🤖 The Pope is concerned about AI

It’s Thursday, January 25 — people are talking about the Pope’s comments on AI, Dunkin’s lawsuit over non-dairy milk, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

If someone forwarded you this email, click here to subscribe.

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🤖 The Pope is concerned about AI

Pope Francis critiques AI's ethical pitfalls, sparking debates on tech ethics, human wisdom, and the Church's stance.

🤖 In his Communications Day message, Pope Francis expressed concern over AI's impact on humanity. He says AI can't replace “the human heart”.

🤖 Ars Technica says the Pope has long had it out for “perverse” uses of AI: In 2023, an AI-generated picture of him in a puffer jacket went viral.

🤖 The Daily Beast didn't appreciate the Pope's “tech doomerism”: The Pope's anti-tech stance proves the Church is still in the dark ages.

🤖 Still, UnHerd thinks the Pope is right about AI: The tech could absolutely undermine human dignity.

⚖️ Dunkin’s non-dairy-milk lawsuit

Dunkin’ faces a suit over non-dairy milk upcharges. Is it discrimination, or just business?

⚖️ NBC News reports on a class-action lawsuit accusing Dunkin’ Donuts of discrimination for charging extra for nondairy milk, arguing it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.

⚖️ You can read the full lawsuit here.

⚖️ Bloomberg thinks the suit is silly: It misrepresents market dynamics and ADA protections. Dairy alternatives are upcharged because they simply cost more!

⚖️ But @tednotlasso on TikTok says the complaint acknowledges that dairy alternatives cost more — just not enough to warrant Dunkin's upcharges.

Quick hits

📈 In the fourth quarter of 2024, U.S. GDP grew at a 3.3% pace, beating economists' expectations. (CNBC)

⚫ Lance Larson, a swimmer whose 100m freestyle race at the 1960s Olympics lead to the adoption of electronic timing systems, has died at 83. (WaPo)

📹 Ring will no longer allow police to access doorbell footage from its users' accounts without a search warrant. (AP News)

🏛️ Arizona GOP chairman Jeff DeWit resigned after a tape surfaced in which he attempted to bribe Kari Lake to drop out of the Senate race. (BBC)

Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback or want to share your thoughts or ideas, please email me at [email protected].