Good Morning! 🌞

I don’t know if I should be frightened or excited about the future of AI. OpenAI released a spring update yesterday and it made my jaw drop. It truly feels like we are living in the future.

The vision capabilities impressed me the most:

Business

Startup’s Secret for 80% Less Food Waste

Food waste in the U.S. is a significant issue, with about one-third of all food produced ending up in landfills. This is compounded with the additional waste from production, packaging, storage, and transportation.

Meal delivery services like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and EveryPlate are attempting to mitigate this problem by providing consumers with exact portions needed for specific recipes, reducing waste. However, a New York-based startup called Hungryroot is taking an even more personalized approach by leveraging artificial intelligence to offer a curated grocery experience tailored to individual customer preferences.

Hungryroot customers complete a detailed questionnaire covering their food preferences, allergies, health goals, and cooking habits. The company’s AI then uses these responses to suggest recipes and groceries that exactly match the customer's needs. This approach not only personalizes the shopping experience but significantly cuts down on food waste.

Additionally, Hungryroot’s AI helps reduce waste in its own operations. For example, if the AI determines that a customer is indifferent between broccoli and Brussels sprouts and there is an excess of broccoli in stock, the system will suggest broccoli to help balance inventory levels. This process has led to 80% less food waste at Hungryroot’s facilities compared to traditional supermarkets.

The business model has not only been environmentally beneficial but also profitable, attracting investors and proving financially sustainable. “They have been profitable for three or four years now, which is unusual for a lot of these e-commerce, food businesses,” Jeremy Liew of Lightspeed Venture Partners noted, attributing the profitability to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Hungryroot has raised a total of $75 million from various investors including L Catterton, Crosslink Capital, KarpReilly, and Lerer Hippeau.

Its great to see another positive use-case for AI.

Entertainment

‘Fans First Act’

A bipartisan group of Senators have introduced the Fans First Act, aiming to rectify issues within the live event ticketing system. The proposed legislation seeks to enhance transparency in ticket sales and shield consumers from fake or excessively priced tickets.

According to artists and Congressmen today, purchasing tickets for concerts or sporting events has become a perilous journey, plagued by predatory tactics like speculative ticket purchasing and the utilization of automated programs to hoard tickets for resale at inflated rates.

The bill aims to outlaw such practices and ensure consumers are entitled to refunds in case of event cancellations.

Dubbed "Fix the Tix," the political campaign organizers reveal that a coalition of live event industry players supports the legislation, advocating for the welfare of concert attendees. This coalition, spearheaded by Eventbrite and the National Independent Value Association, boasts the backing of numerous artistic unions, independent ticket vendors, and over 250 artists and bands, including notable names like Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde, Sia, Train, Fall Out Boy, and Green Day.

World News

Amazing 93 Year Old Athlete

John Starbrook, affectionately known as "the Legend" among his friends, exemplifies the remarkable benefits of staying active well into one's later years. At the age of 93, he is possibly the oldest water polo player at Hampton Pool in southwest London, and likely across the UK.

His sporting journey extends back nearly eight decades, beginning just after he left school at the end of World War II. Over the years, Starbrook has maintained a vigorous routine that includes swimming three times a week and participating in various sports, which he credits for his robust health in his 90s.

Starbrook's athletic prowess was evident early on when he competed in national swimming championships as a young man. Although he didn't win, the experience fueled a lifelong passion for water sports. This passion was highlighted when, at 80, he celebrated by swimming across the Gulf of Corryvreckan, a challenging stretch of water between the Scottish islands of Jura and Scarba.

Apart from his aquatic exploits, Starbrook has an impressive marathon history, having completed 52 marathons, including international races in places like Denmark and Barbados. Even more amazingly, all those marathons are from after he took up running at the age of 53.

His fastest marathon, a very respectable 4 hours and 14 minutes, was achieved in Snowdonia, a feat he humorously credits to being chased by sheep. His marathon journey continued well into his eighties, with his most recent 26-miler occurring in 2019 when he was 88.

Despite some skepticism from doctors and even his own family about the sustainability of his intense physical activity, Starbrook has continued to thrive, demonstrating the profound impact of a lifetime of fitness.

Environment

Conservation is Actually Working

Conservation efforts worldwide are making a significant impact on preserving species and should be expanded to counteract biodiversity loss and mitigate climate change, according to a recent study in the journal Science.

The study assessed numerous conservation initiatives globally, evaluating their outcomes against scenarios where no conservation action was taken. It revealed that interventions, such as establishing protected areas and removing invasive species, effectively enhanced biodiversity or decelerated its deterioration in 66% of the cases studied.

Penny Langhammer, the study's lead author and executive vice president of Re:wild, a conservation charity, stressed the effectiveness of these efforts. “If you look only at the trend of species declines, it would be easy to think that we’re failing to protect biodiversity, but you would not be looking at the full picture,” she stated. “What we show with this paper is that conservation is, in fact, working to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.” 

It is good to hear that in a majority of cases, conservation efforts are working.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

Spelled forward, I’m what you do every day; spelled backward, I’m something you hate. What am I?

Answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Your thumb!

Linda Runatz got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.