*By Conor White*
Despite sci-fi's habit of making technology the enemy, DJ/entrepreneur Steve Aoki doesn't think machines are necessarily the villains. That's why he's written a new comic book, "Neon Future," to cast A.I. in a different, less ominous light.
"In most sci-fi, in most comic book stories, technology is the problem...or is the evil machine," Aoki told Cheddar this weekend at New York Comic Con. "In this story, we tell something different."
"I really feel like we can use A.I. to the point where we eventually will become cyborgs," he added.
Aoki's comic book tells of a near-future when dictators have stripped citizens of their technology. A hero emerges, showing the world that humans and tech can, in fact, live in harmony.
"I want to see a future where we keep finding ways and avenues to use A.I., to use technology, so we can keep growing," said Aoki, who in addition to his DJ gig owns both his own clothing line and a chain of pizza restaurants. He reportedly has earned $28 million so far this year.
Tom Bilyeu, co-founder of Impact Theory, the studio publishing the comic book, agreed with Aoki.
"Science-fiction authors have a moral obligation to paint a picture of a future worth building," he told Cheddar. "That's literally what we're trying to do."
"Neon Future" takes place just 30 years in the future, a conscious decision by its creators.
"We wanted the world to be entirely too recognizable, so that the threat that's happening becomes really real," Bilyeu said.
"What we wanted to do was start in a world that's dystopian and then explore: How do you get out of that?"
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/steve-aokis-future).
Plant-based meat giant Beyond Meat's reign over the fast food world continues, as McDonald's announced that it is expanding its test of Beyond's McPlant burger, to nearly 600 restaurants, an increase from the eight that it's been testing in since November. This comes less than two weeks after Beyond Fried Chicken made its nationwide debut at KFC restaurants, the first time that plant based chicken has been widely distributed in a fast food capacity. Arun Sundaram, Senior Equity Analyst at CFRA Research explains why these latest collaborations may be proof that Beyond Meat products could slowly be becoming an unlikely staple in the fast food and chain restaurant world as consumers opt for more healthy food options.
BD Veritor is a variation of the at-home COVID test that uses a smartphone to interpret the results. The test is taken via a nose swab test strip that is then scanned by your phone’s camera with the result clearly displayed as positive or negative. James Walker, vice president of integrated diagnostics USA for BD, joined Cheddar to discuss how the test hopefully takes the "guesswork out of testing." Walker also went into what BD is doing to deal with the surging demand for at-home tests amid the omicron spread. "While we don't disclose how much we produce, we have capacity to manufacture up to 12 million rapid antigen tests per month and are delivering on our commitments to distributors and retailers," he said.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Sidechef CEO breaks down how it's building a platform to make recipe shopping easy; Luum CEO explains the process of having a robot put on eyelash extensions; A look at Curiosity Stream's new original series, 'Evolve.'
Moderna launched a clinical trial of a COVID-19 booster shot specifically targeting the omicron variant. The first participant has already received a dose, and Moderna expects to enroll about 600 adults total, split between two groups. In the first group, participants will have previously received two doses of the Moderna vaccine, and in the second, participants will have received its booster. Dr. Paul Burton, chief medical officer at Moderna, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss the trial, yearly boosters, and what lies ahead for the company.
With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics right around the corner, experts are warning that climate change is threatening not only the event but also the future of snow sports. Despite being the world's top polluter, China is hoping to use the event to demonstrate the country's commitment to fighting climate change, and pledging to host a "low carbon" games. Xubin Zeng, professor of hydrology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona, joins Cheddar News.
New research is suggesting that giving extra cash to low-income mothers can actually influence the brain development of their infants. These findings provide the first rigorous evidence of how payments and monetary support can affect children in the early years of life. Authors of the study, Nathan Fox, professor in the department of human development at the University of Maryland, and Sonya Troller-Renfree, postdoctoral research associate at Teachers College at Columbia University, join Cheddar News to discuss.
Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change and continuously feel the impacts. Mark Magaña, founding president and CEO of Green Latinos joined All Hands to discuss.
