Delta CEO Says AI Has No Soul — His Airline Uses It To Price Your Ticket [Roundup]

News and notes from around the interweb:

• Delta CEO warns against use of AI as his own airline now uses it to set ticket prices.

  He says he experimented using it to draft his commencement address at Emory, but:

  I also noticed the lack of soul nor warmth it conveyed. It was not my personal voice, and it did not express my genuine appreciation for the opportunity to impart my insights to thousands of you. You want to hear from me, not some algorithm of me.”

  So, instead of delivering a lackluster AI-powered speech, the 68-year-old scrapped the draft entirely. “So don’t worry,” he said. “I threw it away and took pencil to paper,” drawing applause from the crowd.

  Which of course misses the point, because:

  1. assistants help on speeches all the time, with varying degrees of mimicing their principal’s own voice, how is an AI research assistant even different in that regard?
  2. you get what you prompt, and if he hadn’t fed it content in his voice to learn off of how would it return language that sounded like him?
  3. why do we think that today’s limitations on AI will last into tomorrow? We know that they can be optimized for creativity even if that’s not where researchers started for most public models. Bastian was just going for cheap applause.

• While it can do aerial refueling, Beijing pushes the range of the current 36-year old Boeing 747-200s used as Air Force One.

  Hi from the Alaska refuel. Navida CEO Jensen Huang boarding Air Force One here to join President Trump on China trip. Elon Musk is also on the plane pic.twitter.com/KKp9TaJTS8

  — Emily Goodin (@Emilylgoodin) May 13, 2026

• You’re supposed to dress up for flights, this administration said: ‘The Golden Age of Travel Begins With You’

  Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One! 😂 pic.twitter.com/yi1b1mR8M0

  — Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) May 12, 2026

• At the end of the Biden administration, TSA awarded the contract for private screening at SFO airport to a new company, the first change there since the beginning of the Screening Partnership Program. The incumbent protested, arguing that the new company wasn’t as experienced (by definition, no other company had experience doing screening at as large an airport under the program, since SFO is the largest) and their cost projections were off. Now it’s a lawsuit.

  Most striking though is it’s a reminder that TSA picks whomever it pleases as the private contractor, and the local airport isn’t the one that selects the provider.

• I have to hand it to American, their twitter responses are timely.

  Have you tried knocking on the lav door? If you're still needing assistance please share your confirmation code via DM.

  — americanair (@AmericanAir) May 13, 2026

  They could be like Amtrak….

  

• Short flights are popular. Will they last?

  The NPR piece does not mention TSA. Longer airport transit times make flying less efficient over short distances. The piece does not mention pilot costs, which make smaller planes less economically efficient (fewer passengers to amortize cost over). And the piece does not mention rising airport costs (cost per enplanement) which are a much higher percentage of trip costs against a low fare that a shorter flight might command.

  However, we can expect more shorter flights in the future with short takeoff and landing aircraft coming online in a few years that should change the economics.

• A critique of the beef stir fry served on Air Force One enroute to China. It’s certainly correct that reheating braised beef is easier (soups tend to hold up well also).

  This the Chinese style beef stir fry served on Air Force One as @POTUS Trump's big delegation flying to China now.
  Dunno why I bothered, but as a passionate home chef I find the lvl. of cooking here lacking, if not terrible. @usairforce culinary team needs more work.🧵 pic.twitter.com/NgyqfcZMfT

  — Paul Huang (@PaulHuangReport) May 13, 2026

  For starter the green onion garnish is done terribly. On stir-fry, the standard is a thin cut (3–5 mm) or fine rings. Large chunks don't wilt into the sauce, they sit raw on top giving aggressive presence and overwhelm the base sesame/soy aroma you're supposed to smell first. pic.twitter.com/Ty1jOVlX01

  — Paul Huang (@PaulHuangReport) May 13, 2026

  The sauce is also broken and watery esp. in the second bowl. You see thin brown liquid. A proper stir-fry sauce is thickened with a cornstarch slurry. Here it looks like the sauce was added but never reduced or tightened, which dilutes all the flavors. pic.twitter.com/DxSIkAFj1B

  — Paul Huang (@PaulHuangReport) May 13, 2026

  Serving spring rolls on the same plate and inside* the liquid is also a big fail. They'll be soggy within seconds. Spring rolls should always be served on the side. pic.twitter.com/s4bLxinkPx

  — Paul Huang (@PaulHuangReport) May 13, 2026

  There are other issues but you get the idea. Ultimately,
  the choice of stir fry dish on a plane is a fundamental mistake here, more thoughtful chef would go for Chinese style braised beef or beef chow fun style noodles would survive reheating far better and tastier. pic.twitter.com/FfJoKer1LU

  — Paul Huang (@PaulHuangReport) May 13, 2026

  I do have to give them credit with the meal for this, though:

  The coolest fortune cookie that has ever existed!

  This was served aboard Air Force One enroute to Beijing

  📷 Caleb Parke pic.twitter.com/Rv6blCe0Jw

  — Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) May 13, 2026