Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories

Artificial Intelligence Series: A winding odyssey through the future of productivity

Artificial Intelligence Series: A winding odyssey through the future of productivity
Getty Images

Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.

The phrase Artificial Intelligence or AI has emerged as a major topic of discussion in the business and political world this year as it becomes an ever-present socio-economic force. The impact of the rapid advancements in AI and related technologies are already having a profound impact upon society; leaving a canyon of questions to account for.


In response to these rapid changes, the Fulcrum would like to introduce a three-part series to explore the social and economic factors that may transform the future of our political landscape. The rise of the intelligent machine is upon us. And, while it may not quite be The Terminator, it has crucial implications on the future of ethical productivity.

To properly dissect the meaning of this exponential acceleration in technological change, the following questions will be explored: Should automation be welcomed or feared? Are productivity improvements as good as advertised? Is extreme efficiency good? Do the benefits of increased productivity usher in and outweigh the economic dangers of unemployment?

Getting more done with less effort seems to be a a positive thing. But, economics is interconnected to almost every other facet of our lives. You pull one string, the rest of the thread comes along with it. Or, in this case, the automation.

Read Part 1 as it is released on August 17th.


Read More

Why Unlocking Venezuelan Oil Won’t Mean Much for US Energy Prices

A sculpture of a hand holding an oil rig stands outside the headquarters of Venezuela’s national oil company.

Why Unlocking Venezuelan Oil Won’t Mean Much for US Energy Prices

In the wake of U.S. forces’ arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is taking over Venezuelan oil production.

In addition, the U.S. has blockaded Venezuelan oil exports for a few weeks and seized tankers that reportedly escaped from the blockade.

Keep ReadingShow less
Illustration of someone holding a strainer, and the words "fakes," "facts," "news," etc. going through it.

Trump-era misinformation has pushed American politics to a breaking point. A Truth in Politics law may be needed to save democracy.

Getty Images, SvetaZi

The Need for a Truth in Politics Law: De-Frauding American Politics

“Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?” With those words in 1954, Army lawyer Joseph Welch took Senator Joe McCarthy to task and helped end McCarthy’s destructive un-American witch hunt. The time has come to say the same to Donald Trump and his MAGA allies and stop their vile perversion of our right to free speech.

American politics has always been rife with misleading statements and, at times, outright falsehoods. Mendacity just seems to be an ever-present aspect of politics. But with the ascendency of Trump, and especially this past year, things have taken an especially nasty turn, becoming so aggressive and incendiary as to pose a real threat to the health and well-being of our nation’s democracy.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Finish Line Is a Commons
Athletes compete in a hyrox event with puma branding.

The Finish Line Is a Commons

A decade ago, bootcamp workouts had little to do with appearance or chasing personal records. For me, they meant survival. They offered a way to manage stress, process grief, and stay upright beneath the weight of vocation and responsibility. Pastoral leadership, specifically during the time of “parachute church-planting,” often convinces a person that stillness is an unattainable luxury and that exhaustion is a sign of virtue. Eventually, my body defied those assumptions. So I went to the workout and may have discovered the “secret sauce” behind such entrepreneurial success. Then I returned. And kept returning. Mornings meant emerging outdoors at first light. I found myself in empty parking lots, on tracks, inside gyms, and eventually in a neighboring storefront home to BKM Fitness, owned by Braint Mitchell. There was no soundtrack, only measured breath and occasional encouragement called out by someone who hardly knew my name.

I could not have predicted that such spaces would become the most honest civic grounds I occupy. Today, my sense of belonging unfolds less in churches, classrooms, or boardrooms, and more in bootcamp circles, running groups, the leaderboard on Peloton, and, more recently, at a Hyrox start line—a hybrid fitness space where community looks and feels different.

Keep ReadingShow less
New Cybersecurity Rules for Healthcare? Understanding HHS’s HIPPA Proposal
Getty Images, Kmatta

New Cybersecurity Rules for Healthcare? Understanding HHS’s HIPPA Proposal

Background

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996 to protect sensitive health information from being disclosed without patients’ consent. Under this act, a patient’s privacy is safeguarded through the enforcement of strict standards on managing, transmitting, and storing health information.

Keep ReadingShow less