Google has introduced a new feature called Scheduled Actions in its Gemini AI, designed to automate routine tasks by allowing users to schedule them at specific times or on a recurring basis. This update is now available for users on Android, iOS, and the web who have Google AI Pro or Ultra subscriptions, as well as select Google Workspace business and education plans. Scheduled Actions enable users to streamline daily activities by instructing Gemini to perform tasks automatically without the need for manual input each time. Typical uses include receiving daily calendar summaries, weather updates with outfit suggestions based on a user’s wardrobe, weekly restaurant recommendations, blog idea prompts, or timely summaries of events such as award shows. Users can have up to ten active Scheduled Actions running concurrently, with each action executing within an hour of the programmed time. Managing these scheduled tasks is straightforward. On mobile devices, users tap their profile picture and navigate to the Scheduled Actions section, while the web interface offers more advanced controls such as renaming tasks, editing prompts, and setting frequencies—daily, weekly, or monthly. The aim is to help users stay organized and productive by having Gemini proactively handle personalized and recurring queries. This rollout aligns with Google's broader strategy to make its AI offerings more intelligent, personalized, and integrated across platforms, reflecting CEO Sundar Pichai’s vision shared at the recent I/O developer conference. Scheduled Actions represent a significant step towards enhancing user interaction with AI, making everyday tasks simpler and more efficient through automation.

6/30/2025, 6:31:00 AM

A notable study led by Professors Pattie Maes and Cynthia Breazeal, both recognized as global leaders in media technology and human-computer interaction, investigated how students’ brains respond when using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist with essay writing, in comparison to writing essays without AI assistance. The research took place at MIT’s renowned Media Lab, where Maes leads the Fluid Interfaces group, focusing on augmenting human cognition and learning through technology, and Breazeal directs the Personal Robots group, known for pioneering work in social robotics and AI. Their collaborative study sought to shed light on the cognitive and neural implications of integrating AI into educational workflows. Using advanced neuroimaging and behavioral observation techniques, the study tracked students as they composed essays, measuring brain activity, engagement levels, and learning outcomes. Preliminary findings suggest that using AI as a writing aid may alter how students process information, possibly reducing cognitive load in some tasks but also potentially affecting creativity or intrinsic motivation. The study’s design provides a unique opportunity to understand how AI influences not just the end product—the essay—but also the mental processes and emotional responses that underpin student learning. The implications of this research are broad, touching on educational best practices, the future of AI-assisted learning, and the ethical considerations of technology integration in classrooms. By exploring both the benefits and potential drawbacks, Professors Maes and Breazeal aim to inform educators and policymakers about how to thoughtfully incorporate AI into academic environments, ensuring that technology enhances rather than diminishes the learning experience. <br /> <br /> This study also aligns with ongoing work at the Media Lab that investigates how generative AI and social robots can foster positive emotions, motivation, and engagement in educational settings. The team continues to explore innovative applications for AI, such as generating engaging characters for educational role-playing or providing supportive AI peers, all while considering the ethical and practical implications. The ultimate goal is to leverage technology to enrich learning, while empowering both students and educators to benefit from new possibilities in the digital age.

6/30/2025, 6:27:00 AM

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has issued a cautionary message to users about the potential pitfalls of over-reliance on ChatGPT, the widely used AI language model developed by his company. During a recent episode of the OpenAI podcast, Altman expressed surprise at the high degree of trust people place in ChatGPT, despite its well-documented tendency to "hallucinate." In AI terminology, hallucination refers to the phenomenon where the model generates information that sounds confident and plausible but is actually false or fabricated. This is not merely a minor error; such fabricated responses can deceive users by appearing accurate, especially as the AI strives to fulfill user prompts even when it lacks factual data. Altman emphasized that while ChatGPT is remarkably useful and has become integrated into many facets of daily life—from assisting with mental health support to drafting emails—it remains technology that users should approach with caution. He warned against blind acceptance of AI outputs, particularly in critical areas like healthcare, legal advice, and education, where inaccuracies could have serious consequences. Despite its conversational fluency and speed, ChatGPT's hallucinatory nature highlights the importance of maintaining critical thinking and verifying information from trusted sources. This frank admission from the CEO himself underscores a paradox at the heart of AI’s increasing role: people are eager to trust and utilize these tools, yet the technology still harbors significant limitations. Altman's remarks serve as a timely reminder that while AI can augment human tasks effectively, skepticism and careful supervision remain essential to avoid misinformation and potentially harmful reliance on these systems.

6/30/2025, 6:25:00 AM

The hottest new collaboration in Silicon Valley brings together OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and legendary Apple designer Jony Ive, known for shaping iconic products like the iPhone and Mac. On May 21, 2025, they officially launched a new venture called "io," born from a two-year partnership within the design collective LoveFrom. This company aims to create a revolutionary family of AI-powered hardware and software that fundamentally redefines human-computer interaction. Their vision is to build AI-native devices from the ground up, signaling a shift beyond traditional apps to integral AI embodiment in physical products. OpenAI’s acquisition of io for around $6.4 billion—the largest in OpenAI’s history—ushers Jony Ive into leading design and creative efforts at OpenAI. The io team includes engineers, scientists, and creatives from OpenAI, LoveFrom, and other top labs, and functions as an independent department within OpenAI. Sam Altman has expressed high enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating that the prototype devices Ive has developed are among the coolest technology the world will have seen. These devices are expected to push current limits, possibly challenging the capabilities of laptops with AI-enhanced functionality. This partnership marks a strategic move for OpenAI to own more of the AI delivery stack—from models to hardware to user interfaces—contrasting with competitors like Google or Meta that depend on existing hardware ecosystems. It also poses a competitive challenge to Apple, which is still formulating its AI device strategy. The first series of io’s AI-integrated products is anticipated to launch in 2026, potentially igniting a new platform race centered on the physical manifestation of AI technology.

6/30/2025, 6:14:00 AM

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has emphasized the transformative role AI is playing in the tech industry, particularly within Salesforce, where AI now handles 30% to 50% of the work. This marks a significant shift as the company leverages AI to automate tasks that were traditionally done by human employees, including customer service, engineering, coding, and support functions. Benioff highlighted that Salesforce’s AI systems are achieving around 93% accuracy in customer interactions, even for large clients such as Disney. This level of performance underscores AI’s growing reliability and impact in business operations. Benioff refers to this shift as a "digital labor revolution" with a staggering economic potential estimated between $3 trillion and $12 trillion. While acknowledging the efficiency gains AI offers, he stresses that it is up to CEOs to ensure these technological changes align with ethical values and responsible management. Despite laying off over a thousand employees in 2025, Salesforce continues to hire, particularly for roles focused on selling and supporting AI technologies like its Agentforce platform, which builds AI agents to handle customer queries effectively. Benioff also uses AI personally, for example, in crafting his annual business plan, reflecting how AI is integrated even at the highest levels of leadership. His remarks come amid a broader industry trend where major tech corporations are adopting AI to boost productivity and reduce costs. However, this rapid adoption also raises concerns about job displacement and the need for workers to adapt to new, higher-value tasks as AI takes over routine activities. Overall, Benioff’s stance illustrates both the promise and challenges of AI reshaping the future of work and the tech workforce. <br /> <br /> This perspective is crucial as companies navigate AI’s dual role: enhancing productivity and reshaping the labor market, pushing leaders to balance innovation with social responsibility.

6/29/2025, 6:20:00 AM

Gen Z is fundamentally changing how career growth and success are perceived in the workforce. Unlike previous generations who typically focused on climbing the corporate ladder—step-by-step progression through hierarchical ranks—Gen Z is building "launchpads" that emphasize launching diverse career opportunities and skills development rather than traditional upward mobility. This shift reflects broader changes in values, priorities, and the evolving workplace environment. Primarily, Gen Z values work-life integration over strict work-life balance, prioritizing flexibility such as remote work and non-traditional schedules. They seek purpose-driven employment, where their work aligns with personal values and societal impact rather than just monetary rewards. This generation is highly focused on continuous learning and skill acquisition. In fact, 70% of Gen Z report actively developing new skills weekly, both during and outside of work hours, driven by the need to remain adaptable in a rapidly changing world dominated by technology such as generative AI. Gen AI introduces both opportunities and anxieties, with many Gen Z workers concerned about job displacement but also recognizing the importance of acquiring AI-related skills to future-proof their careers. Beyond technical skills, they emphasize soft skills like empathy and leadership as essential for growth. Financial security, meaningful work, and well-being are interconnected pillars influencing their career decisions, with many feeling financially insecure yet highly valuing purpose in their jobs. For leaders and organizations, this means redesigning traditional models of career growth—moving away from rigid ladders toward flexible, dynamic launchpads that support continuous development, well-being, and evolving worker expectations. Companies that fail to adapt risk losing top Gen Z talent in today’s fluid job market where two-thirds plan to switch roles in the near term. Embracing this new mindset is critical to thriving in a world of constant change and innovation. <br /> <br /> In essence, Gen Z’s approach to work is less about climbing fixed ladders and more about constructing personalized launchpads that propel them in multiple directions. Leaders must respond by creating environments that support this holistic, flexible view of career advancement.

6/29/2025, 6:16:00 AM

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) now performs between 30% and 50% of the company’s workload. This milestone marks a significant shift in how Salesforce operates internally, with AI handling critical functions such as software engineering, customer service, analytics, marketing, and branding. According to Benioff, this adoption of AI is driving a "digital labor revolution" that is transforming productivity and fundamentally changing the enterprise labor model. This increase in AI-driven work has allowed Salesforce to reduce new hiring needs while simultaneously boosting overall efficiency. The company is deploying what it calls "Agent Force," a platform of autonomous digital agents—essentially digital employees—that can work around the clock without supervision. Benioff highlighted the rapid growth of this initiative, noting that over 5,000 customers are already using Agent Force technology, and Salesforce aims to reach one billion active AI agents by the end of the year. The implications for the workforce are profound. By automating routine and repetitive tasks, AI frees employees to focus on higher-value activities, reshaping job roles and business models. However, this shift also raises concerns about the future of jobs, especially for entry-level white-collar roles. Earlier this year, Salesforce reorganized its workforce, including layoffs, as part of its transition to AI-centric operations. Benioff describes agentic AI as a new labor, productivity, and economic model that can help companies—especially small and medium businesses—scale operations efficiently. With labor shortages predicted to worsen globally, AI offers a way to meet demand without increasing headcount, ultimately changing how businesses compete and innovate in the digital age. <br /> <br /> This AI-driven transformation in Salesforce exemplifies a broader trend across industries, where automation is reshaping the workforce, enhancing productivity, and redefining traditional business models.

6/29/2025, 6:00:00 AM

Job postings mentioning generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) have soared significantly across several European countries in the year leading up to March 2025. This sharp rise reflects a growing integration of AI technologies into diverse industries, signaling that AI-related roles are becoming increasingly vital within the workforce. Ireland stands out as a leader in this trend, with over 0.7% of its job postings including GenAI-related terms, marking a 204% increase and more than tripling in just one year. Major European economies have witnessed the share of GenAI job postings more than double during this period, aligning with global patterns seen in North America and Australia. GenAI jobs cover a wide range of responsibilities such as developing AI features, managing AI systems, and leveraging AI to improve business processes like data analysis, report summarization, and content creation. Sectors experiencing the most substantial AI-driven hiring include data analytics, scientific research, and software development, where AI tools are increasingly enhancing or automating skills traditionally held by humans. Despite this rapid growth, experts emphasize that human intelligence remains indispensable in the workplace. Roles that require strategic thinking, ethical judgment, creativity, and nuanced decision-making still rely heavily on human expertise. Moreover, emerging AI-driven roles such as Chief AI Officers and AI Ethicists highlight the importance of integrating AI responsibly, ensuring compliance with regulations, and addressing ethical concerns. In conclusion, while generative AI is shaping the future of work and opening new career pathways across Europe, human intelligence continues to be a vital complement to AI technologies, underscoring a collaborative rather than a replacement relationship between humans and machines in the evolving job market.<br /> <br />

6/29/2025, 5:31:53 AM

The company is experiencing significant sales growth from its largest client, the U.S. government, demonstrating robust demand and expanding business opportunities in this sector. In the first quarter, the company’s U.S. commercial segment revenue soared by 71%, reaching $244 million. Simultaneously, its revenue from the U.S. government segment increased by 45%, totaling $373 million. This strong performance highlights the pivotal role that government contracts and commercial sales play in the company's overall financial health. The surge in the commercial segment suggests successful penetration and expansion in markets outside government contracting, while the impressive growth in government revenue reflects increasing reliance on the company by federal agencies. Industry trends indicate that government contracting faces new challenges and shifts, such as tighter budgets, evolving regulatory frameworks, and a preference for more fixed-price contracts that transfer financial risk to contractors. Despite these pressures, the company’s ability to boost government segment revenue by nearly half signals effective adaptation and competitive positioning. Looking ahead, government contractors must navigate an environment marked by changing administration policies and fiscal discipline initiatives. The introduction of entities like the Department of Government Efficiency is expected to influence budgeting and procurement sharply, pushing contractors to enhance financial and operational rigor. With the company’s strong first-quarter results, it appears well-positioned to capitalize on these trends and sustain growth through strategic alignment with government needs and continued commercial expansion. This dual growth trajectory positions the company favorably in both government and commercial arenas amidst a dynamic contracting landscape.

6/28/2025, 6:15:00 AM

American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) is a leading financial services firm primarily focused on processing payments and issuing credit cards. Its revenue model centers on earning fees from two key sources: cardholders and merchants. American Express operates a “spend-centric” business model designed to increase the volume of transactions on its cards by offering special incentives, benefits, and loyalty programs that encourage customer spending. This model helps drive transaction growth, which is a principal revenue generator for the company. From cardholders, American Express collects revenue through various fees including annual membership fees, interest charges on outstanding credit balances, and conversion fees. These fees are a significant component of the company’s income stream, especially given its focus on affluent individuals and businesses who often carry premium card products with higher fee structures. From merchants, American Express earns what is known as discount revenue. This comes from fees charged to merchants each time a customer uses an American Express card for payment. Unlike some other networks, American Express is unique in maintaining direct relationships with both cardholders and merchants, operating a “closed loop” system that allows for seamless transaction processing and richer data insights. Additionally, American Express generates revenue from ancillary services such as travel bookings, insurance, and co-branded partnerships with airlines, hotels, and other businesses. This diversified portfolio supports its strong position in the premium credit card market and helps sustain its revenue streams. Overall, American Express’s integrated payments platform and focus on premium consumer and commercial clients enable it to consistently earn revenue by facilitating transactions and offering valuable financial products and services to both cardholders and merchant partners.<br /> <br />This dual-sided business approach, enhanced by differentiated membership benefits and strategic partnerships, positions American Express as a robust player in the financial services industry.

6/28/2025, 5:59:00 AM

In a recent interview, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stressed that the true measure of artificial intelligence (AI) lies not in impressive demonstrations but in its capacity to address tangible, real-world problems. Nadella highlighted that while AI technologies often captivate attention through demos and showcases, their lasting impact must come from solving everyday challenges and improving practical outcomes across industries. Nadella also pointed out that the real difficulty with AI adoption is not the technology itself but the transformation it demands in how people work. He explained that AI changes workflows fundamentally, requiring new ways of collaboration and job roles to emerge. For example, Microsoft has seen AI reshape job scopes, blending traditional roles such as product design, front-end engineering, and product management into broader, more integrated roles—like the "full-stack builder." This evolution signifies a shift in how teams are structured and how work is coordinated in an AI-enhanced environment. Furthermore, Nadella emphasized the need for organizations to rethink management layers and team dynamics to accommodate AI’s capabilities effectively. He mentioned Microsoft’s strategic moves to reduce middle management and increase the proportion of technical staff to better leverage AI in projects, reflecting the broader industry trend toward AI-driven productivity gains. Ultimately, Nadella envisions AI as a tool that augments human potential rather than replacing it, requiring both technological innovation and thoughtful change management. The CEO’s perspective underscores that success in AI lies in practical applications that make a meaningful difference in people’s work and lives, beyond the allure of cutting-edge demos.

6/28/2025, 5:47:20 AM

Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing has received a $474,227 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its new initiative titled “Industry-Linked Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Pathways for Computer Programmers.” This grant, awarded on June 17, 2025, will support the development of a comprehensive associate degree and a one-year certificate program aimed at expanding access to education in AI and machine learning technologies for students across Atlantic and Cape May counties.<br /><br /> The project is designed to build upon the college’s existing Computer Programming Associate of Applied Science degree by creating and implementing four new courses. These courses will focus on machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and AI ethics. Introduced progressively, the curriculum will start with foundational AI concepts in the first year and advance to specialized topics in the second year, preparing students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.<br /><br /> A key component of the program includes a final capstone project where students will partner with local industries, enabling them to apply what they have learned in real-world scenarios. Their work will be displayed at an annual exposition, fostering community engagement and industry collaboration.<br /><br /> The initiative is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Bojan Zilovic along with Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Otto Hernandez and Michele Togashi. The grant funding will cover the project through June 30, 2028, reflecting NSF’s commitment to advancing the AI workforce by supporting technical education at community colleges and developing skilled professionals ready to meet the growing demands in AI and machine learning fields.

6/28/2025, 5:30:00 AM

In 2025, data engineers face a rapidly evolving landscape driven by AI advancements, demanding mastery of cutting-edge tools and essential skills to optimize data pipelines, enable automation, and maintain a competitive edge in the AI era. Core programming languages like Python and SQL remain foundational, as they enable effective data manipulation, querying, and integration with AI workflows. Proficiency in these languages is considered low effort with high industry usage, making them indispensable starting points for data engineers. Modern data engineering heavily relies on powerful workflow orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow, an open-source platform renowned for automating complex data workflows with robust scheduling and monitoring features. Airflow supports scalability and is backed by an active developer community, though it requires some familiarity with Python. Complementing this are cloud-based platforms like Databricks, which unify data engineering and machine learning operations on a scalable infrastructure, and Snowflake, a cloud data warehouse celebrated for speed, scalability, and ease of use with diverse data types. Automation and real-time data processing have become central to data engineering. Tools like Fivetran and Airbyte provide managed ETL/ELT pipelines with pre-built connectors, simplifying data ingestion from multiple sources with minimal coding. For streaming data, Apache Kafka stands out as a critical technology for event-driven architectures, enabling low-latency processing of vast data streams, essential for feeding AI models or powering live dashboards. Additionally, AI-powered assistants and automation platforms integrate increasingly into data engineering workflows, helping with everything from coding support to data pipeline management. Staying proficient with these evolving tools, combined with strong fundamentals in programming and cloud technologies, equips data engineers to design efficient, scalable, and automated data pipelines that meet the demands of the AI-first future.

6/27/2025, 6:22:00 AM

SoftBank's founder and CEO Masayoshi Son has signaled a significant leadership shift at the company alongside unveiling ambitious plans centered on artificial intelligence (AI). Emphasizing AI as a transformative force for humanity, Son has championed bold investments and projects to position SoftBank at the forefront of this technological revolution. Earlier this year, SoftBank made headlines by investing $30 billion in OpenAI, marking the largest private tech deal ever and underscoring its commitment to scaling AI innovation globally. This move aligns with SoftBank’s broader Stargate initiative, a colossal joint venture backed by SoftBank, OpenAI, and other investors, which aims to invest over $500 billion in AI-focused data centers across the United States. Furthermore, Son has outlined plans for SoftBank to invest potentially up to $1 trillion to develop AI-powered robot factories designed to tackle labor shortages in the U.S.<br /> <br /> Alongside these forward-looking AI strategies, SoftBank continues to expand its footprint in emerging markets, particularly India. The firm has invested more than $10 billion in Indian startups, including notable names such as Paytm, Swiggy, Ola Electric, and FirstCry. These investments reflect SoftBank's confidence in the robust growth potential of India’s technology and consumer sectors. The company's evolving leadership structure, which includes fresh appointments effective June 2025, supports this dual focus on innovation and global expansion. Masayoshi Son’s vision and strategic direction signal a new era for SoftBank as it pushes aggressively into AI while strengthening its influence in high-growth markets like India.

6/27/2025, 6:21:00 AM

Mesa County is launching a one-year pilot project that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) into its Community Development Department to accelerate the processing of development applications. This initiative aims to improve efficiencies and reduce the turnaround time for staff responsible for reviewing and approving permits. By leveraging AI technologies, the county hopes to streamline workflows, minimize delays, and enhance the overall experience for applicants and employees alike. The pilot project was approved by the Mesa County Board of Commissioners during a recent public hearing. It reflects the county’s commitment to adopting innovative solutions to meet increasing demand and improve government services. AI tools are expected to assist in automating routine tasks such as data analysis, application screening, and compliance checks, allowing staff to focus on more complex decision-making processes. This approach aligns with broader trends in the region, where AI and digital transformation are becoming key drivers of growth and efficiency. Mesa County’s step towards AI integration mirrors the increasing use of advanced technologies in various sectors, contributing to faster, data-driven public administration. The trial will be carefully monitored to evaluate its impact on service delivery and identify opportunities for further expansion. If successful, the AI implementation could become a standard part of Mesa County’s operations, positioning it as a forward-thinking community that embraces technology to benefit its residents and businesses. This project marks a significant evolution in how local governments can harness AI to improve development processes and foster economic growth.

6/27/2025, 6:15:00 AM