AI is thinking more like humans, millennials aren't really job hoppers, and more trending stories

During the week, the Daily Rundown brings you the day’s trending professional news. On the weekend, we try to keep you current on the big ideas that can help you see what’s coming. Read on and join the conversation.

Now AI can outsmart CAPTCHAs. While a computer might be able to memorize thousands of variations of the letter A, they can still be stumped with a novel squiggle or slant. But AI firm Vicarious is teaching machines to recognize images the way the human brain does: by breaking those images into pieces and putting them back together, like examining clues to solve a puzzle. The researchers developed AI that could detect CAPTCHA codes with 66.6% accuracy (humans do it with 87.4% accuracy), reports Axios. This approach could allow computers to teach themselves to recognize objects without having to absorb massive amounts of data in advance. ? Share your thoughts: #AILearning

A California city is about to launch the first basic income experiment in the US. Next year, Stockton, Calif. will run a $1 million basic income test with funding from a foundation led by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. The program will offer 300,000 Stockton residents $500 per month with no requirements. Universal basic income is the subject of considerable interest to tech leaders and others who envisage a future where many workers will be left without a job amid advances in artificial intelligence and automation technology. Share your thoughts: #UBIExperiment

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio says we live in a world of two economies: While the wealthy grow more comfortable, the less affluent face declining wages and deteriorating health. And US manufacturing has faced particular challenges, with 30% of jobs lost since 1997. But there are some bright spots — and job opportunities — for blue-collar America. ? Join the conversation: #BrightSpots

• The trucking industry has launched a full-scale charm offensive to recruit drivers. The industry is short 50,000, a figure that could balloon to 174,000 by 2026. To woo drivers, firms are dialing up the perks and dangling signing bonuses of up to $10,000, reports LinkedIn’s Chip Cutter.
• The massive growth of Amazon and other e-commerce outlets has created a warehouse hiring renaissance in America’s manufacturing heartland, according to The New York Times. Retailers are racing to open facilities to fulfill orders, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Millennials may have a reputation for job-hopping, but don’t believe the hype. They’re just as loyal to employers as their predecessors were. In the US, median job tenure for those between ages 25 and 34 has remained fairly steady since 1983, The Economist reports. ? Share your thoughts: #MillennialJobLoyalty

China wants to rank its 1.3 billion citizens based on trustworthiness. Beijing has outsourced the experimental phase of its Social Credit System to several tech giants, with the goal of using data on citizens' activities — from shopping habits to time spent online — to rate the character of its people. Those who receive high trust scores will be eligible for special loans, travel privileges, and other perks; those who don't will have slower internet speeds and be barred from certain kinds of travel, among other restrictions. The system is currently voluntary, but it is slated to become mandatory by 2020. ? Share your thoughts: #ChinaTrustScore

One last idea: Over the past year, Silicon Valley has been rocked by a steady stream of crises, scandals, and resignations related to harassment and a lack of diversity. The first step to a more diverse tech industry? Asking more questions, says Project Include cofounder Ellen Pao. ? Share your thoughts: #TechDiversityQuestions

Would a star engineer making sexist jokes or comments get fired? Who is responsible for diversity at the company? Does your employee base include people of all ages, parents, disabled people, veterans, LGBTQ people, and immigrants? Ultimately, does your company give everyone a fair shot at success?

What's your take? Join the conversation on today’s stories: #AILearning | #UBIExperiment | #BrightSpots | #MillennialJobLoyalty | #ChinaTrustScore | #TechDiversityQuestions

Come back tomorrow to start your day with a roundup of the professional news you need to know.

— Scott Olster and Katie Carroll / Share this using #DailyRundown