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Transcript

AI and Astrology: When Algorithms Read the Stars (and Companies Read the Future) · ELECTE's Podcast: AI Frontiers

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: The intersection of artificial intelligence and astrology represents one of the most curious phenomena in today's technological landscape.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: A marriage that might seem unlikely, but that is transforming an ancient practice into a digital business worth billions of dollars.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: According to the most recent estimates, the global market for astrology apps will reach$19 billion by 2030, with an annual growth rate of 20%.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Numbers that make the eyes of developers and venture capitalists shine more than the stars themselves.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: COSTAR, AI-powered hipster.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: Astrology among the various applications operating in this expanding market, CoStar is perhaps the most emblematic example of how artificial intelligence is redefining modern astrology.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Cited in an article by StriveMinds as one of the most popular AI-based astrology apps, CoSTAR has won over millions of users, particularly among millennials and Generation Z.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: What makes CoStar so special?
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: The app boasts that it uses NASA data and artificial intelligence algorithms to generate hyper-personalized horoscopes.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Here's how it works in practice: Ultra accurate birth data.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: When you register, CoStar isn't satisfied with your zodiac sign.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: It wants to know the exact time of your birth, down to the minute, and your precise geographical location.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: This data is used to create what the app calls a portrait of the sky at the moment you were born.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Complex planetary analysis.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: While traditional astrology focuses mainly on the sun sign, CoStar analyzes all planetary positions Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: The app's AI calculates not only the positions, but also the aspects, the angular relationships between the planets.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Real-time updates.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Unlike static horoscopes, CoStar updates your forecast daily based on current planetary movements.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: If Mars goes retrograde, the algorithm recalculates how this transit might specifically affect your natal chart.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Customized NLP language, using advanced natural language processing techniques, CoStar generates texts that seem to be written specifically for you.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: You'll never receive a generic horoscope like, It's a good day for Pisces, but rather messages like, with Saturn transiting your house of communications, you may feel limited in expressing your ideas today.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Consider spending time in private written reflection.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: For those unfamiliar with technical astrological language, the houses are sectors of the sky that represent different areas of life, such as relationships, career, communication, etc.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Social compatibility analysis.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most popular features of the app is the ability to compare your chart with that of your friends.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: The AI doesn't just give a simple you're compatible, but provides detailed analysis such as Sarah's moon is in conjunction with your Venus, creating a strong emotional connection.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: But Marco's Saturn forms a square with your Sun, suggesting possible tensions related to responsibilities, Google's Gemini.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: When tech companies choose the stars, it's not just the astrology app market that flirts with the stars.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Even the tech giants don't seem immune to the allure of astrology.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: On February 8, 2025, Google released its latest AI innovation, christened Gemini.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: A simple coincidence?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps not entirely.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Gemini is not only the name of a constellation and a zodiac sign, but also represents a series of characteristics that seem strangely appropriate for an advanced artificial intelligence.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Insatiable curiosity, constant need for mental stimulation, quick thinking, communication skills, and more than a hint of wit.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Jeff Dean, Google's chief scientist, has stated that the name derives from the Latin origins of the term Gemini, citing the collaborative nature between the company's teams.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: But the coincidence with the characteristics of the sign is too perfect to be ignored.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: As astrologer Jordan Moray explains, Gemini is a mutable air sign, and just as air moves quickly, freely, and without limits, so does Gemini in today's world through communication, information, and technology.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Curiously, Google has declared the advent of the Gemini era with the release of the previous model in December 2023.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: A statement that, according to astrologers, is technically incorrect since we are in the age of Aquarius.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: A small detail that perhaps the geniuses of Mountain View have overlooked in their algorithms.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Mercurial irony, there is a delightful irony in the fact that Google has chosen Gemini for its conversational AI.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Artificial intelligence sometimes hallucinates, a term used to describe when an AI generates false information but presents it as fact.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: And what better sign to represent this tendency than Gemini, ruled by Mercury, the planet known not only for its communication skills but also for its pranks?
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: This overlap between cutting-edge technology and ancient astrological beliefs is no coincidence.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: With 75% of millennials in Gen Z trusting in the workings of astrology, according to in study by MTV, companies are clearly trying to ride this trend.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: The digital forer effect, CoStar vs.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: AI Both astrology apps like CoStar and modern generative artificial intelligence systems brilliantly exploit the forer effect, that human tendency to identify with vague and general descriptions when we think they are created specifically for us.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: On the one hand, CoStar bombards you with cleverly calibrated push notifications such as, your vulnerability is your strength today.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot control others, only your reaction to them.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: On the other hand, the latest generation of AI chatbots respond to you in such a conversational and apparently empathetic tone that they give you the illusion of a deep and personalized understanding of your needs.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: They make you feel special while serving you answers that, with a few variations, could work for anyone.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Both approaches, after all, manipulate the same psychological lever.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: The human desire to feel understood, to find meaning in a chaotic world.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Whether it's stars or algorithms, we're always looking for someone or something to tell us, I totally understand you.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: Even when it's obvious that this can't be the case.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: The stellar paradox.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: The supreme irony of this situation is that while tech companies use advanced algorithms to analyze planetary positions, CoStar, or are inspired by astrological archetypes to christen their innovations, Google, science still hasn't found any significant correlations between planetary positions and personality traits.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: A well-known study on the subject found no similarities between individuals born under the same astral influences.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yet from the dawn of time to the era of quantum algorithms, humanity continues to rely on the stars with the same unshakable trust as a child handing over his wish list to a mall Santa Claus.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Conclusion: When the stars guide business, whether it's co-star meticulously analyzing your birth chart or Google naming its most advanced AI after the zodiac sign of communication, one thing is clear: astrology is a powerful marketing and positioning tool.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Tech companies have realized that offering users the illusion of predictability, whether through hyper-personalized horoscopes or through an AI that bears the name of a sign known for its communicative intelligence, is a winning strategy.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Believe it or not, the stars are guiding not only personal destinies, but also business ones.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: And with a market expected to reach$19 billion by 2030, it seems that the horoscope for astrological business is definitely favorable.
• 8:08
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• 8:09
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