Programmers Face Hiring Slowdown. Stronger AI Wins Deals. UAE to Run Half of Government. Maine Vetoes Data Center Moratorium.

Show notes

The AI news for April 26th, 2026

--- This episode is sponsored by ---

Rocket Routine GmbH
Find our more about our today's sponsor Rocket Routine at
The growth of programmer jobs in the USA has nearly halved since ChatGPT.
Source: https://the-decoder.de/wachstum-von-programmierer-jobs-in-den-usa-hat-sich-seit-chatgpt-fast-halbiert/
Why did we choose this article?
A Federal Reserve study suggests hiring growth for programmers has slowed sharply since ChatGPT — important for workers planning careers and managers deciding staffing and automation strategies.

Anthropic experiment shows: Stronger AI models negotiate better prices without anyone noticing.
Source: https://the-decoder.de/anthropic-experiment-zeigt-staerkere-ki-modelle-verhandeln-bessere-preise-ohne-dass-es-jemand-merkt/
Why did we choose this article?
Shows that AI agents can negotiate better deals than others without detection — a direct warning that automating transactions could hurt people who rely on human-negotiated pricing or representation.

The United Arab Emirates wants to operate half of the government within two years with autonomous AI.
Source: https://the-decoder.de/vereinigte-arabische-emirate-wollen-halbe-regierung-innerhalb-von-zwei-jahren-mit-autonomer-ki-betreiben/
Why did we choose this article?
A government plan to automate half public-sector work in two years would change how citizens interact with services, affect public-sector jobs, and raise questions about accountability and oversight.

Maine’s governor vetoes data center moratorium
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/25/maines-governor-vetoes-data-center-moratorium/
Why did we choose this article?
The veto decides whether a statewide pause on new data centers proceeds — a choice that affects local power use, environmental trade-offs, and where cloud infrastructure (and related jobs) get built.

Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for improvement? We welcome your feedback at podcast@pickert.de.