Humans are the best, and worst

Hi there, it’s Yoolim in Seoul. Making the biggest move of my adult life gave me a reminder of how tech makes our lives easier — plus a rene [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi there, it’s Yoolim in Seoul. Making the biggest move of my adult life gave me a reminder of how tech makes our lives easier — plus a renewed appreciation of the value of good people. But first... Three things you need to know today: • China bought almost [$40 billion in chip gear]( • ASML is again Europe’s [third-most valuable stock]( • “Pokemon with guns” is [the hottest game right now]( Moving on After two decades in Singapore, my first step out of Southeast Asia was to hit up [Carousell](, a local Craigslist-like app for buying and selling used stuff, co-founded by [Quek Siu Rui](bbg://people/profile/20908150) in 2012 — one of hundreds of founders I’ve met over the years. I was moving my entire family to Seoul and ready to start afresh. I needed to eliminate over-stuffed bookcases, toy boxes, sofas and an exercise bike that seemed like a great idea during the pandemic. Siu Rui once gave me a tip on how to sell on his platform: post beautiful pictures and a great price. It worked. One person glommed onto a beloved dining table set I was selling for $10. He asked 251 questions, then passed the info to his wife and came back with more questions. This went on for days before he stood me up. Another, a dream buyer, agreed to purchase my bike, paid immediately and picked it up on the same day. After enough people flaked on me, I experimented. Using a local app called Olio, which helps people give things away for free, I met a lovely young couple who’d moved into a new place nearby and were eager to find some furniture. They took our plants, cushions and cupboards. I began telling anyone who’d listen to download the app. I returned to Carousell for another of its features: finding a handyman. Calling each one in turn, I didn’t get an answer until I got to the priciest of the bunch, who answered. I’ll call him Nick. Nick was needed to replace a window handle, for which I searched all over Singapore to find a replacement. It’s an ornate solid brass unit — possibly from the ‘70s or the ‘80s — and I finally dug one up in a tiny shop in an industrial neighborhood, minus the help of any apps. The handyman, who looked like he was in his early 30s, showed up at my door holding his small toolbox. I told him about my adventure and incredible luck of securing the antique handle. He examined and tested it. And then it broke into two. He yelled at me for breaking it before demanding more money to fix the part, jumping up and down and protesting his innocence the whole time. Until then, I didn’t know it was possible for a grown man to throw a tantrum. I paid and sent him home. After my traumatic experience with Mr. Tantrum, I called another handyman on the list, Harvey. He was an elderly man with a mild manner and few words. He saw the damage, just got on with the job and put the piece on the window with ease. I arrived in Seoul on New Year's eve, sans clutter and ready to begin my new life in possibly the world's most connected city. The whole experience made me think about our everyday lives, which have become deeply entwined with technology and apps. While they give us convenience, ultimately they only connect us to other humans from all walks of life. The value of the app is in the people it links us to.—[Yoolim Lee](mailto:yoolim@bloomberg.net) The big story Most jobs can’t be replaced by AI in a cost-effective way, an MIT study found. The researchers [sought to tackle fears about AI replacing humans](, concentrating on jobs where computer vision was employed. One to watch [Watch the Bloomberg Technology TV analysis]( of US election misinformation. Get fully charged Goldman Sachs extended a $250 million loan to [FundPark, a Hong Kong fintech startup]( Sony terminated a merger with Zee and seeks a [$90 million break-up fee]( Nvidia’s CEO toured China while concerns about [Beijing’s ability to overcome US chip restrictions grow]( More from Bloomberg Get Bloomberg Tech weeklies in your inbox: - [Cyber Bulletin]( for coverage of the shadow world of hackers and cyber-espionage - [Game On]( for reporting on the video game business - [Power On]( for Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more - [Screentime]( for a front-row seat to the collision of Hollywood and Silicon Valley - [Soundbite]( for reporting on podcasting, the music industry and audio trends - [Q&AI]( for answers to all your questions about AI Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. 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