This year, the promising green buds of recovery have flourished in the film industry. Expect tighter scripts, lower-budget projects—which allow studios to take more risks—and an overall more enjoyable movie-watching experience.
Mark your calendars for January 16th, as 28 Years Later: Temple of Bones will finally realize its long-awaited potential, arriving in 2025. Cillian Murphy returns, reprising his role from the original 28 Days Later, while Jack O’Connell’s acrobatic murder cult “The Jimmy’s” makes an intriguing appearance.
Nia DaCosta will take the director’s helm, a much-deserved opportunity after the struggles faced with Marvels. The screenplay, penned by Alex Garland, is poised to set the stage for DaCosta’s resurgence.
February sees the release of the remarkable science fiction film Do Your Best, Have Fun, and Don’t Die, starring Sam Rockwell as a time traveler who takes hostages in a Los Angeles diner to alter the fate of the world.
Gore Verbinski returns with a new project, following mixed reviews for his last film, Remedies for Health. Fans of his unique style have high hopes for this dynamic and adventurous narrative.
Anticipation builds for Guillermo del Toro’s latest work, Frankenstein, slated for release on March 6, featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut with Jesse Buckley and Christian Bale in leading roles.
Bride of Frankenstein, a fresh take on James Whale’s 1935 classic, offers a modern twist as the duo embarks on a thrilling escapade reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde.
For genre enthusiasts, Project Hail Mary, launching on March 20, promises to be an unmissable treat. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, this adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who awakens in a spaceship with no recollection of his identity, just as the sun faces extinction.
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This year promises tighter scripts, cheaper projects, and a more enjoyable movie-watching experience. “
In The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott and featuring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin, survival becomes paramount in a post-influenza pandemic world as the characters grapple with a mysterious radio signal that may bring hope.
Furthermore, Steven Spielberg has an awaiting UFO film lined up for a June 6th release, showcasing his storytelling prowess alongside screenwriter David Cope. Starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth, the teaser for this much-anticipated film is now available online.
In I Love Booster, Demi Moore leads an ensemble cast in a satirical sci-fi narrative about the implications of fast fashion, a follow-up to the acclaimed Sorry to Bother You directed by Boots Riley.
Flower Veil Street, set to release on August 14, is penned and directed by David Robert Mitchell. This thriller stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor as a couple in the 1980s facing bizarre occurrences within their neighborhood—following up on Mitchell’s cult hit, It Follows.
The much-anticipated follow-up to Na Hong-jin’s 2016 Voice of Lamentation centers around a ghostly tiger, unveiling twists amid extraterrestrial elements including Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.
As we move toward December 18th, die-hard sci-fi fans await Dune: Part 3, the continuation of Denis Villeneuve’s captivating visuals of Frank Herbert’s legendary novel series.
Reflecting on Dune Messiah, this next chapter promises a blend of profound inner dialogue and complex themes. Fingers crossed, Villeneuve delivers another cinematic masterpiece.
In March, Patrick Gelsinger joined Intel’s executive team, just three months after being removed as the company’s CEO and facing litigation from shareholders. Gloo is a technology firm dedicated to what he describes as the “faith ecosystem,” providing Salesforce and chatbots for churches, along with an AI assistant designed to automate pastoral and ministry support.
Gelsinger’s transition comes at a time when the U.S. tech sector is re-engaging with political activities, as the second Trump administration revives religious conservatism in Washington, D.C. Some notable figures are funding Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and actively pursuing government contracts.
As the Executive Chairman and Head of Technology at Gloo (now free from shareholder lawsuits), Gelsinger aims to promote Christian values within the company’s initiatives. Silicon Valley, the state capital, and beyond have become focal points. He has attracted $110 million in strategic investments. His campaign encompasses a call for AI technologies that reflect Christian ethics, with high-tech products developed by Gloo designed around prevalent large-scale language models, customized to align with users’ theological beliefs.
“My life’s mission is to develop technologies that enhance the quality of life for every individual globally and accelerate the return of Christ,” he stated.
Speakers discuss trust conditioning in AI at the Gloo hackathon. Photo: Mike Mauser
Gloo claims to support “over 140,000 faith, ministry, and nonprofit leaders.” Although Gloo’s client base is smaller compared to major AI industry players, it’s worth noting that approximately 800 million users engage with ChatGPT weekly.
Gelsinger, a committed Christian, has described his “mission field” as influencing the culture of Silicon Valley. He observes a “very loud, very visible, very specifically Christian tech culture” emerging in the area. Scholars like Damian Williams from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte explore how religious beliefs shape technology, drawing parallels with figures like Peter Thiel and Andreessen Horowitz, who caution about the Antichrist’s looming presence without adherence to a particular technological framework. Katherine Boyle, closely connected with Vice President JD Vance, recognizes Gelsinger’s longstanding advocacy for Christian principles. In 2013, he founded Transforming the Bay with Christ, aimed at revitalizing the Christian spiritual movement in the region.
During a seminar co-hosted by a conservative university and the Christian Post on October 7, Gelsinger described AI’s development as “another Gutenberg moment,” a significant transformative change that parallels the Reformation. Just as Martin Luther used the printing press to ignite “the greatest age of human invention,” he perceives a similar faith-driven potential to alter history through AI today.
“The church adopted the great invention of its time to fundamentally change humanity,” Gelsinger remarked regarding the printing press. “So my inquiry today is whether we will embrace this? Can AI be molded into a technology that powerfully embodies the Church and its mission?”
Jesus Hackathon
Gloo aims to influence AI, Christianity, and faith technology beyond just Silicon Valley. The company also supports the Christian tech ecosystem through funding and events like a three-day hackathon that followed the seminar at Colorado Christian University. The event attracted over 600 participants vying for more than $250,000 in prizes, with participant numbers projected to triple by 2024.
Despite its growth, the hackathon faced challenges. Ryan Siebert, an AI product developer, discovered a vulnerability in Gloo’s latest LLM, which is not publicly available, and it provided him with a methamphetamine recipe due to prompt injection. He informed the president of Gloo AI about the issue. A spokesperson from Gloo mentioned that as the product is still in “pre-beta” development, participants were encouraged to test the new LLM and offer feedback.
Audience at the Gloo hackathon. Photo: Mike Mauser
Meanwhile, Gelsinger indicated that his message regarding Christian AI is resonating well in Washington, D.C. In a conversation with the Guardian, he mentioned introducing Gloo’s efforts to various legal advocacy groups and Congressional members. Although he didn’t specify the organizations or politicians, he noted that some Congress members have shown interest in integrating Gloo products into church activities.
Goo’s influence also spans conservative political circles. Brandon Showalter, a journalist for the Christian Post and co-host of the seminar with Gloo, expressed hope that society would view care for transgender youth as “unthinkable as an ice pick lobotomy.” An analyst at the Heritage Foundation, which is behind Project 2025, participated in a panel moderated by Showalter, providing insights on AI regulation. On October 17th, Gelsinger delivered his “Gutenberg Moment” speech at Liberty University’s CEO Summit, alongside keynote speeches from figures like Liz Truss, Michael Flynn, and Chick-fil-A’s Chairman, Dan T. Cathy.
Gelsinger appears just as at ease in these settings as he was as an honored guest at Joe Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address. Like a pragmatic industry leader, he also engages in public records and has supported political movements across party lines.
Gloo itself maintains an ecumenical tone in its messaging. The hackathon avoided political discussions and sectarian divides. In a Discord chat, participants shared plans to create an AI bot for a “biblical response” to the assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, where organizers advised keeping conversations focused on Jesus, despite recognizing the relevance of politics. The hackathon team, comprised of Leah and Wes Brooks, produced open-source AI tools aimed at interoperability among faith-based and other applications, highlighting the diverse backgrounds of participants, including a female pastor. “I wasn’t even required to sign a faith declaration,” Leah Brooks remarked. Gloo also asserts it does not “prohibit” Islamic organizations from utilizing its technology.
Patrick Gelsinger. Photo: Mike Mauser
“We’re not aiming to take a theological stance. Our goal is to create a technology platform versatile enough for Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Catholics to effectively utilize it,” Gelsinger informed the Guardian. “We want to represent a broad spectrum of faith while also accommodating organizations that maintain a non-sectarian view,” such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Gelsinger’s ambition is to integrate faith into AI technology. He leads Gloo’s Flourishing AI initiative, which assesses large-scale language models’ effects on human well-being across seven dimensions. Essentially, it evaluates whether a language model contributes positively to the religious lives of its users. This initiative draws from a research program at Harvard University’s human flourishing program. Models such as Grok 3, DeepSeek-R1, and GPT-4.1 score well on average for supporting users with financial inquiries, achieving around 81 points out of 100, but fare poorly in enhancing users’ spiritual growth, with an average score of just 35 points out of 100 according to Gloo’s metrics.
Gloo’s endeavors have yet to gain significant traction within Silicon Valley. A spokesperson stated that the IT department is “beginning to reach out” to leading AI firms.
Computer illustration of a cross-section (orange strands) of a lipid nanoparticle carrying viral mRNA
Science Photo Library / Alamy
Virus-like vaccines typically trigger strong immune reactions; however, mRNA versions are significantly quicker and less expensive to manufacture. We now benefit from mRNA vaccines that encode for virus-like nanoparticles instead of individual proteins, as is the case with current COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
Grace Hendricks and her team at the University of Washington in Seattle have demonstrated that an mRNA version of a coronavirus nanoparticle vaccine provokes immune responses in mice that are up to 28 times stronger than those elicited by standard mRNA vaccines.
According to Hendricks, some mild but unpleasant side effects of mRNA vaccines result from the body’s immediate response to the injected mRNA and the lipid particles encapsulating it. A more potent vaccine could enable lower dosages. “This means we can maintain the essential immune response while reducing the dose, thus minimizing side effects,” she explains.
The first vaccine was comprised of a weakened “live” virus and is highly effective, yet poses risks for individuals with compromised immune systems. This was followed by inactivated vaccines containing “dead” viruses, which are safer but challenging to produce.
The advancement continued with protein subunit vaccines that generally include only the exterior proteins of the virus. These are even safer than inactivated vaccines, but airborne proteins often fail to induce robust immune responses.
As a solution, vaccine developers began embedding viral proteins into tiny spheres to create spiky structures resembling viruses to the immune system, yet as safe as protein subunit vaccines. This is achieved by modifying existing proteins to self-assemble into small spheres with protruding viral proteins known as vaccine nanoparticles.
During the pandemic, Hendricks’s colleagues worked on a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine called Skycovion. Although it received approval in South Korea in 2022, mRNA vaccines had already made significant advances by that time, leading to limited use of Skycovion.
mRNA vaccines are significantly faster and more straightforward to produce than protein-based vaccines, as they provide a recipe for protein assembly, while the challenging task of protein synthesis is executed by the body’s cells. The viral proteins coded by these first-generation mRNA vaccines eventually protrude from the cell surface, inducing a more effective immune response compared to free-floating proteins but still falling short of the efficacy seen with nanoparticle vaccines.
Currently, Hendricks and her colleagues have merged the advantages of both methods by developing a vaccine that consists of mRNA encoding Skycovion. After the vaccine proteins are produced within cells, they organize into nanoparticles that have shown efficacy in mouse studies.
“This was merely a proof of concept for this gene transfer,” Hendricks stated. She and her team are already advancing what they term mRNA-launched nanoparticle vaccines targeting influenza, Epstein-Barr virus (which can lead to cancer), and various other viruses.
“I am excited about the potential of mRNA-launched protein nanoparticle vaccines.” said William Sheeff from The Scripps Research Institute in California, who is working on an HIV vaccine. “My colleagues and I have published impressive immunogenicity results with two mRNA-launched nanoparticles in clinical trials and several similar particles in mouse models. This new research enhances the existing body of work.” Despite this promising trajectory, the United States has announced significant cuts to funding for the development of mRNA vaccines.
The CEO of Amazon informed the company’s office workers that opportunities in artificial intelligence will be available in the upcoming years.
Andrew Jassy advised his team that AI agents—tools designed to perform tasks autonomously—will lead to a reduction in workforce in specific AI areas, including chatbots.
“As we integrate more generative AI and agents, our work dynamics will transform,” he mentioned in a note to the team. “There will be fewer individuals in some existing roles, while others will shift to different types of work.
“It’s hard to predict the exact trajectory of this change, but we anticipate a decrease in our overall workforce in the coming years.”
Amazon currently employs 1.5 million individuals globally, with around 350,000 in corporate positions such as software engineering and marketing.
Recently, the CEO of BT, a UK telecommunications firm, stated that advancements in AI might lead to deeper job cuts in their company. Conversely, Dario Amodei, CEO of AI research firm Anthropic, noted that AI could potentially eliminate half of all entry-level office jobs.
Jassy projected that billions of AI agents will become integral to the everyday operations of companies and individuals alike soon.
“These AI agents will be present in virtually every company and industry. From shopping to handling daily tasks, many of these agents will assist in various aspects of life outside of work. Although not all of these agents have been developed yet, there is no doubt about their future impact.”
Jassy concluded his message by urging employees to engage with AI, emphasizing the importance of self-education and participating in training programs.
“Those who adapt to this change and familiarize themselves with AI—by developing and enhancing AI capabilities internally and delivering them to our customers—will play a crucial role in redefining the company,” he asserted.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an influential international policy body, estimates that this technology could lead to job losses among skilled white-collar professionals in fields like law, medicine, and finance. According to the International Monetary Fund, 60% of jobs in advanced economies such as the US and the UK could be vulnerable to AI, with half at risk of being adversely affected.
On the other hand, the Tony Blair Institute advocates for broader AI adoption across public and private sectors, suggesting that while the private sector could see job reductions of up to 3 million in the UK, net losses will be counterbalanced by the creation of new positions thanks to technological advancements.
During its annual developers conference on Monday, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, an eagerly anticipated artificial intelligence system designed to personalize user experiences, automate tasks, and, as CEO Tim Cook assured, set “a new standard of privacy in AI.”
Although Apple emphasizes that its AI prioritizes security, its collaboration with OpenAI has faced criticism. The service, launched in November 2022, has raised privacy concerns by collecting user data for model training without explicit consent. Users will have the option to opt out of this data collection starting in April 2023.
Apple has assured that its collaboration with ChatGPT will be limited to specific tasks with explicit user consent, but security experts remain vigilant about how these concerns will be addressed.
Late to the game in generative AI, Apple has trailed behind competitors like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, whose AI ventures have boosted their stock prices. Apple has refrained from integrating generative AI into its main consumer products.
Apple aims to apply AI technology responsibly, building Apple Intelligence products over several years using proprietary technology to minimize user data leakage from the Apple ecosystem.
AI, which requires vast data to train language models, poses a challenge to Apple’s focus on privacy. Critics like Elon Musk argue that it’s impossible to balance AI integration and user privacy. However, some experts disagree.
“By pursuing privacy-focused strategies, Apple is leading the way for businesses to reconcile data privacy with innovation,” said Gar Ringel, CEO of a data privacy software company.
Many recent AI releases have been criticized for being dysfunctional or risky, reflecting Silicon Valley’s “move fast and break things” culture. Apple seems to be taking a more cautious approach.
According to Steinhauer, “Historically, platforms release products first and address issues later. Apple is proactively tackling common concerns. This illustrates the difference between designing security measures upfront versus addressing them reactively, which is always less effective.”
Central to Apple’s AI privacy measures is its new private cloud computing technology. Apple intends to conduct most computing internally for Apple Intelligence features on devices. For tasks requiring more processing power, the company will outsource to the cloud while safeguarding user data.
To achieve this, Apple will only share the data necessary for each request, implement additional security measures at endpoints, and avoid long-term data storage. Apple will also open tools and software related to its private cloud for third-party verification.
Private cloud computing represents a significant advancement in AI privacy and security, according to Krishna Visnubotra, VP of product strategy at Zimperium. The independent audit component is particularly noteworthy.
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