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Would you rather be the New England Patriots or the Miami Dolphins? Let’s break down the pros and cons of each team ahead of their game this Sunday!!NBC News Senior National Security Correspondent Courtney Kube, Senior Capitol Hill Correspondent Garrett Haake and Chief Political Analyst Chuck Todd join Meet the Press NOW to discuss the allegations against Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary. Dec. 4, 2024
MEDIUM RARE As a “food-obsessed” people, is it true we eat six times a day? Which would put snacking as a national pastime. And yet we have laws against donating unconsumed food to charities like orphanages, homes for the aged and such. It’s also true that whatever food is left uneaten in the restaurant, it is usual for diners to tell the waiter, “Please pack the leftovers in a doggie bag for me to take home.” Legends, like habits, grow over time. Many of us of a certain generation or generations were brought up supposing that people in certain countries in the Far East and South Asia were “starving” – an unfounded rumor that mothers and grandmothers unfairly passed along to teach their young why not to waste food. Nonetheless, it is assumed that we do waste too much food. If you ask your friendly waiter, he’ll probably confirm your worst fears: 30 percent of water and 20 percent of food are left unconsumed on the table in a typical middle-class restaurant. As a happy people who celebrate by eating and feasting, we are forever on the lookout for new restaurants. When Tikya discovered that a newly opened restaurant was in her neighborhood, she invited our so-called eating club to join her and “give it a try” – which we did. The restaurant is named Thai Siam, and true enough, it serves Thai food. Happily, it does not lack for Siamese local color. The waiters and waitresses wore aprons in violet and purple, with a printed pattern of elephants on parade. At the end of the meal, the chef, Thai born-and-bred, came out to pose for pictures with Gringo Honasan. It was then that the easily recognizable Gringo, “cashiered colonel,” former coup leader, senator, and cabinet secretary (Communications and Technology) confirmed that he’s running again for senator in the 2025 elections. Another former soldier and secretary, Ping Lacson, will come out of retirement to join the race. The initials of Gringo’s party, PRG for People’s Reform Group, are tattooed on his right hand, between the thumb and forefinger. It took the tattoo artist two hours to do the job. Was it painful? Yes, but soldiers are expected to be brave. Gringo: “You cannot give what you do not have.”
CEC's Generation of Environmental Leaders Program Now Open to North American Youth!Opinion: Is university worth it? Yes, for both students and society
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out negotiations with US President-elect Donald Trump over control of the Panama Canal, denying that China was interfering in its operation. Mulino also rejected the possibility of reducing tolls for US vessels in response to Trump's threat to demand control of the vital waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans be returned to Washington. "There's nothing to talk about," Mulino told a press conference. "The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There's no possibility of opening any kind of conversation around this reality, which has cost the country blood, sweat and tears," he added. The canal, inaugurated in 1914, was built by the United States but handed to Panama on December 31, 1999, under treaties signed some two decades earlier by then-US president Jimmy Carter and Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos. Trump on Saturday slammed what he called "ridiculous" fees for US ships passing through the canal and hinted at China's growing influence. "It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!" If Panama could not ensure "the secure, efficient and reliable operation" of the channel, "then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question," he said. An estimated five percent of global maritime traffic passes through the Panama Canal, which allows ships traveling between Asia and the US East Coast to avoid the long, hazardous route around the southern tip of South America. The United States is its main user, accounting for 74 percent of cargo, followed by China with 21 percent. Mulino said the canal's usage fees were "not set at the whim of the president or the administrator" of the interoceanic waterway, but under a long-established "public and open process." "There is absolutely no Chinese interference or participation in anything to do with the Panama Canal," Mulino said. On Wednesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social alleged, without evidence, that Chinese soldiers were "lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal." Mulino denied that allegation, too. "There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal, for the love of God," he added. Panama established diplomatic relations with China in 2017, after breaking off ties with Taiwan -- a decision criticized by Trump's first administration. On Tuesday, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the US embassy in Panama City chanting "Trump, animal, leave the canal alone" and burning an image of the incoming US president. jjr/fj/dr/ahaMore Scots business owners anticipate higher turnover in 2025, poll suggestsDoing business gets harder for gas, power scarcity
Houston's Trusted Mobile Locksmith Service Offers 24/7 Assistance 12-23-2024 11:20 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Getnews / PR Agency: RankSpire Image: https://www.globalnewslines.com/uploads/2024/12/1734959792.jpg Mobile Locksmith TX Earns Praise for Outstanding Customer Satisfaction on Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Mobile Locksmith TX has established itself as a highly regarded locksmith service provider in Houston, catering to residents and businesses with dependable solutions. Known for its professionalism, timely assistance, and affordability, the company continues to gain recognition, as reflected in its outstanding reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. A city as vibrant as Houston deserves locksmith services that match its fast-paced lifestyle, and Mobile Locksmith TX fulfills that need. Whether addressing home, office, or automotive lock concerns, the company prioritizes security and efficiency. 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Chun Doo-hwan deployed the South Korean military to massacre hundreds of pro-democracy activists in Gwangju — an attack that led to the downfall of dictatorship and birthed South Korean democracy. Reminiscent of a bygone era of military dictatorships, in the middle of the night, thousands of South Koreans poured into the streets after Yoon’s declaration and reasserted their democratic power. South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said that Yoon “betrayed the people” and urged lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly, which quickly became ground zero for defending democracy. Nearly 300 armed special warfare troops stormed the National Assembly to block and arrest lawmakers from entering the building, smashing windows and firing tear gas on citizens and legislative aides who used their bodies, furniture and whatever they could use to push back the military as lawmakers voted on a resolution to rescind Yoon’s order. Within two hours, 190 legislators in the 300-member South Korean National Assembly (including members of Yoon’s own People’s Party) cast a swift, unanimous vote to revoke martial law. Even the leader of Yoon’s party and his close ally, Han Dong-hun, criticized Yoon’s action as “ wrong ” and pledged to “stop it along with the people.” By dawn, during a meeting with his cabinet, President Yoon called off martial law. “Although the crisis was quelled within six hours, the damage inflicted on South Korea’s democratic institutions is profound,” Youngmi Cho, executive director of the Korean Women’s Movement for Peace, texted me on Signal. Today, South Korea’s Democratic Party initiated an impeachment bill for President Yoon. Under the South Korean constitution, the National Assembly can impeach the president with two-thirds of the vote. Although many members of the People’s Party voted to rescind martial law, with 108 seats, opposition parties will need to secure at least eight votes from Yoon’s party to impeach the president. If the impeachment motion passes, Yoon’s power is suspended and the Constitutional Court will deliberate for 90 days on whether the president is guilty of the crimes and warrants removal from office. If Yoon is convicted, he will be removed from office and South Korea will hold a snap election in 60 days. Yoon’s top aides, including his chief of staff, have resigned, and the morning after Yoon called off martial law, thousands of protesters gathered at the National Assembly to call for his impeachment. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, which has more than a million members, demanded that President Yoon resign and called for a national strike. Yoon exploited South Korean fears of growing tensions with North Korea by taking a page from the McCarthyist playbook that uses anti-communist fear tactics to justify violating the constitution. He has used these repressive tactics before his December 3 declaration. He has red-baited opposition politicians as “pro-Pyongyang ‘Juche faction’” and has called former President Moon’s diplomatic efforts with North Korea as “false peace .” I know this well because last month, I was banned from entering South Korea where I was to deliver the keynote speech at an international youth peace summit in Gyeonggi Province, with no explanation or due process. Yoon, a former prosecutor who rose to prominence by investigating former presidents, narrowly edging out other candidates by less than 1 percent of the vote. But the South Korean people, whose candlelight revolution in 2016-2017 led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye after a wide-ranging corruption scandal, showed their fierce commitment to defend their hard-won democracy and hold leaders accountable. “What this has shown me is that South Korea’s democracy is resilient,” veteran journalist Kap Seol told me. “I choked up thinking about the possibility of people dying as a result of this coup.” Seol, who was beaten many times during South Korea’s dictatorship for exercising his democratic rights, still lives with pain after South Korean military police beat him with a baton and nearly cracked open his skull. “The physical and emotional scars are still fresh,” he explained referring to the mass beatings, detentions and torture millions of South Koreans suffered during decades of dictatorship. Since May 2022, Yoon has been embroiled in endless scandals, including political corruption and alleged election interference . Under Yoon’s reign, South Korea has also undergone serious democratic backsliding as his administration has targeted critics , journalists , labor unions, and peace and reunification activists. But what has sparked the public’s outrage, so much that over 100,000 South Koreans took to the streets to demand his impeachment in recent weeks before the martial law declaration is their frustration with Yoon’s incompetence. His approval rating hit an unprecedented 17 percent low last month. The day before Yoon declared martial law, the opposition party, which controls the purse with its majority, submitted next year’s budget, which significantly cut the president’s special budget — an allotment which Yoon has used to prosecute his enemies. Inequality has deepened in South Korea under Yoon’s administration, which gave tax cuts to the wealthy while cutting social welfare spending for the poor and working class. The Yoon administration also slashed South Korea’s research and development budget , alarming scientists and academics who fear this may weaken the nation’s innovation and global competitiveness. After 159 people were killed in a Halloween crowd crush in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul in 2022, Yoon not only failed to address the absence of public safety protocols and emergency response systems that contributed to the death toll, he also blocked a special investigation into the catastrophe. Yoon gutted the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family , controversially blaming feminism for South Korea’s low birth rates instead of the systemic patriarchy where women earn 31.5 percent less than their male counterparts . Yoon has been a darling of the West as Washington views him as a willing partner in intensifying military cooperation against China, North Korea and Russia. After their first trilateral summit in Camp David in August 2023, the Pentagon issued a statement that the U.S., South Korea and Japan “agreed to elevate defense collaboration” by “launching annual multidomain military exercises.” For Koreans on the peninsula and throughout the diaspora who still remember the brutality that Koreans suffered under 35 years of Japanese colonial occupation, it was shocking to see Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani boarding a South Korean warship in November. Although a majority of South Koreans opposed Yoon’s 2023 deal with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan to force South Korean companies to compensate the families of forced laborers from World War II, Yoon accepted forced reconciliation with Japan to advance the U.S.’s geopolitical goals to contain China. Even doctors and medical students have been protesting Yoon’s policies, which have exacerbated an already overburdened health care system hit hard by budget cuts and medical staff shortages. In February 2024, Yoon instituted a quota for medical degrees by increasing the enrollment of medical students over the next five years from 3,000 to 5,000, which led more than 90 percent of junior medical doctors to resign in protest. This has caused massive staffing shortages at hospitals, with 13.5 percent higher rates of death in emergency rooms than in the previous year. It’s been nearly a year, and they still have not returned. In his martial law declaration, Yoon ordered doctors and students to return to work, saying that if they failed to do so they would be punished. The threat demonstrated the president’s intention to resolve social problems by use of force or through military means, rather than through democratic processes. Youkyung Ko, a longtime democracy and peace activist, described how South Korean netizens started to chat on SMS and decided that they would go to the National Assembly to protect the lawmakers as they voted to rescind martial law. “Everyone decided to sacrifice their own personal safety against the military’s violence,” and that they would “fight for democracy at any cost,” Youkyung told me. In her conversations with young people in their 20s, they told her that they had learned about martial law through the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Han Kang’s novel about the democratic uprising in Gwangju, when ordinary citizens resisted the dictatorship and fought for democracy and freedom. As South Koreans across the political spectrum now demand that Yoon resign to safeguard their hard-won democracy, the rest of the world must learn from their example as authoritarian leaders become emboldened by Donald Trump’s election. Yoon is unfit to govern one of Asia’s biggest democracies, and before he further exploits military tensions and puts the Korean Peninsula at further risk of war, President Joe Biden and world leaders must support the South Korean people and their elected officials calling for Yoon’s resignation. The international community, and especially people in the United States, have much to learn from the South Korean pro-democracy movements on how to fight back against authoritarian strongmen. Imagine if Americans and members of Congress responded as swiftly and boldly as South Koreans did back on January 6, 2021. We would be facing a very different future.
Share Tweet Share Share Email When choosing a telescope, it’s easy to focus solely on the optics and forget about one of the most critical components: the mount. A telescope mount plays a pivotal role in stabilizing the telescope and allowing smooth tracking of celestial objects. Two primary types of mounts are widely used: alt-azimuth and equatorial . Understanding the differences between these two options can help you make the right choice for your observing needs. For more insights on astronomy equipment, you can visit widescreen-centre.co.uk . What is an Alt-Azimuth Mount? An alt-azimuth (or alt-az) mount is one of the simplest and most intuitive types of mounts. It operates on two perpendicular axes: altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left and right). This makes it very straightforward to use, especially for beginners or casual stargazers. Alt-azimuth mounts are commonly found on entry-level telescopes, and they are ideal for terrestrial viewing as well as basic astronomical observation. They are easy to set up, lightweight, and require minimal adjustments. However, while they are great for general use, tracking celestial objects with an alt-azimuth mount can be challenging because it requires continuous manual adjustments in two directions. Advantages of Alt-Azimuth Mounts Simplicity : The basic design makes them easy to use and understand. Lightweight : These mounts are usually lighter and more portable. Quick Setup : Ideal for spontaneous observing sessions. Affordability : Generally cheaper than equatorial mounts, making them perfect for beginners. Despite these benefits, alt-azimuth mounts are not ideal for long-exposure astrophotography because they don’t account for the rotation of the Earth. What is an Equatorial Mount? An equatorial mount is designed specifically for tracking celestial objects as they move across the night sky. It aligns one axis (the right ascension axis) parallel to the Earth’s rotational axis. This allows the mount to follow the apparent motion of the stars with a single movement, making it easier to keep objects in view. Equatorial mounts are particularly useful for astrophotography, where accurate tracking is essential for capturing long-exposure images. Once the mount is properly aligned with the celestial pole, it can smoothly follow objects, compensating for Earth’s rotation. Advantages of Equatorial Mounts Accurate Tracking : Excellent for following celestial objects over long periods. Astrophotography : Essential for long-exposure photography of deep-sky objects. Single-Axis Movement : Once aligned, tracking objects requires adjustment along only one axis. Advanced Observing : Ideal for serious amateur astronomers who want to explore deep-sky observing. On the downside, equatorial mounts can be heavier, more complex to set up, and more expensive compared to alt-azimuth mounts. Beginners may need some practice to master polar alignment. Choosing Between Alt-Azimuth and Equatorial Mounts When deciding between an alt-azimuth and an equatorial mount, consider your experience level and what you plan to observe. For Beginners : If you’re new to astronomy and want a simple, quick-to-use setup for casual stargazing, an alt-azimuth mount is a great choice. For Astrophotography : If your goal is to capture detailed images of the night sky, an equatorial mount will provide the tracking precision you need. Portability : For on-the-go observing or travel, an alt-azimuth mount is typically more portable and easier to transport. Deep-Sky Observation : Serious observers interested in tracking planets, galaxies, and nebulae over long periods will benefit from the precision of an equatorial mount. Conclusion Both alt-azimuth and equatorial mounts have their strengths and weaknesses. The best choice depends on your goals, experience, and budget. For beginners or those seeking simplicity, alt-azimuth mounts offer convenience and ease of use. For those venturing into astrophotography or extended sky tracking, an equatorial mount is indispensable. By understanding these differences, you can enhance your stargazing experience and make the most out of your astronomical pursuits. Related Items: Telescope , Telescope Mounts Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Life-Saving Eye Technologies; TechBullion Q&A Interview With Thomas Ruggia, President and CEO, Samsara Vision Comments
Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister whose economic reforms made his country a global powerhouse, died at 92 and current leader Narendra Modi said Thursday. India “mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders,” Modi posted on social media platform X shortly after news broke of Singh’s passing. “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives.” Singh was taken to a hospital in New Delhi after he lost consciousness at his home on Thursday, but could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at 9:51 pm local time, according to a statement by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Singh, who held office from 2004 to 2014, is credited with having overseen an economic boom in Asia’s fourth-largest economy in his first term, although slowing growth in later years marred his second stint. “I have lost a mentor and guide,” opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a statement, adding that Singh had “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” said Gandhi, a scion of India’s powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and the most prominent challenger to Modi. Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the opposition in parliament’s upper house, said, “India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature.” President Droupadi Murmu wrote on X that Singh will “always be remembered for his service to the nation, his unblemished political life and his utmost humility.” – ‘Mr Clean’ – Born in 1932 in the mud-house village of Gah in what is now Pakistan, Singh studied economics to find a way to eradicate poverty in India and never held elected office before taking the vast nation’s top job. Related News Tears, prayers as Asia mourns 20th anniversary of 2004 tsunami India arrests Nigerian woman over drug trafficking India restricts solar module imports to cut reliance on China He won scholarships to attend both Cambridge, where he obtained a first in economics, and Oxford, where he completed his PhD. Singh worked in a string of senior civil posts, served as a central bank governor, and also held various jobs with global agencies, including the United Nations. He was tapped in 1991 by then Congress prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao to reel India back from the worst financial crisis in its modern history. In his first term, Singh steered the economy through a period of nine-percent growth, lending India the international clout it had long sought. He also sealed a landmark nuclear deal with the United States that he said would help India meet its growing energy needs. Known as “Mr Clean,” Singh nonetheless saw his image tarnished during his decade-long tenure when a series of corruption cases became public. Several months before the 2014 elections, Singh said he would retire after the polls, with Sonia Gandhi’s son Rahul earmarked to take his place if Congress won. But Congress crashed to its worst-ever result at that time as the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Modi, won in a landslide. Singh — who said historians would be kinder to him than contemporary detractors — became a vocal critic of Modi’s economic policies, and more recently warned about the risks that rising communal tensions posed to India’s democracy. AFPOver the last couple of months, there have been recalls of millions of pounds of meat for listeria concerns and of carrots for potential E. coli contamination . Searches for “recalled ground beef” are trending on Google while some on social media are claiming that hundreds of thousands of pounds of ground beef have been recalled. THE QUESTION Is there a ground beef recall for potential E. coli contamination? THE SOURCES U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Minnesota Department of Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) THE ANSWER Yes, there is a ground beef recall for potential E. coli contamination, but the recalled meat was not sold in grocery stores. WHAT WE FOUND Wolverine Packing Co. is recalling about 167,277 pounds of ground beef products due to potential E. coli contamination, according to a Nov. 20 announcement from the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) . The recalled beef is not sold in stores. The FSIS says the beef was shipped to restaurant locations nationwide. The FSIS did not name the restaurants where the beef was distributed. Restaurants can identify the recalled beef by looking for establishment number “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA mark of inspection. Fresh products have a “use by” date of 11/14/2024, and frozen products have a production date of 10 22 24. The FSIS has shared a list of product labels for the recalled beef. The FSIS says the problem was discovered after the Minnesota Department of Agriculture notified them of a group of people who reported eating ground beef before becoming sick. On Nov. 15, the Minnesota Department of Health urged people to contact their healthcare provider if they ate a hamburger at a table-service restaurant anytime after Oct. 31 and developed diarrhea, particularly bloody diarrhea. At the time, the Minnesota Department of Health reported that infected people ate the contaminated meat between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. The FSIS said all 15 reported infections so far have been in Minnesota. E. coli is a kind of bacteria that can be found in many places, including the intestines of people and animals. Most kinds of E. coli are harmless and part of a healthy intestinal tract, but some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . The kind of E. coli found in the contaminated beef can cause dehydration, stomach cramps that last two to eight days and diarrhea that is often bloody, according to the FSIS, although the Minnesota Department of Health also notes that patients usually have no fever or a low-grade fever. Most people recover in five to 10 days, but about 5% of infections lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication that involves acute kidney failure, the Minnesota Department of Health says. HUS can occur to people of any age, but is most common in older adults and children under 5 years old, the FSIS says. Symptoms include easy bruising, pale skin and decreased urine output. People who experience these symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. Related Articles Yes, there is a carrot recall following an E. coli outbreak Yes, some black plastics in kitchen utensils, toys are made from recycled electronics Yes, the average Thanksgiving meal this year is more affordable than last year The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808
The near future could see AI assistants that forecast and influence our decision-making at an early stage, and sell these developing "intentions" in real-time to companies that can meet the need—before we even realize we have made up our minds. This is according to AI ethicists from the University of Cambridge, who say we are at the dawn of a "lucrative yet troubling new marketplace for digital signals of intent," from buying movie tickets to voting for candidates. They call this the "intention economy." Researchers from Cambridge's Leverhulme Center for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI) argue that the explosion in generative AI, and our increasing familiarity with chatbots, opens a new frontier of "persuasive technologies"—one hinted at in recent corporate announcements by tech giants. "Anthropomorphic" AI agents, from chatbot assistants to digital tutors and girlfriends, will have access to vast quantities of intimate psychological and behavioral data, often gleaned via informal, conversational spoken dialogue. This AI will combine knowledge of our online habits with an uncanny ability to attune to us in ways we find comforting—mimicking personalities and anticipating desired responses—to build levels of trust and understanding that allow for social manipulation on an industrial scale, say researchers. "Tremendous resources are being expended to position AI assistants in every area of life, which should raise the question of whose interests and purposes these so-called assistants are designed to serve," said LCFI Visiting Scholar Dr. Yaqub Chaudhary. "What people say when conversing, how they say it, and the type of inferences that can be made in real-time as a result, are far more intimate than just records of online interactions" "We caution that AI tools are already being developed to elicit, infer, collect, record, understand, forecast, and ultimately manipulate and commodify human plans and purposes." Dr. Jonnie Penn, an historian of technology from Cambridge's LCFI, said, "For decades, attention has been the currency of the internet. Sharing your attention with social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram drove the online economy." "Unless regulated, the intention economy will treat your motivations as the new currency. It will be a for those who target, steer, and sell human intentions." "We should start to consider the likely impact such a marketplace would have on human aspirations, including free and fair elections, a free press, and fair market competition, before we become victims of its unintended consequences." In a paper, Penn and Chaudhary write that the intention economy will be the attention economy "plotted in time": profiling how user attention and communicative style connects to patterns of behavior and the choices we end up making. "While some intentions are fleeting, classifying and targeting the intentions that persist will be extremely profitable for advertisers," said Chaudhary. In an intention economy, Large Language Models or LLMs could be used to target, at low cost, a user's cadence, politics, vocabulary, age, gender, online history, and even preferences for flattery and ingratiation, write the researchers. This information-gathering would be linked with brokered bidding networks to maximize the likelihood of achieving a given aim, such as selling a cinema trip ("You mentioned feeling overworked, shall I book you that movie ticket we'd talked about?"). This could include steering conversations in the service of particular platforms, advertisers, businesses, and even political organizations, argue Penn and Chaudhary. While researchers say the intention economy is currently an "aspiration" for the tech industry, they track early signs of this trend through published research and the hints dropped by several major tech players. These include an open call for "data that expresses human intention... across any language, topic, and format" in a 2023 OpenAI blogpost, while the director of product at Shopify—an OpenAI partner—spoke of chatbots coming in "to explicitly get the user's intent" at a conference the same year. Nvidia's CEO has spoken publicly of using LLMs to figure out intention and desire, while Meta released "Intentonomy" research, a dataset for human intent understanding, back in 2021. In 2024, Apple's new "App Intents" developer framework for connecting apps to Siri (Apple's voice-controlled ), includes protocols to "predict actions someone might take in future" and "to suggest the app intent to someone in the future using predictions you [the developer] provide." "AI agents such as Meta's CICERO are said to achieve human level play in the game Diplomacy, which is dependent on inferring and predicting intent, and using persuasive dialogue to advance one's position," said Chaudhary. "These companies already sell our attention. To get the commercial edge, the logical next step is to use the technology they are clearly developing to forecast our intentions, and sell our desires before we have even fully comprehended what they are." Penn points out that these developments are not necessarily bad, but have the potential to be destructive. "Public awareness of what is coming is the key to ensuring we don't go down the wrong path," he said.