AI news · Monday, May 25, 2026
The latest AI boom is actually making hardware engineers and physical infrastructure the new tech…
The latest AI boom is actually making hardware engineers and physical infrastructure the new tech superstars, shifting focus away from pure software. While everyone is talking about chatbots, the real-world utility of AI is being questioned as companies realize that throwing endless money at 'tokenmaxxing'—the expensive process of constantly using AI models—isn't always producing better products. Meanwhile, the industry is seeing a weird tension; while CEOs often use AI as a convenient excuse for layoffs, experts warn this is just a 'lazy' narrative that doesn't fix actual business problems.
Even Pope Leo XIV has weighed in, releasing an encyclical that urges society to ensure AI development serves human dignity rather than just corporate ambition. Amid this, we’re seeing a fascinating trend where people are using these same AI tools to build 'analog' apps that help us reconnect with offline life, like digital postcard services. Ultimately, the hype is cooling into a more serious conversation about where AI actually adds value versus where it’s just a costly distraction.
The quick hits
- Hardware engineers are becoming tech's most valuable employees as the focus shifts toward building the physical infrastructure for AI.
- Uber and other tech firms are slowing down on AI spending after realizing that using AI for everything doesn't always lead to better features for users.
- Prominent AI experts and business leaders are warning that blaming layoffs on AI is often just a lazy excuse for poor management.
- There is a growing trend of people using AI tools to build apps that encourage analog, offline hobbies like sending physical postcards.