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Welcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Data Topics Unpluggedis your go-to spot for relaxed discussions on tech, news, data, and society.

This week, we’re joined by returning guest Tim Leers, who helps us navigate the ever-evolving landscape of AI regulation, open-source controversies, and the battle for the future of large language models.

Expect deep dives, hot takes, and a sprinkle of existential dread as we discuss:

• The EU AI Act and its ripple effects – What does it actually change? And is Meta pulling back on AI development because of it?
• Meta’s “Frontier AI” framework – A strategic move or just regulatory camouflage?
• OpenAI vs. the world – From copyright drama to OpenAI accusing competitors of using its models, is this just karma in action?
• DeepSeek and global AI competition – Why are government agencies banning it, and is it really a game-changer?
• The EU’s AI investment plans – Can Europe ever catch up, or is 1.5 billion euros just a drop in the compute ocean?
• OpenAI’s sudden love for open source – Sam Altman says they were on the "wrong side of history." Are they really changing, or is this just another strategic pivot?
• OpenAI’s latest tech update – we discuss Tim’s experience with o3 and show it live

All that, plus some existential musings on AI’s role in society, competitive dynamics between the US, EU, and China, and whether we’re all just picking our preferred bias in a world of competing LLMs.

Got thoughts? Drop us a comment or question—we might even read it on the next episode!