The Unexpected Champion

In a previous analysis, we identified technological revolutions as the primary engine of the long economic waves known as Kondratiev cycles. The steam engine, railways, electricity, and the microchip were all fundamental innovations that reshaped the global economy in recurring 50-to-60-year cycles. However, this technology-centric view tells only one part of the story—albeit a spectacular one. Behind the scenes, other equally powerful forces are at play: the flow of financial capital, the shifting tides of social mood, and the realignment of global power.

As we navigate the daily flood of economic news—quarterly reports, market fluctuations, and short-term business cycles—it’s easy to get lost in the noise. But what if there’s a deeper, slower, and more profound rhythm shaping our world? A pattern that connects the age of the steam engine to the rise of railways, the era of electricity to the automobile, and the dawn of the computer to the rise of artificial intelligence?

The introduction of Google's AI Overviews marks a turning point in the evolution of the internet, catalyzing a paradigm shift from a referral-based web to an answer-centric ecosystem. This transformation, driven by generative artificial intelligence, is fundamentally changing the long-standing symbiotic relationship between search engines, content creators, and users.

How many friends do you really have? The number of your Facebook connections might run into the hundreds or even thousands, but with how many people do you maintain a truly deep and meaningful relationship?

A profound shift in sentiment is rippling through the technology industry, marking the end of a fervent, speculative era focused on the imminent arrival of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The breathless race that defined the AI landscape in early 2025 has given way to a more measured, skeptical, and ultimately pragmatic outlook.

OpenAI officially took the wraps off GPT-5 on Thursday, introducing what CEO Sam Altman described as having "PhD-level experts in your pocket." The new model, which will now be the default for all ChatGPT users, including those on free plans, marks the company's most ambitious effort yet to unify advanced AI capabilities into a single, adaptive system.

Have you ever seen a robot, an animated figure, or even a video game character that was so lifelike it felt almost... unsettling? Did you struggle to tell if it was human or not, and did this uncertainty create a strange, unnerving feeling? If so, you've likely experienced the phenomenon known as the "uncanny valley." But what exactly is it, and why does it trigger such a strong reaction in us?

The development of AI models has progressed at an astonishing pace in recent years, but how do these systems perform when tasked with solving a 5th-grade math competition problem? In this test, I not only examine the models' problem-solving abilities but also provide insight into how effectively they can handle optimization problems.

Until recently, the high-end AI landscape was dominated by closed-source models like GPT-4 and Claude Sonnet. Accessing these often involves significant costs and limitations. However, the arrival of DeepSeek-V3 marks a potential shift: this open-source language model not only offers performance competitive with top proprietary models but also provides the option to run it on one's own infrastructure.

When using Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4o or Claude Sonnet, a common question arises, particularly for the vast number of users worldwide who interact with these tools in languages other than English: which language should one use to achieve the most effective results? While the multilingual capabilities of these models allow for effective communication in numerous languages, their performance often seems diminished compared to interactions conducted purely in English. This exploration delves into why that might be the case and when switching to English could be beneficial.

Shenzhen, China's premier technology hub, is spearheading the autonomous vehicle revolution. But this isn't just about futuristic robotaxis. The city is aggressively deploying autonomous technology to boost core industries and fundamentally redesign urban services, from logistics to public sanitation.

Tesla's Optimus robot can now fold laundry. Figure AI's Figure 01 can brew a cup of coffee after a simple verbal request. These are not scenes from a science fiction movie; they are the reality of 2024. The humanoid robotics revolution is at our doorstep, poised to fundamentally reshape our understanding of work, productivity, and technology itself.

The development of human-like robots has yielded impressive results in recent years, but it continues to raise numerous questions. Robotics researchers, including Hiroshi Ishiguro, are working to integrate robots more deeply into our daily lives, assisting with various tasks such as elder care, patient monitoring, or even performing household chores.

The Hyundai-owned company recently released a video showing its electric Atlas robot performing push-ups. This demonstration not only showcases the robot's physical capabilities but also highlights potential future applications for humanoid robots.

One of the greatest paradoxes of the 21st century is that while humanity has access to virtually infinite energy sources in the form of sun and wind, one of its most pressing challenges is ensuring the security of its energy supply.

The European Union has approved €2 billion in Italian government aid for STMicroelectronics to build a €5 billion microchip plant in Catania, on the island of Sicily. This investment is part of the EU's strategy to reduce dependence on Asian imports and strengthen its semiconductor supply chain.