Welcome to Curated Morning. A compendium of news, information, and stories that economic development professionals, community development leaders and elected officials read every week to stay in touch with what is happening in our economy.

The Main Thing:

I have written this newsletter several times late on Wednesday night for Thursday Morning publication. Once, I even finished it on a Friday. Was I super busy and couldn't get to it? Did I find it too difficult to do? Was something else going on that prevented me from completing the task promptly?

So, let's get real. The answer to all of those questions is a big fat No, not truthfully.

Nope, I procrastinated on the task. The gray matter was telling me to avoid the task. I can't tell you why today, but the reasons are deep-seated.

Procrastination is a tough adversary, and I've been in the ring with it for most of my adult life. This week, I'm launching a five-week series on the topic. I'll be exploring five reasons why procrastination might show up in your life, just as it has in mine, and offering some strategies to combat each one.

I'm excited to share this series with you, and I hope you find it enjoyable. And just so you know, this is not a last-minute creation. I've managed to beat procrastination for at least one week, but it's an ongoing battle! As my post describes, I'll be celebrating my victory and giving myself credit. Woo hoo!

​Read more here​

Focus On AI

AI's Copyright Conundrum: Why Your ChatGPT Marketing Materials Might Be Up for Grabs

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Recent legal developments have established that content created entirely by generative AI tools cannot be copyrighted under current U.S. law. The U.S. Copyright Office and federal courts have affirmed that AI-generated works—from images to code to marketing copy—remain in the public domain without significant human creative contribution.

In What Businesses Should Know About Copyright and AI Content (Patrick Kulp, TechBrew), legal experts advise businesses to ensure human involvement in the creative process of any AI-generated material they wish to protect. They tell us that the level of human editing needed is proportional to how business-critical the content is.

Why This Matters: Economic developers advising businesses on technology adoption and intellectual property strategies must understand these emerging legal boundaries. As more companies in your communities integrate AI tools into their operations, this copyright gap creates potential competitive vulnerabilities where valuable business assets might lack legal protection. For economic developers focused on attracting and retaining innovation-driven companies, particularly in creative industries or software development, the inability to copyright purely AI-generated work represents a significant regulatory consideration that affects business operations, talent needs, and intellectual property portfolios.

Take Action: Host educational workshops for local businesses on AI integration best practices that preserve copyright protection. Develop relationships with intellectual property attorneys who can provide specialized guidance to companies in your region. Create policy briefs for local officials outlining how copyright limitations might affect business attraction and retention strategies. Consider developing an "AI-ready business" certification program for intellectual property best practices as businesses navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.

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Code Shift: Big Tech Betting Billions on AI to Replace Human Programmers

In the article AI Is Already Writing About 30% of Code at Microsoft and Google. Here's What It Means for Software Engineers (Sherin Shibu | Entrepreneur), the author writes that big tech companies are rapidly integrating AI into their software development processes, with executives openly discussing the replacement of human coders. Microsoft reports that AI generates 20-30% of its code, while Google has increased its AI-written code to over 30%.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans for AI to handle half of the company's software development within the next year, with continued increases thereafter. The tech industry appears to be embracing this transition enthusiastically, with Microsoft's CTO predicting AI will write 95% of code within five years and Anthropic's CEO suggesting AI will write "essentially all code" for companies within just one year.

Why This Matters: This fundamental shift in software development has implications for economic developers working with tech companies in their communities. As AI increasingly replaces human programmers, your regions may face significant workforce disruptions and changing talent demands. Traditional software development jobs—often high-paying positions that anchor tech ecosystems—could dramatically decrease in quantity while evolving in required skills. Communities that have invested heavily in cultivating software engineering talent pools may need to quickly pivot their workforce development strategies to maintain relevance.

Take Action: Start by convening local tech employers to assess their AI adoption plans and anticipated workforce changes. Partner with community colleges and universities to develop new curricula focused on prompt engineering, AI oversight, and high-level systems architecture—skills that will remain in demand as routine coding becomes automated. Create transition programs for software developers to help them upskill toward AI management and integration roles. Establish an AI business incubator focused on helping local entrepreneurs leverage these tools to compete with larger tech companies. Finally, educational resources for non-technical business owners should be developed, explaining how AI-powered development could make custom software solutions accessible to smaller companies that previously couldn't afford engineering teams.

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Power Hungry: The Hidden Environmental Footprint Behind Every AI Chat

The physical infrastructure powering our AI revolution is rapidly expanding across America's landscape. While users may perceive AI as happening solely in the digital realm, the technology relies on massive data centers—over 3,600 nationwide—that consume tremendous resources.

In the article US data center electricity demand could double by 2030, driven by artificial intelligence: EPRI (by Robert Walton | Utility Dive) we learn that AI demand is about 2% of US energy demand, and experts claim it will be 10% by 2027. Training a single AI chatbot consumes as much electricity as 100 homes over a year, while cooling these facilities (which accounts for 40% of their energy usage) requires six times the water used by the entire country of Denmark. With major companies and investment firms pouring billions into new facilities, communities are balancing potential tax revenue and jobs against increased utility costs and environmental impacts.

Why This Matters: The exponential growth of data centers represents opportunities and challenges for economic developers. While these facilities can generate substantial tax revenue and infrastructure jobs for your communities, they also create significant demands on local power grids, water supplies, and utilities. As residents increasingly question the environmental impacts and potential utility rate increases associated with these facilities, economic developers must navigate the complex tradeoff between attracting these high-value developments and protecting community resources. Understanding the actual resource costs of data centers is essential for crafting sustainable economic development strategies that won't backfire through utility rate spikes or resource depletion.

Take Action: Develop comprehensive data center evaluation frameworks that assess potential tax benefits, grid impacts, water usage, and potential costs to residents. Create incentives that reward data centers implementing efficiency measures such as closed-loop cooling systems, power capping, and workload scheduling during off-peak hours.

Other Articles of Interest this week:

Other Articles of Interest this week:

Economic Development-- Bezos-backed Slate Auto unveils affordable EV truck by Rob Wile | CNBC -- Slate Auto, a firm backed in part by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is unveiling a low-cost electric truck that can also change into an SUV. Its starting price point: $20,000 after federal EV incentives.

Green Economy-- Trump budget proposal slashes climate funding by Robyn Griggs Lawrence | SmartCitiesDIve -- Renewable energy, environmental justice and Superfund cleanup are among programs that would be eliminated.

Leadership -- I Faced Burnout, Chaos and ADHD — Then My Leadership (and Startup) Took Off by Bogdan Nesvit | Entrepreneur -- Turning inner obstacles into breakthroughs has been a pivotal part of my journey as a founder. These four key principles helped.

Technology—Google inks deal to develop 1.8 GW of advanced nuclear power by Tim DeChant | TechCrunch—Google and nuclear site developer Elementl Power announced this week that they will collaborate on three sites for advanced nuclear reactors.

Mentoring-- How Mentorship Affects Retention in the Modern Workplace -- by Peter Economy | INC. -- Mentorship programs are now a strategic necessity rather than just a “nice to have.”

Something You Should Read:

If you are an economic development professional, how often has someone asked you for some reading on the economy? Unless you were trained as an economist in college or elsewhere, you probably had enough information to provide an 'armchair' analysis of the economy.

Just because the word 'economic' is in your title doesn't mean you are an economist, right? But it's nice that people think you are that smart. Many people aren't impressed with economists because even though they all look at the same data, their perceptions of economic reality and its future differ.

This reminds me of the quip that goes, "You can lay economists down end to end around the world, and they will still never reach a conclusion." (I researched it, and the quote is attributed to Irish-born playwright George Bernard Shaw.)

This is why I recommend you read the linked article below. If you read Diane Swonk's economic analysis, Chief Economist for KPMG, you will be duly informed. She lays out three potential scenarios for the months to come and provides her prediction.

Diane Swonk has built a reputation as an economist who knows how to communicate with non-economists. Her reports and analyses of the economy are always easy to read and full of useful information. I have been reading her economic reports since she was the chief economist for Bank One in Chicago.

If you want to learn more about her economic reading, go here. I strongly recommend subscribing to her free briefings and newsletter.

Overheard:

“On my side remain only my principles, the ideals of truth and justice. I am quite tranquil. I know I will prevail.”

-- Emile Zola

The Rabbit Hole:

Please Put Your Phones in Airplane Mode…yea right

We've all been there, sitting in our seats, half-listening to the familiar safety speech over the airplane's public address system. After all, if you've flown enough, you tend to keep doing whatever you were doing rather than listen to the speech about the air masks dropping from the ceiling or where the life preservers are and how to inflate them.

Another part of the regular speech is a reminder to put your phones into airplane mode. Turning off your phone is meant to reduce the potential for electronic interference with the plane's communication system with air traffic control—at least, that's what they tell us. I once forgot to turn it off, and the plane had no trouble getting to its destination.

The show Mythbusters tested this requirement to see if there was any merit to the practice. The results? Well, surprisingly, they were inconclusive.

It turns out that the Mythbusters team, like all of us, is not infallible. This article shows us some of their missteps, whether it's 'airplane mode' or the best way to take down a Zombie.

Even though they covered a lot of ground and uncovered many myths created for entertaining television, sometimes they got it wrong.

​The linked article describes some of their missteps and not-so-convincing tests.

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​Usonion for You and Me

About an hour and a half from my home in Illinois, I can visit the home and studio of one of the greatest American architects, Frank Lloyd Wright. Many people are familiar with his style of architecture, which was influenced by the Chicago-inspired Prairie School of Architecture, known for its emphasis on horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, and integration with the landscape. ​

The long, flat prairie and horizon lines and the American Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries also greatly influenced Wright's design of his buildings. He believed that his buildings should be a part of the natural landscape, using only natural materials like wood, stone, and brick, to create a connection with nature.

Wright designed one of his Usonian homes in my hometown of Rockford, Illinois. It was the only home he designed to be handicapped accessible, a testament to his belief in inclusivity. The Laurent Home is open to all, inviting you to experience Wright's vision if you're ever in the area.

​The linked video is an excellent primer on Wright's style and construction of Usonian homes. Watch the video here.​

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​My Old Friends: Rocky, Bullwinkle, Dudley, Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer

The other day someone played a ringtone tone for me and quizzed me on identifying it. I guessed it right away, impressing him. The ringtone was the music for the beginning of the Dudley Do-Right cartoon, a regular feature of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

Dudley Do-Right was a Canadian Mountie who always pursued a villain named Snidely Whiplash. The cartoon was a humorous take on the classic hero-villain dynamic, often featuring Dudley's bumbling attempts to catch Snidely, yet always coming out on top.

These cartoons hold a special place in my heart, and I could watch them again and again. They usually appeared in my market at odd times, but catching them was always a treat. Looking back, the animation was quite crude and basic and nothing like what we see today, yet the writing and storylines made up for it. Critiquing the quality of the animation wasn't critical to my thinking back then.

Immediately after our conversation, I found myself drawn to another classic: Looney Tunes. These cartoons, featuring the mischievous Bugs Bunny, the hapless Elmer Fudd, and the ever-exasperated Daffy Duck, have a charm that's hard to resist. They may be 'old-school,' but their humor and fast-paced dialogue make them a joy to watch.

A video called The Looney Tunes Classics can be found here. It resides on the Warner Classic YouTube channel (which also includes scenes from classic movies, which I need to explore later).

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If you have any thoughts or comments regarding any articles in this newsletter please feel free to contact me through email at martin@martinkarlconsulting.com.​

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