LIDAR Melts Cameras? | SHRM’s AI Job Risk | OpenAI Codex vs Coders | Klarna & Duolingo AI Fallout

Happy Friday, everyone! You’ve made it through the week just in time for another Weekly Update where I’m helping you stay ahead of the curve while keeping both feet grounded in reality. This week, we’ve got a wild mix covering everything from the truth about LIDAR and camera damage to a sobering look at job automation, the looming shift in software engineering, and some high-profile examples of AI-first backfiring in real time.

Fair warning: this one pulls no punches, but it might just help you avoid some major missteps.

With that, let’s get to it.

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If LIDAR is Frying Phones, What About Your Eyes?

There’s a lot of buzz lately about LIDAR systems melting high-end camera sensors at car shows, and some are even warning about potential eye damage. Given how fast we’re moving with autonomous vehicles, you can see why the news cycle would be in high gear. However, before you go full tinfoil hat, I break down how the tech actually works, where the risks are real, and what’s just headline hype. If you’ve got a phone, or eyeballs, you’ll want to check this out.

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Jobs at Risk: What SHRM Gets Right—and Misses Completely

SHRM dropped a new report claiming around 12% of jobs are at high or very high risk of automation. Depending on how you’re defining it, that number could be generous or a gross underestimate. That’s the problem. It doesn’t tell the whole story. I unpack the data, share what I’m seeing in executive boardrooms, and challenge the idea that any job, including yours, is safe from change, at least as you know it today. Spoiler: It’s not about who gets replaced; it’s about who adapts.

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Codex and the Collapse of Coding Complacency

OpenAI’s new specialized coding model, Codex, has some folks declaring the end of software engineers as we know them. Given how much companies have historically spent on these roles, I can understand why there’d be so much push to automate it. To be clear, I don’t buy the doomsday hype. I think it’s a more complicated mix that is tied to a larger market correction for an overinflated industry. However, if you’re a developer, this is your wake-up call because the game is changing fast.

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Duolingo and Klarna: When “AI-First” Backfires

This week I wanted to close with a conversation that hopefully reduces some of people’s anxiety about work, so here it is. Two big names went all in on AI and are changing course as a result of two very different kinds of pain. Klarna is quietly walking back their AI-first bravado after realizing it’s not actually cheaper, or better. Meanwhile, Duolingo is getting publicly roasted by users and employees alike. I break down what went wrong and what it tells us about doing AI right.

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Show Notes:

In this Weekly Update, host Christopher Lind examines the ripple effects of LIDAR technology on camera sensors and the public’s rising concern around eye safety. He breaks down SHRM’s automation risk report, arguing that every job is being reshaped by AI—even if it’s not eliminated. He explores the rise of OpenAI’s Codex and its implications for the future of software engineering, and wraps with cautionary tales from Klarna and Duolingo about the cost of going “AI-first” without a strategy rooted in people, not just platforms.

00:00 Introduction

01:07 Overview of This Week's Topics

01:54 LIDAR Technology Explained

13:43 - SHRM Job Automation Report

30:26 - OpenAI Codex: The Future of Coding?

41:33 - AI-First Companies: A Cautionary Tale

45:40 - Enco