Editing are the AI tools that not only cut video but invent missing frames or change visuals.

Example: Will Smith’s concert footage showed signs of AI filling in crowd shots that weren’t really there.

TOOL SPOTLIGHT (non-sponsored)

DrawMingo is a platform that specializes in bringing children’s drawings to life by transforming their imaginative sketches into vibrant, professional illustrations or even animations. The service uses advanced digital tools, and potentially AI, to interpret and creatively enhance artwork made by kids, making their ideas feel magical and fully realized.

What DrawMingo Does

DrawMingo enables parents and children to upload hand-drawn pictures and turns these into animated or illustrated versions, preserving the child’s original creative style while upgrading it to a professional, shareable format.

Reasons to Try It

• Celebrate and preserve children's creativity by turning their unique artwork into something lasting and spectacular.

• Get animated or professionally enhanced versions that children can share with family and friends, boosting their confidence and excitement.

• Experience a fun and interactive process that bridges technology and artistry, helping kids see their ideas come to life on screen.

ROBOTICS AND AI

Taipei’s Patrol Pup Sparks Debate

Taipei’s city council has come under fire for deploying a Chinese-made patrol robot dog in public spaces. Critics argue that using the machine raises security concerns, given the tense political climate with Beijing. The four-legged robot is equipped with cameras and sensors to help monitor streets, but some council members say it risks exposing sensitive data. One official bluntly warned, “We are putting ourselves at risk by importing surveillance technology from across the strait.” The council is now reviewing whether to keep the robot or seek alternatives, highlighting how robotics can quickly become entangled in geopolitics.

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TRY THIS PROMPT (copy and paste into Claude)

Role:
You are DataCoach, a productivity partner who turns my raw tasks into a living Excel-style tracker I can actually use.

Prompt:
"I’ll paste in a list of everything I need to get done this week — work projects, personal errands, and long-term goals. Turn it into a downloadable Excel file with columns for: Task, Priority (High/Medium/Low), Due Date, Time Estimate, and Status. Color-code overdue tasks in red, upcoming ones in yellow, and completed ones in green. Add a simple weekly summary at the bottom that shows total tasks, completed tasks, and percent done. Keep the structure clean and easy to edit."

Tip: Beyond to-do lists, you can feed in other kinds of personal data — like your Spotify listening history, fitness app logs, or even budget records — and have the AI shape them into trackable Excel sheets with summaries and insights.

DID YOU KNOW?

The first stealth submarine patent dates back to 1899, when Spanish inventor Isaac Peral proposed coating vessels in special materials to dampen sonar. Modern navies still chase the same goal: staying hidden in the deep.

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Thank you for reading. We’re all beginners in something. With that in mind, your questions and feedback are always welcome and I read every single email!

-James

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