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🗞️Diversity and inclusion news🗞️ |
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🧠AI is making us Dumber🧠
A new MIT Media Lab study has added fresh fuel to an increasingly uncomfortable question: is using AI making us... stupider?
The study – which hasn’t yet been peer reviewed, so hold your panic – tracked the brain activity of 54 young adults as they wrote essays using ChatGPT, Google, or just their own noggins. The result? Those relying on ChatGPT had the lowest cognitive engagement, wrote the weakest essays, and by essay three, had fully outsourced the job to the chatbot. Think “Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V” meets “creative soul missing.”
The kicker? Their brains showed less activity in the regions associated with memory, attention and creativity. “Efficient, but disengaged,” was the verdict.
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🧠 Brain fog by design? The researchers observed that ChatGPT users gradually stopped thinking. They just… asked the bot to do more and more. The essays were soulless, repetitive, and bland enough to make an Ofqual examiner weep.
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🧑🏫 Teachers said it felt like reading homework by an AI collective — same phrases, same structure, same insights. Only, there weren’t any.
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🧬 Memory went AWOL: When asked to rewrite an old essay without the bot, the ChatGPT group couldn’t even remember what they’d written. Why? Because they hadn’t really written it.
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🔁 Google users, by contrast, showed higher satisfaction and stronger brain activity. Searching and synthesising info still works the old grey matter. Who knew?
Read the full story here
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🏢What do workers want?🏢
Turns out it’s not just beanbags and remote work anymore.
A new report from Randstad, published via the World Economic Forum, shows that workers across the globe are rethinking their priorities — and employers should take note. Forget the "remote forever" hype. In 2025, the new career currency is employability: staying skilled, secure, and relevant.
🧠 The Four Big Trade-offs Workers Are Willing to Make:
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Remote work vs. Employability
67% of respondents said they’d give up the ability to work remotely if it meant better long-term skills or job security.
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Pay vs. Stress
A solid 60% would rather earn less and stress less. Gen Z leads the charge here, favouring lower-paid roles that support mental health.
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Money vs. Time Autonomy
Controlling when they work matters more than where for most. Over half would accept lower salaries to own their calendars.
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Career Progression vs. Full-time Return to Office (RTO)
Over 50% would forgo promotions if it meant avoiding a full-time office return. If RTO is non-negotiable, they want higher pay, more leave, and flexible hours in exchange.
This isn’t just vibes — it’s a recalibration of the employer-employee contract. Employees are telling us they’ll work hard and stick around… but only if the deal feels fair. That means:
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Real pathways to stay relevant (training, upskilling, support)
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Flexibility defined by time control, not just WFH
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Clear alignment between company purpose and personal values
And if that’s not on offer? They’ll walk.
74% say cost-of-living-aligned pay rises are the top reason to stay. But that’s closely followed by career support (68%) and shared values (67%). In other words: show you care, not just that you pay.
You can read more here
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🧠Things that make you go hmmm🧠 |
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👀Tesla's big saviour 👀
The Robotaxi
“You wait ages for a taxi, and then 10 show up—unless it’s in Austin and they all drive themselves.”
Tesla’s much-hyped robotaxi service officially launched in Austin this weekend—with all the scale and subtlety of a soft launch at a suburban Pret. Just 10 cars, running in limited neighbourhoods, only for selected users, and always accompanied by a mysterious “Tesla Safety Monitor” (read: human minder) will join folks on their ride😐
Elon’s dream of replacing Uber with sleek, self-driving Model Ys has been “tentatively” realised—though it looks less like the dawn of a new transport era and more like a beta test with influencer PR. Early riders were mostly Tesla stans livestreaming their rides on X, while actual residents stood by watching Waymo cars (yes, Alphabet’s robotaxis) pass them by😅
This is the big share price bet though. So much of Tesla's valuation is supported by the idea that it will be at the head of the next big transport revolution and this is a key step on that and well investors so far like what they see with the stock up 8% as of writing💸
🔍 So What?
This isn’t just a product launch—it’s a reputation rescue mission. Tesla’s been slipping on the AV front while Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox gain traction with slow, safety-tested expansions. Meanwhile, Tesla is still under investigation for its Full Self Driving software after multiple fatal crashes. Critics say the real Cybercab is still years away (2026 at best), and the current roll-out? More performative than practical.
🚨 Caveats Galore:
👀 What’s Missing?
🇬🇧 UK Angle?
With London streets already hostile to e-scooters (Bolt) announced this year they want to dump more on the streets too, and local councils allergic to Uber-style disruption, don’t expect this tech to glide into Brixton or Basingstoke any time soon. But it’s worth watching—because if autonomous vehicles do work at scale, they’ll upend entire transport and labour markets.
💡 So What?
In classic Musk fashion, it’s bold, buzzy, and probably far too early. Whether Robotaxi ends up a public transport revolution or another overpromised, undercooked venture? TBD.
Read more from The Guardian
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👷🏿AI👷🏿
Tech’s newest trick: fire staff, say “AI,” and spend billions anyway.
Microsoft and Amazon are cutting thousands of jobs — again — while pumping more money than the GDP of a small country into AI. Amazon’s Andy Jassy told staff that AI “will reduce our total corporate workforce” but also, apparently, make jobs more “exciting and fun.” A cheery note, right before folks are told to relocate or leave.💁
Amazon’s AI tools are already being rolled out across logistics, inventory, advertising, and retail — helping optimise everything from your sock size to server uptime. Meanwhile, Microsoft is axing sales staff and outsourcing client relationships while spending $80bn this year to expand AI infrastructure. Amazon’s shelling out even more: $105bn. Because who needs headcount when you’ve got data centres?🏫
If smart glasses are the future of AI interfaces, Meta’s latest Oakley collab shows they’re dead serious. AI-powered specs that tell you the wind speed while golfing? Very helpful for the 0.01% who golf and care about machine vision. Meta wants to ship 10 million units by 2026 — and you can now talk to your sunglasses like a Bond villain.😂
On that,
OpenAI’s Sam Altman recently revealed that his team’s top researchers are getting “giant offers” from Meta — we’re talking $100m signing bonuses. That’s not a typo. It’s a hedge-fund-sized “please come help us” cheque. Altman says none of his “best people” have defected yet, but Meta’s clearly hoping to boom it's AI credibility by buying its way back to the top💰
📎 Amazon’s full AI memo here
📎 Microsoft + Amazon layoffs + spending summary
📎 Meta’s £100m talent poaching + glasses PR push
📉 So what?
Meta’s $15bn bet on Scale AI and its bold attempts to poach OpenAI’s brightest show just how high the stakes are in the global AI talent race.
The future of AI is increasingly being shaped by who can afford to buy the brightest minds. That’s bad news for smaller labs, open research, and, frankly, everyone outside the US. While Meta hoards talent with hedge fund-level offers, the UK’s AI sector — still waiting on its £100m Foundation Model Taskforce funding to trickle out — is left waving its “Centre for AI Safety” banner and hoping someone notices.
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💷£10 for getting hacked💷
Still reeling from a major cyber attack last month, Co-op is offering members £10 off a £40 spend — a gesture to say sorry about the hacked data and the empty fridges. But is this a meaningful olive branch or just a loyalty coupon with better PR?😏
The attack, which disrupted fresh stock deliveries and exposed customer data, forced the grocer to pull the plug on its systems in May. Recovery is reportedly “nearly complete,” but the digital damage lingers. So, £10 back if you spend £40 — nice, but not exactly free-range forgiveness🛒
Critics have noted the high threshold: most Co-op shops average between £10–£15 per visit. So unless you're planning a full trolley raid of hummus and carrots, many won’t benefit. What’s more, there’s no fraud prevention support or identity protection being offered (We assume more expensive). Just a discount and a thumbs up👍🏾
Read more here
💡 So What?
💬 Will this set a precedent? That’s the bigger question. If Co-op’s trying to rebuild goodwill with a till-side offer, what happens when the next big hack hits the high street? We know M&S have been a victim so will they follow suit? Or will they raise the bar and actually offer ID protection, rather than just coupons and crossed fingers?🎫
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😓Getting into that grad scheme just got harder😢
The UK’s Big Four accounting firms — Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC — are cutting graduate roles by up to 29%, as AI begins to replace many of the tasks once handled by junior staff.
💼 KPMG made the steepest cuts, reducing its 2023 intake from 1,399 to just 942 grads.
📉 Graduate job listings in accountancy are also down 44% year-on-year, outpacing other sectors.
Why? Partly due to post-COVID belt-tightening and pressure to maintain partner profits. But more importantly, generative AI is automating the exact admin tasks grads were hired to do. And while entry-level UK jobs vanish, much of the grunt work is being offshored to India, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Read the full story →
💡 So What?
This is a wake-up call for educators, students, and policymakers. While AI is fuelling new high-skill opportunities — like AI assurance, a new growth area for the Big Four — it’s also gutting traditional career pipelines for thousands of students.
There’s no denying the efficiency gains, but we’re also watching a long-established path into professional services quietly collapse.
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What happens to social mobility when entry points disappear?
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Will elite careers become accessible only through elite networks?
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And are we investing enough in reimagining early-career roles, not just cutting them?
As AI replaces the bottom rung of the ladder, we need a new one. Fast.
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📈 The tools behind the tech📉
📦Product📦
📏Design📏
👩🏿💻Code👩🏿💻
🏢The business behind the tech🏢
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🌐Partner Events & Opportunties 🌐 |
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DOJO!
Tap into tech with our In-Person Recruitment Event in London with Dojo
On Jul 16th, Dojo is collaborating with Colorintech to host an exciting in-person recruitment event, Tap into Tech: Discover your next Technical Role with Dojo.
They’re currently focused on hiring for a range of technical mid-level and above roles (3+ years experience). This includes:
Software Engineers
Product Managers
Data Engineers
This is your opportunity to meet and network with the wonderful team at Dojo including the recruitment team who are happy to answer your questions, whilst enjoying some tasty food and drink.
Check out the key details below:
Date: Wednesday 16th July
Time: 18:30 - 21:30
Where: London
As this event has limited spaces, we'll need you to register your interest to attend using our application form below:
https://form.typeform.com/to/nj2FU475
After applying, I will reach out to you if Dojo has chosen you to attend the event and will provide you with the next steps! Please note, filling out the form does not guarantee you a space at the event.
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Canva
Design company Canva are launching Rise, specifically for start ups and scale ups. It's designed to help ambitious high-growth companies rise through smarter branding, engaging content and sharper communication. All sessions will be hosted in our London office, in Shoreditch.
Here is the link as you are one of the first to know
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HSBC opportunities
HSBC is partnering with Project Nemo to launch a training programme designed to embed accessibility into every stage of product development, from UX to QA and everything in between.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all webinar. It’s role-based, hands-on, and led by digital accessibility experts who understand your day-to-day.
Whether you’re a web developer, content author, QA tester, or product manager, you’ll leave with practical skills to build better, more inclusive digital experiences, without the guesswork.
Find out more about each of the sessions and sign up here: https://grp.hsbc/6048NpEOE
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A case study
In April 2024, Colorintech and Captify joined forces to collaborate on a fantastic event where we gathered a group of Colorintech community members to network and provide insights on careers in sales, engineering, data and product! It was truly a great evening!
Now, we're pleased to celebrate that one of our wonderful community member's Robert Onuma has joined the Captify Insights team as a Junior Insights Analyst and has successfully passed probation.
This just goes to show the power of networking and connecting at events!
Shout out to the awesome Captify team involved in making the event happen Sabrina, Abbie, Baltej, Roksolana and our Community and Events Lead, Catherine, for supporting them along the way!
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🙌🏾The latest from the Colorintech team🙌🏾 |
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