1
Move: The US government uses Optimus Prime in its immigration messaging.
On 9 September, the US Department of Homeland Security posted an AI generated image of Optimus Prime captioned "Transformers: Age of Deportation". Hasbro, the company that owns Transformers, had not authorised the use of Optimus Prime. Within a day, it responded on Instagram saying the posts were made "without permission" and "do not represent the Transformers brand".
Signal: If your brand has an identity, be prepared to defend its meaning.
Optimus Prime has spent more than 40 years building his identity as leader of the Autobots, protector of others and defender of justice. Anyone using him gets access to that meaning, and that makes him culturally valuable. But, the more culturally recognisable a character becomes, the harder it is to control how others use him. Hasbro had to remind people what Optimus Prime stood for.
How did Hasbro take back control?
In a very clever way. It responded not with confrontation but with reinforcement. There was nothing to gain from arguing about something it could not undo. Instead, it simply reminded people of Optimus Prime's values – and fast. Speed mattered. The longer a point of view goes unanswered, the more time it has to become part of the story.
See Hasbro's response.

2
Move: California proposes an emergency off switch for AI.
On 18 September, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to strengthen California's AI safety laws. One proposal being considered is requiring frontier AI companies to develop an emergency shut-off or "kill switch". California is home to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta - companies developing some of the world's most advanced AI.
Signal: Principles mean more when they come at a price.
California is home to the industry it is considering restraining. Silicon Valley has made innovation part of the state's identity, alongside privacy, consumer protection and civil liberties. The potential limit on AI sends the message that innovation will not override these values simply because it is important to the economy.
Why is California trying to limit something it helped to create?
That’s what makes the move interesting. There is always a tension between progress and preservation. California is trying to protect something it values from something else it values, and building a “kill switch” is one way of doing it. Let's hope we never have to use it.
Read the Executive Order.

3
Move: Merriam-Webster adds 1,400 new words to the dictionary.
The dictionary added 1,400 new words and definitions this month, amongst them: parasocial, uncanny valley, looksmaxxing and glow-up. Merriam-Webster says words are added when they become widely used and their meanings are understood.
Signal: The words change because we do.
These added words tell us that how we look, who we feel close to and what feels human is becoming more important. Parasocial names feeling a connection to someone (or something) that doesn't know you. Uncanny valley describes our unease when something artificial appears almost human. Looksmaxxing is the effort of optimising our physical appearance while glow-up is the result that everyone should notice.
Are these words actually new?
Not always. What is new is their cultural currency. Uncanny valley was first heard in 1970, but it has new relevance because people are encountering more human like machines, people or images. The real question is not when a word was invented, but why we need it now.
See Merriam-Webster's announcement with more new words.

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Image reference: Hasbro, Transformers.
Sources: Newsweek, Hasbro Newsroom, Governor of California, Bloomberg, GlobeNewswire, Washington Post