Working through it: the AI jobs boom dawns

Despite widespread fears of an AI-driven job apocalypse, recent US labor data indicates robust employment growth, with AI-related infrastructure projects and professional roles creating roughly one million new positions. Meanwhile, China continues to grapple with systemic food safety failures, exemplified by the illegal use of formaldehyde on produce; these issues persist due to a fragmented agricultural sector and conflicting local economic incentives. Separately, the rise of "ant-keeping" as a global hobby has fueled an illicit trade in rare queen ants. Traffickers are increasingly targeting Kenya’s savanna ecosystems to meet this demand, potentially disrupting local biodiversity. While authorities attempt to address these concerns, the combination of high collector demand and the difficulty of policing small-scale smuggling complicates enforcement efforts across these diverse sectors.