Today's Show Transcript

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COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What's up, sunshine? Welcome to the show. I'm Coy Wire. Thank you for joining us today. The countdown is on for holiday break. We're at the penultimate day of the week, so let's get to your news while we still have time.
The folks at one of the United States' largest auto manufacturers, Ford Motor Company, say they are going to slow their roll on their electric vehicle plans to put more focus on their gas and hybrid vehicles, part of their new plan, putting production of their flagship E.V., the F-150 Lightning, on hold indefinitely.
This stems in part from U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, which are impacting the E.V. industry. The move for Ford means a $19.5 billion hit against its fourth quarter earnings. Automakers around the world have invested big time in E.V.s, but Ford says they've seen a drop in demand. The federal tax credit from which E.V. buyers once benefited ended in September. The U.S. government also took away some of the environmental regulations that went into effect during former President Joe Biden's term.
Did your Spotify wrapped feel spot on this year? You know, where Spotify tells you which songs are your favorites. If so, it's because the streaming music service aggregates or collects all the songs you played throughout the year by using machine learning algorithms behind the scenes. It's just one example of our digital experiences becoming more personalized by technology. Our Clare Duffy has more.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Hey, Coy. Have you ever found yourself wondering how your Spotify wrapped seems to just get you so perfectly or why Netflix knows how to recommend the exact show you wanted to watch next? It's all thanks to a technology called machine learning.
So, what is that? Machine learning is a process where a computer takes a bunch of data and uses an algorithm, essentially a mathematical equation, to find patterns in that data to draw conclusions or make recommendations. So, think sorting through all of the music you listen to this year to determine who your favorite artists were.
You might have heard of machine learning in the context of artificial intelligence. That's because it also powers many of the A.I. tools we use today. A.I. chatbots, for example, were trained on a bunch of human writing, and they use their knowledge of the patterns in our language to respond to our questions.
Here's Georgia Tech's Brian Magerko to explain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN MAGERKO, REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA AT THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: So, like for using ChatGPT or Llama or something like that, you know, these companies scraped the internet, grabbed as much text as they could from Reddit conversations and forums and blog posts and news articles. And the patterns that they found are like, what words go with what other words? And so when you give it words, it goes, hey, what's the most likely word that would goes -- that would go next?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DUFFY: Now, online platforms don't just use information about us to serve us recommendations. They also look at what content people like us are consuming using a type of machine learning called collaborative filtering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAGERKO: Spotify is really, really good at collecting data and describing data. So, one of the things that they use and -- and has been used in lots of -- like websites and apps that you use is this approach called collaborative filtering. So, Spotify, when you say, "Hey, give me some music that -- that I think I'll like," like you hit the D.J. button or something.
And what it's doing is it's going, OK, let me look at this guy. What does he listen to lately? OK, what are people that are like him? OK, what do they listen to? Let's give him some of that. And so collaborative filtering is underneath all of these sort of like, you know, magic suggestions that happen with Spotify wrapped or the auto generated playlists.
It can recognize like, hey, you know, there are not that many goth circus ragtime people out there, but you're one of them. You know, it can help you sort of identify if you're on this island of music appreciation that you can brag to your friends about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DUFFY: So, what to make of all of this? It's important to understand that apps and online platforms are taking in data you share with them, whether by listening to certain songs or liking certain photos, and they're learning from it. That can be used for fun applications like giving you your Spotify wrapped.
Spotify says my listening age is 73, by the way, thanks to my love of classic rock. But machine learning can also be used to do things like target you with ads for things a company thinks you're more likely to buy. And I don't know about you, but this time of year, that is the last thing I need.
Still, the more we know about how tech platforms collect and use our data, the better we can choose how to consciously engage with them.
Coy?
WIRE: Pop quiz, hot shot.
Volkswagen's iconic van was originally called what? The Microbus, the Type 2, the Wonder Wagon or the Mystery Machine.
If you said Type 2, you are too good. The Type 2, later renamed the Transporter, started production in 1950. It soon became a cultural symbol of freedom, road trips in the 1960s counterculture. Type 1 was the one and only VW Beetle.
Now to a viral moment that became a symbol of hope. This vintage Volkswagen bus was spared from the L.A. fires, even as the rest of the neighborhood was decimated last January. The bus has since undergone a full remodel and is getting some newfound love and national attention. Our Nick Watt has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): So many people saw hope in this picture. The little blue miracle, a 1977 VW microbus among the grays and blacks of destruction and despair.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR, "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT": This went through the fire. You see the burnt headlight.
WATT (voiceover): "OUTFRONT" was on the case. This was back in January. Find the bus and --
BURNETT: So, we wanted to know who owned it to get the story here and we found them.
MEGAN WEINRAUB, OWNER OF AZUL, THE VW BUS: Wow, it is magic.
WATT (voiceover): Current owner Megan Weinraub, Malibu surfer.
WEINRAUB: I'm speechless to see all the houses burned and I can't believe that Azul, the bus -- that's what we named it -- survived. Like, it's -- I'm just in shock.
WATT (voiceover): Now more shock -- good shock. The magic bus has had a makeover and now reunited with her owner.
WEINRAUB: She's beautiful.
WATT (voiceover): How did this happen? Well, Volkswagen folks also saw that viral pic of the little singed survivor and they asked if they could help, picked Azul up, and got to work.
GUNNAR WYNARSKI, VEHICLE TECHNICIAN, VOLKSWAGEN: We found the car with the busted rear windows. We had ashes inside. We had embers inside and nothing combusted. And we drained 11 gallons of fuel out of the car. Why didn't it burn? I don't know.
WATT (voiceover): They worked on Azul for 2,000 hours to bring a bus back to life. Every part was restored. That eye-catching blue paint had to be custom mixed.
But what about the Palisades then, now? Nearly 7,000 structures destroyed. So far, only one home has been completely rebuilt. A certificate of occupancy was issued just last week.
Azul is now back, charm intact and even better than before. Can we hope for the same for the Palisades?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the London Zoo, where some serious monkey business is underway. Check out the zoo's sake monkeys going bananas over their very own stockings. They were hung with care, courtesy of the zookeepers, providing the petite primates with a holiday feast. Guess they made the nice list.
Meanwhile, the zoo's gorilla troop went ape over their Christmas swag, burlap sacks filled with their favorite festive snacks. The critically endangered great apes are part of the more than 8,000 amazing animals that call the zoo home.
Many are threatened or even extinct in the wild and part of the zoo's ongoing conservation programs. Here's wishing all creatures great and small and apes-solutely wonderful holiday.
Today's story getting a 10 out of 10, the power of music, especially during the holidays.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What song would you like us to sing for you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jingle bell rock, please.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: This is dial the carol, an annual tradition at the University of Illinois that goes back 65 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Started by a front desk person who just really wanted to spread Christmas joy and so we just kept the tradition going since then.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice way to spread some joy during some stressful times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Any holiday song, any time of the day, these student volunteers are eager and ready to sing. We believe in like the power of music and especially in giving back to our communities through music.
(MUSIC)
(APPLAUSE)
WIRE: All right, almost time to bring it home. Two shout-outs for you this Thursday. The first one goes to Mr. Erkdal at Canby High School in Canby, Oregon. Your students want you to know how much they appreciate your encouragement. Rise up.
And this shout out goes to Ms. Stokes at Allegro Charter School of Music in North Charleston, South Carolina. They sent us this book of Renaissance poems and Magnifico. You nailed it. It's of historic places and people and times and where are the beautiful artists? There they are. Look at them smiling back right at us. You all are more powerful than you know. I can't wait to read some of that.
Have an awesome day. Go make it an awesome day and make someone smile.
I'm Coy Wire and we are CNN 10.

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