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Technology
Trump’s AI chief’s big Iran warning gets big time ignored
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Surprisingly, artificial intelligence does not take the highest political priority during a war — much less an ill-conceived war with Iran that’s paralyzed the energy markets, destabilized America’s relationships with the Middle East and Europe, and alienated members of President Donald Trump’s diehard MAGA coalition. (Just yesterday, Joe Kent, election denier and onetime Trump-endorsed congressional candidate, announced that he was stepping down as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in protest of the Iran war.) But the effect it’ll have on the tech and AI industry — and industry in general — is so dire that David Sacks, billionaire and the AI and crypto czar shaping the Trump administration’s tech policies, did something politically risky: He publicly suggested that Donald Trump find some way to get out of the Iran war.
Last Friday on his podcast All In, Sacks and his crew laid out several alarmingly realistic scenarios based on recent developments: Iran indicated it was willing to attack oil and gas depots in neighboring countries, destroy desalination plants crucial for supplying water to over 100 million people (which Sacks described as a “humanitarian crisis” that would render the Middle East uninhabitable), and bombard Israel until it either relented or decided to use a nuclear weapon. The Democrats would probably win the midterms. But also, and arguably worse, World War III was possible. “This would be a really good time to take stock of where we are and try, I think, to seek an off-ramp,” he told his co-hosts. “And look, if escalation doesn’t lead anywhere good, then you have to think about, well, how do you de-escalate? And de-escalation, I think, involves reaching some sort of ceasefire agreement or some sort of negotiated settlement with Iran.”
Whatever advice Sacks may have tried to offer has fallen on deaf ears. On top of the US military’s continued assault on Iranian oil infrastructure, over the past few days, Trump said he was open to putting US troops on the ground in Iran, said that NATO countries hesitant to support him were making a “foolish” decision, and just because, added that he was thinking of invading Cuba next. Trump also told reporters this week that Sacks had not spoken to him about the war, either. Whether that’s true or not, Trump often defaults to this explanation when trying to diminish a critic. And the sources I speak to around the White House — especially the ones familiar with Trump’s MO — are pessimistic that Sacks will have any shot at getting the president to listen to him.
A David Sacks hater may note that the billionaire has hit the boundaries of his perceived influence on Trump. At the same time, every single one of Trump’s former allies — especially the ones who don’t work for him — have hit that limit, too. The MAGA anti-war isolationists have been completely betrayed. The titans of industry who care about the markets are at the mercy of Trump’s whims. Heck, Trump has turned around and embraced the neoconservatives who used to despise him, but are now the only people on the right clamoring for regime change in Iran. (If you want to get a sense of how his administration underlings are enabling Trump, I was literally at the Pentagon last week for a vibe check.)
Out of the Trump oligarch classes, the technologists may suffer the longest term effects. Unlike the MAGA base, who’d supported Trump for intangible ideological reasons, Big Tech’s got a deeply financial incentive to stay allied with the president. So much of their current advantages rely on their direct relationships and ability to assuage his ego, which has certainly paid dividends for them over the past year: antitrust investigations dropped, trade loopholes opened, executive orders signed, and so on. (What do you think the ballroom donations were for?) And it’s possible that they believed that the Iran situation would be similar to Venezuela, wherein they’d reap the benefits of seizing Iran’s oil supply, and decided not to intervene.
But there’s a critical characteristic they overlooked, one that dates back to Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn in the ’70s: Trump does not like to be humiliated by his foes, and Trump is always inclined to strike back twice as hard in order to crush their spirits, with little care for consequences or long-term damage. It mostly manifests via legal challenges and lawsuits in America, but has occasionally gone in a violent direction (see: January 6th and the ICE protests in Minnesota). In this case, he is trying to one-up a violent religious theocracy, which declared a military jihad against the United States in the wake of Khamenei’s death, and also possesses missiles. The rich nerds who make the beep-boops have very little chance of changing Trump’s mind — especially so long as there’s a political contingent on the right egging him on — and even if Sacks believed he was talking to a friendly audience in an online safe space, there’s no guarantee that Trump will be happy that he voiced dissent at all.
Oh, right, crypto is still happening, too.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch a lot of the Blockchain Conference this year (see: Iran) but it seems like some major developments came out of it, including the CFTC and the SEC dropping a major guidance that most digital assets are not securities, clarifying the way that certain cryptocurrency is regulated and whose rules apply. But though it’s the most comprehensive document released around this crucial issue, they also warned that it still needs Congress to pass laws that would make those changes permanent, and the CFTC is pretty busy as is. In other words: The Clarity Act still needs to be passed, guys. And that seems to be going great. Right?
.. another blockchain-based bar! This time, Polymarket announced the surprise opening of The Situation Room, “the world’s first bar dedicated to monitoring the situation.” According to renderings posted on X, the bar, described as a “sports bar just for situation monitoring,” will have everything one needs to monitor the situation: live feeds on X, sports games, and Bloomberg terminals. (Polymarket did not immediately comment on where said bar would be located.)
screenshot via @polymarket/X.
I’ve been doing some spring cleaning at home and recently found a quart-sized Ziploc bag that’s got a handful of spare change that I’ve been meaning to drop off at a Coinstar for over a year. But I’m lazy, and if there’s anything I’ve learned from TMZ, it’s that paying money for stories works (sometimes). So I will give this bag of loose change to anyone who can send authentic, verified, non-AI generated footage of this reported fight between Sam Altman and playwright Jeremy O. Harris at the exclusive, off-the-record Vanity Fair Oscar Party, allegedly over OpenAI’s contract with the Pentagon. (I presume the audience of Regulator is composed of Hollywood A-listers.)
And, no, I’m not going to send you the cash equivalent of the bag’s value. The condition for the payout is that you have to take this bag off of my hands, including all of the Costa Rican currency. AND I’m keeping all the quarters. And in the extraordinarily unlikely event that someone follows through on this offer, I have to get permission from Nilay Patel to break the ethics policy this one time, because this is technically a quid pro quo, albeit an extremely awful quid pro quo for whomever sends it.
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Nearly four years after the last version of Sennheiser’s Momentum headphones debuted with a redesign that traded a retro aesthetic for a more contemporary and comfortable design, the company has announced its Momentum 5 Wireless headphones. They look very similar to their predecessors, the Momentum 4, with large ear cups and a design that doesn’t quite stand out from the competition. But under the hood there are welcome upgrades, including improved ANC and, for the first time, a user-replaceable battery to extend their life.
The Momentum 5 Wireless will be available starting on June 30th for $399.99, a $50 price bump over the Momentum 4. The headphones feature the same 42mm drivers as the Momentum 3 and 4 models, but Sennheiser is introducing “Hi-Res Audio certification” and expanding the Momentum 5’s Bluetooth codec support to include AptX Lossless. That allows the headphones to stream 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality sound, but only from devices with a Qualcomm processor supporting that codec through the Snapdragon Sound platform. Smartphones from Sony and Motorola should be compatible, however Samsung, Google, and Apple devices won’t be.
Sennheiser has also doubled the number of microphones on the Momentum 5, which now feature four on each side to improve noise cancellation. The company claims its latest headphones are up to three times more effective at reducing the sound of voice chatter and the drone experienced in airplane cabins. The upgraded ANC and added mics also help improve call quality, both when it comes to picking up your voice and ensuring you can hear the person you’re talking to.
The Momentum 5’s battery life lasts up to 57 hours. It’s a small hit from the Momentum 4’s 60 hours, but still nearly double what you’ll get from the Sony WH-1000XM6, which can only muster up to 30 hours with ANC turned on. Other Momentum 5 upgrades include a new carrying case that’s 20 percent smaller, support for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio with head tracking, and the ability to upgrade from Bluetooth 5.4 to Bluetooth 6.0 with a future firmware update, although Sennheiser didn’t share a timeline for that.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Airports can feel like a maze when you are rushing to a gate, hunting for baggage claim or trying to find a lounge before boarding. Now, LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B wants to make that all feel a little less stressful with a life-sized AI hologram named Bridget.
Bridget can hold a real conversation with you. She can answer questions about gates, shops, baggage claim and VIP lounges. She can also give you step-by-step directions using real-time terminal maps.
That could be a welcome change if you have ever wandered through an airport looking for what you need. The bigger question is whether you would actually want help from a hologram when a real person may be just a few steps away.
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AI LAYOFFS MAY BE BACKFIRING ON COMPANIES
Travelers at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B can now ask a life-sized AI hologram named Bridget for directions, gate information and baggage claim help. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)
What is the LaGuardia AI hologram?
Bridget is a hyper-realistic AI hologram now located near the Terminal B Food Hall at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The technology comes from a collaboration between Proto, the hologram hardware company, and Holomedia’s AI Concierge Wayfinder platform.
Together, the system lets travelers ask natural questions instead of searching through signs or tapping through an app.
Right now, Bridget speaks English and Spanish. More languages are expected later. The kiosk also includes on-screen subtitles, high-contrast displays and a physical interface positioned for wheelchair accessibility. LaGuardia Gateway Partners, which manages Terminal B, says more units are planned across both concourses.
How Bridget helps LaGuardia travelers
LaGuardia Gateway Partners frames Bridget as extra help for travelers rather than a replacement for human workers. The idea is to support the guest experience team during busy periods, especially when staff members are already helping other passengers.
“At Terminal B, our North Star has always been to provide an exceptional guest experience through a unique blend of innovation and world-class hospitality,” said Suzette Noble, Chief Executive Officer of LaGuardia Gateway Partners. “The introduction of the interactive AI hologram aligns perfectly with this vision, allowing us to leverage next-generation technology to meet the evolving needs of our travelers. By providing an additional layer of intelligent, multilingual support, we are ensuring that every guest who passes through our terminal enjoys a seamless and stress-free journey.”
So, in other words, you can just walk up, ask where to go and get directions without digging through your phone.
What the LaGuardia AI hologram can answer
Bridget can answer common airport questions that usually send travelers searching for a sign, app or employee. Travelers can ask for directions to gates, shops, lounges and baggage claim. The system can also provide live mapping and step-by-step guidance around the terminal.
In a company-provided video, Bridget guides a traveler to Gate 19 with turn-by-turn directions and then offers a QR code so the traveler can take the directions with them.
That could help during peak travel days, when lines get longer and airport workers have less time to answer the same questions over and over.
David Nussbaum, founder of Proto Hologram, says the technology extends human support rather than replacing it.
“Communication with humans will always be the best way to help travelers find their way, and for the first time in any airport, AI-powered interactive hologram avatars extend the reach of the human guest experience ambassadors,” said Nussbaum. “Proto Hologram and Holomedia’s digital helpers can guide and advise travelers in ways that feel natural and intuitive.”
META AI LAUNCHES PRIVATE INCOGNITO CHAT
LaGuardia Airport introduced an AI-powered hologram concierge that gives travelers real-time directions to gates, lounges and shops in Terminal B. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Miami is also testing AI holograms at the airport
LaGuardia isn’t the only airport experimenting with AI holograms. Miami International Airport announced its own AI-powered holographic assistants about three weeks earlier. Miami’s system includes four conversational AI holograms developed with Hypervsn, Satisfi Labs and Mappedin.
Miami’s setup has been described as supporting 40 languages. It also connects with the airport’s website chatbot and WhatsApp assistant. That means you could start a question before you arrive and continue getting help once you are at the airport. Miami’s approach shows how other airports are also testing AI tools to help passengers move through terminals with less confusion.
Will AI holograms make airports less stressful?
That depends on how airports use them. A well-placed hologram that answers simple questions could make travel smoother. A confusing AI kiosk that gives vague answers could become one more thing travelers ignore. The best version of this technology helps people quickly and then gets out of the way. It should support airport staff, not replace the human help travelers still need when flights change, bags go missing, or plans fall apart.
Glenn E. Smith, Spatial Computing XP Architect at Holomedia, says airports are looking for technology that improves operations while creating more personalized journeys.
“As passenger expectations evolve, airports are increasingly seeking technologies that not only improve operational efficiency, but also create memorable, frictionless, and personalized journeys,” said Smith.
That is a pretty big promise. However, travelers will judge it by a much simpler standard: Did it answer my question and help me get where I needed to go?
What this means to you
For travelers, this could be helpful if the technology works well. Anyone who has walked the wrong way through an airport knows how stressful that can feel. A conversational kiosk could make it easier to find a gate, locate baggage claim or get to a lounge without hunting through signs. It may also help travelers who prefer spoken directions or need accessibility features like captions and a lower physical interface.
Still, AI airport assistants need to earn trust. Travelers will want clear answers, accurate directions and easy access to a real person when the technology gets confused.
There is also the privacy question. Bridget appears focused on wayfinding and guest service. But airports are also testing AI tools that connect with biometrics, mobile apps and passenger data. That broader shift deserves close attention.
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AI DATA CENTERS MAY SOON RIDE OCEAN WAVES
Bridget, a conversational AI hologram at LaGuardia Airport, helps passengers navigate Terminal B with multilingual support and live mapping tools. (Angus Mordant/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Bridget gives LaGuardia’s Terminal B a new way to help you find your way through a busy airport. If it works well, it could answer the simple questions that often create the most stress, like where to find your gate, your bags or the nearest lounge. Still, this story is bigger than one hologram in New York. Miami and other airports are also testing AI tools that could change how you get help before and during a trip. Some tools may look like friendly digital people. Others may live inside apps, websites or airport systems you never see. The real test is whether this technology makes travel feel easier. Because when you are late for a flight or trying to find your bag, you probably care less about how impressive it looks and more about whether it actually helps.
Would you rather get airport help from a human worker, a life-sized AI hologram or a smart system running quietly in the background? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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An exceptionally weird controversy has come back to haunt Cox Media and a pair of marketing firms, which claimed they were secretly listening to users via phones and smart devices — despite little evidence they actually could. On Thursday the Federal Trade Commission announced that Cox, MindSift, and 1010 Digital Works would pay a total of $930,000 to settle allegations that they were in fact lying about spying on people to target ads.
As chronicled by Techdirt a couple of years ago, Cox publicly boasted about a system called Voice Data back in 2023, telling potential digital marketing clients they could ensure “every casual conversation between two consumers becomes a tool for you to target, retarget, and retain customers.” It compared the tech to an episode of Black Mirror and described it as a real version of the persistent, largely unsubstantiated rumor that social media companies routinely listen to users through phone microphones. Cox backpedaled and denied it was listening to conversations, but 404 Media published multiple internal pitch decks making essentially the same highly dystopian claim.
At the time, there were significant doubts this was actually happening, and the FTC complaints back this up. “This service did not, in fact, listen in on consumers’ conversations or use voice data at all — nor did the service accurately place ads in customers’ desired locations,” it says in its press release. “Instead, the service the companies provided consisted of reselling — at a significant markup — email lists obtained from other data brokers.” The agency also says the companies lied about consumers having opted into this system — so even if they could spy on people, it alleges, they’d still have been breaking the law.
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