In the comedy series The Computer Scientists (2006), the two protagonists, Roy and Moss, give their partner Jen, who knows absolutely nothing about computers, a black box with a red light and tell her that it is, literally, “the Internet”, and that she must treat it with great care. What was a joke there can become (almost) a reality with artificial intelligence for local use: that is, when the models are downloaded to a computer and work without having to connect to the network. AIs can respond on many topics without having to consult the original sources: they search their own memory, like human intelligence. There is already a range of open source AI models such as the Chinese ones (Qwen or DeepSeek) or those shared by users of HuggingFace, the platform now purchased by Nvidia, which thus aims to control the distribution of the software. But everything related to AI moves so quickly that it's hard to say whether Jensen Huang's company will get its way. In the series, Jen shows the box at a management meeting, and it ends up breaking, causing panic. Now, maybe everyone can have theirs.
Peace between Airbus and workers is approaching, but it is not there yet
Government mediation has allowed Airbus and the unions representing 88% of the workforce to reach a preliminary agreement to end a strike that has lasted since August 24. The proposal, whose content is not yet known in detail, will now be put to a referendum among workers. It is a good sign after weeks of confrontation and stalled negotiations. But the conflict is not yet resolved. Just a few months ago a preliminary agreement was reached that the staff ended up rejecting. In addition, two of the unions calling for the strike have been left out of the negotiations. There is work left.
Six months should be enough for even the most indecisive
The Ministry of Labor will try to continue reducing temporary employment through a decree that will require better justification of trial periods longer than six months. The measure seeks to discourage companies from resorting to this formula as a substitute for temporary contracts, a practice that has increased since the labor reform.
Probationary periods make sense because a resume and an interview do not always tell if someone is suitable for a position, and they reduce the risk of making a mistake when hiring. However, six months seems like more than enough time to check it out. Except in exceptional cases, it is difficult to justify that a company needs even more margin to evaluate the competitiveness of a worker.
The phrase of the day
The United Kingdom is not taking advantage of the freedom that Brexit gave it. I tell them: “Why don't you liberalize a little, accept goods and agricultural products that meet US standards?” And they respond: “We have to wait and see what the EU says”
Jamieson Greer, US Trade Representative
Being born with talent helps, but being born into the right family helps too.
The loved one, Rodrigo Sorogoyen's latest film, is about a film director who hires his actress daughter for his film. Although it is not the central topic, in the background the issue of nepo babies appears: the label given to the children of celebrities who follow in their professional footsteps. The term has a negative connotation because it presupposes plugging. This is often the case, and that blocks the way for more qualified people.
But it is not advisable to generalize either. It is not strange that someone who has seen their parents act, sing or paint all their lives wants to do the same, and do it better than average. The issue reminds us that cultural capital that is transmitted between generations can be as valuable as money, and also fosters inequalities.
