ResidentialBusiness

Treasuries rally amid continuing investor gloom over the outlook for US economyView the full article

When plastic entered the design world in the 20th century, it was hailed as a wonder material—something strong, durable, lightweight, affordable, and malleable enough to sculpt into expressive, futuristic-looking forms. But the material lost its halo as the environmental consequences became apparent, plastic waste being one of them. The design industry has been figuring out what to do about this for years. It’s tried recycling, reducing the amount of material in a product, developing bio-based compostable alternatives, or switching to something else entirely. But not all companies are able to easily switch up their production lines or find alternatives. Now, a growing body of research around plastic-eating microorganisms is reshaping how the industry is thinking about the material and its waste problem. Heller—a furniture brand that produces high-end plastic furniture and home goods like Frank Gehry tables, Mario Bellini chairs, and Massimo and Lella Vignelli tableware—is now making all of its furniture with an enzyme that will accelerate the rate of biodegradation. The hope is that if its products wind up in a landfill or at the bottom of the ocean, that they won’t be there for long. “Ten years ago, we were all drinking out of plastic water bottles and nobody really cared,” says John Edelman, the president and CEO of Heller. “But we learned that plastics are bad for the world.” The company began to make some products from recycled material, “but we wanted to get to the next level and become more sustainable,” Edelman says. “How can we be good for the planet and create incredible design?” He adds that the bioplastics and compostable plastics on the market now don’t work for Heller’s furniture because of performance requirements. Since everything is indoor-outdoor, it needs to withstand rain, snow, and the sun’s UV rays. [Image: courtesy Heller]Here’s how it works: The powder enzyme, developed by a company called Worry Free Plastics, makes plastic more enticing for microorganisms to eat, essentially turbocharging a process that already takes place naturally. When the plastic is in a zero-oxygen environment, like a landfill, the enzyme activates and attracts anaerobic bacteria that break down its polymers. As they eat the material, they generate biogas and soil. If the plastic is exposed to oxygen, as it would be in everyday use, the material remains stable. According to Edelman, it will take approximately five years for a Heller product made with the enzyme to biodegrade. Philip Myers, the cofounder of Worry Free Plastics, says its enzyme works in fresh and salt water, commercial composting facilities, and soil. A third-party testing company using ASTM methods (which involve placing an item in a controlled environment for 45 or 90 days, measuring the material loss rate, then calculating how long it would take for the entire thing to degrade) found that Worry Free’s enzyme could help a plastic bottle degrade, on average, in seven-and-a-half years and a plastic bag in five; the total time it takes depends on the density and thickness of the plastic and conditions in a landfill. Real-world environments are not as controlled as a lab’s and the actual degradation rate could be different. “One landfill might be more potent than another one,” says Stephen Andero, the vice president of science and innovation at Worry Free Plastics. “After doing thousands of tests, no two are the same.” That said, the estimated degradation time is significantly less than conventional plastic. A water bottle, for example, takes an estimated 450 years to decompose. The enzyme can also be added to all polymer plastics, including bioplastics like PLA, which aren’t composting as fast as manufacturers claim. Worry Free isn’t the only entity to explore enzymatic technology and the role microorganisms play in accelerating the degradation of plastic. In 2016, a team of Japanese scientists discovered a natural bacteria that eats PET plastic, which changed how the industry thought of managing plastic waste. Some researchers are now trying to engineer extra-hungry, plastic-eating bacteria. A materials science professor at UC Berkeley recently developed an enzyme that can make plastic “self-destruct” when exposed to heat and water. All of this research is leading to a boom in the bioremediation business. Now, manufacturers are bringing this science into the products we use every day. To date, most of Worry Free’s customers have been manufacturers of single-use plastics—items like coffee cup lids and pallet film. Myers is just as eager to find more applications for his enzyme as Edelman is to address circularity at Heller. Most of Heller’s furniture is rotationally molded, a process that involves putting a powder compound into a mold then heating it up. As it heats up, it coats the mold, and when it cools, it solidifies into the shape of the product. In order to make its furniture biodegradable, Heller mixes the enzyme into the power compound. Nothing else about its production line changes. “It’s a drop in technology,” Myers explains. “It doesn’t require them to change their equipment, their process—anything. It’s plug and play.” Heller began adding the enzyme to its production line in November last year. It’s going to be in all of its rotationally molded LDPE products. As old inventory moves off the shelf, the biodegradable items will enter circulation. There’s nothing different aesthetically about the pieces, and the retail price is the same. “Everybody talks a big sustainability game, but research shows they won’t pay more for it,” Edelman says. “My goal is to do something that is sustainable and at the same price . . . We actually achieved our goal of not just using recycled products, not just being recyclable, but going back to the earth.” While it’s not likely that people are buying $1,000 dining chair sets with the intent to throw them away, Edelman thinks that Heller’s adoption of enzymatic tech can spark more brands to do the same. “Sustainability is being applied to every product because the design firms are pushing it,” he says. They’re the catalyst.” View the full article

The color of your house matters beyond aesthetics. An extensive body of research shows that painting buildings white (which reflects heat) can make them cooler, and painting them black (which absorbs heat) can make them warmer. This is the reason why most houses in Greece are white, and many houses across Scandinavia are black. But what about the rest of the world, where temperatures often shift with the seasons? Industrial designer Joe Doucet has developed what he calls a “climate-adaptive” paint that can change colors based on the temperature outside. The patent-pending formula, which is known as thermochromic paint, follows the same principle as 90s mood rings. Except instead of jewelry changing color, it’s the entire facade of a building. If the temperature outside is below 77ºF, the building will be black. If it’s above 77ºF, it will turn white. The formula can be mixed with other tints, so if you want a blue house, it would simply look light blue in the summer and dark blue in the winter. “It’s phenomenal to think about the built environment changing with the seasons as nature does,” says Doucet, who estimates that painting a building with this climate-adaptive paint could save an average of 20 to 30% on energy costs. The power of paintMany cities have turned to paint to alleviate urban problems like the heat island effect. In 2019, teams across Senegal, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Indonesia painted a total of 250,000 small household rooftops with white reflective pain as part of the Million Cool Roofs Challenge. In 2022, the city of L.A. covered 1 million square feet of streets and sidewalks in Pacoima, a low-income neighborhood, with solar reflective paint. Surfaces cooled instantly by 10 to 12ºF, and a year in, studies showed that the ambient temperatures throughout the entire neighborhood had dropped by up to 3.5°F. [Image: courtesy Joe Doucet and Partners]A climate-adaptive paint could make a difference for houses and apartment buildings, but also large industrial facilities like climate-controlled farms and warehouses that would otherwise turn to AC or heating to maintain a desired temperature. “It costs to heat and cool a large structure so anything you can do mitigate that cost makes sense commercially as well,” says Richard Hinzel, partner and managing director at Joe Doucet and Partners. Doucet first had the idea for a climate-adaptive paint while renovating his own home in Chappaqua, New York. “I put off what color it should be because I wanted to have an understanding of what color did in terms of energy use,” he recalls. The designer, who recently gave wind turbines a much-needed design makeover, built two scale models of his house, with the same kind of insulation material he used in the actual house. He painted the first model in black and the second one in white. For a year, he measured the surface outside and inside both models, and found that, in high seasons like summer and winter, temperatures between the two varied by as much as 13ºF. More specifically, in the summer, the white house was 12ºF cooler inside than the black house, while in the winter, the black house was 7ºF warmer inside. He says the opposite was also true. The black house was 13ºF warmer inside in the summer, while the white house was 8ºF colder in the winter. [Image: courtesy Joe Doucet and Partners]Doucet obtained these measurements from a scale model, not a full-sized house, but he notes the only difference between the two would be the time it takes for each space to heat or cool. “A smaller pan heats up and cools down faster than a larger one, but it does not get hotter or colder,” he says by way of example. At the end of the experiment, it occurred to him that the answer to his original question—what color to paint his house—was to paint it black in the winter and white in the summer. But that wasn’t a practical solution. The more practical solution—a paint that can be both at once—took two years to develop and about 100 more models to get the formula right. The team used commercially available latex house paint as a base, then mixed in their own proprietary formula. But crafting a formula that can sustain the transition from light to dark without degrading—and therefore ending up grey—proved difficult. If you’ve ever had transition glasses that got “stuck” on dark and never returned to clear, you understand the problem. If the paint degrades too fast and you have to repaint your house every month, then nobody will buy it. The first few formulas were degrading too fast, but the team eventually concocted a “secret sauce” that helps the paint last at least one year with zero degradation. This number reflects how long Doucet has been testing the paint in his studio. The final number could be even higher—or it could not. The paint is yet to undergo rigorous lab tests, so many unknowns remain. “We’re not starting a paint company,” says Doucet. Instead, his team wants to license the formula to paint manufacturers who would then take the climate-adaptive paint to the finishing line and launch it themselves. If the idea resonates and paint companies jump on the bandwagon, they will have to develop a competitive product that is both durable and priced accordingly. For now, Doucet estimates that the climate-adaptive paint will cost about 3 to 5 times more than a standard gallon of paint—though he says you’d quickly make that back in energy savings. “I’m confident that if there’s a positive response, this could do very well on the market,” he says. In the meantime, Doucet finished renovating his house and opted for black. “I couldn’t wait,” he says with a laugh. View the full article

A new scientific study warns that using artificial intelligence can erode our capacity for critical thinking. The research, carried out by a Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University scientific team, found that the dependence on AI tools without questioning their validity reduces the cognitive effort applied to the work. In other words: AI can make us dumber if we use it wrong. “AI can synthesize ideas, enhance reasoning, and encourage critical engagement, pushing us to see beyond the obvious and challenge our assumptions,” Lev Tankelevitch, a senior researcher at Microsoft Research and coauthor of the study, tells me in an email interview. But to reap those benefits, Tankelevitch says users need to treat AI as a thought partner, not just a tool for finding information faster. Much of this comes down to designing a user experience that encourages critical thinking rather than passive reliance. By making AI’s reasoning processes more transparent and prompting users to verify and refine AI-generated content, a well-designed AI interface can act as a thought partner rather than a substitute for human judgment. From ‘task execution’ to ‘task stewardship’ The research—which surveyed 319 professionals—found that high confidence in AI tools often reduces the cognitive effort people apply to their work. “Higher confidence in AI is associated with less critical thinking, while higher self-confidence is associated with more critical thinking,” the study states. This over-reliance stems from a mental model that assumes AI is competent in simple tasks. As one participant admitted in the study, “it’s a simple task and I knew ChatGPT could do it without difficulty, so I just never thought about it.” Critical thinking didn’t feel relevant because, well, who cares. This mindset has major implications for the future of work. Tankelevitch tells me that AI is shifting knowledge workers from “task execution” to “task stewardship.” Instead of manually performing tasks, professionals now oversee AI-generated content, making decisions about its accuracy and integration. “They must actively oversee, guide, and refine AI-generated work rather than simply accepting the first output,” Tankelevitch says. The study highlights that when knowledge workers actively evaluate AI-generated outputs rather than passively accepting them, they can improve their decision-making processes. “Research also shows that experts who effectively apply their knowledge when working with AI see a boost in output,” Tankelevitch points out. “AI works best when it complements human expertise—driving better decisions and stronger outcomes.” The study found that many knowledge workers struggle to critically engage with AI-generated outputs because they lack the necessary domain knowledge to assess their accuracy. “Even if users recognize that AI might be wrong, they don’t always have the expertise to correct it,” Tankelevitch explains. This problem is particularly acute in technical fields where AI-generated code, data analysis, or financial reports require deep subject matter knowledge to verify. The cognitive offloading paradox Confidence in AI can lead to a problem called cognitive offloading. This phenomenon isn’t new. Humans have long outsourced mental tasks to tools, from calculators to GPS devices. Cognitive offloading is not inherently negative. When done correctly, it allows users to focus on higher-order thinking rather than mundane, repetitive tasks, Tankelevitch points out. But the very nature of generative AI—which produces complex text, code, and analysis—brings a new level of potential mistakes and problems. Many people might blindly accept AI outputs without questioning them (and quite often these outputs are bad or just plain wrong). This is especially the case when people feel the task is not important. “Our study suggests that when people view a task as low-stakes, they may not review outputs as critically,” Tankelevitch points out. The role of UX AI developers should keep that idea in mind when designing AI user experiences. These chat UX should be organized in a way that encourages verification, prompting users to think through the reasoning behind AI-generated content. Redesigning AI interfaces to aid in this new “task stewardship” process and encourage critical engagement is key to mitigating the risks of cognitive offloading. “Deep reasoning models are already supporting this by making AI’s processes more transparent—making it easier for users to review, question, and learn from the insights they generate,” he says. “Transparency matters. Users need to understand not just what the AI says, but why it says it.” You probably have seen this in an AI platform like Perplexity. Its interface offers a clear logical path that outlines the thoughts and actions that the AI takes to obtain a result. By redesigning AI interfaces to also include contextual explanations, confidence ratings, or alternative perspectives when needed, AI tools can shift users away from blind trust and towards active evaluation of the results. Another UX intervention may involve actively prompting the user for key aspects of the AI-generated output, prompting users to directly question and refine these outputs rather than passively accepting them.The final product of this open collaboration between AI and human is better, just like creative processes are often much better when two people work together as a team, especially when the strengths of one person complements the strengths of the other. Some will get dumber The study raises crucial questions about the long-term impact of AI on human cognition. If knowledge workers become passive consumers of AI-generated content, their critical thinking skills could atrophy. However, if AI is designed and used as an interactive, thought-provoking tool, it could enhance human intelligence rather than degrade it. Tankelevitch points out that this is not just theory. It’s been proven on the field. For example, there are studies that show that AI can boost learning when used in the right way, he says. “In Nigeria, an early study suggests that AI tutors could help students achieve two years of learning progress in just six weeks,” he says. “Another study showed that students working with tutors supported by AI were more likely to master key topics.” The key, Tankelevitch tells me, is that this was all teacher-led: “Educators guided the prompts and provided context,” thus encouraging that vital critical thinking. AI has also demonstrated that it can enhance problem-solving in scientific research, where experts use it to explore complex hypotheses. “Researchers using AI to assist in discovery still rely on human intuition and critical judgment to validate results,” Tankelevitch notes. “The most successful AI applications are those where human oversight remains central.” Given the current state of generative AI, the technology’s effect on human intelligence will not depend on the AI itself, but on how we choose to use it. UX designers can certainly help promote good behavior, but it’s up to us to do the right thing. AI can either amplify or erode critical thinking, depending on whether we critically engage with its outputs or blindly trust them. The future of AI-assisted work will be determined not by the sophistication of the technology but by humans. My bet, as with every other technological revolution in the history of civilization, some people will get a lot dumber and others will get a lot smarter. View the full article

In business and sports, team dynamics impact outcomes. Whether you’re pursuing profits or championships, knowing what triggers your teammates can help you avoid conflict and stay on task. The problem is that taking time to better understand each other isn’t always our default setting, say John Eliot and Jim Guinn, authors of How To Get Along with Anyone: The Playbook for Predicting and Preventing Conflict at Work and at Home. “Blowups appear to be substance-driven, but they’re actually people-driven,” says Eliot. “The first step toward preventing and resolving conflict is to focus on figuring out the people participating in it not the underlying ‘problem.’” To work well with others, Guinn and Eliot recommend learning your teammates’ conflict triggers and go-to method of resolution. Three Conflict Triggers There are three distinct types of conflict, according to Eliot and Guinn. Not all conflicts trigger all people, and it’s common to have a blind spot for your own. Task conflict centers on getting things done. The person who is triggered by this type is goal- and deadline-driven. Their attitude is one where the ends justify the means. Process conflict centers on the way things get done. Someone who is bothered by process conflict doesn’t focus on end goals or delivery dates. They care about methods, systems, or policies with a “my way or the highway” attitude. Relational conflict involves the people in disagreement and their habits, preferences, or tastes. In this case, the parties will fight over anything simply because they don’t like one another. If there is no objective reason for a dispute, it’s likely relational. You can determine if a conflict type has triggered someone by watching how quickly they bring up the problem and if their tone changes. “Knowing someone’s hot buttons can help you prevent a lot of conflict,” says Eliot. “You know what situation you should or should not go to with this person.” Five Conflict Personalities How we handle conflict also follows patterns. When riled by one another, Eliot and Guinn say humans instinctively avoid, compete, analyze, collaborate, or accommodate, forming five go-to conflict personalities. The avoider sits back and waits to see if a conflict escalates before getting involved. This style lends itself to work efficiency and would rather get a job done themselves than delegate it. However, an avoider will also let a conflict fester or grow before resolving it. The competitor personality likes action and results. They prefer doing, and they thrive on clearly defined protocols. The downside is that a competitor can become impatient, rushing work, and they are often seen as being hard-nosed and inflexible. The analyzer has a penchant for evidence-based decision-making. They are patient and good at listening and gathering information. The weakness of an analyzer is that they can struggle with tight deadlines. They can also appear as controlling. The collaborator is a great communicator and has strong empathy for others. They make a good partner; however, they can lack time-management skills and are more prone to burnout. Finally, the accommodator is great at teamwork. In sports, they are the quarterback, often charismatic with an ability to account for different team members’ needs. Their weakness is that they’re often ego-driven, trying to do everything themselves. Conflict personality types and triggers work hand in hand. For example, someone who has a competitive conflict-handling approach will often be triggered by process. “You don’t want to [resolve the conflict] with a lot of small talk,” says Guinn. “Instead, use what’s called the ‘domino technique.’ Knock the biggest issue first, which will knock over all of the minor issues.” If someone has an analyzer personality style, they can be triggered by task conflicts, especially if they feel they are being rushed. Resolve this type of conflict with what Guinn calls a “momentum process.” “Identify and knock out the most inconsequential issues, one punch at a time,” he says. “Then move onto relevant issues that represent low-hanging fruit.” By understanding triggers and go-to styles for addressing them, you can get on the front side of conflict, predicting and preventing problems, says Guinn. “In order to have good teams, you don’t need to have a complex understanding of psychology,” he says. “Just take a couple of simple steps in terms of listening and understanding. Know what tone of voice to use and what pace to move with this person. These are simple things everybody can do. Little steps go a long way in relationship- and team-building.” View the full article

Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology just invented a building material that could make construction projects stronger and more sustainable—and it’s based on the skeleton of an invertebrate that lives at the bottom of the ocean. The material, recently presented in the journal Composite Structures, was developed by RMIT University engineers. It’s inspired by the skeleton of the deep-sea sponge, whose lattice-like internal structures, which have been optimized over millions of years in the ocean, allow it to thrive thousands of feet underwater. The material’s unique structural properties make it simultaneously lightweight, strong, and extra resilient under pressure, meaning that it could eventually help make buildings sturdier with less steel and concrete. How are steel and concrete damaging the environment? For years, engineers have been researching new ways to cut down on steel and concrete in construction. That’s because both materials are produced at a massive scale, with equally massive impacts on the environment. As of 2023, annual global production of concrete was around a whopping 30 billion tons, and the production of cement—one of concrete’s key ingredients—was responsible for between 5% and 10% of global CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the steelmaking industry churns out about 2 billion tons of the metal per year, accounting for around 7% of greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists have explored a wide range of alternatives to traditional steel and concrete, including a steel alternative made out of plastic and a form of concrete stabilized by recycled diapers. Biomimicry as a basis for design The RMIT team’s sponge-inspired material could help reduce steel and concrete use in construction because of something called “auxetic behavior.” The word “auxetic” is a structural descriptor which means that, instead of becoming thinner when stretched and thicker when compressed, the material actually becomes thicker when stretched and thinner when compressed. A honeycomb, for example, is typically auxetic, as are biological materials like cat tongues and human muscle tendons. In the manufacturing world, auxetic materials are often used on the bottom of running shoes, allowing the footwear to expand while walking or running. Auxetic patterns are desirable in construction because they can absorb force and maintain their strength under intense pressure, just like the deep-sea sponge. Existing man-made auxetic materials typically use a honeycomb pattern, but RMIT’s new material uses a double lattice design supported by diagonal beams. Based on the team’s testing, the innovative structure makes the material 13 times stiffer than other fabricated auxetics. For this reason, the new pattern could be used in construction to enable “thinner load-bearing walls and slimmer columns without compromising structural integrity,” according to Jiaming Ma, the lead author on the new study. That would cut down on the amount of steel and concrete necessary to achieve a sturdy result. The material is still in the testing phase, so it’s too early to predict what wide-scale commercial use might look like. Still, Ma believes it could eventually have applications across a wide range of industries, from creating earthquake-resistant buildings to improving vascular stents and strengthening protective sports gear. View the full article

AI is poised to reshape businesses, but too many executives are oversimplifying its potential, focusing on automation rather than collaboration. As someone who’s spent my career studying the future of work, I’m excited about AI’s breakthrough potential—but cautious of the narratives being rushed into the spotlight. Recently, I reviewed Anthropic’s study, Which Economic Tasks Are Performed with AI? Evidence from Millions of Claude Conversations, and found that AI’s real impact isn’t as clear-cut as many believe. While AI is transforming business, leaders are overlooking key realities about AI’s impact and its real-world applications. Here’s what many are still getting wrong. 1. AI Is More About Augmentation Than Automation According to Anthropic’s findings, AI isn’t neatly fitting the narrative of the ultimate automation engine. The data consistently suggests a more balanced story of augmentation (57%) versus automation (43%). Yet, in research we conducted early last year, we found that 58% of global leaders viewed AI as mainly an automation tool—one that can reduce headcount and cut costs—while only 42% saw it as a way to amplify or augment human capabilities. This outlook ignores a crucial insight: AI often shines brightest when it’s working with people, not replacing them. In fact, the Anthropic study found that almost a quarter (23.3%) of tasks in these AI interactions are learning or knowledge acquisition tasks—meaning humans are leveraging AI to gather insights, sharpen strategies, and make more informed decisions. 2. AI’s Managerial Role Is Limited This bias toward automation is also manifesting in how the C-suite envisions AI’s managerial potential. The assumption is that AI can instantly step in to coordinate projects, supervise teams, or even make high-level decisions. However, the Anthropic data suggests that managerial capabilities show only minimal presence of AI usage—an important reminder of the practical limitations of current-generation AI tools. Effective management isn’t just a matter of oversight and efficiency. It’s about empathy, nuanced communication, and the capacity to inspire and guide people through complex organizational challenges. Today’s AI can sift data, generate written recommendations, and even assist with performance evaluations, but it can’t replicate the inherently human aspects of leadership that spark motivation and maintain trust. In other words, while AI can help managers be better managers—say, by flagging important trends or offering real-time feedback mechanisms—it isn’t replacing them anytime soon. 3. AI’s Impact on Work Is About Tasks, Not Titles Far too many executives assess AI’s influence as though it’s a straightforward, one-to-one replacement for entire roles when in reality, AI is infiltrating our workflows at the task level. This is why some leaders are underestimating how AI redefines the contents of a “job,” since a position is essentially a bundle of tasks—some routine, some creative. Unpacking roles to isolate the tasks most ripe for AI support is critical. A startling statistic from the Anthropic report: 36% of occupations show AI usage in at least 25% of their tasks, and in many cases, these tasks involve demanding cognitive skills, like critical thinking and systems analysis. AI is also used for active listening, reading comprehension, and writing support, but it hasn’t taken over the full scope of any single “job” as we might traditionally define it. Leaders who fail to disaggregate tasks from titles risk missing AI’s real value proposition—and short-changing both their organization and their people. 4. AI Adoption Rates Aren’t As High As Hype Suggests The hype suggests that nearly every industry is barreling toward AI ubiquity, with previous research forecasting 80% or more of roles quickly incorporating AI into at least 10% of their tasks. Yet, Anthropic’s real-world conversation data pegs that figure at 57%, not 80%. That’s a gap leaders need to take seriously. It’s not that AI’s transformative potential is in doubt, but rather that organizational readiness—and the barriers to entry for these technologies—are more formidable than many realize. From regulatory constraints to outdated IT infrastructures to insufficient training, there’s a lot that can stall AI’s momentum once you move beyond the pilot stage. As I often remind business leaders, a successful AI deployment requires more than the technology itself; it needs culture change, skill-building, and a strategic plan that engages employees at all levels. 5. We Need Greater AI Literacy at All Levels The Anthropic study suggests that AI usage is not as high among those with extensive specialized training, which might seem counterintuitive. Why wouldn’t advanced degree holders be at the forefront? Often, they’re operating in fields with strict regulations or complex intellectual frameworks that AI isn’t yet equipped to navigate without significant human oversight. As we prepare the next generation of degree holders for an AI-infused workplace, we must teach them how to effectively integrate these tools into their expertise, not just how to code or prompt an AI system. Being “AI-literate” means understanding both its limitations and possibilities—recognizing when it’s a smart collaborator and when it’s an inadequate stand-in for deeper human judgment. Shifting Mindsets from ‘AI Versus People’ to ‘AI with People’ If there’s a single takeaway for the C-suite, it’s this: Don’t be so quick to believe your organization’s future is solely about replacing humans with AI. Instead, focus on how human ingenuity can be amplified. Embrace the reality that AI’s revolution is happening at the granular task level, not the job title level. And remember that the best managers will always be the ones capable of empathy, strategic vision, and nuanced communication—traits AI, for now, can only tangentially support. Shifting from a mindset of “AI versus people” to “AI with people” is not just a semantic difference; it’s the key to unlocking AI’s full potential for sustainable growth and innovation in the modern enterprise. If the past few decades taught us anything, it’s that technology alone doesn’t define success; it’s how we adapt that sets us apart. And that’s a distinctly human endeavor. View the full article

Bank of America and Stripe target market for payments in cryptocurrenciesView the full article

FT survey finds ‘large fiscal capacity’, but economists urge would-be chancellor Friedrich Merz to spend funds wiselyView the full article

Collapse in respondents skewed results for some industriesView the full article

Consolidation is back on the agenda for industry as bankers eye more dealsView the full article

Financial stress is forcing reform and recovery in many overlooked countries View the full article

A series of suspected sabotage incidents has exposed the vulnerability of Europe’s undersea infrastructureView the full article

There’s a special place in you-know-where for spam callers. They’re annoying. They waste time. They’re also dangerous. And while it’s challenging to eliminate spam calls entirely, the good news is that with a little time and effort, you can significantly reduce the number of spam calls you receive. Here’s what to do. Add yourself to the FTC’s Do Not Call list One of the easiest and longest-lasting ways to reduce spam calls is to add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry, which is a free service managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Once you’ve added your number, telemarketers have a month to remove you from their lists so you don’t get any more calls. These days, however, whether they will abide by these rules is another story, so read on for some more effective alternatives. Use call-blocking features and/or apps While the Do Not Call list relies on the . . . ahem . . . good nature of above-board telemarketers to take you off their lists, it’s largely ineffective against the real culprits: scammers and illegal telemarketers. Luckily, modern smartphones are packed with features designed to help combat spam. Most have built-in features that allow you to block individual numbers. While this won’t stop spoofed numbers, it can help you get rid of repeat offenders. Here’s how to block numbers on iPhone, and here’s how to do it on Android if you use Google’s Phone app. You can also send unknown callers to voicemail. This is a handy feature that lets legitimate callers leave a message while ideally discouraging nefarious callers from doing the same. The two links in the previous paragraph contains information about how to enable the feature. And if all else fails, consider third-party call-blocking apps. Popular options include Hiya, Robokiller, Truecaller, and Nomorobo. These apps use crowdsourced data, known-offender databases, and AI to identify and automatically block or flag potential spam calls. While they’re not perfect, they can significantly reduce the number of unwanted calls you receive. Protect your personal info in the first place Spammers thrive on data, so the less information you share, the less likely you are to be targeted. Make sure to be cautious online. Think twice before entering your phone number on websites, especially those that seem suspicious or offer freebies in exchange for your information. If the caution ship has already sailed, look into opting out of data brokerages. Data brokers collect and sell your personal information, including your phone number, to just about anyone willing to pay for it. While it takes some effort, you can opt out of these services to reduce your online footprint. A quick Google search for “opt out data brokers” will provide a list of resources to help you get started. And finally, just don’t engage. Never answer calls from unknown numbers, and never provide any personal information to callers you don’t recognize. Even answering the phone signals to spammers that you’ve got a live, active number. Just let the call go to voicemail and screen it later. View the full article

Noticed all the blondes going back to their natural hair color lately? As much as many try to claim it’s because of a “hair health journey,” other factors seem to be at play here. “How’s the economy?” one TikTok user asks in a viral video. “Well, hasn’t been good for a while seems like my indicators tell me,” the former blonde says, measuring the inches of her incoming roots with her fingers. “THIS IS SO ACCURATE,” one commenter responded. I’m no expert, but root length has always been a pretty solid way to tell how people are doing financially. “Remember when balayage became really popular in 2009?” asked one person in the comments. During the 2007-to-2009 recession, blonde celebrities were embracing their darker roots, a trend that mirrored the economic downturn. Now, in 2025, we’re seeing the same thing happening all over again. One in six Americans admit to spending more on beauty and wellness than they can afford and, if you’ve ever colored your hair, you know how expensive the upkeep is. So, when purse strings tighten, expensive salon visits are the first to go. With some hairstylists interviewed in a recent Washington Post piece charging at least $100 an hour for cuts, color, bleaching and balayage, being blonde is a luxury not everyone can afford. Suddenly, grown-out roots have become the hottest trend—and a leading economic indicator. “When someone says they like my natural hair color better and I agree, when in reality I can no longer afford to upkeep the blonde, and this is my brunette recession era,” one TikTok post with 2.3 million views reads. “Recession brunette is back,” another TikTok user declared. The Wall Street Journal reported that “lived-in color,” referring to partial highlights or balayage, was last year’s trend among hairstylists. Not unlike the “lipstick effect”—the phenomenon, during an economic downturn, of consumers continuing to spend on small luxury items, such as lipstick—”lived-in color” and the “recession brunette” may be the latest stylish indicators of an economy in crisis. Bottom line: If blondes really do have more fun, these days it’s fair to presume they also have more money. View the full article

Note: This is a guest post by Joshua Fields Millburn of The Minimalists. My friend Derek wanted to be a good minimalist. So after his son, Sammy, was born, he refused to buy toys for the boy, assuming he would be just as happy playing with the rocks and sticks strewn throughout their backyard. A few years later, however, my friend started questioning his own minimalism when he saw his son erupt with joy each time he played with his friend’s toys. Sammy smiled while he constructed deformed dinosaurs with multicolored LEGO bricks. He laughed as two Ninja Turtles performed backflips and ate plastic pizza slices. And he literally jumped with joy the first time he slammed a NERF ball into its door-frame hoop. Derek realized he had been denying Sammy in the name of minimalism—dampening his boy’s playtime with his own preference for simple living. So he did what many loving fathers might do: he logged onto Craigslist and found a big box of used toys. When Sammy opened the box, his facial features expanded with delight. He extracted his new toys one at a time—a Walkie Talkie, an Etch A Sketch, a miniature Wright Flyer model airplane—welcoming each with gratitude. Yet at the sight of Sammy’s glee, Derek was overtaken not by triumph, but by the consumerist mindset: If one box made him this happy, then ten boxes will surely make him ten times happier. As Derek returned to Craigslist, an insight from his past interrupted his next transaction: This was exactly how I behaved before becoming a minimalist. Instead of enjoying the things in front of me—instead of being satisfied with my treasure—I always searched for more. He looked over at his son and noticed that Sammy was fully present, free from the yearning that is chaperoned by consumerism. The shopper’s delirium that had always removed Derek from the joy of the moment was absent from the boy. Sammy was simply happy with the toys that were in front of him. It occurred to Derek that the new toys didn’t make his son happy—they intensified the joy that had been there, in his heart, all along. The toys acted as an amplifier of joy, not the source of it. Derek looked back at his computer and had an aha moment: Ten times the toys didn’t equate to ten times the joy. In fact, more toys might distort Sammy’s innate happiness because, much like a stereo amplifier, every sound turns into noise when the volume is cranked all the way up. In economics, this overamplification is known as the law of diminishing marginal utility, which states that an item’s total utility increases more slowly as consumption increases, until, eventually, a point is reached at which consumption yields negative utility. Accordingly, zero toys was a type of deprivation. That’s why the first box generated considerable utility. And yet a warehouse worth of toys would be another kind of deprivation—an overabundance that would strip away the peacefulness of playing in the present. Instead of making another purchase, Derek shut his laptop and admired his son’s exuberance. Depriving Sammy was not a minimalist move; it was a legalist edict that had accidentally silenced his joy. But when Derek let go of his stringent regulations, the suppressor was removed and joyfulness echoed throughout their home. *** Joshua Fields Millburn is a New York Times–bestselling author, Emmy-nominated Netflix filmmaker, podcaster, and the founder of the simple-living collective The Minimalists. . The post The Amplification of Joy and the Diminishing Marginal Utility of Things appeared first on Becoming Minimalist. View the full article

Featuring Ben Lamm, Founder and CEO, Colossal Biosciences and Joe Manganiello, Actor, Producer. Moderated by Kc Ifeanyi, Executive Director of Editorial Programming, Fast Company Since Colossal Biosciences launched in 2021, it’s skyrocketed to a $10.2 billion valuation to fund its mission of de-extinction. For Colossal, it’s more than the buzzy headlines that its resurrecting the woolly mammoth or the dodo—the company’s aim is to combat biodiversity loss and regenerate ecosystems and climates that have degraded over time. Hear from Colossal CEO Ben Lamm on how he’s making science fiction a reality—and how it could benefit us all. View the full article

Continent’s deep reliance on American-made weapons underscored by Sipri data View the full article

The former central banker has strong economic credentials but is untested politicallyView the full article

Investor excitement over fast-developing technology has seen a flurry of massive funding rounds this yearView the full article

Constant Contact has released its latest Small Business Now report, revealing that new small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are leveraging social media and technology to drive growth and navigate economic challenges. The study surveyed 1,600 SMBs across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada that have been in operation for five years or less. The report finds that social media is the dominant marketing tool for early-stage entrepreneurs. According to the study, 63% of new SMBs rely on social media as their primary marketing channel, and 73% of respondents said that both paid and unpaid social media posts are their biggest revenue drivers. Despite this focus, many small businesses are looking to diversify their marketing strategies. 33% of new SMBs consider email marketing an underutilized tool, and only 15% leverage SMS marketing despite its strong engagement potential. New SMBs are also turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and enhance their marketing efforts. The report found that 72% of SMBs plan to use AI for marketing in 2025, with AI being used for tasks such as content creation (37%), customer data analysis (32%), and personalized messaging (31%). Additionally, 41% of highly confident SMB owners are already using AI to analyze customer data. “It’s difficult to be a small business right now, but what’s clear from our study is that the spirit, passion, and resilience of the SMB is still quite strong,” said Frank Vella, CEO at Constant Contact. “The newest entrepreneurs are digitally savvy, and they understand that adaptability isn’t just a survival tactic, it’s a growth strategy.” While optimism is high, small business owners acknowledge ongoing challenges. Nearly half (45%) of new SMB owners feel very confident in their business growth for 2025, while 55% express concerns due to factors like customer acquisition, rising costs, and shifting consumer habits. Additionally, 35% believe economic factors will significantly impact their success in the coming year. Despite these challenges, 95% of entrepreneurs said they would choose small business ownership again, with 71% expressing excitement and 57% feeling proud to be part of the SMB community. Constant Contact’s findings highlight the adaptability of new entrepreneurs as they integrate social media and AI-driven technology into their growth strategies. As SMBs seek to expand their marketing efforts beyond social media, AI and automation are set to play a critical role in helping businesses remain competitive in an evolving economic landscape. “By harnessing social media to enhance customer relationships and embracing advanced technologies like AI to maintain stability and work smarter, they’re turning challenges into opportunities and redefining what it means to thrive in any economic landscape,” Vella added. This article, "Constant Contact Report Highlights Social-First, Tech-Driven Small Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Constant Contact has released its latest Small Business Now report, revealing that new small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are leveraging social media and technology to drive growth and navigate economic challenges. The study surveyed 1,600 SMBs across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada that have been in operation for five years or less. The report finds that social media is the dominant marketing tool for early-stage entrepreneurs. According to the study, 63% of new SMBs rely on social media as their primary marketing channel, and 73% of respondents said that both paid and unpaid social media posts are their biggest revenue drivers. Despite this focus, many small businesses are looking to diversify their marketing strategies. 33% of new SMBs consider email marketing an underutilized tool, and only 15% leverage SMS marketing despite its strong engagement potential. New SMBs are also turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline operations and enhance their marketing efforts. The report found that 72% of SMBs plan to use AI for marketing in 2025, with AI being used for tasks such as content creation (37%), customer data analysis (32%), and personalized messaging (31%). Additionally, 41% of highly confident SMB owners are already using AI to analyze customer data. “It’s difficult to be a small business right now, but what’s clear from our study is that the spirit, passion, and resilience of the SMB is still quite strong,” said Frank Vella, CEO at Constant Contact. “The newest entrepreneurs are digitally savvy, and they understand that adaptability isn’t just a survival tactic, it’s a growth strategy.” While optimism is high, small business owners acknowledge ongoing challenges. Nearly half (45%) of new SMB owners feel very confident in their business growth for 2025, while 55% express concerns due to factors like customer acquisition, rising costs, and shifting consumer habits. Additionally, 35% believe economic factors will significantly impact their success in the coming year. Despite these challenges, 95% of entrepreneurs said they would choose small business ownership again, with 71% expressing excitement and 57% feeling proud to be part of the SMB community. Constant Contact’s findings highlight the adaptability of new entrepreneurs as they integrate social media and AI-driven technology into their growth strategies. As SMBs seek to expand their marketing efforts beyond social media, AI and automation are set to play a critical role in helping businesses remain competitive in an evolving economic landscape. “By harnessing social media to enhance customer relationships and embracing advanced technologies like AI to maintain stability and work smarter, they’re turning challenges into opportunities and redefining what it means to thrive in any economic landscape,” Vella added. This article, "Constant Contact Report Highlights Social-First, Tech-Driven Small Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Ruling against frontrunner comes despite US call for country to respect voters’ wishesView the full article

It’s hard to imagine any industry not having to contend with the deepening sociopolitical division in America—brand marketing included. McCann Worldgroup’s intelligence unit Truth Central creates studies on what their clients are grappling with including data privacy, wellness, and Gen Z. And the past few years have paved a clear path toward their latest study: The Truth About America, which the team exclusively unveiled this weekend at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. “We saw that not just our clients in America but our clients everywhere were asking more and more questions about America. What is going on in this moment? How do we navigate this market?” says Laura Simpson, chief intelligence officer of McCann Worldgroup and president of McCann Truth Central. “I think other markets always look to America for a lead on some of those issues. So when it feels like things are changing, I think everywhere clients want to understand why it’s changing and how it’s changing and how they should be responding.” [Image: McCann] And what’s evolving is the idea of the American Dream. Concerns of inflation, the war of DEI, automation, and more have made 72% of Americans believe there’s never been a more complicated time to be an American, according to the study. And that sentiment has contributed to what the study calls the “Dream Gap,” the growing divide between what Americans want out of life versus the actual accessibility to those aspirations. While 52% of Americans believe the American Dream still exists today, 70% say it’s harder to get ahead no matter how hard they work. Deeper still, 77% of Americans believe the country still provides good opportunities, but they’re becoming more concentrated among fewer people. [Image: McCann] Despite the division, McCann’s study asserts there are forces that are holding the country together, namely creativity, which 88% of respondents said has the power to unite people. “We know creativity is a strong force capable of bridging divides and helping to shape the future of our country,” says Elly Dembo, global head of data and intelligence at McCann. “And we believe that brands have the power to reignite a culture of creativity in America again.” “Brands have, to some extent, always existed to show people what could be: Here is a vision, a world, a dream, something that you could aspire to,” Simpson adds. “That tension between dreaming and reality and frustrations has been really pronounced in America over the last few years. And we want to be in a position to help guide our clients: How much should you be dialing up dream and aspiration versus being more of a mirror to the reality of what people are experiencing in their daily lives?” You can find the full results of The Truth About American study here. View the full article

US administration concedes some prices might rise as fears grow of trade chaos causing disruptionView the full article