A monthly round-up of what the ICMR team is reading, watching, and listening to. Recommendations are based on what the team finds interesting or thought-provoking, and are not representative of ICMR’s views.

Dating & Relationships | Dan Ariely | Talks at Google

Googler Logan Ury talks to behavioral economist and “Predictably Irrational” author Dan Ariely Talks at Google series – Modern Romance talks. They discuss the paradox of choice in the “Age of Tinder,” why a canoe is the best place to test your long-term compatibility, and other research-based insights and advice for modern dating and relationships.

Drawing on his expertise in human behavior and irrationality, Ariely explores the often-unexpected ways we navigate love and relationships—challenging conventional wisdom, sharing surprising research findings, and unpacking the irrational behaviors that shape our romantic decisions. The talk blends insightful anecdotes with evidence-based observations to reveal why what we “think” about dating may differ from how we actually behave.

AI is a Mass Delusion Event – The Atlantic

Charlie Warzel explores the unsettling cultural and ethical atmosphere surrounding generative AI’s rapid rise. He opens with a surreal moment: a former news anchor interviewing an AI-generated version of a deceased teenager, Joaquin Oliver—an event both eerie and emotionally disorienting. This bizarre experience symbolizes a broader societal drift: eager acceptance of technology divorced from critical reflection. Despite lofty promises of intelligence leaps and world-changing innovation, AI continues to flounder in basic reasoning and reliability. The real danger, Warzel argues, isn’t sentient machines—but the possibility that society is reordering itself around an overhyped, murky technology without understanding its costs.

How the Bank of Mum and Dad reshaped the British economy

The “Bank of Mum and Dad” (BoMaD) has become a defining force in the British economy, giving wealthier young adults significant advantages through parental support for university fees, housing deposits, and eventual inheritance. Soaring house prices, stagnant real wages, and insufficient housing supply have made such family assistance critical, deepening the divide between those with and without financial backing from parents. This growing dependency on inherited wealth undermines social mobility and entrenches inequality, with research showing parental income now plays a larger role in determining life outcomes than ever before. Despite potential pressures on older generations, such as care costs and longer life expectancies, the structural factors driving BoMaD’s dominance show little sign of reversal.

AI 2027

A predictive story on how AI will play out in the next decade, more specifically artificial general intelligence (AGI). This new piece of technology is predicted to be much more impactful than the industrial revolution. Reading this is as scary as any horror movie as the scenarios are as realistic as it can get. Without a doubt AGI, if ever made, will change humanity forever. For better or for worse.