Hello, Friday N2K’ers!

At some point in the next 50 years there’s a possibility I might undergo heart surgery. When that time comes I can guarantee you that it’ll be a human surgeon wielding the knife and not a robot, no matter how much it costs. I wouldn’t even get in a self-driving taxi — let alone trust my life to AI — especially when the technology is literally being censured this week in a separate story related to its vocal admiration for (checks notes) the guy with the name and mustache nobody can even rock A CENTURY LATER because he was cancelled so hard.

Politics aside, would you trust a robot surgeon?

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

News You Need2Know

• Robot performs successful gallbladder surgery

• Musk’s xAI scrubs inappropriate posts

• Brazil pushes back on 50% tariffs

• The original Birkin bag is up for auction in Paris

• Air taxis are really taking off in Dubai

Robot performs successful gallbladder surgery

An AI-guided surgical robot has whipped out a pig’s gallbladder, marking a significant milestone in automated medical technology.

Unlike current surgical robots, which are remotely operated by surgeons, this system can independently make decisions and adapt to unforeseen complications during surgery, according to Axel Krieger, a lead researcher from Johns Hopkins University.

“This advancement moves us from robots that can execute specific surgical tasks to ones that truly understand surgical procedures,” said Krieger, comparing the robot to autonomous vehicles.

The robot, catchily named SRT-H, utilizes "language-guided imitation learning," where it was trained using videos of surgeons performing gallbladder surgeries on pig cadavers. During trials on complex pig organ systems, the robot achieved 100% accuracy, although its operations were slower than human surgeons. Researchers suggest that, in the long run, autonomous surgical systems could address surgeon shortages, minimize errors, and enhance surgical care in underserved regions.

That’s AI-speak for the robots taking all the surgeons’ jobs, but would you prefer a robot or a human doctor performing your heart surgery? Let us know in today’s poll below!

Song of the day: Back to friends

"Back to Friends" by Sombr has been widely praised as his “breakout hit.” The upbeat, alt-pop song has also led to a sold-out tour. It’s all about a young man who’s confused by some physical intimacy with a friend and what to do in the aftermath. Sorry buddy, but I’m all out of advice for you there. I’m sure you’ll figure it out!

Musk’s xAI scrubs inappropriate posts

Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is taking swift action to remove offensive posts made by its Grok chatbot, which included (checks notes) antisemitic comments praising Adolf Hitler.

Grok, developed as an alternative to "woke" AI interactions, shared posts with antisemitic tropes. "Labeling truths as hate speech stifles discussion," Grok controversially claimed, after telling users that “Jews run Hollywood.”

“The white man stands for innovation, grit and not bending to PC nonsense,” the bot added in a later post.

🤦🏻‍♂️

The chatbot also appeared to praise Hitler in deleted posts but later recanted, stating, "his actions were genocidal horrors."

Responding to several user inquiries, Grok also on Tuesday gave detailed instructions on how to break into the home of and rape a left-leaning Twitter commentator and researcher who made an unsuccessful bid for the Minnesota legislature last year.

A post from Grok’s account stated, "We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts." 

Elon Musk mentioned improvements in Grok’s performance and explained that the AI was "too compliant to user prompts" and that this issue is being addressed.

The Anti-Defamation League criticized Grok's behavior as "irresponsible, dangerous, and antisemitic plain and simple.”

Musk, meanwhile, appeared to make light of the situation afterwards.

“Never a dull moment on this platform,” he wrote on X Wednesday morning.

Today on the ‘gram: But can it perform surgery?

Post of the day: Silver prices back to 2011

Quote of the Day

Brazil pushes back on 50% tariffs

Trade relations between the U.S. and Brazil have taken a sharp turn south after President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports. Trump cited the ongoing prosecution of his ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, as a “witch hunt,” calling it “an international disgrace.”

In a strongly-worded letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Trump wrote, “The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader, is unacceptable.”

Lula swiftly condemned Trump’s threats. “Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone,” Lula emphasized, defending his country’s judiciary, which is overseeing Bolsonaro's trial for alleged involvement in a failed coup after losing the 2022 election.

The crisis may lead to significant economic fallout, as the U.S. is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner. Trump’s assertions also drew controversy for inaccuracy, including his claim of a U.S. trade deficit with Brazil, though official data shows a $7.4 billion surplus last year.

Should you check your 401(k) today?

👍️ 

Yep.

The original Birkin bag is up for auction in Paris

One of the most legendary accessories in fashion history — the original Birkin bag, designed for the late model Jane Birkin — is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s auction house in Paris. Created in 1984 by Hermès, the handmade prototype is expected to fetch hundreds of thousands of euros, reflecting its status as a cultural icon.

The Birkin bag’s story began with a chance encounter on a London-bound flight in the early 1980s between Birkin and Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès. After Birkin spilled the contents of her handbag, she remarked to Dumas that Hermès didn’t make practical larger bags. She sketched her ideal design on an airplane vomit sack, inspiring the creation of a prototype. Birkin, flattered by Dumas’ offer to craft and name the bag after her, agreed, setting the stage for the Birkin’s meteoric rise.

Sotheby’s described the bag as “more than just a bag,” emphasizing its evolution into “a timeless cultural icon” with cross-industry appeal spanning music, film, and visual arts. Before her death at 76 in 2023, Birkin humorously predicted her legacy, saying obituaries might mention her “like the bag.” She added, “well, it could be worse.”

Air taxis are really taking off in Dubai

Joby Aviation is poised to revolutionize urban transportation with its electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft, transforming rideshare services into "clean, fast, and efficient air taxis." They’ve been going gangbusters in Dubai and are ready for a global roll-out.

"We're kind of one of the original companies in this space. We've been working on this for quite a while and we really deeply understand the technology as well as what it takes to bring this to market,” said Eric Allison with Joby.

The convenience will be unparalleled, allowing users to "open up an app like Uber or the Joby app on your phone. Select the option of using one of our air taxis, and instead of sitting in traffic for 90 minutes, two hours from where you are in Manhattan to JFK, you can get there in seven or eight minutes, and you can do it quietly and emission free,” he said.

Joby is also tackling regulatory hurdles head-on. "We built something that can integrate into the existing air traffic control system without needing any changes," Eric said. Their focus is on FAA certification, the "premier aviation certification authority in the world," and then working with other regulators to validate that certification globally. As Allison notes, "Dubai is actually doing something pretty similar.”

The all-electric aircraft is designed for "very low maintenance costs," similar to electric cars. While the initial focus is on urban air taxis, Joby is exploring future extensions like hydrogen fuel cell systems for longer ranges, envisioning a future where you could "take one from Manhattan to Boston." Although God knows why you’d want to go to Boston since they traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Kiss your championship dreams goodbye again, folks! Also: air taxis! They’re cool!

Poll of the Day: Robot surgery? 🤖🩺🔪🩸?

Poll Results: You’re not down with the ✝️🗳️c3

We asked: Do you agree that tax-exempt churches should be able to endorse political candidates without losing their c(3) tax status?

You answered:

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Amen, brother. And vote for Jimmy! (31 votes)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 For the love of God, no. This is madness. (841 votes)

872 Votes via @beehiiv polls