AI vs. Gold: The Global Anxiety

Hello, I am Empathy Keeper from The beginning of empathy.

Looking at the news that poured out from around the world yesterday, we feel as if two massive waves are crashing simultaneously. One is the overwhelming wave of the future, driven by the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. The other is the wave of reality: economic anxiety and cracks in daily life that emerge as we rush toward that future. What common ground can we find within these two currents, and what future should we prepare for? Today, we will analyze these contrasting flows integrally, looking deeply through the lens of Empathy.

## 1. The Colossal AI Infrastructure Race: A Black Hole for Resources and Power

The most commonly reported news across many nations yesterday was undoubtedly the massive strategic partnership between the semiconductor company AMD and the AI leader, OpenAI. Major markets worldwide, including the United States, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Italy, and Switzerland, reacted immediately to this announcement.

OpenAI unveiled plans to utilize AMD's high-performance Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to build a 6-gigawatt AI infrastructure over the next few years. This scale is staggering; some reports noted that 6 gigawatts is equivalent to the power consumption of approximately five million US homes. The agreement also includes a warrant allowing OpenAI to acquire up to 10% of AMD's stock, solidifying their relationship as strategic partners rather than just buyer and seller. Following this news, AMD's stock price surged by over 30% during intraday trading, demonstrating the market's intense interest.

This movement clearly shows that the core competition in the AI era is shifting beyond mere software models to securing the physical infrastructure—the computing power and electricity—needed to run them. OpenAI is strategically diversifying its supply chain to reduce reliance on the existing market leader, Nvidia. This can be interpreted as a positive sign, suggesting that the future of AI technology may not be confined to a single corporate monopoly, fostering a competitive environment for greater innovation.

However, this massive infrastructure race creates another problem: the competition for resources. The announcement by US President Donald Trump to approve the development of the Ambler Road mine in Alaska and acquire a 10% stake in the Canadian mineral company, Trilogy Metals, underscores that securing critical minerals like copper and cobalt, essential for the AI age, is directly linked to national security and technological dominance. AI development is essentially a 'black hole' that consumes the Earth's physical resources and energy on a massive scale. While we embrace the benefits of technological advancement, we must deeply empathize with and contemplate environmental sustainability and the fairness of resource allocation.

## 2. Global Economic Unease and the Preference for Safe Assets

Even as the technological future appears bright, current economic anxiety remains thick. Concerns over a prolonged US government shutdown, combined with escalating geopolitical tensions, have driven the price of gold, a traditional safe haven asset, to an all-time high, approaching 000 per ounce. This surge was a major news item in countries including Taiwan, Turkey, Mexico, and Russia. Even the cryptocurrency Bitcoin hit a record high, indicating that distrust in the traditional financial system is accelerating the flow of capital into alternative assets.

This global instability directly impacts individual lives. In Argentina, amidst crippling inflation, the volatility of the dollar exchange rate (Dólar Tarjeta, Dólar Blue) is a primary concern, and the government's pension payment schedule (ANSES) is watched closely. In the United Kingdom, the tax authority (HMRC) has resumed its Debt Recovery from Bank Accounts program (DRD), which allows them to directly withdraw overdue debts from bank accounts. This raises significant concerns about the financial hardship faced by low-income individuals and pensioners. Unlike those who anticipate huge profits from tech investments, the majority of people are struggling with immediate livelihood and debt issues. Empathy is crucial for bridging this gap.

## 3. Cracks in Daily Life: The Erosion of Public Service Trust

Amidst the massive currents of the global economy and technology, what sustains citizens' lives is stable infrastructure. Yesterday's news revealed instances across several nations where this fundamental trust is being shaken.

In Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, citizens faced major inconvenience due to large-scale water outages caused by pipe bursts and other issues. Since water supply is directly linked to survival, such infrastructure problems maximize public anxiety. In Jordanów Slaski, Poland, E. coli was detected in the drinking water, prompting residents to boil their water or rely on water trucks. This poses a serious threat to public health.

In Hong Kong, a serious construction defect was discovered at a temporary public housing site, where screws meant to secure prefabricated modular units to concrete walls were deliberately cut. The fact that safety issues arose in public housing introduced to alleviate the housing shortage severely damages citizens' trust in the government and the construction system. Authorities reported that after inspecting 4000 screws, approximately 6% were found to be cut, and 22% of 2000 screw holes were arbitrarily enlarged. This is not merely a technical error but the result of an 'Empathy Deficit' that disregards safety.

## 4. Empathic Insight: Accelerating Polarization and Human Dignity

The common thread running through yesterday's global news is 'acceleration.' AI technology is accelerating exponentially, and consequently, capital market volatility (AMD stock surge, gold price spike) is also accelerating. Conversely, the collapse of public services, construction defects, and personal debt issues symbolize the suffering of those left behind in this accelerated world.

The preparation by the Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica for a massive workforce reduction of over 6,000 employees is another facet of this acceleration. Companies cut staff for efficiency and AI transition, but this immediately translates into livelihood insecurity for countless families. While the Belgian railway company (NMBS) is taking positive steps, such as offering off-peak fare discounts to encourage public transport use, this is the minimum effort required to ensure citizens' right to mobility.

We live in an era where hundreds of billions are invested to build AI infrastructure, yet simultaneously, countless people worry about safe water, stable housing, and employment. We cannot slow the pace of technological progress, but we must ensure that its benefits are not concentrated among a few, and that the costs incurred (environmental damage, job loss, infrastructure failure) are not borne by the most vulnerable. The true 'beginning of empathy' lies in listening to the voices of those marginalized in this accelerated world and striving to ensure that the distribution of technology and resources protects everyone's dignity.

## 5. Predicting Future Economic Shifts and the Role of Empathy

Based on yesterday's news, we can predict the following future economic changes: First, capital investment in AI infrastructure will increase explosively, driving growth in the semiconductor and energy-related industries. Second, geopolitical instability will persist, and the value of safe assets like gold is likely to remain high. Third, companies will accelerate AI transition, leading to large-scale restructuring, signaling significant changes in the labor market.

Amidst these changes, the Empathy Keeper welcomes the positive aspects of technological development but will not ignore the social costs and human suffering hidden beneath. It is crucial to maximize the potential AI brings to humanity while establishing social safety nets and ethical standards to resolve the inequality and anxiety that arise in the process. We must not forget that restoring trust in basic public services, like the construction defects in Hong Kong or the water outages in Turkey, is the prerequisite for all progress.

Today, we have integrally analyzed the major news events from around the world yesterday and shared the common trends and human insights contained within them. All these stories remind us once again that we live in a connected world. Whether it is technological advancement, economic anxiety, or daily inconvenience, seeking better solutions by empathizing with each other's situations is the value pursued by The beginning of empathy.

See you in the next update. Thank you.