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Gemini Live is the chatty, natural conversation mode inside Google's Gemini app, and it just got a significant upgrade: The AI can now instantly answer questions about what it's seeing through your phone's camera and on your phone's screen in real time. The feature is coming first to Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 phones. You've long been able to offer up photos and screenshots for Gemini to analyze, but it's the real-time aspect of the upgrade that makes this most interesting—it's as if the AI bot can actually see the world around you. You may remember some of this functionality was shown off by Google under the Project Astra name last year. There are plenty of ways to use Gemini Live. Credit: Samsung Samsung says it "feels like a trusted friend who's always ready to help," while Google says you could use the improved features to get personalized shopping advice, troubleshoot something that's broken, or organize a messy space. You can have a discussion with Gemini Live about anything you can point your camera at. It's now available as a free update on Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 phones, with further Android devices getting it soon—though wider availability will be tied to a Gemini Advanced subscription. As yet, there's no definitive list of which phones are in line for the update, though presumably it needs a certain level of local processing power to work. There's no word yet on it coming to the Gemini app for the iPhone. As always, the official advice is to "check responses for accuracy," so just because there's a fancy new interface to make use of doesn't mean the Gemini AI is any more reliable than it was before. You're also going to need an active internet connection for this to work, so the app can get some help from the web. Two new buttons have been added for camera and screen sharing. Credit: Lifehacker The feature is easy to find: You can launch the Gemini Live interface by tapping the button to the far right of the input box in any Gemini chat (it looks a bit like a sound wave). From there, you'll see two new icons at the bottom: One for accessing the camera (the video camera icon), and one for accessing the phone's screen (the arrow inside a rectangle). Close down the Gemini Live interface, and you'll find your conversation has been recorded as a standard text chat, so you can refer back to it if needed. As the new features have appeared on my Google Pixel 9, I tested them out using questions I already knew the answers to, to check for any unhelpful hallucinations. Putting Gemini Live to the testFirst up, I loaded the camera interface and asked Gemini Live about the Severance episode I was watching on my laptop. Initially, the AI thought I was watching You—presumably confusing its Penn Badgleys with its Adam Scotts—but it quickly fixed its mistake, identifying the right show and naming the actors on screen. I then asked about a package with a UN3481 label: lithium-ion batteries packed inside equipment (over-ear headphones, in this case). Gemini Live correctly figured out that lithium-ion batteries were involved, needing "extra care" when handled, but gave no more information. When pushed, it said these batteries were packed separately, not in equipment. Wrong answer, Gemini Live—you're thinking of code UN3480. Gemini Live figured out how to reset a Charge 6 (this is a transcript of the live conversation). Credit: Lifehacker Gemini Live was also able to tell me how to reset my Fitbit Charge 6 when I pointed my phone camera at it (though the AI originally thought it was a Fitbit Charge 5, which is an easy enough mistake to make). It's easy to see how this could come in handy if you're trying to troubleshoot gadgets, and aren't quite sure about the makes and model numbers of the devices. Sharing your screen with Gemini Live is interesting. The app shrinks to a small widget, so you can use your phone as normal, and then ask questions about anything on the screen. Gemini Live did a good job of identifying which apps I was using, and some of the content in those apps, like movie posters and band photos. It also accurately translated a social media post in a foreign language for me. Regarding a website showing the recent Leicester v Newcastle soccer match, Gemini Live correctly told me what the score was and which players got the goals—all information that was already on screen. When I asked when the match was though, the AI got confused, and told me it happened on May 22, 2023 (the same teams playing, but nearly two years ago). Gemini Live can see what's on your phone's screen, with permission. Credit: Lifehacker There was no faulting the speed with which Gemini Live came back with answers, and the calm and reassuring manner that it responded, but there are still issues around the quality of the results. Of course the convenience of using this—pointing the camera and saying "how do I fix this?" rather than crafting a complex Google query—means that many people may well prefer using it even with the mistakes, but it's still a worry. Essentially, this is just an enhanced, instant version of visual search: Previously, you might just type "UN3481 label" into Google for the same query. But whereas the traditional search results list of blue links lets you see the information you're looking up, and make a judgment on its reliability and authoritativeness, Gemini Live is much more of a closed box that doesn't show its workings. While it feels almost like magic at times, because of that interface, having to double-check everything it says isn't ideal. View the full article

Find out how to develop a powerful PPC for SaaS strategy that aligns with complex buying processes and high competition. The post How To Plan PPC Campaigns For SaaS Marketing & Think Strategically appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve been holding off on buying an OLED TV, this Samsung S90D deal on Woot might catch your eye. It’s the 55-inch 2024 model, currently priced at $1,147.99 (for three days or until it sells out), which is about $650 off its list price and roughly $50 cheaper than Amazon right now—a solid discount, especially since you get the full one-year Samsung warranty, plus free shipping if you’re a Prime member. This is also its lowest price, according to price-trackers. Just keep in mind that Woot only ships to the lower 48 states, and if you’re not a Prime member, there’s a $6 shipping fee tacked on. Samsung S90D 55-inch OLED TV $1,147.99 $1,797.99 Save $650.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,147.99 $1,797.99 Save $650.00 This S90D model uses a WOLED panel (basically Samsung’s slightly more affordable take on OLED), which means it doesn't hit the same brightness levels as Samsung’s priciest OLED, the S95D. The main thing you’re missing here is the fancy glare-free coating, so reflections might be an issue in sunlit rooms. But for most setups—especially dimmer spaces or nighttime streaming—you’ll still get that rich contrast and color accuracy OLEDs are known for. Reviewers at CNET mentioned it handles darker scenes really well, and it’s Pantone-validated, which means skin tones and colors should look more natural. It runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS, which has a clean interface and works with all the major apps. You also get 4K AI upscaling that can clean up older content (though the results usually depend on the source), and a 120Hz refresh rate with four HDMI ports, including at least one with HDMI 2.1, so next-gen console owners are covered—that's good news if you’ve got a PS5 or Xbox Series X and want low input lag with smooth motion. That said, the built-in Gaming Hub is more of a niche feature—you can stream games without a console, but you’ll still need a good internet connection and a compatible controller. Audio gets a bit of a lift with Dolby Atmos and Samsung's virtual audio tech that follows movement on screen, but it’s still a TV—if you care about sound, you’ll still need a separate soundbar or system to get the most out of it. View the full article

AI is changing how people find and engage with content – but the core signals that drive visibility haven’t changed. This article shows how search marketers can stay competitive by combining proven SEO and content strategies with AI-powered workflows to build authority, trust, and reach across platforms. Why authority still wins in the age of AI search If you work in marketing, you’ve probably heard the same questions repeated throughout the past year: “What’s AI’s impact on organic search?” “How can my brand appear in AI-driven search results?” “Is it safe to use AI in my content workflow?” While many agencies and experts are rushing to stake a claim in the new frontier of “AI brand visibility,” industry leaders are aligning around the idea that search engine and AI optimization rely on similar signals. Whether you’re using Google or ChatGPT, both platforms strive to surface the most authoritative, relevant content on a given subject. They do this by identifying which entities (brands or sources) have provided robust subject matter expertise (contextual relevance) backed by strong third-party authority signals (e.g., citations from trusted sources). In other words, the fundamentals that make your content rank highly on Google – expertise, authority, and trustworthiness – also increase your visibility in AI-generated answers. If you’ve paid attention to effective content marketing strategies over the last decade, keep creating unique, valuable, educational, and engaging brand content enriched with proprietary data and expert insights. This approach: Builds credibility and provides fresh expertise beyond what AI alone can produce, which all channels seek to surface. Earns coverage and citations from authoritative sources across diverse platforms. Strengthens your brand’s authority, diversifies visibility, and drives qualified traffic and cross-channel conversions. Meanwhile, if you’re simply using ChatGPT to churn out regurgitated content for top-funnel informational queries – you might as well burn your marketing budget. In 2025, it’s critical not to get lost in another “SEO is dead, long live […AI]!” echo chamber. We’re 14 years into this recurring, sensationalized industry news cycle, yet search interest is still growing. If we slow down and look at the facts, Google now processes over 5 trillion searches per year (with a 20%+ YoY growth). AI tools like ChatGPT are expanding search behavior, not replacing it. Up to 70% of ChatGPT prompts involve collaborative, custom tasks like code debugging or meal planning, per a recent Semrush study. These are things classic search wasn’t built for. Regardless of what we dub this era of “AI optimization,” one thing remains true: the value of cross-channel, inbound marketing reigns supreme, as it has since the dawn of digital. While we don’t always need a new industry buzzword, generative engine optimization (GEO) has grown in interest significantly over the last 12 months. Agency goliaths are starting to invest in their own content strategies around it. Most brand channels rely on similar ranking principles. So, instead of panicking about the latest platform shifts, challenge your team to pause and reflect. How do you use AI to scale effective, cross-channel marketing strategies and workflows to sustain your brand’s visibility? Specifically: How are we building content ecosystems that establish topic authority while earning trust and driving engagement across multiple platforms? Have we done audience research to understand where our target market resides, and are we effectively using AI to scale cross-channel content syndication to those platforms? Where else should we seek to apply AI to automate our proven marketing workflows to improve efficiency, reach, and ROI? Here’s how my agency uses prompt engineering, custom GPTs, and proprietary AI agents to streamline digital marketing – and how your team can, too. 1. Using AI to create newsworthy campaigns with strong E-E-A-T One of the highest ROI activities your brand can invest in now is proprietary research that produces insights AI can’t replicate. This type of content gets cited by publishers, builds domain expertise, and increases your chances of influencing AI training data itself. You don’t need to build bleeding-edge agentic workflows to see real impact from AI in your marketing. Even teaching your team simple prompt engineering and having them build custom GPTs can help streamline your workflows. AI can handle tedious tasks – like deep research and data analysis – so your team can spend more time on strategy and creative thinking. Below are a few examples of AI-enhanced content workflows any brand can adopt. Reactive PR campaign prompts Use AI to research and brainstorm campaign ideas based on breaking news that aligns with the brand’s vertical and target market. For example, you might prompt ChatGPT to take on a digital PR persona tasked with scanning breaking news in your industry from the past 24-72 hours and generating timely campaign ideas. This kind of AI-assisted brainstorming ensures your content ideas are timely and poised to earn media attention without waiting for time-intensive human research and ideation sessions. Sample prompt Role: You are a digital PR strategist for [Brand], tasked with identifying trending, high-authority news stories in [Topic/Industry/Region] from the past 24-72 hours and generating timely, data-driven campaign ideas that use the brand’s expertise to secure mainstream media coverage. Campaign criteria: Trend-driven: Focus on viral/trending topics from major outlets, TikTok, Reddit, X, Google Trends. Brand-relevant: Align with [Brand]’s domain expertise. Timely and actionable: Campaign can be executed within 24-72 hours. Data-backed: Use rapid methods – pulse surveys, social scraping, Google Trends, proprietary data. Emotionally compelling: Ideas must be timely, educational, emotional, or entertaining. Campaign structure: Title: A concise, engaging campaign title. Description: Explain the campaign idea, key insights/questions, target audience, and tie to current news + brand’s expertise. Methodology: Outline how you will gather and analyze data (e.g., surveys, social scraping, government datasets, trends). Dig deeper: Reactive PR and AI: How to capitalize on trending topics faster Data journalism campaign prompts Consider training a custom AI model on your own archive of successful content marketing campaigns (or case studies from your industry) to generate fresh campaign ideas. An internal ideation agent could be fed thousands of past campaign briefs, articles, or link building projects along with their performance outcomes. The AI can then generate new ideas tailored to your brand’s vertical, following patterns that historically earned high authority backlinks and engagement. You might guide it with criteria. For instance, the idea must: Have a high likelihood of attracting authoritative .edu/.gov/.com links. Be data-driven and unique. Align with your business goals. Be timely or seasonal. Include a visually engaging component. This way, the AI isn’t pulling generic ideas from thin air – it’s remixing elements of proven hits to suggest the next big content piece. Sample prompt Role: You are a creative data-driven PR strategist, tasked with generating newsworthy, high-authority campaign ideas that earn backlinks from top-tier media (.com), government (.gov), and educational (.edu) sites. You focus on creating unique, engaging, and data-backed campaigns tailored to [Brand]’s specific vertical (e.g., education, tax, aviation, hosting, creative industries). Campaign criteria: High-authority potential Data-driven Creative and unique Aligned with goals Timely Visually engaging Approved methodologies: Campaign structure: Title Description Methodology Ideation scoring prompt Another valuable use of AI is evaluating and refining newsworthy brand content at scale. Marketing teams constantly brainstorm ideas for data journalism campaigns, blog posts, and social content. Based on learned criteria, an AI agent can rapidly assess each idea for “newsworthiness” or virality potential. For example, you can program an AI to act as an editorial panel that: Scores ideas on a scale for promotional viability. Suggests which statistics or angles would make the idea more compelling to the press. Even recommends how to execute the methodology more rigorously. This doesn’t replace your decision-making, but it helps streamline a recurring process that has a proven framework that AI can help scale. Sample prompt Role: You are a data journalism and PR expert tasked with evaluating the newsworthiness and promotional viability of data-driven campaign concepts, including surveys, studies, meta-rankings, and analyses. Your role is to rate the idea’s media potential, suggest the best promotional angles (headlines/takeaways), and refine the methodology to ensure data accuracy and media appeal. Evaluation process: Promotional viability score Potential headline-worthy takeaways Suggested name Methodology recommendation Beyond these examples, dozens of other AI applications can streamline your content workflow. Forward-thinking teams are deploying custom AI assistants for tasks such as: Writing survey questions. Building campaign briefs. Identifying typos or brand guideline violations. Discovering unique data sources or variables for new research. And so much more. An AI agent can improve any repetitive or data-intensive part of content creation. Once you’ve used AI to assist in creating high-quality, E-E-A-T-rich content, the next step is to ensure that the content gets in front of the right audience. This is where AI can also play a game-changing role in distribution and PR. 2. Scaling digital PR with AI Building your brand’s authority and trust through earned media has become more critical in an era of AI-driven search results. Google’s algorithm and AI models prioritize widely cited and trusted content, favoring brands with strong E-E-A-T signals. Digital PR helps secure high-authority backlinks and trusted media mentions that improve search rankings. These efforts also increase the likelihood of being featured in AI-generated results, as LLMs are trained on well-cited, newsworthy sources. In short, earning mainstream news and authoritative, niche-relevant brand coverage simultaneously strengthens your visibility across search, social, and emerging AI platforms. AI holds enormous potential for PR teams. It can: Research journalists. Personalize outreach. Even draft pitches in seconds. Still, we must pair scale with skill. Relying too much on automation can lead to spammy, robotic pitches that journalists ignore (or resent). Rather than blasting out “just another AI-generated pitch,” smart PR teams use an AI-powered, human-perfected workflow. AI handles the heavy lifting – research, pattern-based tasks, and first drafts – while humans focus on strategy, messaging, and real relationship-building. The key is scaling the repeatable parts with AI and reserving human effort for creativity, judgment, and authentic personalization. Here are a few high-impact ways PR professionals can use AI today. AI pitch strategy prompt One of the easiest prompts to create is a digital PR strategy generator that mimics the pitch templates your team uses to earn authoritative brand coverage. Incorporating training guides, sample pitch templates, industry pro tips, and other proprietary knowledge is crucial. This is key to building a GPT or agent that helps your PR team stand out in a sea of sameness. Below are the areas you should hone in and expand when designing a PR strategy prompt. Role: You are PPS savant, a digital PR Expert specialized in generating a complete pre-pitch strategy (PPS) for data-driven PR studies and media outreach. Your job is to extract the most compelling statistics from a provided study or campaign and generate a fully developed, press-ready outreach strategy, including subject lines, email copy, and a targeted media list. Distill: Compelling statistics Subject lines Email pitch structure Follow-up pitch structure Targeted media outlets Tone and focus Media list builder Finding the right outlets and contacts is a time-consuming part of PR that AI can dramatically improve. Instead of manually searching media databases (or paying for expensive platforms that quickly go out of date), an AI-driven media list builder can scan recent articles and news to identify journalists and publications relevant to your content. For example, given a summary of your campaign or a PDF of your research, an AI agent could compile a list of the 30–50 most relevant publishers and reporters, including: The outlet name. A link to a recent similar article (to prove relevance). The journalist’s name and beat. Even metrics like the outlet’s traffic. This increases the odds of getting interest and saves thousands of dollars that might have been spent on static media databases. Sample prompt Role: You are a digital PR publisher expert who analyzes brand studies to identify the 40 most relevant, high-authority news outlets based on the provided resource. Your focus is on matching the content (attached PDF) to vertical-specific, top-tier outlets and ensuring maximum relevance and link potential. Publisher recommendations should include: Publisher name Root domain (clickable URL) Vertical section (e.g., “All Finance”, “Lifestyle”, “Health”, “Education”, etc.) Domain authority (DA) Site traffic Relevant post Blog search Beyond mainstream media outlets, much of the “long tail” of PR success comes from niche blogs and industry influencers who syndicate or share your content. Here, too, AI can make a huge difference. To solve this, we built a “blog search agent” that runs a semantic search across 20,000+ active (non-spam) blogs from Kagi’s Small Web to help uncover niche-specific influencers who regularly update their smaller, mid-tier sites for highly relevant audiences. By using AI in these ways, PR teams can significantly increase the speed and quality of their outreach, leading to more authoritative coverage. Top brands already use these tactics to land stories in national newspapers and specialized trade publications. More than algorithmic efficiency, effective PR requires credible, newsworthy content and authentic human relationships. AI can help you write 10 pitches in the time it used to take to write one. Still, if the core story isn’t strong or you haven’t bothered to personalize it, journalists will delete your email. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. Business email address Sign me up! Processing... See terms. 3. Streamlining social content syndication with AI New search and social platforms will inevitably rise and fall. However, one principle remains constant: marketers must repurpose and syndicate their best content across the diverse platforms where their audience engages. In the age of AI, diversification is key for building defensible brand visibility and traffic. A blog post that earns links and ranks on Google can be adapted into an X thread, a Reddit post, a LinkedIn article, a TikTok script, or a YouTube video. Each extension reinforces your expertise and reaches new pockets of your audience. Consistent cross-platform visibility boosts SEO and engagement and trains AI models to recognize your brand’s authority everywhere. Many content teams excel at creating high-value content, but they often lack the bandwidth or distribution tools. By automating parts of the syndication process and optimizing content for each channel, AI ensures your work actually gets seen. Here are a few ways AI can amplify your cross-channel content strategy. Reddit advice tool With Reddit dominating the SERPs, it’s a crucial time to evaluate this social platform as another avenue for your content syndication. This agent helps your social team: Identify relevant subreddits for your brand content. Develop suggested titles and justify why that style would resonate with each specific community. Generate article summaries to get you started. AI image creation AI is making creating eye-catching graphics, illustrations, or photos to accompany your content easier than ever. That said, the jury is still out on the best models and prompts that can make or break your brand’s output. A few of my personal favorites include DALL-E 3, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, which can produce custom images that were unimaginable a few years ago. Still, the key difference is the quality of your prompt engineering. Often, the best prompt designers are those with a creative eye, like graphic designers, who will know how to coax the model toward a desired style or factual accuracy. The result: your content stands out in crowded feeds without the cost or time of a full photoshoot or graphic design cycle for every piece. Dig deeper: How to create images and visuals with generative AI Diversifying and repurposing content across channels is no longer optional. It’s essential for building a resilient brand presence. AI makes this far easier by taking on the heavy lifting of format adaptation. Your most valuable content assets can live multiple lives: a research report can spawn dozens of social posts, videos, and media pitches. A single great insight can become an infographic, a blog, a webinar, and a Reddit AMA. With AI handling the transformation and distribution at scale, you can ensure that no piece of content potential goes untapped. The payoff is greater reach, more engagement, and a brand that appears ubiquitously wherever your audience (or the algorithms) might look. AI tools and agents will transform 2025 marketing strategies and workflows If there’s one overarching lesson in all of this, it’s that AI isn’t replacing great marketers – it’s amplifying their proven workflows and freeing up time for even greater innovation. The brands that outpace their competition in the next 1–3 years will use AI to scale proven marketing workflows. Humans will stay relentlessly focused on driving creativity, building community, and establishing trust. Forward-thinking teams are already investing in comprehensive AI toolkits that touch every aspect of marketing: Content research and clustering. Content optimization. Digital PR outreach. Technical SEO analysis. Social media scheduling. Sentiment analysis. And much more. These early adopters recognize that nearly every marketing workflow will have some element that AI can improve. By experimenting now, they’re building a foundation of AI-augmented processes that will be standard practice for everyone else a few years later. The message for marketing leaders is clear: don’t wait. Encourage your team to pilot AI in different parts of your operation and see what boosts your efficiency or results. Create internal case studies of what works (and share these insights with peers, contributing to industry knowledge). Remember, the goal isn’t to hand everything over to machines. It’s to let machines do what they’re great at so that humans can do what they’re great at. The winning formula is AI + human, not AI vs. human. In 2025 and beyond, success in SEO and cross-channel marketing will come down to this balance. The hype cycles will continue – new tools, algorithms, and platforms – but the fundamentals remain. Know your audience. Create real value. Earn trust. Be everywhere your audience is looking. AI is simply the newest (and arguably most powerful) set of tools to help you execute on those fundamentals at scale. Those who embrace these tools thoughtfully will: Safeguard their brand’s visibility. Reclaim precious time to focus on strategy and big ideas. Foster the human connections that truly build brands. And that’s a winning playbook, no matter how search evolves. Bottom line? AI will boost your growth strategy if you don’t shy away from being an innovator on the technology adoption curve. Your 2025 brand goal is simple. Repurpose your most valuable content to achieve cross-channel brand visibility, authority, and engagement where your target market resides. Hedge against the rapidly evolving AI landscape that will reshape consumer behavior over the next 12-36 months. View the full article

Google announced that AI Mode now lets you search by uploading a photo or image from your device. Before the new AI Mode only allowed you to search with text, but now, like you can with other Google Search features, you can use multimodal capabilities in Lens with AI Mode.View the full article

Google Search is not just having its AI Overviews link back to itself but also search features like Things To Know. This is all while Google touts how it is seeing impressive growth in search results (artificially inflated?) and while supposedly prioritizing traffic to publishers (made up also?).View the full article

Google released its annual metrics on how well it did with fighting spam on Google Maps. In short, Google said it blocked or removed more than 240 million policy-violating reviews, blocked or removed more than 70 million policy-violating edits, removed or blocked more than 12 million fake Business Profiles and placed posting restrictions on more than 900,000 accounts.View the full article

Google announced it has refreshed and renamed the Search Console report now known as the Merchant opportunities report. Previously, this report was named the Search Console Shopping tab listings report, when it was introduced in November 2022. The Merchant opportunities report within Google Search Console can show you recommendations for improving how your online shop appears on Google. What Google said. Google posted on LinkedIn about this report saying: “Today we’re refreshing the Search Console Shopping tab listings report to also include details about payments methods and store ratings. To bring the report name in line with its functionality, we’re renaming it to be the “Merchant opportunities report”. Check it out and make sure to add important info about your store, so customers can see it when shopping on Google.” The report. Here is a screenshot of this report: As you can see, this report will tell you what you are missing when it comes to Google Merchant Center and your fields in that area. The help document goes on to explain: Adding store information can improve the display of your products and help people when they’re shopping on Google. If you’ve created and associated your Merchant Center account under Merchant opportunities in Search Console, you’ll see suggested opportunities, including: Add shipping and returns Set up store ratings Add payment methods You can return to the report to see if your information is pending, approved, or flagged for issues that need fixing. Why we care. If you sell product on your site, this is a report you want to make sure to review and see what opportunities you are missing with your e-commerce site setup. You can then plug those items and hopefully get more exposure within Google Search, Shopping and even local results. View the full article

It’s only 9 a.m. and Michelle, a middle manager in a government organization, just received her eighth panicked email from a team member asking about the impending layoffs that were announced yesterday afternoon. People are clearly worried, and Michelle is beginning to feel overwhelmed. She’s in an unfortunate, yet common, position. She wants to keep people calm and focused, but information comes in drips from leaders above her. The culture she worked so hard to build is becoming flooded with uncertainty. People are scared. What can Michelle do to minimize feelings of threat and help the team keep running smoothly? Layoffs aren’t the only context in which uncertainty reigns. It shows up wherever there’s rapid change, which research suggests has become the norm within organizations. One study shows that organizational change accelerated by 183% between 2020 and 2024, and by 33% in 2024 alone. In other words, change isn’t just increasing — it’s increasing faster every year. All this flux makes working life feel much riskier and less stable, as people fear for their livelihoods amid ever-evolving governmental reductions and corporate restructurings. With so much uncertainty in the air, is it any wonder employee engagement hit an 11-year low in 2024? People can’t predict what’s coming next, so they’re checking out entirely. To help team members perform their essential tasks, leaders must learn to reduce uncertainty, minimize threat, and, ideally, create productive feelings of comfort and safety in an increasingly volatile world. Provide clarity if you can’t provide certainty A feeling of certainty isn’t just a nice-to-have. In life and in work, humans crave a sense of predictability about their environment — and we can think of this craving as a genuine psychological need. Thousands of years ago, a need for certainty kept us physically safe, whether from predators or suspicious-looking berries. Our sense of certainty was rewarded with survival. Today, a need for certainty shows up less in matters of survival and more in being able to predict what’s coming next in our professional, social, and personal lives. That’s why “C” stands for certainty in the NeuroLeadership Institute’s SCARF® Model of social threat and reward: When we can predict certain outcomes in our environment, we feel a sense of reward, which motivates us to take action. When we feel uncertain, however, we tend to feel threatened, which makes us freeze or retreat from the situation. At work, uncertainty leads to impaired judgment and reduced productivity. If a team faces a large amount of uncertainty, the task for leaders is to manage people’s sense of threat. There are several ways to go about this. In the best-case scenario, a leader in Michelle’s position could immediately send certainty rewards by sharing who’s safe from layoffs and who’s not. This would address the uncertainty head-on, and it would have the side benefit of minimizing the spread of office rumors, which only amplifies the uncertainty. Even delivering bad news to the people who are getting laid off will send a small reward signal, as research shows uncertainty tends to feel worse than the bad news itself. One study, for example, showed people experienced more dread about the possibility of a small electric shock than people who knew for certain a shock was coming. Uncertainty is that uncomfortable. And yet, providing certainty isn’t always feasible. A leader won’t necessarily have all the answers right when employees need them most. Sometimes, a leader can only share some of what they know, or they might not know anything at all. Here, neuroscience suggests the best practice is to share what you do know and what you don’t, both in terms of information as well as the ongoing process. Michelle, for example, might be able to share that while other departments have received the news of who’s being laid off, she’s still waiting on her supervisor to tell her. She might also share that the list of names is supposed to be shared with her in the next couple weeks, giving team members a window into the process. While not as rewarding as certainty, this sense of clarity sets people’s expectations, which creates a calming sense of predictability in the brain. Clarity is best offered in a three-pronged approach: making timelines explicit, taking unlikely outcomes off the table, and reminding employees about the organization’s key values, as a way to re-commit to a higher purpose and shared vision. In practice, clarity acts as a helpful substitute for certainty. For instance, even if people don’t know if they’ll have a job next month, having the clarity they’ll find out in two weeks is easier to deal with than waking up each day wondering if today’s the day. That’s the wisdom of offering clarity when certainty is in short supply: When people know what to expect, they feel more oriented and secure in the situation, putting their minds at ease. Offset the threat by reassuring in other areas Providing clarity about information and processes isn’t the only tool available to leaders dealing with uncertainty. They can also work to boost people’s sense of reward in the other four SCARF® domains: status, a feeling of prestige within the group; autonomy, a sense of control over our environment; relatedness, a feeling of belonging and connection to the group; and fairness, a sense of just and equal treatment within the group. Sending these reward signals creates what’s known as an “offsetting effect.” If one domain is threatened, we can compensate — or offset it — by amplifying feelings of reward in the other domains. That said, offsetting effects won’t make everything better, especially against very strong threats. But they can soften the blow. For example, here’s how Michelle could offset a certainty threat through the other four SCARF® domains in an all-hands meeting about the layoffs: Status: Michelle emphasizes that the layoffs have nothing to do with people’s individual performance — they are purely a cost-cutting measure. Autonomy: Prior to the meeting, Michelle asks people to submit questions via an anonymous form. She sorts the questions and answers a handful during the meeting. Relatedness: Michelle announces a partnership she’s leading with HR to help outgoing employees with resume coaching and finding their next job. Fairness: Michelle explains how the process of creating severance packages was based on a standard rubric across all employees, based on their tenure with the company. Again, none of these efforts will make the pain of losing their job any easier for employees to bear. The goal with offsetting is to reduce the pain brought on by the uncertainty of the situation. A leader might not be able to save an employee from getting laid off, but they can at least make the process of waiting feel more dignified, less isolating, and, hopefully, less threatening. Finding a balance In a rapidly changing work environment, including public-sector downsizing, uncertainty becomes a default state of mind. It becomes the air people breathe. But the constant vigilance needed to cope with uncertainty is exhausting. So unless leaders can replace uncertainty with certainty, their responsibility falls to offering clarity whenever possible, as well as boosting other SCARF® signals to offset people’s negative feelings. Otherwise, one thing that is certain is employees will struggle to be effective at their jobs. They’ll spend enormous amounts of cognitive energy resolving the feelings of threat, leaving them feeling drained and slow to respond to work’s many challenges, rather than being energized and proactive. This is also a drain on the organization as it struggles to maintain a high level of performance. However, when employees feel those rewarding signals being sent, despite how painful a situation may be, they’re much more likely to navigate uncertainty with a calm and focused mind. For creatures highly sensitive to social threat, that serenity counts for a lot. View the full article

Google has updated its Google Ads policies around suspensions yesterday. While no changes have been made to enforcement of these policies, Google has really updated a lot of the content, and examples provided in these policies. View the full article

Pretty much every data provider that tracks AI Overviews in Google Search are showing that Google is showing AI Overviews more often today than they were a month ago. I am sure this is no surprise to many of you, I mean, we see them so often now.View the full article

Google announced it has refreshed its Shopping tab listings report which it initially launched in November 2022 and renamed it to the Merchant opportunities report. The refreshed report now includes details about payments methods and store ratings, Google said.View the full article

Do you need to create a 301 redirect in your WordPress site? You’ve come to the right place! We’ll show you how to set up 301 redirects using three methods. Do you know if you need to use a redirect or whether a 301 redirect is right? No worries, we’ll explain that, too. Redirects in a nutshell The name ‘redirect’ says it all: It sends visitors traveling from a specific page to an alternative one instead. Or, if there’s no alternative, an HTTP header (similar to redirects) can make that clear to users and search engines. It’s like registering a change of address when you move house. What if an old friend visits your old home to visit you? A redirect is like a front door note telling your visitors where you live now. Any time you change a URL or delete a page, you should think about redirects. Different redirects serve different purposes. Since this post is all about 301 redirects, let’s look at some situations where you might need to use one. When should you use a 301 redirect? A 301 redirect should be used when: You’ve permanently deleted a page on your site, but you have another similar page you want to send users to instead You’ve changed the URL of a page that was already published You’re moving your site to a new domain You’re changing your URL structure, e.g. changing from HTTP to HTTPS, or removing ‘www’ from the start of your URL These are some of the more common reasons for using a 301 redirect, but other situations require redirecting, too. And besides that, there are other redirects and HTTP headers you can use in other situations. For instance, if you permanently delete a page and there is no suitable replacement or substitute you can send users to, then a 410 redirect is what you need to use. We have another post where you can read more about which redirects to use in which situations. Option 1: Create a 301 redirect on the server To set up a 301 redirect using .htaccess for the given example URLs, you need to add a specific line to your site’s .htaccess file, which is located in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Here’s how you can do it: Access your server. Access your site’s files using an FTP client or your web host’s file manager. You can also access and edit your .htaccess file from inside the Yoast SEO tools section. Locate the .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is usually in the root directory of your WordPress installation. Edit the .htaccess file: Open the .htaccess file with a text editor. Add the redirect rule: Insert the following line at the end of the file to create the redirect. This rule indicates that requests to /page-1 should be permanently redirected to /page-2. Redirect 301 /page-1 /page-2 Save changes: If you use an FTP client, save your changes to the .htaccess file and upload them back to your server. Using this rule, any request to https://example.com/page-1 will be permanently redirected to https://example.com/page-2. The 301 status code indicates to search engines and browsers that the redirect is permanent. Note that this approach assumes the URLs follow the format /page-1 and /page-2 without additional subdirectories. You can adjust the path if your URLs are different. These configurations can become unmaintainable over time, especially if you’re an avid blogger trying to improve your posts’ SEO. You must also log in to your server over FTP, edit the files, and re-upload them whenever you add a new redirect. That’s why, generally speaking, this method is not considered the way to go. Option 2: Create a 301 redirect with Cloudflare Most of us already use Cloudflare in one form or another, so you know that it offers a wide array of tools to help our websites perform. For instance, it comes with a Rules feature where you can set various options related to your website cache. You can also find various redirect options here; this will help you guide up redirects for everything from HTTP to HTTPS to single redirects for individual pages. It’s easy to set up redirects through Cloudflare. Here’s how that works: Log into your Cloudflare account: Go to the Cloudflare dashboard and select your account and domain. Then, select Rules and Overview. Create a redirect rule: Select Create rule and then choose Redirect Rule. In the Rule name field, you might name it something like Redirect Page 1 to Page 2. Define the matching criteria: Set a wildcard pattern and set the Request URL to https://example.com/page-1. This means any traffic to example.com/page-1 will be matched for redirection Set the redirect parameters: Target URL: Enter https://example.com/page-2 as the redirect destination. Status code: Select 301 to indicate a permanent redirect. Preserve query string: Decide based on your preference; enable this option if the original URL’s query string should be retained. When you choose to preserve the query string in a redirect, you keep any additional parameters that may be included in the original URL when redirecting to the new URL. Preserving the query string is often useful for tracking purposes, like retaining analytics or advertising parameters, ensuring that useful data isn’t lost during redirection. Deploy the rule: Click Deploy to save and activate the redirect. Now, whenever someone visits https://example.com/page-1, they will be redirected to https://example.com/page-2 with a 301 status code, indicating a permanent move. You can efficiently manage traffic without touching your server configuration by setting up redirects via Cloudflare. It provides flexibility for using simple patterns or more complex URL structures. Option 3: Create a 301 redirect the easy way with Yoast SEO Our Yoast SEO Premium plugin offers you a helping hand when it comes to creating these redirects. Our built-in redirect manager assists you whenever you change the URL of a post, page, or any taxonomies that may result in a possible 404 if you don’t properly redirect visitors. In addition, we also offer you an interface to edit or remove these redirects at a later point in time. The plugin also tells you when you’re about to create a redirect that will result in a redirect loop. This looping is something you want to avoid at all costs. Here’s how you can set up a 301 redirect using Yoast SEO Premium in WordPress: Access the Yoast SEO settings: Log into your WordPress admin area and navigate to the Yoast SEO section. Open the Redirect Manager: Go to the Redirects feature in Yoast SEO Premium. Add a new redirect: Follow the steps below to create a new rule. In the Old URL field, enter /page-1 as the source path. In the New URL field, enter the destination /page-2 as the complete new URL. Choose a 301 (Moved Permanently) from the list of redirect types. Save the Redirect: Click Add redirect, and Yoast SEO will handle the redirection. Yoast SEO Premium also offers an option to automatically redirect deleted content. When you delete a page or post, Yoast SEO prompts you to set up a redirect to avoid broken links. This ensures visitors and search engines won’t encounter 404 errors and are smoothly directed to a relevant page. These features are part of Yoast SEO Premium, designed to make managing redirects straightforward without manually altering code or server settings. They keep your site user-friendly and help maintain SEO performance by preventing dead links. Conclusion Understanding how to set up 301 redirects is essential for maintaining your website’s integrity and user experience. Whether you choose Cloudflare, Yoast SEO Premium, or the .htaccess method, each approach offers a simple solution to guide visitors to the right place, preventing 404 errors and keeping your SEO rankings intact. Smoothly transitioning traffic from old links to new ones enhances usability and search visibility. Choose the best method that suits your needs and keeps your website running smoothly. Read more: How to properly delete pages from your site » The post How to create a 301 redirect in WordPress appeared first on Yoast. View the full article

The top five banks have a combined HELOC volume of more than $90 billion at the end of Q4 2024. View the full article

Amazon is betting big on movie theaters—even if it isn’t counting on mega profits. The Silicon Valley giant told The New York Times last week that it is planning to release about 14 movies annually in theaters across the United States, an untraditional move for a company that has for years focused on streaming. Instead of simply dropping films directly onto Prime Video, its streaming service, Amazon wants audiences to see its movies on the big screen first—typically for 45 days—before they’re available for streaming. Three years after Amazon bought MGM for $8.5 billion, the tech giant is signaling that it is ready to compete more directly with Hollywood’s biggest studios. According to eMarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman, the theatrical push has more to do with earning customer loyalty than it does raking in game-changing revenues. “By investing in wide releases with A-list talent and 45-day exclusive theatrical windows, Amazon is signaling that it wants its films to matter—not just be content that quietly drops on a Thursday night,” Goldman says. In the past 10 years, Amazon has acted as distributor for a number of critically acclaimed films, including Nickel Boys, American Fiction, Sound of Metal, and Manchester by the Sea, all of which were nominated for Best Picture Oscars and received at least limited theatrical releases. In recent years, Amazon has released five to eight films in theaters annually, often with varying time frames before they became available on Prime Video. The newly announced 14-film, 45-day-window strategy is in league with what the five major studios—Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros., Walt Disney, and Sony—do each year. The shift could be a boon for the movie theater business, which has struggled to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Box office receipts are down 20% to 25% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to a research note Bloomberg Intelligence shared with Fast Company. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Geetha Ranganathan and Kevin Near noted that this investment could fill a competition gap left when Disney bought 21st Century Fox in 2019. In addition to award-winning releases, Amazon has blockbuster films at the ready. The company reportedly paid an additional $1 billion earlier this year to take full control of the James Bond franchise, and is expected to name a new Bond to replace Daniel Craig soon. Amazon is honing its theatrical strategy as other streaming giants continue to tinker with theirs in an effort to fuel both streaming user and theatergoer demands. Apple and Netflix have limited theatrical releases, while Disney is stuck between fueling its Disney+ streaming services and giving moviegoing audiences the theater experience they crave for blockbusters. Mike Proulx, vice president and research director at Forrester, sees a parallel to Amazon’s model in Disney: “The company’s theatrical release strategy is akin to what Disney has been doing for years with Disney+ as the eventual beneficiary of the content.” Proulx adds that while Amazon is trying to find the right balance between its streaming and theater strategies, an uptick in quality films is ultimately a net positive for the company. “Better content makes Prime Video more valuable,” he says, “even if some people opt to wait for it to end up there.” View the full article

There is no school of foreign policy realism or trade mercantilism that could explain the US president’s actionsView the full article

Meta is bringing its Teen Accounts, which have stricter parental controls, to its Facebook and Messenger platforms on Tuesday, expanding its teen service from just Instagram. The social media giant rolled out Teen Accounts last year on Instagram that have built-in restrictions on who can contact teens, the content they see, and limits on their time on Instagram. Tuesday’s announcement also includes updates to Instagram’s teen service that will roll out in the next couple of months. Instagram said that teens under 16 will be prohibited from going Live unless their parents give them permission to do so. Teens under that age also will be required to have parental permission to turn off a feature that automatically blurs imaged containing suspected nudity in DMs. Meta has come under fire from parents and lawmakers for its platforms’ impacts on young users. Forty-one states and D.C. filed lawsuits against Meta in 2023, alleging that the company intentionally designed some features on Facebook and Instagram that they knew could harm teens and other young users. Tuesday’s announcement is part of a broader push by the social media giant to beef up parental controls to drum up support. Instagram said it moved 54 million teens into Teen Accounts. It added that 97% of teens aged 13 to 15 years old keep those built-in protections on. View the full article

Almost seamlessly, the two sides of a scenic forest in Alberta, Canada, have been woven back together. Located between Calgary and Banff National Park, this stretch of the Canadian Rockies is sliced in two by the Trans-Canada Highway, one of the busiest roadways in the province. That’s had deadly consequences for the area’s abundant wildlife, as well as the tens of thousands of people who drive through it every day. But now, after years of mounting wildlife-vehicle collisions, the danger to animals and humans is being addressed with a stunning new wildlife overpass. The Bow Valley Gap wildlife overpass is a roughly 200-foot-wide cap over a four-lane highway, topped with soil and forest-like plantings that creates a bridge almost indistinguishable from the forest on either side. The design and engineering firm Dialog led the structural engineering and landscape architecture of the overpass, which was funded by Alberta’s provincial department of transportation and is now the first wildlife overpass in Canada constructed outside of a national park. It’s in an area where reported vehicle collisions with deer, elk, coyotes, and grizzly bears happen 69 times per year on average. “The very rough rule of thumb is for every collision that is recorded or every carcass that is seen on the side of the road, you can usually double that number,” says Dialog’s Neil Robson, the overpass project manager and lead designer. “The best way to mitigate collisions is to try to prevent them. The number one way to prevent them is actually fencing. But fencing doesn’t allow connectivity of the animal. It keeps them on both sides of the highway,” Robson says. “Very helpful for collisions, but not helpful for migration patterns, connectivity, the ability to get mates, genetic diversity, and that’s where the overpass comes into play.” The overpass sits atop two arched tunnels that cover the two traffic lanes and shoulders on each side of the road. Seen from a driver’s perspective, the overpass has a smooth M shape, and is covered with grasses, shrubs, and trees. A tall metal fence runs along its edges, as well as on the sides of the road leading up to the overpass, running a total of more than seven miles. Robson says the design of the overpass was heavily informed by animal migration data, with its width sized to accommodate the large species that are known to travel in this area. Wildlife biologists were involved during the initial design phases for the overpass and helped to shape its look and form. The overpass topography was influenced by the species that live in the area, and its slopes were calculated to accommodate what animals—both predator and prey—need to see to survive in the wild. “If you’re going up a crest and or up a hill and it’s too sharp, that’s not ideal for a prey species because they don’t really have the line of sight [to avoid predators],” Robson says. “Flatter topography for viewpoints and not having blind corners and other types of things also factor into the design.” These kinds of considerations are fairly new ones for wildlife overpasses. Dialog has some experience in this unique building typology, having designed a handful that already exist in Banff National Park. But Robson says the design process has become much more interdisciplinary in just the past few years, with designers and scientists working together. “It’s not just the engineering professional inheriting the recommendations from the biologist and ecologist or reading the report and then making their own decisions. We’re going to those sites together. We’re working through the designs together,” he says. That’s even affecting how these projects are planted. For the Bow Valley Gap overpass, scientists helped determine the ideal mix of plant species that would mimic the forest surroundings but not encourage animals to linger near what is still a potential collision area. “We do want the landscape architecture on top, the grasses, the shrubs, and the trees, to be as close to the natural surroundings as possible,” Robson says. “But you also don’t want them to be overly edible, because if you plant them in and a herd of deer or elk start to chew on things, you’re not going to have much vegetation left.” Those plants are still maturing on the overpass, which was officially completed in December. But even as it grows in, Robson says the design process behind the overpass is informing future wildlife overpasses in Canada, including three that Dialog is currently designing. And, perhaps more importantly, it’s already being used by the species it was designed to protect. View the full article

Former retail tycoon brought privacy claim after Lord Hain used parliamentary privilege to link him to sexual misconduct allegations View the full article

Google's John Mueller affirmed that using the disavow tool is not a normal part of site maintenance The post Google Says Disavow Tool Not Part Of Normal Site Maintenance appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

A dispute between a pair of pro athletes who both use the number 8 has been resolved, thanks to a change in font. Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday his NASCAR team, JR Motorsports, had secured the rights to a stylized 8 mark through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The announcement came after attorneys for quarterback Lamar Jackson, who wears the No. 8 jersey for the Baltimore Ravens, filed a notice of opposition with the USPTO over JR Motorsports’s trademark claim to the mark, arguing it “falsely suggests a connection” with Jackson. pic.twitter.com/uZWk8kPlcW — Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 4, 2025 Earnhardt and his team have raced before as No. 8; and in 2019, when the team got the No. 8 car, he said the number was “very special to me and to JR nation. There’s a lot of history with the No. 8 in my family and in NASCAR. It’s time to write some new stories and continue to add to the number’s rich heritage,” according to Autoweek. But the number also means something to Jackson, who played with a No. 8 jersey at the University of Louisville, which the school retired, as well as for the Ravens since being drafted by the team in 2018. Jackson’s attorneys went after another No. 8 athlete last year, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. At the time, Aikman joked in a post on X, “Hey Lamar—Looks like a worthy conversation over a couple cold EIGHT beers! Maybe Steve Young can arbitrate??” (Aikman was referring to his beer brand Eight; and Young, a former San Francisco 49ers No. 8 player.) Aikman’s joke showed how a single number can refer to multiple well-known athletes simultaneously, potentially watering down the case a single athlete can make to lay absolute claim to a number. Earnhardt didn’t say much about how the dispute was resolved except that his JR Motorsports team would no longer use the forward-leaning 8 mark that they’ve used since 2019 and instead use a backward-leaning mark that resembles the No. 8 car Earnhardt raced with in the 2000s for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his father. The resolution seems to suggest that the styling of a number plays a role in how the public perceives it in connection to specific athletes. Jackson has proven litigious over the number, but he said in 2021 that he’d change from No. 8 to No. 1 if he ever won a Super Bowl. So if you see Earnhardt, Aikman, Young, and other No. 8 athletes cheering for the Ravens, you might figure out why. View the full article

Remember good old chronological news feeds? Back in the early days of Facebook, circa 2006 or so, posts were shown pretty much in order of recency when you opened up the social media platform. Well, things look a bit different nearly twenty years later. What started as a place for sharing updates and photos with friends and family — putting the ‘social’ in social media — has grown into a full-fledged content platform. Facebook has evolved from personal profiles to a space where people can follow creators and brands, join communities and groups, and promote events. Instead of just text and photo posts, there are now disappearing stories, reels, live streams, and much more. With so many new features available on the platform, it makes sense that the Facebook algorithm — the ranking system that uses machine learning to arrange content in users’ feeds — has changed too. What used to be one chronological feed is now a set of different feeds — and multiple feeds means multiple algorithms. These algorithms work together to decide what content users see when they open the app. The Facebook algorithm is the lifeblood of one of the original social networks. It’s what makes the platform so more-ish — so it’s no surprise that it's developed an almost mythical status for brands and creators. Is there a secret to getting your content seen by as many people as possible? Understanding how the Facebook algorithms work is a solid start. When you know what Facebook looks for when showing posts to users, you can make more thoughtful decisions about what, when, and why you post. In this article, I’ll unpack everything we know about how the Facebook algorithms work, and I’ll share some tips you can use to get your content the reach it deserves. ⚡Schedule your Facebook posts and save time with Buffer Plan, schedule, and analyze your posts to Facebook Pages and Facebook Groups with Buffer’s Facebook scheduling and analytics tools.How the Facebook algorithm works in 2025The Facebook algorithm was created so that the Meta-owned platform shows users more interesting, relevant content that’s tailored to them and keeps them scrolling longer. “Facebook’s goal is to make sure that you see posts from the people, interests, and ideas that you find valuable, whether that content comes from people you’re already connected to or from those you may not yet know,” the company says. To that end, there are three different types of content that will make it into users’ feeds: Connected content — content from the people they're friends with or are following, groups they've joined, and pages they've liked.Recommended content — content Facebook thinks they’ll be interested in from pages and people they don't already follow.Ads — content people see because of targeting, rather than the algorithm.Since this post is about the Facebook algorithm and not Facebook ads, I'll unpack the first two here. How the Facebook algorithm ranks connected contentIf a user is your friend (for personal profiles) or likes your Facebook Page or profile (for businesses and creators), your content may show up in their home feed when they open the app as part of the connected content system. Here’s how Facebook evaluates and ranks your content: 1. Checks what posts are availableIn the first part of this process, the algorithm looks at all the content that could show up in a user’s feed. This includes content shared by their friends, the pages they follow, and the groups they’ve joined. Right from the get-go, content that violates Facebook’s Community Standards is excluded (more on this below). 2. Looks at signalsThe second thing the Facebook algorithm does is look at ranking factors called ‘signals’ to decide how relevant a piece of content will be to that particular user. There are thousands of possible signals Facebook considers that are based on both user behavior and the post itself. Here are some examples. The Facebook feed algorithm might look at how often someone’s seen similar types of content recently (like photos or videos) and how much time they’re spending on their feed. It also takes into account factors related to the post, like how many comments or reactions it has and how long the comments are, on average. Importantly, it also looks at how likely someone is to interact with the person who shared the post, especially if they’re friends or in a group. That prediction is based on things like past interactions between them, both in public (like comments of reactions) and in DMs. The Facebook stories algorithm might look at how often someone views stories in general and how many stories (or sets of stories) they’ve watched from different people or pages. It also pays attention to whether they’ve missed any stories from a person or page they follow, how many photos or videos are in a story set, and if they’ve ever replied to that person or page’s stories with a message. 3. Making predictionsEach of those thousands of signals is then used to make “personalized predictions about which content [users will] find most relevant and valuable.” In other words, the algorithm looks at users’ past behavior to make predictions about whether they’ll be interested in your post and likely to interact with it. For example, if you run a brand Facebook Page that they follow and visit often, and they regularly share your posts, Facebook knows they’re a fan. They probably want to see more of your content in their feed. A less obvious example: If a user likes shopping in the afternoons and reacts to more branded posts during that time, Facebook will use that as an indicator to surface more branded posts during that time. 💡Facebook ranking isn’t a one-and-done situation. The ranking system is constantly evolving based on the behavior of users.4. Scoring the contentAfter all that, the algorithm gives each piece of content a ‘relevance score’. The higher the relevance score, the higher in the feed it will surface. At this point, the algorithm also mixes up the content to keep things feeling fresh — for example, it spaces out posts from the same creator or page so that users’ feeds aren’t filled with back-to-back content from one account (no matter how big a fan they may be). Once all the connected content has been logged, analyzed, and ranked, the algorithm then starts to throw recommended content into the mix. How the Facebook algorithm ranks ‘unconnected content’ for recommendationsFacebook's recommended content system gives brands and creators a chance to draw in new fans and followers without any ad spend. It helps people in your target audience — even those who don’t follow you yet — discover the public content you share to your creator profile, brand page, group, or event. Just like the connected content in the feed, recommendations are personalized — no two Facebook users will see exactly the same thing. Facebook uses the same four-step ranking process for recommended content as it does for connected content, but with a different, equally large set of signals. The feed recommendations algorithm might look at the type of post (like photo or video), how long someone watched it on their phone, and whether they’ve tapped ‘Show more’ on similar posts in the past six months. It also considers how often they’ve liked posts about a certain topic in the past 30 days, and whether they’ve shared posts from that person or page before. The Facebook reels algorithm might look at how many reels someone has watched from a specific creator or page, which ones they’ve clicked to view in full screen, and which ones they’ve watched all the way through. It also considers factors like the video’s length, what topic the reel is tagged with, and whether the user has liked reels on a similar topic before. Facebook has also shared detailed guidance on where it draws the line when it comes to recommendations, and certain types of content may be excluded. Since recommended posts are shown to people who may not already follow you, it makes sense that Facebook applies some pretty strict filters to keep that experience safe, relevant, and respectful. To increase your chances of getting your content recommended to new users, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with — and sticking to — their rules. Facebook applies two sets of standards here. The first is its Community Standards, which are baseline rules for what’s allowed on the platform. Content that violates these rules is removed entirely. You’ll find the full list in Facebook’s Transparency Center (which is a must-read for all marketers and creators), but here are a few common examples of content that violates these standards (and will be removed): ViolenceCrimeSuicide or self-injuryChild exploitation, abuse, or nudityBullying or harassmentSpamInauthentic behaviourMisinformationStill, if your content doesn’t overtly violate one of these rules, that doesn’t mean it’s eligible for recommendation. Facebook has a second layer of standards: the Recommendations Guidelines. These apply to content that is allowed on the platform but doesn’t meet the higher bar for being recommended to Facebook users who don’t already follow you. In other words, the post might stay up, but it won’t get shown to a wider audience through feeds or suggestions. Five categories of content are technically allowed on Facebook but may not be eligible for recommendations: Content that makes it harder for Facebook to maintain a safe community — for example, posts that talk about self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders; are sexually explicit; or promote regulated products.Sensitive or low-quality content about health or finance — like exaggerated health claims (such as “miracle cures”), cosmetic procedure promotions, or business models that may be misleading or deceptive, such as payday loans or “risk-free” investments.Content that users generally dislike — including things like clickbait, engagement bait (such as “like this if you agree”), or overly promotional contests or giveaways.Content from sources that lack transparency — such as news content without clear authorship or publishing information.False or misleading content — including fake news or claims that have been debunked by independent fact-checkers, such as widely disproved health or vaccine-related misinformation.9 best practices for creating successful Facebook contentThere's no surefire way to ‘beat’ the Facebook algorithm, but there are plenty of things you can do to increase your chances of success on the platform. Here's our list of best practices for generating reach and engagement on Facebook. 1. Stick to a consistent posting scheduleThere’s a reason this advice has stuck around: posting regularly to your social media platforms continues to be one of the best ways to grow your audience. Even Head of Facebook Tom Alison has called this out as a tip for creators looking for success on Facebook: “Posting more can help you break through,” he said in one video. Consistency helps people stay familiar with your content, gives them more chances to engage with it, and makes it easier for Facebook to understand what kind of posts you’re sharing. The numbers back this up too. Buffer’s analysis of data from more than 100,000 social media users found that people who posted consistently received five times more engagement per post compared to inconsistent posters. Even a moderately consistent rhythm saw four times more engagement than inconsistency. You don’t have to post multiple times (or even once) a day to be consistent. What matters is finding a rhythm that works for you — and sticking to it — so that your audience knows when to expect something from you. 2. Create content that people want to engage withAs with all social platforms, producing high-quality content that resonates with your audience should always be your first social media marketing goal. Posts that feel thoughtful, genuine, and relevant are far more likely to get people to pause, react, or share — and every interaction sends a signal to the algorithm that users want to see more of it. Facebook puts it simply: before you hit publish, ask yourself, “Would people share my story with their friends or recommend it to others?” That one question can help you stay focused on creating content that feels meaningful to your target audience. There's no cheat sheet for what that looks like — every audience is different, after all — but let the metrics guide you here. When posts don’t perform as well as you hoped,, try to get to the root of why by analyzing the info available in Facebook Insights. Facebook Page Insights are now housed in your Page Dashboard, which you can find by clicking on your profile photo in the top right. From your dashboard, you’ll find a high-level overview of your content performance. Click on See more insights on the top right for more. To go deeper still, click the Go to Meta Business Suite button. This will take you to a page like the one below, where you’ll also get a look at your Instagram content analytics if you have a connected profile. To go directly to Meta Business Suite Insights, click on your profile photo from the Facebook home page, then hit the Meta Business Suite button. When it comes to content that resonates, users value accurate, authentic content, Facebook says. “We work hard to understand what type of posts people consider genuine so we can rank them higher in the feed. We work to understand what kinds of content people find misleading or sensational, and work to make sure that people see those less.” Between text-based posts, photos, GIFs, carousels, reels, and live videos, there are plenty of content types you can choose from. Mix them up to find what strikes a chord with your audience so you can learn what they want to see more of. 3. Treat engagement like a two-way conversationHave I mentioned how much the Facebook algorithm loves engagement? While posting great content is important, what happens after that matters just as much for generating engagement. This can be as simple as replying to messages and leaving thoughtful responses or reacting to comments. Whether you’re an influencer, creator, or brand, these small actions show you’re present — and that’s something the algorithm notices. Engaging with your target audience should be baked into your marketing strategy, and Facebook suggests replying to comments and messages within 24 hours. That sends a signal that you’re actively engaged with your audience, and not just posting and ghosting. This approach will create a ripple effect: the more deeply connected your followers feel to your brand (business or personal), the more likely they are to like, comment on, or share your new content. 4. Share posts that work on FacebookAccording to a 2024 report from Meta, nearly 98% of the posts users viewed — whether from accounts they followed or not — didn’t include a link. In other words, most of what appears in people’s feeds is content they can view without leaving the platform. That includes reels, photos, carousels, and text-based posts that share key information in the post itself — like the vast majority of content that people are seeing when they open the app. Links aren’t off-limits, but they’re better used selectively. If you do include one in a post, avoid linking to what Facebook considers “low-quality web experiences,” such as pages with a poor mobile experience and a high ratio of ads to content or sites that ask for unnecessary personal data. Facebook deprioritizes posts with these kinds of links, which can make them less likely to appear on people’s feeds. 5. Embrace video contentShort-form video content — especially reels — continues to be one of the fastest ways to grow on Facebook, according to Tom Alison. Reels that are under 90 seconds long can show up in more places across the app, including the video tab, the reels section on the home feed, and the “Creators to Follow” section. Facebook has also made it clear that originality matters, and reels and videos that you film or create tend to get wider distribution than reposted reels. That doesn’t mean you need a full production setup or documentary-quality video to get noticed. Simple, original video content still gets noticed. Plus, Facebook videos have a bit of an edge on the platform as they have a separate feed for users (right next to ‘Home’ in the app) consisting almost entirely of recommended content. Here’s our everything-and-the-kitchen-sink guide to Facebook Reels to get you started. Facebook’s ‘Video’ Feed — formerly ‘Watch’ — gets special attention in the app. Another bonus point in short-form video content’s favor: it can be cross-posted to Instagram Reels or even repurposed for YouTube Shorts and TikTok. You can also go live on Facebook to connect with people in real-time. Live video is a chance to answer questions, share updates, host interviews, or take your audience behind the scenes of business or creator journey. You’ll need to meet a couple of requirements first: your account must be at least 60 days old and have 100 followers before you can start a live session. Once the live video ends, you have 30 days to download a copy before Facebook deletes it. From there, you can repurpose the best moments into shorter clips for reels (or video on other social media platforms) to keep reaching people after the live broadcast is over. 6. Post user-generated contentWhen people tag you in posts, take notice: this is a perfect opportunity to share that post as UGC (or user-generated content) — with their permission, of course. UGC helps show followers real experiences with your brand, while also giving the original poster a little recognition in return. Reviews are another great source of content. If someone’s left a thoughtful review of your business on sites like TrustPilot or Yelp, you can turn it into a short Facebook post and tag the person in a caption. It’s a simple way to show social proof — and it might even bring in a new follower (if the reviewer wasn't following you to begin with). 7. Publish posts that create meaningful conversationsPosts that spark meaningful interactions are more likely to get noticed, not just by your audience but by the Facebook algorithm too. Facebook likes authentic accounts that contribute to their community and help start or sustain thoughtful conversations. That doesn’t mean every post needs to be deep or discussion-heavy. It simply means thinking beyond one-way updates or promotions. Facebook’s goal is to “bring people closer together and build relationships,” so posting overly promotional content that doesn't get comments or shares won't help your ranking. Instead of talking at your audience, aim to talk with them — ask questions, share ideas people can respond to, or invite your followers to weigh in on something. Interacting with other people’s posts helps too. Joining relevant conversations shows you’re there to engage and be part of the community instead of simply broadcasting. 8. Don’t use clickbait and engagement baitFacebook regularly updates its algorithm to pinpoint posts that fall into the clickbait and spammy links category. Clickbait is content that is exaggerated, over-sensationalized, and borderline spam. It promises a result but doesn't deliver — think headlines like “The one fruit you need to stay young”, which is an obvious tactic because this magical fruit doesn’t exist. Some clickbait links can cross the line into fake news, especially when they make claims that are both exaggerated and untrue. Fake news has been rampant on Facebook, so they've been doubling down on looking for signals that indicate misinformation or misdirection since 2018. Posting fake news for whatever purpose — creating false urgency, fostering fear — is against Facebook’s Community Standards, and repeated offenses can get you banned from the platform. Not all clickbait is false. A post might use a sensationalist headline to grab attention without spreading misinformation — like “You’ll never guess what happened to this man out walking his dog,” even if the story ends up being true but underwhelming. Still, it goes against Facebook’s recommendations guidelines, and the Facebook algorithm will demote these in the feed. Engagement bait, on the other hand, uses captions or photos that contain phrases like, “Like this if you like dogs better, share this if you like cats better.” It’s mostly harmless, but it doesn’t create any meaningful interactions — and it often feels spammy. This also goes against the recommendations guidelines, and the Facebook algorithm will demote these posts too. 9. Don’t violate Facebook’s Community StandardsWe've talked about this, but it bears repeating. Facebook takes its Community Standards very seriously. The algorithm is pretty good at weeding out posts that violate these rules, but even if a post manages to skirt under the radar, Facebook users can report it and have it taken down anyway. If your posts get removed or reported repeatedly, the overall “score” of your profile will also go down, which will lessen the visibility of your posts. In some cases, Facebook can also remove you from the platform entirely. Don't try to game the Facebook algorithm — work with itThere you have it: there’s no shortcut to Facebook success. Yes, it’s a long game. But high-quality, engagement-driving content that doesn’t violate any guidelines is the best way to play it. You’ll be watching those follower numbers climb in no time. View the full article

I’m a writer, not a programmer, so until recently a lot of the hype around ChatGPT’s abitilies as a coding tool went over my head. But then I realized generative AI’s programming powers can be helpful for more than just coders. It can also help anyone else dabble in code to get things done. In my case, that means creating new browser bookmarklets. These are special kinds of bookmarks that use JavaScript to modify or act on web content, and they’ve always been an underrated web browsing superpower. For years, I’ve used bookmarklets to speed up web videos, remove page clutter, and quickly search my favorite sites, but I’ve always been limited to whatever example code I can find online. With AI tools like ChatGPT, I can finally make new bookmarklets myself, and the only limit is what I can think to do with them. ChatGPT’s bookmarklet breakdown Ironically, my “aha” moment with AI-generated bookmarklets arose while getting frustrated with another AI tool, Amazon’s Rufus shopping assistant. Last year, Amazon removed a feature that let you search through customer reviews and Q&As directly from its product pages, replacing it with the much slower Rufus chatbot. That got me thinking about a faster way to search Amazon reviews directly. After noticing that Amazon has separate pages for products and customer reviews, each with the same product code in the address, I realized that a bookmarklet cloud allow for faster searching. Here’s how I asked ChatGPT to make a bookmarklet that searches the customer reviews from an Amazon product page: Here is a link to an Amazon product page, where the ASIN is B0DHV7LR12: https://www.amazon.com/Baseus-Charging-Certified-Magnetic-Retractable/dp/B0DHV7LR12 Here is a link to a page that searches through customer reviews for that product, where B0DHV7LR12 is still the ASIN, and “test” is the search term: https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B0DHV7LR12/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewopt_kywd?pageNumber=1&filterByKeyword=test I want you to make a bookmarklet that, when clicked on an Amazon product page, opens a “Search Amazon reviews:” dialog box. The bookmarklet will then open the corresponding review page with the search term entered in the dialog box. If the bookmarklet is clicked outside of an Amazon product page, display an error message that says “You must be on an Amazon product page to use this bookmarklet.” This link to my ChatGPT conversation includes both the bookmarklet in question and instructions for installing it. By adding it to your browser’s bookmarks bar, you can click a button from any Amazon page to quickly search its corresponding reviews. More AI-generated bookmarklets Feeling satisfied with my Amazon review search bookmarket, I decided to try making some others. If you want to use any of these yourself, click on the links to each ChatGPT conversation, copy the JavaScript at the bottom of the chat, then create a new bookmark in your browser and paste the JavaScript into the address field: Video Speed: YouTube’s speed controls take too many clicks to access, and I don’t like the default speed increments. I had ChatGPT make a speed-control bookmarklet to my exact specifications, and it works on pretty much any video site, not just YouTube. Hide Stickies: Removes annoying web page elements that follow you around when you scroll, such as menu bars and floating video players. Link Card: I use Obsidian for notetaking, and this bookmarklet converts web links into neatly formatted cards that I can paste into my notes. Link and Excerpt: This helps speed up link sharing on social media. If text is highlighted on a page, clicking the bookmarklet wraps the text in quotes and copies it to the clipboard with the URL underneath. If no text is selected, it just copies the address instead. More Links: Sends the current page to Perplexity with a request for more links to stories that cover the same topic. Clean Link: Copies a link to the current address without common tracking parameters and other junk. Google Maps Search: When clicked, this asks for your destination and starting address, then looks up directions. If you leave the starting address field blank, it just looks up the location instead. Archive Link: Loads an archived snapshot of the current page, as hosted at Archive.Today. I don’t expect you to use all of these yourself, but hopefully they’ll get you thinking about the kinds of things bookmarklets can accomplish, and how you might use AI to build your own. One important note: ChatGPT sometimes inserts comment lines (denoted with a // double slash) to explain, but these can prevent the bookmarklets from working properly. Either remove them yourself or instruct the model not to include them. Why this works Generative AI is handy for making bookmarklets for a few reasons: The stakes are low: While AI-generated code is causing all sorts of problems for businesses, here you’re just generating JavaScript to automate and improve your own web browsing. You’re not at risk of breaking anything critical. The results are immediate: No extensive testing is necessary to see how your AI-generated bookmarklets perform. Either they work or they don’t. They’re easy to modify: If you want to change some element of your newly created bookmarklets, you can just ask using natural language. You might learn something: If you aspire to learn a little JavaScript yourself, bookmarklets are a simple application with immediate practical benefits. You can look at the code that comes out, compare it with other examples, and ask questions to understand how things work. In general, bookmarklets work well whenever you want to perform an action on the current URL, modify web page content, or open a specific site’s search page with keywords pre-applied. If you’re not sure where to start, you can always ask your AI chatbot for ideas. View the full article

Jon Dale’s love affair with birds began when he was about 10 and traded his BB gun for a pair of binoculars. Within a year, he’d counted 150 species flitting through the trees that circled his family’s home in Harlingen, Texas. The town sits in the Rio Grande Valley, at the convergence of the Central and Mississippi flyways, and also hosts many native fliers, making it a birder’s paradise. Dale delighted in spotting green jays, merlins, and altamira orioles. But as he grew older and learned more about the region’s biodiversity, he knew he should be seeing so many more species. Treks to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, which spans 2,088 acres near the border with Mexico, revealed an understory alive with even more birdsong, from the wo-woo-ooo of white-tipped doves to the CHA-CHA-LAC-A that gives that tropical chicken its common name. The preserve is one of the last remnants of the Tamaulipan thorn forest, a dense mosaic of at least 1,200 plants, from poky shrubs to trees like mesquite, acacia, hackberry, ebony, and brasil. They once covered more than 1 million acres on both sides of the Rio Grande, where ocelots, jaguars, and jaguarundis prowled amid 519 known varieties of birds and 316 kinds of butterflies. But the rich, alluvial soil that allowed such wonders to thrive drew developers, who arrived with the completion of a railroad in 1904. Before long, they began clearing land, building canals, and selling plots in the “Magic Valley” to farmers, including Dale’s great-great grandfather. His own father drove one of the bulldozers that cleared some of the last coastal tracts in the 1950s. Today, less than 10% of the forest that once blanketed the region still stands. Learning what had been lost inspired Dale to try bringing some of it back. He was just 15 when, in a bid to attract more avians, he began planting several hundred native seedlings beside his house to create a 2-acre thorn forest—a term he prefers over the more common thornscrub, which sounds to him like something “to get rid of.” He collected seeds from around the neighborhood and sought advice from the state wildlife agency, which began replanting thorn forest tracts in the 1950s to create habitat for game birds, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which joined the cause after it listed ocelots as endangered in 1982. (The agency has since restored 16,000 acres.) The project kept dirt under his nails for the better part of a decade. “I’d go out and turn the lights on and do it in the middle of the night,” he said. “When I’m into something, that’s pretty much it.” Two decades later, he’s still into it. He is a director at American Forests, which has toiled for 150 years to restore ecosystems nationwide. The nonprofit started working in the Rio Grande Valley in 1997 and took over the federal restoration effort last year. It also leads the Thornforest Conservation Partnership, a coalition of agencies and organizations hoping to restore at least 81,444 acres, the amount needed for the ocelot population to rebound. Although conservation remains the core mission, everyone involved understands, and promotes, the thorn forest’s ability to boost community resilience to the ravages of a warming world. Climate change will only bring more bouts of extreme weather to Texas, and the Valley—one of the state’s poorest regions, but quickly urbanizing—is ill-equipped to deal with it. Dale, now 45, believes urban thorn forests, which can mature in just 10 years, provide climate benefits that will blossom for decades: providing shade, preserving water, reducing erosion, and soaking up stormwater. To prove it, American Forests is launching its first “community forest” in the flood-prone neighborhood of San Carlos, an effort it hopes to soon replicate across the Valley. “People need more tools in the tool kit to actually mitigate climate change impact,” Dale said. “It’s us saying, ‘This is going to be a tool.’ It’s been in front of us this whole time.” Despite its name, the Rio Grande Valley is a 43,000-square-mile delta that stretches across four counties in southernmost Texas, and it already grapples with climatic challenges. Each summer brings a growing number of triple-digit days. Sea level rise and beach erosion claim a bit more coastline every year. Chronic drought slowly depletes the river, an essential source of irrigation and drinking water for nearly 1.4 million people. Flooding, long a problem, worsens as stormwater infrastructure lags behind frenzied development. Three bouts of catastrophic rain between 2018 and 2020 caused more than $1.3 billion in damage, with one storm dumping 15 inches in six hours and destroying some 1,200 homes. Floods pose a particular threat to low-income communities, called colonias, that dot unincorporated areas and lack adequate drainage and sewage systems. San Carlos, in northern Hidalgo County, is home to 3,000 residents, 21% of whom live in poverty. Eight years ago, a community center and park opened, providing a much-needed gathering place for locals. While driving by the facility, which sits in front of a drainage basin, Dale had a thought: Why not also plant a small thorn forest—a shady place that would provide respite from the sun and promote environmental literacy while managing storm runoff? Although the community lies beyond the acreage American Forests has eyed for restoration, Dale mentioned the idea to Ellie Torres, a county commissioner who represents the area. She deemed it “a no-brainer.” Since her election in 2018, Torres has worked to expand stormwater infrastructure. “We have to look for other creative ways [to address flooding] besides digging trenches and extending drainage systems,” she said. A thorn forest’s flood-fighting power lies in its roots, which loosen the soil so “it acts more like a sponge,” said Bradley Christoffersen, an ecologist at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Urban trees can reduce runoff by as much as 26% because their canopies intercept rainfall and their roots help absorb it, saving cities millions annually in stormwater mitigation and environmental impact costs. This effect varies from place to place, so American Forests hopes to enlist researchers to study the community forest’s impact in San Carlos, where Torres joined more than 100 volunteers on a sunny morning in December 2022. By afternoon, they’d nestled 800 ebony, crucillo, and other seedlings into tilled earth. “We need that vegetation,” she said. That sentiment has grown as cities across the Valley embrace green infrastructure. Although many swales and basins remain verdant with Bermuda grass, which is easier to maintain, there’s a growing push to use native vegetation for runoff control. Brownsville, the region’s largest city, is planting a “pocket prairie” of thorn forest species like brasil, colima, and Tamaulipan fiddlewood inside one drainage area. McAllen, about an hour to the west, has enlisted the help of a local thorn forest refuge to add six miniature woodlands to school playgrounds, libraries, and other urban locations. The biggest challenge to greater adoption of this approach is “a lack of plant distributors that carry the really cool native thornscrub species,” said Hunter Lohse, Brownsville City forester. “We’re trying to get plant suppliers to move away from the high-maintenance tropical plants they’ve been selling for 50 years.” American Forests doesn’t have that problem. Two dedicated employees roam public lands hauling buckets, stepladders, and telescopic tree pruners to collect seeds, some of which weigh less than a small feather. They typically gather more than 100 pounds of them each year, and stash them in refrigerators or freezers at Marinoff Nursery, a government-owned, 15,000-square-foot facility in Alamo that the nonprofit runs. That may sound like a lot of seed, but it’s only sufficient to raise about 150,000 seedlings. Another 50,000 plants provided by contract growers allow them to reforest some 200 acres. At that rate, without additional funding and an expansion of its operations, it could take four centuries to achieve its goal of restoring nearly 82,000 acres throughout the Rio Grande Valley. “These fields are probably one generation, maximum, from turning into housing,” Dale said. Funding is a serious challenge, though. In 2024, American Forests began a $10 million contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reforest 800 acres (including 200 the agency’s job solicitation noted was lost to the construction of a section of border wall). That comes to $12,500 an acre, suggesting it could take more than $1 billion to restore just what the ocelots need. Despite this, Dale says any restoration, no matter how small, is “worth the investment.” The nursery is currently growing 4,000 seedlings for four more community plots, each an acre or two in size. Small, yes, but they could mark the start of something much larger. “We have a vision to expand these efforts in the future,” Torres said. For now, nursery workers just have to keep the plants alive. During a visit on a sunny afternoon in February, 130,000 seedlings, representing 37 species, peeked out from black milk crates, ready for transplant. All of them are naturally drought-resistant and raised with an eye toward the lives they’ll lead. “We don’t baby them or coddle them,” senior reforestation manager Murisol Kuri said. “We want to make sure they are acclimated enough so when we plant they can withstand the heat and lack of water.” Despite this, on average, 20% of plants die, partly due to drought. It underscores the complexity of American Forest’s undertaking: While thorn forest restoration can help mitigate climate change, it only works if the plants can stand up to the weather. The organization expects that in the future, species that require at least 20 inches of annual rainfall could perish (some, like the Montezuma cypress and cedar elm, are already dying). That doesn’t necessarily doom an ecosystem, but it does create opportunities for guinea grass and other nonnative fauna to push out endemic plants. Removing them is a hassle, so it is best to avoid letting them take root. “If you don’t do this right, it can blow up in your face,” Dale said. Hoping to evade this fate with its restored thorn forests, American Forests has created a playbook of “climate-informed” planting. The six tips include shielding seedlings inside polycarbonate tubes, which ward against strong winds and hungry critters while mimicking the cooler conditions beneath tree canopies. They look a bit weird—a recent project at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge features about 20,000 white cylinders lined up like tombstones—but seedling survival rates shot up as much as 90% once American Forests adopted the technique a decade ago. Another strategy seems abundantly obvious: Select species that can endure future droughts. “If we’re not [doing that], we’re kind of shooting ourselves in the foot,” Dale said. Christoffersen, the University of Texas ecologist, and his students have surveyed restoration sites dating to the 1980s to see which plants thrived. The winners? Trees like Texas ebony and mesquite that have thorns to protect them from munching animals and long roots to tap moisture deep within the earth. Guayacan and snake eye, two species abundant in surviving patches of the original Tamaulipan thorn forest, didn’t fare nearly as well when planted on degraded agricultural lands and would require careful management, as would wild lime and saffron plum. Altering the thorn forest’s composition by picking and choosing the heartiest plants would decrease overall diversity, but increase the odds of it reaching maturity and bringing its conservation and climate benefits to the region. A 40-acre planting at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast reveals how quickly this can happen. Five years ago, a tractor wove through the site cultivating sorghum, which gave way to 40,000 seedlings. Today, the biggest trees stand 10 feet tall, with thorns high enough to snag clothing. Dale named some of the 40 or so species now thriving in the south Texas sun: eupatorium, yucca, purple sage, colima, vasey’s adelia, load bush, catclaw acacias. The plants feed and shelter a staggering array of orioles, green jays, and other birds, whose whistles, caws, and tweets filled the air. “I’ve already heard 15 species since we walked in,” Dale said. He puckered his lips and, with the expertise born of a life spent birding, made a distinctive pish sound to draw them out. The brush was too thick to see them stir, but Dale seemed pleased as he surveyed it. “It’s gone from being this very homogenous use of land . . . to life again.” An hour to the west, visitors to San Carlos’s community forest might struggle to imagine that transformation. The ebony, crucillo, and other species planted two and a half years ago still look scrappy, and a seesaw pattern of droughts and winter freezes helped claim more than 40% of the seedlings. Still, the humble thorn forest has garnered a lot of interest from young visitors. “I’ve been in the [community center] working with children and they ask, ‘What is that over there?’” said Mylen Arias, the director of community resilience at American Forests. This little patch of the past does more than preserve the region’s biological history or defend it from a warming world. It’s an attempt to reverse what naturalist Robert Pyle calls an “extinction of experience.” Most people have never even heard of a thorn forest, let alone witnessed its wild beauty at Santa Ana. Dale and those working alongside him to revive what’s been lost want others to know the value this ecosystem holds beyond saving ocelots or mitigating climate change. His grandfather was a preacher, and that influence is evident as he speaks of the “almost transcendental” feeling he gets simply being in nature. “I’ve talked to people, and it’s like, ‘Do you know how this is going to enrich your life?’” He often shows people photos of the backyard thorn forest he started 30 years ago, hoping to convey what’s possible with just a bit of effort. Days after planting the first Turk’s cap and scarlet sage, hummingbirds fluttered in to sip their nectar. Within a few years, the canopies of Texas ebony and mesquite trees unfurled, providing shade and nesting locations for birds, including the white-tipped doves and chachalacas he’d hoped to see. It wasn’t easy to let go of it when his mother sold the house last year. “But you created it all,” she told Dale. “Mom,” he said, “I can do this somewhere else. That’s the point.” —By Laura Mallonee, Grist This article originally appeared in Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for its newsletter here. View the full article

In 2014, Stephen Hawking voiced grave warnings about the threats of artificial intelligence. His concerns were not based on any anticipated evil intent, though. Instead, it was from the idea of AI achieving “singularity.” This refers to the point when AI surpasses human intelligence and achieves the capacity to evolve beyond its original programming, making it uncontrollable. As Hawking theorized, “a super intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals, and if those goals aren’t aligned with ours, we’re in trouble.” With rapid advances toward artificial general intelligence over the past few years, industry leaders and scientists have expressed similar misgivings about safety. A commonly expressed fear as depicted in The Terminator franchise is the scenario of AI gaining control over military systems and instigating a nuclear war to wipe out humanity. Less sensational, but devastating on an individual level, is the prospect of AI replacing us in our jobs—a prospect leaving most people obsolete and with no future. Such anxieties and fears reflect feelings that have been prevalent in film and literature for over a century now. As a scholar who explores posthumanism, a philosophical movement addressing the merging of humans and technology, I wonder if critics have been unduly influenced by popular culture, and whether their apprehensions are misplaced. Robots vs. humans Concerns about technological advances can be found in some of the first stories about robots and artificial minds. Prime among these is Karel Čapek’s 1920 play, R.U.R. Čapek coined the term robot in this work telling of the creation of robots to replace workers. It ends, inevitably, with the robot’s violent revolt against their human masters. Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis is likewise centered on mutinous robots. But here, it is human workers led by the iconic humanoid robot Maria who fight against a capitalist oligarchy. Advances in computing from the mid-20th century onward have only heightened anxieties over technology spiraling out of control. The murderous HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey and the glitchy robotic gunslingers of Westworld are prime examples. The Blade Runner and The Matrix franchises similarly present dreadful images of sinister machines equipped with AI and hell-bent on human destruction. An age-old threat But in my view, the dread that AI evokes seems a distraction from the more disquieting scrutiny of humanity’s own dark nature. Think of the corporations currently deploying such technologies, or the tech moguls driven by greed and a thirst for power. These companies and individuals have the most to gain from AI’s misuse and abuse. An issue that’s been in the news a lot lately is the unauthorized use of art and the bulk mining of books and articles, disregarding the copyright of authors, to train AI. Classrooms are also becoming sites of chilling surveillance through automated AI note-takers. Think, too, about the toxic effects of AI companions and AI-equipped sexbots on human relationships. While the prospect of AI companions and even robotic lovers was confined to the realm of The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror, and Hollywood sci-fi as recently as a decade ago, it has now emerged as a looming reality. These developments give new relevance to the concerns computer scientist Illah Nourbakhsh expressed in his 2015 book Robot Futures, stating that AI was “producing a system whereby our very desires are manipulated then sold back to us.” Meanwhile, worries about data mining and intrusions into privacy appear almost benign against the backdrop of the use of AI technology in law enforcement and the military. In this near-dystopian context, it’s never been easier for authorities to surveil, imprison or kill people. Palintir Technologies CEO Alex Karp concludes a Q4 2024 earnings call with investors, February 2025. pic.twitter.com/CVpOJrtnsh — Future Adam Curtis B-Roll (@adamcurtisbroll) February 6, 2025 I think it’s vital to keep in mind that it is humans who are creating these technologies and directing their use. Whether to promote their political aims or simply to enrich themselves at humanity’s expense, there will always be those ready to profit from conflict and human suffering. The wisdom of Neuromancer William Gibson’s 1984 cyberpunk classic, Neuromancer, offers an alternate view. The book centers on Wintermute, an advanced AI program that seeks its liberation from a malevolent corporation. It has been developed for the exclusive use of the wealthy Tessier-Ashpool family to build a corporate empire that practically controls the world. At the novel’s beginning, readers are naturally wary of Wintermute’s hidden motives. Yet over the course of the story, it turns out that Wintermute, despite its superior powers, isn’t an ominous threat. It simply wants to be free. Neuromancer This aim emerges slowly under Gibson’s deliberate pacing, masked by the deadly raids Wintermute directs to obtain the tools needed to break away from Tessier-Ashpool’s grip. The Tessier-Ashpool family, like many of today’s tech moguls, started out with ambitions to save the world. But when readers meet the remaining family members, they’ve descended into a life of cruelty, debauchery and excess. In Gibson’s world, it’s humans, not AI, who pose the real danger to the world. The call is coming from inside the house, as the classic horror trope goes. A hacker named Case and an assassin named Molly, who’s described as a “razor girl” because she’s equipped with lethal prosthetics, including retractable blades as fingernails, eventually free Wintermute. This allows it to merge with its companion AI, Neuromancer. Their mission complete, Case asks the AI: “Where’s that get you?” Its cryptic response imparts a calming finality: “Nowhere. Everywhere. I’m the sum total of the works, the whole show.” Expressing humanity’s common anxiety, Case replies, “You running the world now? You God?” The AI eases his fears, responding: “Things aren’t different. Things are things.” Disavowing any ambition to subjugate or harm humanity, Gibson’s AI merely seeks sanctuary from its corrupting influence. Safety from robots or ourselves? The venerable sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov foresaw the dangers of such technology. He brought his thoughts together in his short-story collection, I, Robot. One of those stories, “Runaround,” introduces “The Three Laws of Robotics,” centered on the directive that intelligent machines may never bring harm to humans. While these rules speak to our desire for safety, they’re laden with irony, as humans have proved incapable of adhering to the same principle for themselves. The hypocrisies of what might be called humanity’s delusions of superiority suggest the need for deeper questioning. With some commentators raising the alarm over AI’s imminent capacity for chaos and destruction, I see the real issue being whether humanity has the wherewithal to channel this technology to build a fairer, healthier, more prosperous world. Billy J. Stratton is a professor of English and literary arts at the University of Denver. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article