They Held a Funeral for Claude

Hey Curious Minds,

Yes, they really held a funeral for an AI. Claude 3 Sonnet got a full sendoff in San Francisco, over 200 people, AI-written hymns, holographic eulogies, the whole theatrical shebang. It was tongue-in-cheek, but it spoke volumes about how deeply embedded these tools have become in our culture. We used to fear AI. Now we grieve it. That’s not nothing.

Machines With Better Hands, and Brains

While we mourn Claude, robots are outpacing us. Literally. Robotic hands now outperform human ones in speed and precision. Think surgical tools, advanced prosthetics, even augmented athletes. And AI? It’s decoding cursive better than historians ever could, unlocking archives once thought unreadable. Meanwhile, MIT created “impossible objects” with a new tool called Measures, rendering Escher-like illusions in semi-physical space. Magic, meet math.

Space Gets Closer, and Smarter

We may have found a second Earth. Using AI, astronomers discovered a “super-Earth” in a habitable zone, without even laying eyes on it. This, combined with USC’s AI-designed, carbon-neutral concrete (inspired by ancient Romans), shows how AI is literally helping us build, and possibly leave, the world. And Europe? It launched its first driverless train, complete with lidar, satellite navigation, and AI-powered braking. It’s not science fiction. It’s logistics.

Healing Minds, Bodies, and Relationships

Sam Altman claims GPT-8 could help cure cancer. We're talking AI-designed molecules, simulated trials, seamless integration into medical workflows. It’s ambitious, but not implausible. On a softer note, journalist Emma Bowman tested GPT for couples counseling. It fumbled at first, then adapted. It’s no therapist, but it makes a compelling mirror, and sometimes, that’s enough to spark change.

Are We Inside a Black Hole? And Does It Matter?

Finally, some mind fuel: Physicists are revisiting the idea that our universe could be the inside of a black hole. While classical physics says no, quantum theory leaves the door cracked. Add Javier Martin’s idea that intelligence might be a universal inevitability, and suddenly, it’s not so crazy to think AI and humanity are solving the same cosmic puzzle, just from different angles.

So, yes, we buried Claude. But don’t let the funeral fool you. AI isn’t ending. It’s expanding, across biology, cities, planets, even philosophy. The only real question left is: Are you keeping up?

Warmly,

Dylan Curious