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Insulated from industry tumult, smaller French group seeks to move on from turnaround by boosting EV and hybrid salesView the full article

‘When I see £4 for an espresso in London . . . I see the limit,’ says Italian roaster’s bossView the full article

Testers have raised concerns that its technology is being rushed out without sufficient safeguardsView the full article

It’s not just bread and circuses any moreView the full article

Canva has officially launched Visual Suite 2.0, its most comprehensive product update to date, during the Canva Create 2025 event. The update introduces a suite of AI-powered tools and new features aimed at seamlessly merging creativity with productivity. According to the announcement, Visual Suite 2.0 is designed to eliminate the disconnect between productivity tools and creative platforms by allowing users to work across presentations, videos, whiteboards, websites, and spreadsheets within a single format. “Whether you’re brainstorming on a whiteboard, mapping out your strategy in a doc, or building a campaign across slides, spreadsheets, and socials, everything lives in one place,” the company stated. Canva Sheets and AI-Driven Insights One of the flagship features in this launch is Canva Sheets, which reimagines the traditional spreadsheet as a visual and creative workspace. With AI features like Magic Insights and Magic Formulas, users can input text prompts and let the platform automate data tasks. Canva notes that Sheets connects directly with the rest of the Visual Suite, allowing for integrated and visually dynamic data presentations. “With drag-and-drop visual layouts, your spreadsheets aren’t just functional, they’re beautiful,” Canva said in its release. Enhanced Automation with Magic Studio Canva reports that its Magic Studio tools have been used over 16 billion times. With Visual Suite 2.0, those tools are now integrated into Sheets to streamline content creation. Features include the ability to automatically fill empty cells with Magic Write, bulk translate content for global localization, and generate multiple versions of a design using Bulk Create. Magic Resize, another included feature, enables users to convert entire sets of designs into different formats and dimensions while preserving layout integrity. Magic Charts for Data Visualization Visual Suite 2.0 introduces Magic Charts, a feature that transforms raw data into interactive, real-time visualizations. Users can connect data from platforms such as Google Analytics and HubSpot and receive intelligent chart recommendations to present information effectively. AI-Enhanced Design and Interactivity Canva AI is positioned as a “creative companion” for users. From generating presentations and graphics to offering suggestions based on text, voice, or media prompts, the tool is integrated across the suite. Users can also fine-tune designs using the Brand Kit or turn them into shareable templates. Additionally, the new Canva Code feature allows users to build interactive experiences like calculators, educational games, or custom tools with natural language descriptions—no coding experience required. New Photo Editing Tools Visual Suite 2.0 also introduces an upgraded Photo Editor, allowing users to modify images within the design interface. The new Background Generator can replace image backdrops to match the subject with lighting and mood. Users can also manipulate image elements by pointing and clicking to reposition, resize, or recolor them. Availability and Community Involvement Canva emphasized that many of the new tools and features were developed based on feedback from its community of 230 million users. “Each year we receive more than one million ideas, feature requests, and dreams from our community,” the company stated. Users can begin exploring Visual Suite 2.0 today by visiting the Canva homepage. The company notes that this release marks just the beginning, encouraging continued feedback to drive future innovation. This article, "Canva Unveils Visual Suite 2.0 with Major AI-Powered Productivity Tools" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Canva has officially launched Visual Suite 2.0, its most comprehensive product update to date, during the Canva Create 2025 event. The update introduces a suite of AI-powered tools and new features aimed at seamlessly merging creativity with productivity. According to the announcement, Visual Suite 2.0 is designed to eliminate the disconnect between productivity tools and creative platforms by allowing users to work across presentations, videos, whiteboards, websites, and spreadsheets within a single format. “Whether you’re brainstorming on a whiteboard, mapping out your strategy in a doc, or building a campaign across slides, spreadsheets, and socials, everything lives in one place,” the company stated. Canva Sheets and AI-Driven Insights One of the flagship features in this launch is Canva Sheets, which reimagines the traditional spreadsheet as a visual and creative workspace. With AI features like Magic Insights and Magic Formulas, users can input text prompts and let the platform automate data tasks. Canva notes that Sheets connects directly with the rest of the Visual Suite, allowing for integrated and visually dynamic data presentations. “With drag-and-drop visual layouts, your spreadsheets aren’t just functional, they’re beautiful,” Canva said in its release. Enhanced Automation with Magic Studio Canva reports that its Magic Studio tools have been used over 16 billion times. With Visual Suite 2.0, those tools are now integrated into Sheets to streamline content creation. Features include the ability to automatically fill empty cells with Magic Write, bulk translate content for global localization, and generate multiple versions of a design using Bulk Create. Magic Resize, another included feature, enables users to convert entire sets of designs into different formats and dimensions while preserving layout integrity. Magic Charts for Data Visualization Visual Suite 2.0 introduces Magic Charts, a feature that transforms raw data into interactive, real-time visualizations. Users can connect data from platforms such as Google Analytics and HubSpot and receive intelligent chart recommendations to present information effectively. AI-Enhanced Design and Interactivity Canva AI is positioned as a “creative companion” for users. From generating presentations and graphics to offering suggestions based on text, voice, or media prompts, the tool is integrated across the suite. Users can also fine-tune designs using the Brand Kit or turn them into shareable templates. Additionally, the new Canva Code feature allows users to build interactive experiences like calculators, educational games, or custom tools with natural language descriptions—no coding experience required. New Photo Editing Tools Visual Suite 2.0 also introduces an upgraded Photo Editor, allowing users to modify images within the design interface. The new Background Generator can replace image backdrops to match the subject with lighting and mood. Users can also manipulate image elements by pointing and clicking to reposition, resize, or recolor them. Availability and Community Involvement Canva emphasized that many of the new tools and features were developed based on feedback from its community of 230 million users. “Each year we receive more than one million ideas, feature requests, and dreams from our community,” the company stated. Users can begin exploring Visual Suite 2.0 today by visiting the Canva homepage. The company notes that this release marks just the beginning, encouraging continued feedback to drive future innovation. This article, "Canva Unveils Visual Suite 2.0 with Major AI-Powered Productivity Tools" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Landbase has announced the launch of the Campaign Feed, a new enhancement to its agentic AI-powered go-to-market (GTM) platform, along with the acquisition of Delegate, a company known for its predictive and automated customer success solutions. These developments are aimed at accelerating Landbase’s mission to automate omnichannel sales outreach and improve go-to-market strategies through advanced AI-driven solutions. The Campaign Feed is designed to address key GTM challenges such as fragmented data, manual processes, and ineffective audience engagement. With the new capability, users receive AI-enriched campaign recommendations that can be reviewed, approved, edited, or denied quickly, enabling campaign launches in minutes rather than months. “Unlike traditional outbound techniques that rely heavily on disparate tools and manual input, the Campaign Feed leverages agentic AI and Landbase’s proprietary model GTM-1 Omni to automate complex workflows and provide actionable campaign recommendations,” said Daniel Saks, CEO and co-founder of Landbase. “The Campaign Feed brings the fun and effortless experience of the ‘vibe coding’ phenomenon to GTM, making it easy to review, edit and launch campaigns in minutes instead of months.” The acquisition of Delegate supports the accelerated development of the Campaign Feed and other innovations. Delegate’s team brings its expertise in customer success automation to Landbase, contributing to faster product enhancements. Key hires from Delegate include Hugh Hopkins as head of product development and Alex Berry as head of sales. “Landbase is revolutionizing how people work by launching the Campaign Feed with recommendations that make it easy to take action to help businesses grow,” said Hopkins. “The Campaign Feed represents a significant paradigm shift in how companies approach their GTM strategies, combining AI-driven insights with hyper-targeted recommendations and seamless agent-driven execution.” Key features of the Campaign Feed include: AI-driven automation: Automates repetitive tasks to free up time for strategic initiatives. Predictive audience recommendations: Identifies and prioritizes high-potential audiences. Omnichannel outreach: Automates communication across email, LinkedIn, and phone channels. “The Campaign Feed enhances Landbase’s platform’s ability to amplify its omnichannel outreach efforts in record time, setting a new standard in the industry,” said Berry. “By combining our expertise with Landbase’s breadth of engineering skills and recently announced agentic AI Lab and proprietary GTM-1 Omni model, we’ll help make our collective GTM vision a reality and be able to deliver better results for our customers in a highly competitive and fast-moving space.” The Campaign Feed is now available as part of Landbase’s subscription-based platform. This article, "Landbase Launches Campaign Feed and Acquires Delegate to Boost AI-Driven GTM Strategies" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Landbase has announced the launch of the Campaign Feed, a new enhancement to its agentic AI-powered go-to-market (GTM) platform, along with the acquisition of Delegate, a company known for its predictive and automated customer success solutions. These developments are aimed at accelerating Landbase’s mission to automate omnichannel sales outreach and improve go-to-market strategies through advanced AI-driven solutions. The Campaign Feed is designed to address key GTM challenges such as fragmented data, manual processes, and ineffective audience engagement. With the new capability, users receive AI-enriched campaign recommendations that can be reviewed, approved, edited, or denied quickly, enabling campaign launches in minutes rather than months. “Unlike traditional outbound techniques that rely heavily on disparate tools and manual input, the Campaign Feed leverages agentic AI and Landbase’s proprietary model GTM-1 Omni to automate complex workflows and provide actionable campaign recommendations,” said Daniel Saks, CEO and co-founder of Landbase. “The Campaign Feed brings the fun and effortless experience of the ‘vibe coding’ phenomenon to GTM, making it easy to review, edit and launch campaigns in minutes instead of months.” The acquisition of Delegate supports the accelerated development of the Campaign Feed and other innovations. Delegate’s team brings its expertise in customer success automation to Landbase, contributing to faster product enhancements. Key hires from Delegate include Hugh Hopkins as head of product development and Alex Berry as head of sales. “Landbase is revolutionizing how people work by launching the Campaign Feed with recommendations that make it easy to take action to help businesses grow,” said Hopkins. “The Campaign Feed represents a significant paradigm shift in how companies approach their GTM strategies, combining AI-driven insights with hyper-targeted recommendations and seamless agent-driven execution.” Key features of the Campaign Feed include: AI-driven automation: Automates repetitive tasks to free up time for strategic initiatives. Predictive audience recommendations: Identifies and prioritizes high-potential audiences. Omnichannel outreach: Automates communication across email, LinkedIn, and phone channels. “The Campaign Feed enhances Landbase’s platform’s ability to amplify its omnichannel outreach efforts in record time, setting a new standard in the industry,” said Berry. “By combining our expertise with Landbase’s breadth of engineering skills and recently announced agentic AI Lab and proprietary GTM-1 Omni model, we’ll help make our collective GTM vision a reality and be able to deliver better results for our customers in a highly competitive and fast-moving space.” The Campaign Feed is now available as part of Landbase’s subscription-based platform. This article, "Landbase Launches Campaign Feed and Acquires Delegate to Boost AI-Driven GTM Strategies" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has introduced a series of new verification protocols aimed at preventing fraud within its loan programs and ensuring that financial support reaches only eligible American small business owners. The changes follow recent findings by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which uncovered widespread abuse of SBA loan programs. According to data from the U.S. Social Security Administration, over $630 million in loans were granted to applicants with birthdates suggesting they were either younger than 11 or older than 115 years old. Key measures now in place include citizenship and date-of-birth verification as part of the SBA loan application process. These updates are intended to safeguard the integrity of the agency’s programs and restore public trust. Fraud Prevention Measures The SBA now requires lenders to verify the citizenship status of all applicants to ensure businesses are not owned wholly or partially by illegal aliens. This new protocol aligns with an executive order aimed at ending taxpayer subsidization of individuals in the country unlawfully. In addition, loan applications must now include verified dates of birth. Any applicant reporting an age under 18 or over 115 will automatically be flagged under the SBA’s fraud alert system. The SBA stated these changes are designed to deter applicants from using identities belonging to deceased individuals or minors. “With the help of DOGE, the SBA has already made a number of common-sense reforms to prevent the rampant fraud we’ve seen over the last four years,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Unlike the previous Administration, we respect the American taxpayer and are dedicated to ensuring every dollar entrusted to this agency goes to support eligible, legitimate small businesses. With these simple fraud prevention measures, we will end the abuse of our loan programs – with stronger safeguards to hold bad actors accountable.” Examples of Past Abuse The SBA outlined examples of fraud that occurred under previous policies: In June 2024, the agency approved a $783,000 loan to a business that was 49% owned by an illegal alien. However, the SBA identified the individual’s immigration status during a February audit and stopped disbursement, ensuring no funds were released. Between 2020 and 2021, DOGE found more than 3,000 SBA loans, totaling $333 million, were issued to borrowers over the age of 115 according to Social Security records. During the same period, DOGE identified over 5,500 loans worth approximately $300 million that were disbursed to children under the age of 11. Commitment to Reform The SBA emphasized that the new safeguards are part of a broader commitment to fiscal responsibility and program integrity. These steps are expected to reduce fraud and improve public confidence in the agency’s mission to support genuine small business development. This article, "SBA Implements New Verification Measures to Combat Loan Fraud" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has introduced a series of new verification protocols aimed at preventing fraud within its loan programs and ensuring that financial support reaches only eligible American small business owners. The changes follow recent findings by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which uncovered widespread abuse of SBA loan programs. According to data from the U.S. Social Security Administration, over $630 million in loans were granted to applicants with birthdates suggesting they were either younger than 11 or older than 115 years old. Key measures now in place include citizenship and date-of-birth verification as part of the SBA loan application process. These updates are intended to safeguard the integrity of the agency’s programs and restore public trust. Fraud Prevention Measures The SBA now requires lenders to verify the citizenship status of all applicants to ensure businesses are not owned wholly or partially by illegal aliens. This new protocol aligns with an executive order aimed at ending taxpayer subsidization of individuals in the country unlawfully. In addition, loan applications must now include verified dates of birth. Any applicant reporting an age under 18 or over 115 will automatically be flagged under the SBA’s fraud alert system. The SBA stated these changes are designed to deter applicants from using identities belonging to deceased individuals or minors. “With the help of DOGE, the SBA has already made a number of common-sense reforms to prevent the rampant fraud we’ve seen over the last four years,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Unlike the previous Administration, we respect the American taxpayer and are dedicated to ensuring every dollar entrusted to this agency goes to support eligible, legitimate small businesses. With these simple fraud prevention measures, we will end the abuse of our loan programs – with stronger safeguards to hold bad actors accountable.” Examples of Past Abuse The SBA outlined examples of fraud that occurred under previous policies: In June 2024, the agency approved a $783,000 loan to a business that was 49% owned by an illegal alien. However, the SBA identified the individual’s immigration status during a February audit and stopped disbursement, ensuring no funds were released. Between 2020 and 2021, DOGE found more than 3,000 SBA loans, totaling $333 million, were issued to borrowers over the age of 115 according to Social Security records. During the same period, DOGE identified over 5,500 loans worth approximately $300 million that were disbursed to children under the age of 11. Commitment to Reform The SBA emphasized that the new safeguards are part of a broader commitment to fiscal responsibility and program integrity. These steps are expected to reduce fraud and improve public confidence in the agency’s mission to support genuine small business development. This article, "SBA Implements New Verification Measures to Combat Loan Fraud" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Today’s B2B CEOs are tasked with a delicate balancing act: driving growth, improving efficiency, and creating seamless customer experiences, all while navigating unprecedented market complexity. Meanwhile, the revenue professionals responsible for executing these goals face their own challenges. Buying journeys have become increasingly labyrinthine, with big buying teams and long sales cycles. Seventy-seven percent of B2B buyers say their last purchasing decision was very complex or difficult, with more than 800 interactions on average with potential vendors. Misalignment across revenue teams compounds the issue, making it nearly impossible to deliver efficient, relevant, and cohesive buyer experiences. This complexity creates a cycle of inefficiency, where teams work harder to achieve diminishing returns. Fortunately, we’re at a pivotal moment in technology. AI and data advances are empowering organizations to simplify complex revenue cycles. Among these innovations, AI agents offer a promising solution. AI agents aren’t simple software add-ons. They’re intelligent partners that enable teams to act faster, collaborate more effectively, and scale more strategically. Let’s explore how CEOs can equip their teams with AI agents to achieve sustainable growth. AI agents are partners, not tools AI agents represent a significant evolution in business technology. Unlike traditional software, which passively waits for human input, AI agents actively analyze data, surface opportunities, make recommendations, and drive results in real time. For CEOs, this distinction is critical. AI agents don’t just automate repetitive tasks; they perform work that aligns with strategic goals. From identifying early buying signals to optimizing customer engagement, AI agents seamlessly integrate into workflows to ensure every touchpoint is efficient, personalized, and impactful. In a world in which breaking down silos and acting on intelligence faster than competitors defines success, AI agents are the bridge between vision and execution. Why good data powers great outcomes AI agents are only as effective as the data that fuels them. AI agents are built on large language models (LLMs) trained on public data. That data can sometimes produce sketchy results—like when Google’s AI search raised (and then dashed) Disney fans’ hopes by describing the impending release of Encanto 2 because it pulled its data from a fan fiction site. The fallout of misinformation in business can do much more damage than simply disappointing movie-goers. Poor-quality data can lead to disjointed recommendations and faulty business decisions. Not only that, but if you only use public data to feed your AI agents, you’ll have the same output as everyone else relying solely on LLMs. The solution for this lies within a business’s own walls. Enterprises have massive amounts of data that LLMs have not seen. Feeding this data to AI agents allows them to produce differentiated, contextualized output. For instance, integrating intent data into a sales-focused AI agent’s “diet” yields personalized outreach based on individual prospects’ needs. It’s also important that the data AI agents use is clean, accurate, and comprehensive—and that it spans the entire revenue organization. Shared data ensures that AI agents can piece together the full picture of the buyer journey—from early intent signals to post-sale engagement. What CEOs get wrong about AI agents AI agents are difficult to implement. AI agents don’t necessarily require complex overhauls. Scalable, modular solutions make it easier than ever to adopt AI incrementally, starting with specific use cases and expanding as success builds. Example:Many of our customers quickly deploy our conversational email agent for one-use case (such as re-engaging closed/lost opportunities) and build from there. This enables teams to see the immediate value of AI agent-led contextual email conversations, while at the same time laying the foundation for broader adoption. AI agents are only about efficiency. While AI agents excel at streamlining processes, their real value lies in their ability to drive strategic outcomes across industries. Example:Johnson & Johnson uses AI agents in drug discovery to optimize chemical synthesis processes. AI enhances efficiency, but more importantly, it drives strategic advancements in pharmaceutical innovation by accelerating development timelines and improving cost-effectiveness. The ROI of AI agents: Real-world impact Harri, a global leader in workforce management technology for the hospitality industry, faced a challenge familiar to many CEOs—the need to scale engagement without increasing resources. To support their strong marketing team in generating demand, Harri implemented an AI agent through 6sense as part of its outreach strategy. The AI agent autonomously identified high-intent prospects and delivered timely, personalized messages at scale, enabling Harri to engage buyers more efficiently and effectively. The results: They generated more than $12 million in pipeline and $3 million in closed/won deals in just one quarter. Campaigns achieved a 34% view-through-rate (VTR) rate, far exceeding the initial goal of 20%. They scaled marketing efforts without compromising on personalized engagement. By scaling outreach, improving engagement, and targeting high-value opportunities, Harri took pressure off its team, while achieving significant growth and enhancing the buyer experience. Pave the way for smarter growth AI agents are still so new that CEOs who aren’t using them yet can get ahead of the competition by learning to incorporate them now. These agents simplify complexity, align revenue teams, and deliver results. By integrating AI agents, CEOs can create seamless, personalized buying journeys that meet today’s expectations while driving growth. With significant AI advancements ahead, having a clear strategy is essential. By proactively adopting AI agents, organizations can address challenges and position themselves for sustained success in a rapidly evolving market. Jason Zintak CEO of 6sense. View the full article

Gold hits record high as investors seek haven assetsView the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Eric Potterat on putting in the practice you need for success: “Effort is perhaps both the easiest and hardest aspect of mindset to practice. Easy because you know what needs to be done: more practicing, more studying, more exercising, more time. Hard because: more work. For some people (and many high performers) hard work is innate. They keep at it naturally; they don’t have to make themselves do it. But most of us are what I like to call “human”: we have a limit. When we reach that fork in our day when we could spend an hour practicing that thing we care about or rot our brain watching viral videos or reality shows, too often we opt for the videos. We’ll practice tomorrow. We suffer from (or benefit from, depending on whether you are sitting comfortably on your couch or not) an intention-behavior gap. We intend to do something, but we don’t do it.” Source: Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World's Top Performers II. Michael Pilarczyk on knowing what matters to you: “There’s a reason behind every choice you make. There are reasons you decide to do or not do something, and those reasons chart your course. In other words, the meaning you assign to your thoughts determines your personality, your behavior, how you feel, how you react, and what you accomplish. Everything you do has a reason. There is a close relationship between your personal values and the choices you make. And this all directly affects your behavior.” Source: Master Your Mindset: Live a Meaningful Life * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. What’s in a claim? Sometimes a product can’t be defined by its claim, and that has become a huge problem for the consumer packaged goods industry. Take Dr. Bronner’s and Scrumbles, for example, which both recently announced they’re dropping their B Corp certification for what they perceive to be weakening standards that allow greenwashing. The changing claims landscape What B Lab Global has done is admirable. In 2006, they set out to recognize businesses that were a force for good—meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. They deserve credit for their part in starting a global movement that redefined the role of business in society and helped usher in a new era of capitalism where purpose and profit are both priorities. But something pivotal happened along the way that revolutionized how deeply we’re able to understand products, yet B Corp and many of today’s product claims don’t account for it: the proliferation of data. Consumers initially saw the “B” and assumed it signified health, sustainability, or ethical practices. But as access to information increased, people started digging deeper. And what did they find? Sometimes, not much. The B Corp label, like many generic claims, became an umbrella term indicating different things to different people—or nothing at all. A consumer reckoning is here This problem isn’t unique to B Corp; it’s a symptom of a larger consumer reckoning. Consider the term “clean beauty.” It lacks a standardized definition, leaving its meaning up to interpretation. For some, it equates to products with safe ingredients; for others, it might be about sustainable packaging. But even “safe” and “sustainable” are too vague to tell us what we really want to know, such as if a fragrance is allergen-free or if its packaging is compostable. Shopping has almost become a guessing game; but it’s one the modern consumer refuses to play. I had my own “aha” moment when I was pregnant with my first daughter and started to become hyperaware of what ingredients and materials were in the things I was putting in and on my body. Through my extensive research, I quickly discovered how much of what we’re exposed to is toxic to human health and even started an Excel spreadsheet of what to avoid, that I consulted every time I made a purchase. It’s what led me to found Novi Connect, which gives brands and retailers the tools to provide data, signals, and even stories to consumers about their products. Ten years ago, this might have sounded excessive. But today, more consumers are demanding this level of transparency. They want clarity and precision, not ambiguity, and it’s time for brands and retailers to deliver. The power of granular data Here’s the good news: They can. With the proliferation of data and AI, we’re rapidly moving beyond binary labels and embracing a world of sophisticated, specific product attributes. This granularity allows brands and retailers to cater to the nuanced values of their customers. My favorite illustrative example of how this can show up is glycerin. Glycerin is one of the most benign, noncontroversial ingredients and is present in almost every product we use. But based on how it’s made, it can cater to consumers with very different values. If it’s derived from plants, that means it’s vegan; but that also typically means it’s derived from palm oil. Was the palm oil responsibly sourced? If so, that claim can be made to provide assurance that no deforestation or unfair labor practices were used in the production of the glycerin. Or, maybe no palm was used and the glycerin was derived from a less common feedstock like coconut oil. Now a palm-free claim can be made, which might be important to those looking for products that align with their environmental values. These are the questions shoppers are asking, and they’re demanding verified answers before deciding where to spend their money. The retailer responsibility While consumers are driving this change, the onus is on brands and retailers to embrace it and figure out how to make it work for their customer, and ultimately, their business. It’s important to note that there’s a delicate balance between presenting information for a seamless shopping experience and providing detailed product claims. Amazon is a poster example of what this can look like. They use the green leaf symbol to provide a high-level signal and draw the customer in, then also allow you to explore the details of why a product earned that designation. Their program includes 55 unique certifications a product can qualify for. That might sound overwhelming; but it takes into account that not all shoppers care about the same things, and not all certifications are relevant for all products. With this system, it’s easy to identify products that meet your personal criteria, whether you’re focused on ingredient health and safety; carbon emissions and reduction; agriculture and how products are grown and processed; and so forth. You can see how this approach respects the buyer’s need for both simplicity and depth. And Amazon is strengthening their bottom-line in the process, driving double digit increases in both page discovery and sales with their badge program. That’s how you align purpose and profit. When companies properly leverage data to enable people to shop with purpose by aligning purchases with beliefs, it creates a more personalized shopping experience that keeps the customer coming back. In today’s market where there are endless options and instant access to information, loyalty is paramount. After all, if you don’t have repeat customers, you don’t have a business. So the choice is clear: Embrace transparency or risk irrelevance. The future of retail belongs to those who empower consumers with the truth. Tell them exactly what’s in a claim. Kimberly Shenk is cofounder and CEO of Novi Connect. View the full article

Investors rush away from junk bonds and leveraged loans on rising recession fearsView the full article

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Retail is at a turning point. AI is no longer a futuristic idea or marketing buzzword—it’s a business necessity. Consumers expect intelligent, seamless, and personalized experiences at every touchpoint. The brands that deliver on those expectations will win. Those that don’t will fall behind. Still, when I talk with retail leaders, I hear the same concerns again and again: How do we make AI feel natural, not robotic? Can it really drive sales—or is it just a cost-cutting tool? How do we integrate AI without blowing up our current operations? And beyond the contact center, where else can AI have real impact? These aren’t just passing questions. They’re real blockers, slowing down progress. That’s why we launched an AI Lab webinar series, and write articles like this to get information out publicly with practical, business-first answers. AI needs to do more than automate Retailers have dipped their toes into AI—automated chatbots, product recommendations, predictive analytics—but too often, these tools operate in silos. That leads to clunky experiences and limited impact. The mindset is shifting. It’s no longer just about efficiency. It’s about impact. AI shouldn’t only reduce costs. It should increase engagement, drive revenue, and build customer loyalty. Here are three principles we’ve seen drive real success: 1. AI should sell, not just support Traditionally, retail AI has played defense—handling order tracking, return policies, and FAQs. But it’s time to put AI on offense. Think of guided selling: AI that acts like a smart associate, asking about customer preferences, budget, or style—and responding naturally. It’s the digital equivalent of a great in-store experience. One example: A luxury jewelry brand used conversational AI to recommend add-ons and upgrades based on a customer’s past purchases. The result? A 30% boost in upsells—with zero human agent involvement. The takeaway: AI can drive conversions and revenue. It just needs to be designed with that goal in mind. 2. Proactive > reactive Most AI waits for customers to initiate the conversation. That’s a missed opportunity. Take cart abandonment. Nearly 70% of online carts are abandoned before checkout. AI can spot hesitation—lingering on the checkout page, revisiting items—and respond in real time with: A one-click checkout to reduce friction A last-minute incentive A helpful AI assistant offering answers AI shouldn’t just respond when customers get stuck. It should help them move forward. 3. AI that works with people, not instead of them The most successful retailers don’t replace humans—they empower them. Think about frontline staff. AI can handle the repetitive stuff so humans can focus on high-value interactions: complex purchases, emotional moments, loyalty-building conversations. It also works the other way. Human agents generate valuable data—about buying habits, objections, preferences—that AI can learn from and use to personalize future experiences. That’s the real win: a human-AI partnership that gets smarter over time and drives better outcomes across the customer lifecycle. Rethink the AI roadmap Too often, brands start with customer support because it feels “safe.” But forward-thinking leaders are broadening their lens—and seeing greater return. We’re working with retailers that are embedding AI into every stage of the customer journey: Pre-purchase: Digital consultations, guided product discovery, preference-based recommendations In-purchase: Smart upsell suggestions, checkout support, frictionless payments Post-purchase: Delivery updates, service requests, loyalty rewards, re-engagement And here’s the kicker: these touchpoints don’t need to be siloed. The right AI platform can stitch them together into a seamless, personalized journey. What makes the difference Three things separate retailers who are winning with AI from those still spinning their wheels: Start with the customer, not the tech. Don’t ask, “What can this tool do?” Ask, “Where is the customer getting stuck—and how can we help them move forward?” Design for outcomes. If your AI project doesn’t tie back to a business metric—conversion, lifetime value, customer satisfaction (CSAT)—you’re flying blind. Make it measurable. Set clear goals. Track impact. Optimize based on results. This isn’t about proving AI works in general—it’s about proving it works for your brand. Final thought: Innovation without disruption AI doesn’t need to blow up your tech stack. It should integrate with your existing systems, layer in intelligence, and get smarter over time. We call it “innovation without disruption.” You don’t have to rip and replace. You just have to start with the right mindset—and the right partner. AI in retail isn’t just about answering questions. It’s about asking the right ones—and making sure your tech stack is ready to answer them in ways that actually move the business forward. John Sabino is CEO of LivePerson. View the full article

A Department of Government Efficiency team is working with FDIC leadership to "increase efficiency," which could include cuts to contracts and streamlining staff. FDIC says DOGE staffers have "appropriate clearances." View the full article

Versions of the bill were introduced in the House and Senate, raising odds that a national trigger lead ban could be near. View the full article

Google AI search news: no special optimizations needed for AI features, but structured data still matters. The post Google Confirms: Structured Data Still Essential In AI Search Era appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Software updates are great when they make features better, but that doesn't always happen. Case in point: a recent Google Pixel update that's brought in a flurry of complaints. One of the least popular changes altered how Pixels handle the Do Not Disturb feature. Previously, you could swipe down from the top of your Pixel's screen and press the Do Not Disturb button in quick settings to toggle it on or off. The March 2025 update changed that, forcing you to make multiple taps to activate or deactivate Do Not Disturb on your Google Pixel smartphone. Plenty of Google Pixel users took to Reddit to complain about this change. Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix this behavior. Restore one-tap Do Not Disturb to your Google Pixel smartphoneThe easiest way to bring back the old Do No Disturb button is by downloading an app. Simple DND lets you do exactly what the old button used to. Once you install the app and give it the required permissions, simply tap the Add Tile button to send a quick Do Not Disturb toggle back to your Pixel's quick settings pane. Once the tile is there, you can rearrange it as you see fit. Just swipe down from the top of your Pixel's screen and select the pencil icon to edit and reorder your quick settings tiles. You can use this to move the new Do Not Disturb button to your preferred location. This app was developed by someone who faced the exact same problem after the update, and doesn't do anything other than restoring the old Do Not Disturb button. The other alternative is to add a Do Not Disturb button to the lock screen and access it from there. This will require you to give up one of the two shortcuts on your lock screen and replace it with Do Not Disturb. You can change this by going to your Pixel phone's Settings app and navigating to Display > Lock screen > Shortcuts. Now select one of the shortcuts and pick Do Not Disturb to add it there. In the meantime, if you want Google to bring back the old, one-tap button, you can send your feedback to the company. On your Pixel, go to Settings > Tips & support > Send feedback. Be sure to describe the problem in detail so that the person reading it can understand the issue and pass it on to the relevant team accordingly. View the full article

He Weidong was the number-two officer in the People’s Liberation Army and a member of the Communist party’s PolitburoView the full article

Nokia Bell Labs has a long, storied history of producing Nobel Prize winners, creating innovative new technologies, and bolstering critical infrastructure that underlies most of the devices we all use every day. This week, it held a special event at its Murray Hill, New Jersey campus to celebrate its 100th anniversary, featuring appearances by politicians like New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, business leaders, and even a robot named “Porcupine.” Fast Company was able to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the complex, and several of the projects and laboratories that are working on new and advancing technologies—labs that are typically shut away from the public eye. Nokia acquired Bell Labs in 2016 when it purchased Alcatel-Lucent. The vast complex is mostly empty now, as it was built for a time when thousands of workers would fill its labs and offices. The expansive campus houses a number of laboratories where, over the past century, numerous groundbreaking discoveries and inventions have been made or perfected, including cell phones, transistors, and solar cells. Despite Bell Labs’ relatively small in-office workforce, there are still researchers and scientists toiling away on numerous projects, which include augmenting undersea data cable technology, creating real-time AI platforms to increase mining operations, and new tech related to telecommunications devices and arrays. This is all largely tech that flies under the public’s radar, but is critical for supporting cell phones and wireless internet works. For example, because of the work that’s been done at Bell Labs and other facilities over the past couple of decades, much of our wireless and telecom infrastructure was able to handle the surge in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when much of work and schooling was done remotely. “If the pandemic had occurred a decade earlier,” one researcher said, “it would have crippled us.” There was also a demonstration related to Nokia’s ongoing “Industrial GPT” research, which includes training robots to understand and react to voice commands. One demonstration even included a robot named “Porcupine” that has the ability to find specific containers in a warehouse-like setting, or figure out if inventory is missing and how to replace it. The company is also hard at work on quantum computing projects, which have massive potential, if ever fully realized. Michael Eggleston, a physicist and research group leader at Nokia, says that despite what some business leaders say, quantum computers “are real, and they’re here.” However, there are many different types that can be used for different aims. “Whether or not the technology converges—that’s the big question,” he says. Eggleston and others are working on perfecting the underlying quantum technology before bringing quantum computing products and services to the market, where they stand to exponentially increase computing power across the board—something that could potentially dwarf the changes AI tech has recently brought to the world. The event also served as something of a swan song for the Bell Labs complex, as Nokia is preparing to transplant its labs and researchers to the new HELIX complex in nearby New Brunswick. That move is planned to be completed by 2028. View the full article

Nokia Bell Labs has a long, storied history—producing Nobel Prize winners, creating innovative new technologies, and bolstering critical infrastructure that underlies most of the devices we all use every day. This week, it held a special event at its Murray Hill, New Jersey campus to celebrate its 100th anniversary, and it featured appearances by politicians like New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, business leaders, and even a robot named “Porcupine.” The expansive campus houses a number of laboratories where, over the past century, numerous groundbreaking discoveries and inventions have been made or perfected, including cell phones, transistors, and solar cells. Nokia acquired Bell Labs in 2016 when it purchased Alcatel-Lucent. The vast complex is mostly empty now, as it was built for a time when thousands of workers would fill its labs and offices. As a part of the anniversary celebrations, Fast Company was able to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the complex, and several of the projects and laboratories that are working on new and advancing technologies—labs that are typically shut away from the public eye. Despite Bell Labs’ relatively small in-office workforce, there are still researchers and scientists toiling away on numerous projects, which include augmenting undersea data cable technology, creating real-time AI platforms to increase mining operations, and new tech related to telecommunications devices and arrays. This is all largely tech that flies under the public’s radar, but is critical for supporting cell phones and wireless internet works. For example, because of the work that’s been done at Bell Labs and other facilities over the past couple of decades, much of our wireless and telecom infrastructure was able to handle the surge in demand due to the pandemic, when much of work and schooling was done remotely. “If the pandemic had occurred a decade earlier,” one researcher said, “it would have crippled us.” There was also a demonstration related to Nokia’s ongoing “Industrial GPT” research, which includes training robots to understand and react to voice commands. One demonstration even included a robot named “Porcupine” that has the ability to find specific containers in a warehouse-like setting or figure out if inventory is missing, and how to replace it. The company is also hard at work on quantum computing projects, which have massive potential, if ever fully realized. Michael Eggleston, a physicist and Research Group Leader at Nokia, says that despite what some business leaders say, quantum computers “are real, and they’re here.” However, there are many different types that can be used for different aims. “Whether or not the technology converges—that’s the big question,” he says. In effect, Eggleston and others are working on perfecting the underlying quantum technology before bringing quantum computing products and services to the market, where they stand to exponentially increase computing power across the board—something that could potentially dwarf the changes AI tech has recently brought to the world. The event also served as something of a swan song for the Bell Labs complex, as Nokia is preparing to transplant its labs and researchers to the new HELIX complex in nearby New Brunswick. That move is planned to be completed by 2028. View the full article

Be careful what you share with ChatGPT these days: It'll remember everything you say. That's because OpenAI is rolling out a new update to ChatGPT's memory that allows the bot to access the contents of all of your previous chats. The idea is that by pulling from your past conversations, ChatGPT will be able to offer more relevant results to your questions, queries, and overall discussions. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, announced the changes on X, touting the usefulness of AI systems that know everything about you: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. ChatGPT's memory feature is a little over a year old at this point, but its function has been much more limited than the update OpenAI is rolling out today. ChatGPT could remember preferences or requests of yours—perhaps you have a favorite formatting style for summaries, or a nickname you want the bot to call you—and carry those memories along from chat to chat. However, it wasn't perfect, and couldn't naturally pull from past conversations, as a feature like "memory" might imply. Previously, the bot stored those data points in a bank of "saved memories." You could access this memory bank at any time and see what the bot had stored based on your conversations. It's a bit weird to see these entries when you didn't specifically ask ChatGPT to remember something for you—as if you found out a new friend was jotting down "useful facts" about you from past conversations. It's weird. As this feature is rolling out now, it isn't clear yet how it will affect these saved memories. In all likelihood, they'll disappear, as there's no need for a bank of specific memories when ChatGPT can simply pull from everything you've ever said to the bot. I don't personally use ChatGPT all that much outside testing new features to cover here, so I can't say whether I find this feature particularly useful or not. I can imagine how it might be helpful to be able to reference something you told the bot in a past conversation, especially without needing to establish the bot actually remembers that fact first, but I also don't love the idea of a chatbot "remembering" everything I've ever told it. Maybe that's because I'm not sold on the idea of generative AI as a personal assistant, or maybe it's because I'm sick of tech companies scooping so much of my data. We'll just have to see how useful this expanded memory turns out to be as users get their hands on it. This feature will roll out first to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers, but there's no word at this time as to when free users can expect to try it out. Users in the U.K., EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland will need to wait to use the feature as well, as local laws force extra reviews before it can launch. (Maybe all countries should force AI companies through extra reviews before shipping features.) How to disable ChatGPT's memoryIf you, like me, have reservations about your chatbot accessing every word of your past conversations, there is a way to disable this memory feature. I don't have the new feature yet, so it's possible this might change slightly. But at the moment, you can head to Settings > Personalization > Memory, then disable the toggle next to Reference saved memories. If you want to keep the memory feature on, but don't want ChatGPT to remember one chat in particular, you can launch a "temporary chat" to make sure the conversation is quarantined. (Just know OpenAI may still hold onto the transcript for up to 30 days.) View the full article

Wix's new AI assistant enables users to improve SEO, streamline how they work, and use tools more intuitively to grow their business. The post Wix’s New AI Assistant Enables Meaningful Improvements To SEO, Sales And Productivity appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article