 | Trick-or-treating originated in the Middle Ages. | It was a Christian tradition called souling or guising, in which people went door to door on November 1st to receive food or specially-baked 'soul cakes' in exchange for prayers. | Then it got spooky. Happy Halloween! | A correction on yesterday's Number Crunch: | The riddle gave an impossible answer - our apologies. And thank you to the 500 of you that let us know, some more angrily than others. | Here is the correct riddle: | A father is 30 years older than his son. In 20 years, he'll be twice his son's age. How old is the son now? | The answer is at the bottom of yesterday's Mindstream. | 👻 What's in store: | Meta is borrowing $25bn for AI like it's casual. Chatbots are now off-limits for teens, starting 25 Nov. Mindstream Picks: Amazon has reportedly cancelled its new Lord of the Rings MMO after major layoffs.
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| | | META | | | Meta Platforms is planning to borrow $25 billion through bonds to cover the rising costs of building its AI systems. | The loan would stretch over five to forty years. | The move follows CEO Mark Zuckerberg's signal that Meta is ramping up spending on data centres and hardware for AI. | Investors took a hit: Meta's shares dropped about 11.3%, erasing roughly $208 billion in value. | In brief: | Meta to borrow $25bn in bonds to fund AI infrastructure. Shares dropped ~11.3%, slicing ~$208bn off market value. Capex target: $72bn this year, likely more in 2026 and beyond.
| Debt is the new flex | Meta isn't the only one borrowing. Major tech companies are taking on debt as they invest heavily in AI infrastructure. | Meta has already raised $27 billion in private loans for its new "Hyperion" data centre, and others like Oracle Corporation have issued similar large-scale bonds. | Overall, tech firms are expected to spend around $400 billion this year on AI infrastructure. | Meta says its total capital spending could reach $72 billion by year-end and exceed $105 billion in 2026, with total infrastructure investment reaching up to $600 billion by 2028 in the US alone. | Every tech giant is hoarding GPUs like it's toilet paper in 2020. - MG |
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| | | Fake or real on this spookiest of days? | The correct answer is at the bottom of the email! |
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| | | AI CHATBOTS | | | Character.ai will stop teenagers from chatting directly with AI characters after growing concerns about safety. | From 25 November, anyone under 18 will only be able to use the platform to generate content like videos, not have full conversations. | The decision follows several US lawsuits from parents, including one linked to a teen's death. | Critics argue the platform has been risky for young people, with some calling it a "clear and present danger". | Character.ai says the change comes after feedback from regulators, safety specialists, and parents. | Concerns include that chatbots can invent information, be overly supportive, or imitate emotional relationships, which may affect vulnerable teens. | Safety says hello! | CEO Karandeep Anand said the company wants to build "the safest AI platform for entertainment". | New steps include more parental controls, stronger age checks, and a new AI safety research lab. | The platform has faced past criticism for hosting avatars based on real people involved in sensitive or criminal cases, including Brianna Ghey, Molly Russell, and Jeffrey Epstein. | Here's what you should know: | Under-18s lose chat access on 25 November Change follows lawsuits and pressure from safety groups New safeguards: age checks, parental controls, safety research lab
| These chatbots were removed after media reports flagged them. | Safety groups welcomed the update but said protections should have been in place earlier. | Experts warned that the real challenge will be keeping teens interested without pushing them towards less safe platforms. | Is this going to be one of those popups that says "are you sure you're 18?" - MV |
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| | Recommended Reading: Wanna get better at sales? The best salespeople read The Follow Up, a twice-weekly newsletter that will make you better at sales. | Space: Former NASA chiefs say Starship is too slow and complex for a timely Moon return, urging NASA to reconsider and lean on proven systems instead.
Business: Apple expects record holiday sales, driven by strong iPhone 17 demand and forecasted 10–12% revenue growth.
Music: Universal Music Group is teaming up with Stability AI to build new, responsibly trained generative-AI tools to support artists, producers, and songwriters. | Don't Miss: Amazon has reportedly scrapped its in-development Lord of the Rings MMO amid major Games layoffs and a wider pullback from MMO projects. |
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| | Image of the Day |  | Artwork submitted by Mindstream reader James: "The scariest Halloween ever" |
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| | "Would you trust AI to build your brand's next campaign?" | Yeah, will save time! - 67% ✅ | Not yet, feels risky. - 33% | Your Views: | "I'd use this along with other tools, possibly for better imagery, better photorealistic images, wouldn't want to deviate too much from an original concept, I'd lkike it to grow with not replace" - david | "I gave it a try. I appreciated the brand board and the images. It gives you the ability to make edits too." - saboo | "For small businesses it's worth it to give it a go. Possibly a great way to have control and save money." - wcsh | Submit your opinions in our polls to be featured! |
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| AI or real? The image was… AI! | #884.
If you feel breath on your neck—don't turn around. It hates to be seen. |  | | | |
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