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Social Media Gets Fake-er, Design as Optimism, The Hardly Earned-Highly Valued Bias and more

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Author

Charbel Zeaiter
January 03, 2025

So I wonder what happens when we receive floods of AI generated content? Will it make us more human and beckon us to get back into the real world? Will physical communities thrive? Will Meta’s mass creation of AI profiles backfire?

As architects of our own reality, what will we choose? I vote for more human connection.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Yours in Wonder,
Charbel
Founder of Velvet Onion, Faster Zebra and more to come …

Today’s Highlights

  • AI: Social Media Gets More Fake: Meta's AI-Generated Persons on Facebook

  • Design: Design as Optimism: Hope and Bliss Germinates from Design

  • Science & Tech: Engineering Marvels of 2025: Like a Personal Aircraft Anyone Can Pilot in an Hour

  • Founding: Scrap the Crap: The Anti-Shackleton Manifesto of Cutting Down On Unproductive Operations

  • Product: Hardly Earned, Highly Valued: Make It Delicate & Effortful to Achieve Your Product

  • Today’s AI image: That Angela In Your Chats Might Just Be a “Synthetic Cognitive System”

  • Quote for the day: Complain Less

AI

Social Media Gets More Fake: Meta's AI-Generated Persons on Facebook

Meta is gearing up to flood Facebook with AI-generated profiles that come complete with bios, profile pics, and a knack for spitting out AI-crafted content.

These virtual personas could soon be your new online “friends.”

Trial Run Success

Since July, Meta has been tinkering with AI character tools, producing hundreds of thousands of digital doppelgängers.

While they’re currently under wraps, expect these bots to go mainstream in a few years.

AI: More Than Just a Pretty Face

From whipping up captions to teaching you how to cook, Meta’s AI Studio is already proving its worth.

And with text-to-video software in the pipeline, creators could soon star in their own AI-made movies.

Zuckerberg’s Long Game

Generative AI is Meta’s new darling, with VP Connor Hayes touting its potential to make the platform a riot.

But CEO Mark Zuckerberg has warned investors to play the long game—real returns may be years away.

Bot Backlash Brewing

Critics aren’t sold. Former Meta exec Becky Owen says these AI profiles lack the charm of human creators.

Worse, they could water down the platform with dull, lifeless content.

Transparency

To keep things above board, Meta slaps an “AI Info” tag on its generated content.

At least you’ll know when you’re chatting with a bot and not your second cousin twice removed.

In a nutshell, Meta’s AI plunge is bold, ambitious, and a little bit risky. Like trying to teach your grandmom how to use Instagram.

Also in AI

Design

Design as Optimism: Hope and Bliss Germinates from Design

At its core, design is a declaration of hope. It’s choosing to believe that even the smallest idea has potential and nurturing it into something meaningful.

Whether it’s a doodle, a sketch, or even a family meal, these acts are sparks of creativity, driven by optimism.

Cynicism Kills Creativity

The moment we succumb to cynicism, blame, or resignation, we step away from design.

These habits trap us in the status quo, eroding the optimism needed to reframe problems and craft solutions.

While accepting limitations or moving on can be healthy, dwelling in negativity robs us of the ability to innovate.

Practical Positivity Wins

Blind optimism is a dead-end, but realistic hope grounded in self-awareness and achievable goals can reignite momentum.

Small victories, no matter how minor, build the energy to break free from frustration and move forward.

Your Superpower as a Designer

Designers possess a rare ability to see possibilities others overlook. While many are stuck in fear, doubt, or denial, designers are the ones who dare to reimagine and inspire.

It’s a responsibility to lead with optimism, even when others are huddled in metaphorical caves.

The Call to Action

The world needs designers to step up, not give up.

esign isn’t just about creating—it’s about believing in a better future and taking the steps to make it real.

Also in Design

Science & Tech

Engineering Marvels of 2025: Like a Personal Aircraft Anyone Can Pilot in an Hour

1. Methane Emissions Go Public

  • What’s New: MethaneSAT, launched in March 2024, is a game-changer for tracking methane emissions, offering open access to data previously reserved for governments and corporations.

  • How It Works: This satellite identifies emission hotspots and monitors methane on a broad scale. For a sneak peek, MethaneAIR, a research jet, provides a preview of its capabilities.

2. Turning Nuclear Waste Into Glass

  • The Challenge: The Hanford Site in Washington is leaking radioactive waste, contaminating the environment.

  • The Solution: Vitrification—heating waste with silica to 1,100°C—turns it into stable glass for safe storage. The plant is currently testing with nonradioactive materials, with full operations slated for 2025.

3. Planes for Everyone

  • The Goal: Airhart Aeronautics’ Airhart Sling promises to simplify flying, allowing users to pilot an aircraft with just an hour of training.

  • How It Works: A single control stick and a smart computer system handle the complexities of flight, making takeoffs and landings a breeze. First flights are expected in 2025, with a hefty price tag of $500,000.

4. A Farming Revolution in India

  • The Problem: Indian farmers face financial woes, small landholdings, and natural disasters.

  • The Fix: Agri Stack, a digital database, connects farmers with resources, funding, and disaster warnings. By early 2025, 60 million farmers are expected to be onboard.

5. Reusable Rockets Get a Rival

  • The Contender: Rocket Lab’s Neutron aims to challenge SpaceX’s Falcon rockets with a reusable booster launching in mid-2025.

  • Key Features: It can carry 13,000 kg to low Earth orbit and costs $50 million per launch, undercutting Falcon 9’s $67 million price tag.

6. Profitable Robotaxis Are Coming

  • The Breakthrough: Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis, operating in China, are expected to turn a profit in 2025.

  • Why It Matters: With vehicles costing only $28,000 to manufacture, Baidu plans to expand to Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East.

These breakthroughs showcase the ingenuity shaping our future, from cleaning up the planet to redefining how we live, work, and travel.

Also in Science & Tech

Founding

Scrap the Crap: The Anti-Shackleton Manifesto of Cutting Down On Unproductive Operations 

In 1915, Ernest Shackleton made history, not for reaching his Antarctic goal, but for keeping all 28 crew members alive. 

When his ship was trapped in ice, he faced a brutal choice between the vessel and the men. He tried saving both for months. Ultimately, he lost the ship but not a single soul. 

But would he have made a good CEO? 

Probably not. 

The Anti-Shackleton Approach: Let some things die 

Presently, companies have often failed because of their stubborn (or dismissive) conservatism. Their urge to preserve all the old practices and products. Just like Shackleton.

Over the past decade, 52% of Fortune 500 companies shattered because they didn’t abandon outdated traditions. 

So in contrast to Shackleton, modern leaders must know when to let go of parts of their business to thrive.

Like Brian Chesky’s decision to cut 25% of Airbnb in 2020 was a clever strategic abandonment.

Another great example is Stripe’s approach. Stripe used a three-phase process to eliminate unproductive areas, which helped them become stronger.

Long idea short, this approach can be simplified to one single question:

"Would we suffer if this died tomorrow?"

Product

Hardly Earned, Highly Valued: Make It Delicate & Effortful to Achieve Your Product 

Have you ever noticed your friend trying desperately hard to justify his or her decisions, even the stupidest ones?

Robert Cialdini talks about this human trait as a principle of persuasion in his book “Influence”. What if you could leverage such a psychological phenomenon to your benefit? 

Users often love to justify the efforts they put in to acquire or use a product, by deliberately valuing the product higher in their heads. 

You could reverse the psychology and purposely add some effort-requirement in achieving your product. Or do the justification for them, of their existing efforts, so that they want to engage even more. 

Here’s different ways brands apply this pattern:

  • Apps: Apps like Duolingo use rewards (e.g., streaks, trophies) to make users feel their time investment is valuable, encouraging continued use even when progress seems slow.

  • Membership Programs: Stores like Costco use membership fees as a psychological hook. Customers feel compelled to make the most of their membership, leading to loyalty and repeat business.

  • Online Courses: Offering certificates of completion incentivises students to finish courses. The certificate acts as a tangible reward for their effort, boosting satisfaction and social proof.

It is as though this equation is dissolved in every buyer’s nerves:

Hardly earned/ Expensive = Greater Value

Today’s AI Image

That Angela In Your Chats Might Just Be a “Synthetic Cognitive System”

Quote of the Day

Complain Less

"You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas."

Shirley Chisholm

What we’re working on

Velvet Onion & Friends

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February 2025 - the product and venture school journey begins. Whitepaper launching in January.

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Charbel

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