The AI boom is driving an explosive surge in computational demands and reshaping the landscape of technology, infrastructure, and innovation. One of the biggest barriers to widespread AI deployment today is access to power. Some estimates suggest AI-driven data centers now consume more electricity than entire nations. The World Economic Forum projects a doubling of energy use by data centers from 2024 to 2027, driven by the energy-intensive nature of AI workloads.
This surge in electricity demand is transforming the utilities industry and redefining how and where data centers are builtpower is no longer a given. In the U.S, electricity usage is growing for the first time in over a decade largely because of data center consumption. Meanwhile, big tech is even turning to nuclear power to fuel their long-term AI strategy, while data center builders are searching for land parcels in areas with excess power or resorting to building their own power infrastructure, often relying on natural gas generators.
ENTER QUANTUM COMPUTING
Quantum computers could be the key to reducing AIs rising energy consumption, offering a more efficient, scalable solution. Unlike traditional computers that evaluate one possibility at a time, quantum computers are designed to explore complex problem landscapes more efficiently, making them well-suited for tackling certain challenges that can be difficult, time-consuming, or costly for classical systems. This enables them to potentially provide solutions faster, at higher quality, and with greater efficiency. While AI excels at uncovering patterns and predictions, quantum computing identifies the most efficient solutions, making these two powerful technologies complementary. Quantum computers address problems that AI and classical methods struggle with, such as factoring large numbers and solving hard optimization challenges like vehicle routing and supply chain structuring.
Here are three ways quantum computing could help mitigate the expected disruptive impact of AIs rising computational demands:
Optimize data center placement and utility grid management
Quantum computing could be used to identify optimal data center locations based on power availability or assist utility companies in streamlining grid planning and management to support both consumer and data center needs. GE Vernova, a global energy company, is using quantum computers today to identify weaknesses in the power grid and optimize responses for potential attacks on the grid. E.ON, a European multinational electric utility company, is now using annealing quantum computing to explore energy grid stability.
Unlock opportunities for greater energy efficiency
Early research shows the potential for quantum computing to reduce the amount of computational power needed to run AI workflows. A breakthrough published in Science demonstrated that our D-Wave quantum computer solved a magnetic materials simulation problem in minutes using just 12 kilowatts of power. This task would have taken one of the worlds most powerful exascale supercomputers, a massively parallel GPU system, nearly one million years to solve, consuming more electricity than the world uses annually. Applying these quantum computing techniques to blockchain hashing and proof of work could also result in substantial enhancements to security and efficiency, potentially reducing electricity costs by up to a factor of 1,000. Quantum computers are very energy efficient and may soon perform complex computations like those needed for blockchain or AI at a fraction of the power required today.Some of the worlds largest supercomputing facilities are now actively exploring how GPUs and quantum processing units could work together to improve problem solving and reduce energy consumption. In February, Forschungszentrum Jülich, a leading supercomputing center in Germany, purchased an annealing quantum computer to integrate with the Jülich UNified Infrastructure for Quantum computing (JUNIQ). This integration is expected to enable JUNIQ to connect to the JUPITER exascale computer, potentially enabling breakthroughs in AI and quantum optimization. JUPITER is anticipated to surpass one quintillion calculations per second. This will likely be the worlds first pairing of an annealing quantum computer with an exascale supercomputer, providing a unique opportunity to observe the technologys impact on AI computational challenges.
Boost model efficiency and performance with quantum AI architectures
Early evidence suggests that annealing quantum computers can be integrated into quantum-hybrid AI workflows, which could potentially enhance model efficiency and performance. Japan Tobaccos (JT) pharmaceutical division recently conducted a project that involved using a quantum-hybrid AI workflow to generate new molecules. Using this hybrid approach, JT enhanced the quality of its AI drug development processes, demonstrating that the quantum AI workflow generated more valid molecules with better drug-like qualities compared to classical methods alone.TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator center, recently published a paper in npj quantum information demonstrating the first use of annealing quantum computing and deep generative AI to create novel simulation models for the next big upgrade of CERNs particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Colliderthe worlds largest particle accelerator. Traditional simulations of particle collisions are time-consuming and costly, often running on supercomputers for weeks or months. By merging quantum computing with advanced AI, the team was able to perform complex simulations more quickly, accurately and efficiently.
HOW TO ADDRESS AIS POWER DRAIN WITH QUANTUM INNOVATION
As AI adoption continues to accelerate, its insatiable demand for computational power is upending industries and straining global power resources. We need a better solution for addressing AIs power demands than simply adding more GPU clusters or building nuclear power plants. From optimizing energy grids and data center placemet to reducing GPU power consumption and enhancing AI model performance, annealing quantum computing offers a promising path forward. Tools like PyTorch plug-ins are even making it easy for developers to incorporate quantum into AI workflows to explore how the technology could address computational challenges. For business leaders navigating the energy-intensive AI era, adopting annealing quantum computing could unlock transformative efficiencies today and tomorrow.
Alan Baratz, PhD is CEO of D-Wave.
Snapchat rankled some of its most loyal (and heavy) users when it announced last week it will begin charging for storage plans for Memories, its version of a digital archive for Snaps and stories.
Even though the Santa Monica, California-based social media company promised that nothing will change for the vast majority of Snapchatters, who have less than 5 gigabytes (GB) of Memories, it will begin rolling out paid storage plans at a yet undisclosed date.
A Snapchat spokesperson told Fast Company that a 100 GB storage plan will cost $1.99 per month, with prices varying by market and local currency. The company also told TechCrunch that plans will range up to $15.99 per month, depending on the amount of data of Memories. The company indicated you could have thousands of Snaps saved before youre bumped into a paid plan.
But there is a work-around: You can download your data for free. Heres what you need to know if you want to download your Snapchat data.
How to save your Snapchat Memories
The popularity of the Memories feature, which was introduced by Snapchat in 2016, will now come at a cost. The company said that users have saved more than 1 trillion Memories since 2016, which is why its rolling out the storage plans.
Its never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it, but we hope the value we provide with Memories is worth the cost, the company said in a blog post last week.
While Snapchat will provide 12 months of temporary Memories storage for any Memories that exceed the 5GB storage limit, it hasnt specified when that free period will begin.
Thats why you may want to be proactive if you really want to hang onto some Memories and download them to your device now.
Luckily, thats really easily accomplished. After opening the Snapchat app, navigate to the Memories section, then choose select at the top of the page, and select up to 100 Memories at a time that you want to export. Then select a destination and tap download.
If you have more than 100 Memories, youll need to repeat this process.
How to save your Snapchat data
If you want to squirrel away more data than your Memories, Snapchat is required by laws in various jurisdictions to allow its users to download their personal datawhich is true of other social media platforms, as well.
If youve never downloaded this type of data in the past, a slight caveat: Depending on what information youre after and how active a Snapchatter youve been, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data at your disposal.
While you may opt for the kitchen sink approach and download everything you can, those files may include minutiae you dont care about (like your login and search histories), along with more sentimental information you likely do care about (like your Memories and saved chat history). The good news is, you can also select the specific categories of data you want to download.
Snapchat doesnt provide all of your information in a single neat filerather, youll receive a zip fileso youll want to be sure you have sufficient storage for the data.
Heres the step-by-step process to download whatever Snapchat data you fancy:
Open the Snapchat app, go to your profile and navigate to the settings icon
Scroll to select My Data
Select the specific you want to include in your data download
Specify a specific data range of data youd like to download or receive all available data
Confirm the email address where youd like to be notified
Click submit to officially submit your data request
Once your data is ready to be downloaded, youll receive an email from Snapchat with a link where you can access your information.
As the company notes, this process can take time to complete, which users report can range from several hours to several weeks.
Griping about Snap’s plan
What Snapchat is doing, in essence, is transferring the cost of storage over to users.
Download all those Memories onto your iPhone, for example, and that will just ratchet up the amount of data you have saved in your iCloud. Nearly two-thirds of Apple customers paid for iCloud storage in 2024, making it Apples most popular paid service, according to CIRP data.
But unlike some of its rivals, including Instagram and TikTok, Snapchat is testing the waters of whether its users are willing to pay for storing social media posts.
As people have lamented online, this may be the future of all social media platforms, or just another example of so-called subscription creep, in which were all paying for more and more subscriptions for things that once were free.
But no matter their gripe, some people see these sorts of moves by social media giants as an excuse to bail.
Now give me reasons why I should continue using Snapchat in 2025, one person wrote on Reddit. Oh wait, there arent any except my friends.
Added another user on a different subreddit: It would be a shame if we just deleted social media.
Former Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers learned all about technology’s volatile highs and lows as a veteran of the internet’s early boom days during the late 1990s and the ensuing meltdown that followed the mania.
And now he is seeing potential signs of the cycle repeating with another transformative technology as a whirlwind of investments and excitement about artificial intelligence has propelled the stock market to new highs.
Chambers took a similarly meteoric ride in his early days running Cisco, which had a market value of about $15 billion in 1995, when networking equipment suddenly became must-have components for the buildup of the internet. The feverish demand briefly turned the firm into the world’s most valuable company worth $550 billion in March 2000 before the investment bubble burst. The crash caused Cisco’s stock price to plunge more than 80% during a period that Chambers still recalls as the worst of his career.
Cisco bounced back to deliver consistent financial growth to help establish Chambers as one of Silicon Valley’s most respected leaders before he stepped down as CEO in 2015, but company’s stock price has never approached the peak it reached a quarter century ago.
While remaining Cisco’s chairman emeritus, Chambers is now as fascinated by the AI’s transformative powers as he once was by the internet revolution. Only this time he is advising CEOs as a venture capitalist investing in AI startups rather than running a company himself. Chambers, 76, recently discussed the promise and perils of the AI boom with The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: Does the current AI mania remind you of the internet boom of the 1990s?
A: Absolutely. There are a lot of parallels but there are also some spectacular differences. AI is moving at five times the speed and will produce three times the outcomes of the internet age. In the internet age, a startup would develop products for two years and then in year three, they would take that out into the market. Today, AI startups develop the product in a month and sometimes in a week, and then they bring it to market in one or two quarters.
In the internet age, there was an irrational exuberance on a really large scale. In this AI one, there is a lot of tremendous optimism that does indicate a future bubble for certain companies. Is there going to be train wreck? Yes, for those that arent able to translate the technology into a sustainable competitive advantage, how are you going to generate revenue after all the money you poured into it?
Q: Do you think AI is going to eliminate a lot of jobs?
A: It happened with the internet. The problem this time is that if I am right about AI moving at five times the speed of the internet, we are going to destroy jobs faster than we can replace them. Will we be able to replace them over time? Yes, but there is going to be a drought while we have to re-educate lots of people.
Q: Does that worry you?
A: Big time!
Q: What do we need to be doing to be prepared for this upheaval?
A: We need to change education. Entry-level jobs, both white and blue collar, are going to disappear fast. We are creating more productivity, but we have to create more jobs as well. If companies start making more money, they are either going to increase the dividend or invest in new areas. Hopefully, the majority will invest in new areas to create new jobs.
You will see successful companies expand and grow dramatically, but you are probably going to see 50% of the Fortune 500 companies disappear and 50% of the executives of the Fortune 500 disappear. They wont have the skills to adjust to this new innovation economy driven by AI because they were trained in silos they were trained to move at the speed of a five-year cycle as opposed to a 12-month cycle.
Q: Do you think this is one of the most uncertain times you have ever seen?
A: Its the most uncertain time on a global basis, ever. I would argue that this is the new normal. With the speed the market is moving at now, you have to be able to reinvent yourself, which most CEOs and business leaders dont know how to do, especially with AI.
Q: Whats your view of how Big Tech has been working with President Donald Trump during his second term in office?
A: Lets be realistic. Silicon Valley moved right, there shouldnt be any doubt. They did it for economic reasons. And practicality, they did it for their shareholders but also regulation was getting out of control. They werent able to grow and China was plainly beating us.
Q: How worried are you about China?
A: I think China has full intention to win at the U.S.s expense. In China, there are no rules, there is no intellectual property, there are no issues about misusing the power. They intend to blow past militarily, economically, and in every other way. I do not view them as a partner, I view them as a serious competitor on all fronts and someone I dont trust. I think over time people are going to recognize its in the U.S.s best interest and its in Chinas best interest for us to get along. So go out 10 years, and thats the most likely outcome. But I think the next five years are going to be really bumpy and dangerous. We should have no illusions that they intend to crush us.
Michael Liedtke, AP technology writer
With foot traffic down and Targets stock still slumping, Taylor Swifts new album release might be the shot in the arm the retailer needs.
Target may be in the crosshairs of the culture wars, but the brands relationship with Taylor Swift still stands in 2025. The release of The Life of a Showgirl again brings a suite of special editions to Target as exclusives, luring Swifties to spread their cash around to pick up their favorite variants. But between the retailers faltering reputation and a smorgasbord of album options, will Swifties take their business elsewhere?
Targets very bad 2025
In January, Target announced that it would abandon longstanding initiatives tied to diversity, equity and inclusion and stop participating in external surveys focused on diversity, like the Human Rights Campaigns Corporate Equality Index. The news came days after the White House called for a federal ban on DEI programs.
In March, Atlanta pastor Rev. Jamal Bryant called for a Target Fast to punish the company for turning its back on Black-owned businesses and Black consumers. When Target broke its promises to our community pledges made after the murder of George Floyd we acted, Bryant wrote on the TargetFast website. Our response was not rooted in cancel culture, but in moral clarity.
When Target didnt respond, what began as a limited 40-day boycott extended indefinitely, adding a call for the resignation of Targets CEO. Boycotts dont always end up hurting a companys bottom line, but Target has been feeling the pain well into 2025. Targets DEI retreat in 2025 compounded its previous decision to mute its Pride Month collection, which the company had sold for years. That decision, prompted by a conservative outcry backed by Republican lawmakers, alienated many LGBTQ customers who no longer consider the retailer a top choice when they shop.
Targets problems didnt begin this year the companys share price has slumped from its pandemic peaks and trended downward since. But the brands carefree, youthful image has definitely taken a hit from the extended boycott and foot traffic remains down, even through the normally busy back-to-school season. Targets CEO, who has led the company for more than a decade including through its now-distant boom times will depart at the beginning of next year.
The Life of a Showgirls many faces
The album, released at midnight on October 3, is available as a special limited run vinyl record at Target. The first and only pressing of the The Life of a Showgirl: The Crowd Is Your King edition is available at the retailer for $34.99. The limited edition Target version comes in pearlescent pink and light yellow (summertime spritz pink shimmer, for Swifties keeping track). The record is packed with a collectible double sided poster, new photos and a poem written by Taylor herself.
Swifties that find themselves bereft of a record player can opt instead for three Target exclusive CD versions of the album (Its Beautiful, Its Frightening and Its Rapturous) each with a special poster and unique album art for $14.99.
Image via Target
At Target, every album release is a chance to celebrate with our guests, Targets Senior Vice President of Merchandising Cassandra Jones said in the companys pre-sale announcement. Taylor Swifts The Life of a Showgirl is already the years biggest music moment, and were giving fans even more reasons to get excited. From exclusive vinyl and CD editions available only at Target to midnight releases and curated music experiences in our stores, were proud to be a destination where fans can discover, connect and take home something truly special.
Target isnt the only option for Swift fans hunting for special vinyl, but it might be the only choice left for fans who missed the pre-order windows. Dyed-in-the-wool Swifties likely already pre-ordered the red or white variants of the Tiny Bubbles in Champagne Vinyl Collection directly or the lovely bouquet golden vinyl or lakeside beach blue sparkle vinyl variants, which sold out quickly through Swifts online store. The Life of a Showgirl: The Shiny Bug Vinyl Collection featuring special violet shimmer marbled vinyl and wintergreen and onyx marbled vinyl similarly sold out quickly, and is naturally all over resale websites at marked up prices.
Taylor Swift speaks out
Swift has broken her historical reluctance to wade into political and cultural issues in recent years. She unequivocally denounced President Trump in his first term for stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism during the protests over the murder of George Floyd, throwing the weight of her Swiftieverse behind voting him out of office. In late 2024, she backed Kamala Harris in the vice presidents last minute run, encouraging her fans to register to vote and make their own informed choices.
Im voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them, Swift wrote in an Instagram post. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a womans right to her own body for decades. Swift signed off as a childless cat lady, a dig at JD Vance.
While Swifts politics dont square with Targets retreat on LGBTQ and racial justice issues, her deal with the company is nothing new. Swift has been selling exclusives through Target since at least 2008, when the retailer offered a unique collectible poster version of her album Fearless. For The Death of a Showgirl, Swift even devoted some of her prime Instagram real estate to a Target ad that depicts the star directing an awkward version of herself on set, tossing glitter at a giant sparkly pink vinyl record while almost falling over.
Swift isnt alone: Artists including Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar have promoted their own Target vinyl exclusives since the cultural fallout around the company began. Olivia Rodrigo, boygenius, Harry Styles, Lana Del Ray and many other musicians have sold their own unique vinyl exclusives through the retailer in recent years.
Last year, Target carried an exclusive phantom clear vinyl pressing of Swifts release, The Tortured Poets Department, which the company said broke its record for the largest music pre-order in its history. Over the years, Target has offered at least 13 unique versions of Taylor Swifts albums, counting The Life of a Showgirl. While Swifts ongoing Target deal might not sit well with many Swifties given the companys recent direction, only time and sales numbers will tell if the allure of that sparkly, pink record proves too much to resist.
The idea of meditating can be intimidating. Beginners may imagine sitting uncomfortably in silence while breathing deeply and scrubbing all thoughts from their minds. The prospect of trying those techniques at work may feel embarrassing.
But there are ways to bring short, inconspicuous sessions into the workday if you want to see if meditation can help you deal with challenging customers or reduce anxiety while preparing for a presentation. And experienced practitioners say there’s no right or wrong way to do it.
Meditation is quite easy, as a matter of fact. I think theres a stigma around it, that you have to be in complete silence, and you have to have some room setup, or do some chanting, or some serious breathing, said Michelle Beyer, a wellness coach who owns the Brooklyn womens gym Alana Life & Fitness. Theres one-minute meditations you can do to make yourself feel great. Nobody will even know youre doing them.”
While there are different meditation techniques, many traditions encourage focusing on breathing to help calm the mind. When thoughts pop up, imagine letting them go. Practitioners say meditating before or at work helps them maintain focus, sit still and reduce stress.
There is a calm that I am definitely missing when I have forgotten to do it for a few days, said Brianna Healy, who meditates for 10 minutes daily before starting her job as assistant director of strategic initiatives and data solutions at Naropa University, a college in Boulder, Colorado, that is inspired by Buddhist principles. I can always tell the difference in my demeanor.”
If you feel pressed for time, try fitting meditation sessions into breaks. You can set a timer and focus on breathing while sitting at a desk, in a restroom, inside a vehicle or outside, Beyer said.
Here are some easy mini-meditations to try out on the job.
A pre-work pause
Commuters can consider getting to work a little early and taking a pause in their cars or a quiet location to decompress from getting out the door and to your destination, said Kathryn Remati, a meditation teacher and author of Befriend Yourself. If you only have a minute or two, that’s still enough time to try Remati’s instructions for a quick reset.
Close your eyes and take a long, slow, deep breath to fill your tummy and lungs with air, she said. Hold the breath for a second, and then slowly breathe out like you’re blowing out a candle. “Youll immediately feel a shift and youll feel like a human again, Remati said.
While repeating that process, consider setting a positive intention, or goal, for the day. Instead of focusing on a to-do list, think about how you want behave towards others, she said. Some intention examples are, Today Im going to be productive, but Im also going to a good listener or I want to have a positive attitude, she said.
Picture your bliss
Visualization is another technique that experienced meditators use. Picture yourself succeeding at the challenges youll encounter that day. If theres an upcoming deadline, envision yourself finishing the task 10 minutes early. Jumping for joy. Get specific like a movie director and imagine the colors in the room or the feeling of wind on your face, Remati said.
Throughout the day, you can bring up that image anytime you need it to refocus, she said.
You can also use visualization to reframe your perspective on colleagues or clients. A technique Remati recommends putting into practice before meetings may seem quirky: Envision a white light over the meeting room’s doorway that showers the people entering with brightness. Remati says it may help you imagine them in a better light. You can even put some sort of pink bubble around people,” she added.
Body scan
Another short meditation that can be done almost anywhere involves breathing deeply and mentally scanning your body for sensations, a technique popularized in the U.S. by mindfulness practitioner Jon Kabat-Zinn. Depending on your location and comfort level, you can keep your eyes open or closed.
Inhale through the nose and out through the mouth. Start with your feet and work your way up, noticing any areas with pain, tightness, tingling, warmth or other sensations. Think about relaxing the muscles of any spots where there’s tension.
Youre intentionally scanning your body, Beyer said. Youre thinking about, how do your feet feel in your shoes? How do your ankles feel? Knees, hips, ribs, shoulders, neck, head, and by the time you know it, you checked in with every part of your body.”
Finger and thumb
Another discreet meditation technique is breathing deeply and joining your pointer finger to your thumb to form a circle. You can do this if you feel your stress level rising. Say to yourself, whenever I put my finger and thumb together, I will be able to be peaceful and open-minded, Remati said.
If you’re in a meeting and start to feel resentful or left out, you can do it under the table, and no one will know, she added. Remati does this herself if she notices she’s becoming judgmental or short-tempered. You just do the finger and thumb, take a nice deep breath, get grounded, and then get back into the meeting and feeling positive, she said.
Inhaling in and humming out
One of Beyer’s favorite techniques is best done when there aren’t a lot of people nearby. Truck drivers can do it in traffic. You inhale, and then when you’re breathing out, you hum with your lips closed, she said.
It’s going to immediately take down stress levels in the body and even in the mind, Beyer said. When you inhale and you focus on humming, then your brain is focused on that, not the what ifs’ or the worries that like to take over when we feel stressed.
If you feel self-conscious about humming in a quiet office, you can step outside or head to a noisier place.
Shoulder and jaw release
The shoulder and jaw release technique also may help relax the bodies of train passengers or drivers or stuck in traffic, Beyer said. To start, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Repeat that, and then on the third exhale, roll your shoulders back. Inhale a fourth time and then on the next exhale relax your tongue and jaw, Byer said. Finally, inhale again, bring your attention to your hands and just let them hang heavy, she said. Then breathe in and out a sixth time.
Mantras and affirmations
Another technique Remati encourages is saying mantras or affirmations, which are positive statements or slogans you repeat to yourself. You can write them down and say them in your head or out loud while breathing deeply, before a meeting or at any point throughout the day.
Some phrases you might say: I am calm.” Deep breath. I am confident. Deep breath. “I am ready for success, Remati suggested. I speak my truth. I am patient. I am here for the highest good of all.
___
Send your workplace questions and story ideas to cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow APs Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well.
Cathy Bussewitz, Associated Press
Apple has taken down an app that uses crowdsourcing to flag sightings of U.S. immigration agents after coming under pressure from the Trump administration.
ICEBlock, a free iPhone-only app that lets users anonymously report and monitor activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, was no longer available on Apple’s App Store as of Friday. The developer had confirmed its removal on Thursday evening.
We just received a message from Apples App Review that #ICEBlock has been removed from the App Store due to objectionable content’, ICEBlock said in a social media post. The only thing we can imagine is this is due to pressure from the Trump Admin. We have responded and well fight this!”
The developer said last month that it had more than 1 million users. Even though it has been removed from the app marketplace, those who have already downloaded the app should still be able to use it.
The Associated Press reached out to ICEBlock for further comments on Friday.
Apple said it removed apps like ICEBlock due to the potential for risks that were raised by law enforcement.
We created the App Store to be a safe and trusted place to discover apps,” the company said in a statement. Based on information weve received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi confirmed that her office had reached out to Apple on Thursday, demanding that they remove ICEBlock from their App Store.” In a statement sent to The Associated Press, she claimed that ICEBlock was designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs.
Officials said last month that a gunman who opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas had searched for apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents.
Bondi has previously said that crowdsourced apps that allow people to communicate about the location of law enforcement officers are not allowed, specifically referring to ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron in a July interview on Fox News.
We are looking at him and he better watch out because thats not a protected speech, Bondi said at the time.
But advocates say that tracking ICE activity is a form of free speech protected by the First amendment. They maintain that such platforms are primarily used among individuals looking to protect themselves from surprise raids or potential harassment from immigration officials.
Downloads of apps like ICEblock have surged as the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement.
ICEBlock and other crowdsourcing apps like it are being targeted, but crowdsourced technology has become common in the app store, and is still available through other apps.
Navigation apps like Waze or Google Maps for Android phones have been in use for years. Part of their draw is that users are alerted to police speed traps by other drivers. Users of those apps have suggested they can be used to post updates about icy conditions.
Waze and Google Maps have not been targeted by U.S. officials.
Artificial intelligence is doing more than just automating workflows in 2025: Its dismantling the very idea of education. Once seen as one-time achievements, a bachelors degree, a professional certificate, or an annual corporate training session, are no longer guarantees of relevance in a world where knowledge ages almost as quickly as technology itself.
Nearly half of talent development leaders surveyed in LinkedIns 2025 Workplace Learning Report say they see a skills crisis, with organizations under pressure to equip employees for both present and future roles through dynamic skill-building, particularly in AI and generative AI. Likewise, the AI in education market that includes K12, higher education and corporate training is projected to grow to between $32.27 billion by 2030 and $127.2 billion by 2035, driven by a surge in demand for personalized learning in workforce-aligned corporate skills training and scalable edtech solutions.
Were seeing skills become obsolete in two to three years instead of decades. Demand on our platform shows professionals know learning cant stop at graduation in an AI-driven world, says Hugo Sarrazin, CEO of Udemy, one of the worlds largest online learning platforms. He predicts that universities will increasingly serve as launchpads, awarding degrees alongside lifelong digital memberships. Think of it like Netflix, but for education, he says.
Sarrazin says that every minute, roughly five to eight people sign up for an AI course on the platform. According to Udemys 2026 Global Learning and Skills Trends Report, AI-related enrollments have surged fivefold in the past year, surpassing 11 million globally. The study also found rising interest in AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot, underscoring a strong demand for practical AI proficiency.
That surge has likely bolstered Udemys market growth, with the company reporting $199.9 million in revenue for the second quarter of 2025, a 3% increase from a year earlier.
Companies are realizing employees who can use AI fluidly while thinking critically about its risks, outputs, and impacts will drive the biggest business gains. Were seeing budgets shift from annual training events to continuous, integrated skill-building happening in daily workflows, helping employees learn skills precisely when theyre needed, Sarrazin says.
Skill fitness and adaptability in the AI era
Sarrazin describes this shift as the dawn of the skill fitness era, where learning becomes akin to working out: AI fluency is strength, critical thinking is cardio, and communication is flexibility. Education is no longer a stopover, but a lifelong regimen.
In fitness, you dont go to the gym once and then declare yourself fit for life. But, thats how we have traditionally approached learning, he says.
But skills only stick when theyre exercised in contextAI is enabling this kind of practice at scale.
Udemys AI Role Play, launched in May of this yaer, enables employees to rehearse real-world scenarios such as negotiation, feedback conversations, or conflict resolution through AI-driven simulations. I anticipate in the coming year, the use case of play and test runs using AI will explode, going beyond conversations to action, Sarrazin says.
Gen Z, poised to dominate the workforce, recognizes that in an AI-saturated world, its real advantage is adaptability. According to Udemys Gen Z in the Workplace report, 84% of Gen Z professionals now prioritize developing adaptive skills such as decision-making, communication, and critical thinking over purely technical training.
Gen Z grew up with technology that evolved constantly, Sarrazin says. Theyre becoming the first generation thats truly AI-native while remaining distinctly human-centered.
Cautious integration for a responsible future
While AI integrations are set to make learning easier, experts caution that it is critical to separate genuine progress from marketing noise.
While the technology holds great promise for improving education quality, its full impact is still being measured, says Shai Reshef, education expert and president of University of the People. Responsible institutions must ensure that claims are backed by real evidence and that their deployment actually benefits students globally, especially those turning to online options out of necessity.
He added that while personalization through AI is a powerful opportunity, it also carries risks of isolation and bias. If the underlying datasets within AI-powered education systems are flawed, or if algorithms reinforce existing inequalities, the technology might amplify problems instead of solving them.
Kavitta Ghai, CEO of Nectir, echoed the concern, noting that a single poorly designed AI-powered education rollout can spark headlines about AI hurting learning, even though the reality is more nuanced.
Its all about how responsibly institutions deploy and maintain it, Ghai says. The responsible path is running controlled pilots, measuring outcomes, and iterating. She also notes that while AI tools have made it easier to gain workforce and technical skills, formal education and degrees still play a critical role in developing strong fundamentals and depth of expertise.The real danger is that students and professionals might stop learning how to recognize what good work looks like. Without that foundation, they cant judge quality or innovate, she says. The real opportunity is to use AI as a Socratic tutor; guiding individuals through mistakes, not doing the work for them. Thats what keeps critical thinking alive in an AI-first world.
That perspective underscores a deeper truth: education might soon become less about consuming content and more about cultivating culture. Organizations and universities will need to treat learning as a shared value, a collective discipline that keeps pace with technological change.
Like electricity or the internet, I believe AI will become an invisible infrastructure. You wont think about using AI to learn, because learning will simply be AI-enhanced by default, says Sarrazin. Rather than competing, AI and universities will complement one another, helping learners build skills in a format that works best for their unique needs.
Hopes for a quick end to the government shutdown were fading Friday as Republicans and Democrats dug in for a prolonged fight and President Donald Trump readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government.
Senators were headed back to the Capitol for another vote on government funding on the third day of the shutdown, but there has been no sign of any real progress toward ending their standoff. Democrats are demanding that Congress extend health care benefits, while Republicans are trying to wear them down with day after day of voting on a House-passed bill that would reopen the government temporarily, mostly at current spending levels.
I dont know how many times youre going to give them a chance to vote no, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at a news conference Friday. He added that he would give Democratic senators the weekend to think it over.
Although Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, the Senate’s filibuster rules make it necessary for the government funding legislation to gain support from at least 60 of the 100 senators. That’s given Democrats a rare opportunity to use their 47 Senate seats to hold out in exchange for policy concessions. The party has chosen to rally on the issue of health care, believing it could be key to their path back to power in Washington.
Their primary demand is that Congress extend tax credits that were boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic for health care plans offered under the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Standing on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said, Understand this, over the last few days and over the next few days, what youre going to see is more than 20 million Americans experience dramatically increased health care premiums, co-pays and deductibles because of the Republican unwillingness to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
The shutdown gamble
Democrats are running the high-risk strategy of effectively voting for a government shutdown to make their stand. Trump has vowed to make it as painful as possible for them.
The Republican president has called the government funding lapse an unprecedented opportunity to make vast cuts to federal agencies and potentially lay off federal workers, rather than the typical practice of furloughing them. White House budget director Russ Vought has already announced that he is withholding billions of dollars for infrastructure projects in states with Democratic senators.
On Friday morning, Vought said he would withhold another $2.1 billion for Chicago infrastructure projects to extend its train system to the city’s South Side.
Jeffries has displayed no signs of budging under those threats.
The cruelty that they might unleash on everyday Americans using the pretense of a shutdown is only going to backfire against them, he said during an interview with The Associated Press and other outlets at the Capitol.
Still, the shutdown, no matter how long it lasts, could have far-reaching effects on the economy. Roughly 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, and they could lose out on $400 million in daily wages. That loss in wages until after the government reopens could drive down wider demand for goods and services.
“All around the country right now, real pain is being endured by real people because the Democrats have decided to play politics,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday.
Who will take the blame?
The American public usually spreads the blame around to both major political parties when it comes to a government shutdown. While Trump took a significant portion of the blame during the last partial government shutdown in 2018 as he demanded funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, this standoff could end differently because now it is Democrats making the policy demands.
Still, lawmakers were relentlessly trying to make their case to the American public with a constant beat of news conferences, social media videos and livestreams. Congressional leaders have been especially active.
Both sides expressed confidence that the other would ultimately be found at fault. And in the House, party leaders seemed to be moving farther apart rather than closer to making a deal to end the shutdown.
Jeffries on Thursday called for a permanent extension to the ACA tax credits. Meanwhile, Johnson and Thune told reporters that they would not negotiate on the tax credits until the government is reopened.
Talks in the Senate
A few senators have engaged in bipartisan talks about launching negotiations on extending the ACA tax credits for one year while the Senate votes to reopen the government for several weeks. But those discussions are in their early stages and appear to have little involvement from leadership.
As senators prepared for their last scheduled vote for the week on Friday, they appeared resigned to allow the shutdown to continue at least into next week. Thune said that if the vote failed, he would give them the weekend to think about it before holding more votes.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, in a floor speech, called for Republicans to work with her and fellow Democrats to find common ground on the ACA subsidies, saying their expiration would impact plenty of people in states with GOP senators especially in rural areas where farmers, ranchers and small business owners purchase their own health insurance.
Unfortunately, right now our Republican colleagues are not working with us to find a bipartisan agreement to prevent the government shutdown and address the health care crisis, she said. We know that even hen they float ideas which we surely do appreciate in the end the president appears to make the call.
Stephen Groves and Matt Brown, Associated Press
Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Joey Cappelletti contributed.
On Monday evening at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York Citys last-standing mayoral candidatesZohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwatook the stage to address their plans to meet the needs of Black women in New York should they take on the role.
New Yorks mayoral election has captured global attention, with an international audience deeply invested in the outcome after newcomer and current state Assembly member Mamdani beat former Gov. Cuomo as the Democratic nominee in June.
Noticeably absent was the city’s current mayor, Eric Adams. The forum took place on the heels of Adams dropping his bid for mayoral reelection just one day prior, bringing renewed interest in the battle to win the hearts of New Yorkersor at least their votes.
The event was organized by The Links Inc., an international service nonprofit for African American women; the Higher Heights Leadership Fund; the National Action Network; the National Urban League; and the New York Urban League, and it took place at the Apollo Stages at the Victoria, where it was open to the public.
The importance of our voices in todays world is crucial,” said Jamila Beckford, president of the Greater Bronx chapter of The Links.
The group tapped NY1 news anchor Cheryl Wills to interview each mayoral candidate on how they intended to address various issues that are uniquely experienced by Black womenparticularly topics related to healthcare, domestic violence, entrepreneurial efforts, and the workforce.
Interestingly, the forum was devoid of face-to-face contact between the candidates: They were individually brought before the audience to participate in a series of 20-minute-long interviews.
[Photo: Courtesy of Shahar Azran for the Apollo]
On housing
Housing insecurity is a major challenge experienced by Black women. When asked about his plans to secure safe and affordable housing, Sliwa suggested opening the 8,000 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments that are currently unoccupiedan idea Wills was quick to shut down, pointing out how the empty apartments are dilapidated and therefore unhabitable.
Sliwa replied by stating that he would devise plans for New Yorkers to become homeowners, particularly for apartments they had resided in for years.
I think I know what can be done, and the fiscal limitations for what cant be done, he said.
Mamdani, whose mayoral campaign has championed a rent freeze for two million New Yorkers living in rent-stabilized apartments, reiterated these plans and points to how such a tactic would impact Black families. The previous mayoral admin did it three times, he said. We know its a question of political will.
He added that affordability isnt just about tenants, but landlords and homeowners, pointing to the issue of deed thefts and his plans to protect homeowners.
Cuomos solution was to build more housing, though Wills clarified that new housing was usually priced at market rate
What we are doing now is destroying historically Black communities with gentrifiers, where people have to move out because they are being priced out of their neighborhoods, Cuomo said.
[Photo: Courtesy of Shahar Azran for The Apollo]
On the workplace and leadership
Wills pressed each candidate about their take on the attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies by the Trump administration, as well as the purging of government jobs, which, among other factors, has reportedly led to an exodus of 300,000 Black women from the U.S. workforce.
A concern for many in the room was the visibility of Black women in senior leadership positions. Mamdani, often critical of Eric Adamss tenure as mayor, made a positive observation about his former opponent’s staff: His leadership team looks like the city.
When we speak about the necessity of excellence and diversity and a team that looks like the city that it serves, that its intentional, Mamdani added.
Emphasizing the need for vocational school and training, Sliwa said, Obviously, qualified Black women have to be prioritized. Theyre raising families for a future generation.
Wills rebutted by mentioning that many Black women are highly educated beyond vocational school.
As for Cuomo, he stressed that his administration would look like New York City.
I believe deeply in the power of Black women, he said. In response to a question about widening pay gaps between white men and Black women, he insisted that lawsuits were the answer.
[Photo: Courtesy of Shahar Azran for The Apollo]
On mental health
Wills mentioned that domestic and intimate partner violence against women are especially high among Black women.
When asked what he would do to protect this vulnerable population, Sliwa stated that sending social workers is not the answeran apparent dig at Mamdani, who has previously shared this strategy as part of his public safety plans.
You team up police with social workersif a man is continually abusive, he has to be out of the house, he has to go through therapy, Sliwa said, citing his experience as founder of the Guardian Angels.
The volunteer-based organization enlists people to defend against crime on the city’s public transit system and, most recently, perform wellness checks on homeless people.
Mamdani, in his response, stated plainly, One of my primary responsibilities is to uplift the existing agendas.
The Trump administrations deliberate takedown of DEI efforts and its subsequent impact on the Black community was a charged topic, and one that the candidates appeared aligned on pushing back against.
When asked how he would deal with Trumps attempts to meddle in local politics, Mamdani said, I would remind them who I work for, which is the people of New York City.
Cuomo, who has dealt with Trumps many threats during his prior tenure as New York State governor, said Let him come with his demands, and well say hell no, we won’t go.
New York’s mayoral election is on November 4. Most polls show Mamdani in the lead by a significant margin.
Hello there, and welcome once again to Fast Companys Plugged In.
For something that continues to suck up so much of the worlds attention, social networking has not exactly been a font of wild innovation in recent years. Its big names are all up there in years and showing their age: Facebook is 21, Twitter is 19. Instagram is 15, Snapchat is 14. Newer entrants, such as BeReal, rarely live up to their early great expectations. Even Bluesky, where many of us have found a home after fleeing the Elon Muskified version of Twitter, isnt growing at its old clip.
So I was intrigued when two new social networking experiences debuted in rapid succession in late September: Metas Vibes and OpenAIs Sora. Thanks to the fact that both focus on letting people share AI-generated imagery, they compete directly with each other. But their all-AI format also sets them apart from existing social networks, where generative AI is most often a distraction from human contact, not the main attraction.
Personally, I like the idea of AI being cordoned off into its own social app. Most examples of the technology showing up in other social feeds have a dystopian tinge, from Twitters Grok bot going full Hitler to the maudlin deepfakes that have recently become an unwelcome element of my Facebook time. (For some reason, Paul McCartney stars in many of the newest onesin one instance shown dolefully strumming a guitar at Charlie Kirks funeral.) Plenty of my friends get downright surly when they encounter AI on their feeds; to avoid making them unhappy, I have gone cold turkey on sharing it.
Isolated in its own apps, however, AI imagery only gets exposed to people who want to see it. And everyone who does see it will understand that its syntheticor so I hope.
While I was waiting to snag an invite code for the Sora appa requirement to try it at the momentI dived into Vibes, which is not an app unto itself. Instead, its an element of the Meta AI app, which also includes a general-purpose chatbot and serves as a companion for the Meta-powered smart glasses from Ray-Ban and Oakley. Meta is billing Vibes as an early preview and says additional personalization and creation tools are in the works.
In its debut incarnation, Vibes doesnt do all that much. You can enter prompts to create brief AI videos, add music, and then post them to the Vibes feed (or Instagram or Facebookalthough I kind of hope you wont). A Discover feed lets you flip through clips posted by other users, TikTok style, and theres a remix option that enables you to modify those clips and reshare them.
I cheerfully admit that I found thumbing my way through Vibes mildly entertaining in a hypnotic, untaxing way. Ultimately, though, it felt a little like snacking on Chex Mixunrelenting sameness, packaged as variety. Little about the videos I saw felt like an expression of individual creativity: I lost track of the number of buttery-smooth tracking shots of obsessively detailed, Pixar-esque orange monsters I saw. The image-generating algorithmsnot the humans typing the promptsare the stars here.
Which brings us back to Sora. Its biggest differentiator from Vibes is that you can create a cameo digitized version of yourself and make it the main character of your AI clips. You can also make your cameo available for incorporation into your friends videos, or even ones credited by the entire Sora community. Moreover, cameos and other characters in Sora videos talk; in Vibes, audio is limited to music you pick from its library.
Once I got into Sora, it took only a minute or two of exposure to realize that the experience it offers is vastly richer than Vibes. Its clips arent just demos of what the technology can dotheyre wacky 10-second mini-movies, sometimes with multiple shots, that occasionally provoked me to literally LOL. Thanks to cameos and OpenAIs decision to allow depiction of copyrighted property unless its owners explicitly request otherwise, the cast of characters is dazzling: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Pikachu, SpongeBob, JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., Betty White, Mister Rogers, and several tech journalists of my acquaintance all made multiple appearances in my feed.
Just in its first few days, Sora seems to have spawned a billion memes, such as a dog being pulled over for speeding, that users riff on by remixing them. In remixes I saw, the driver was a fish, a cow, a giraffe, and Dora the Explorer. No equivalent kindling of community-based humor seemed to be going on over at Vibes.
In other words, Sora feels far more like a killer app with a truly social angle than Vibes. Its hard to imagine that Metawhich turned imitating (and sometimes improving upon) Snapchat into Instagrams entire modus operandiisnt working furiously on similar functionality. But even if it catches up, OpenAI got there first. Which means that it also has to worry about its app causing problems that the current, more anodyne Vibes probably wont.
To its credit, OpenAI has clearly done a lot of thinking on that topic. When I signed into Sora for the first time, I got a full-screen disclaimer: You are about to enter a creative world of AI-generated content. Some videos may depict people you recognize, but the actions and events shown are not real. I wasnt able to create videos of living celebritiesI tried Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunnyexcept for Altman, who created a cameo of himself and set it to allow open usage. Some baseline of good taste is being imposed: My attempt to create a clip of my own cameo punching out people resulted in an odd effect where the blows didnt quite land.
The most worrisome misuse of Sora might involve it being used as a tool for deepfake-assisted bullying. OpenAI says its putting limits on teenagers use of the app, including tighter rules for cameo appearances. You can even see other peoples unpublished draft videos if they depict your cameo, a pretty important measure given that its possible to download Sora videos for use elsewhere without ever posting them in the app. (They carry Sora watermarks, indicating their provenance and fictional nature.)
No matter how hard OpenAI works to keep Sora healthy, its tough to imagine there wont be instances of users with bad intent successfully jumping over its guardrails. Sora-generated slop could also overwhelm other social networks where AI is less welcome. Or maybe the app will simply grow tiresome once its novelty has worn off.
For now, Sora is easily the most interesting consumer product that OpenAI has come up with since ChatGPT. More significantly, its the rare new social network that feels like it might have legs. Im @harrymccracken thereand hope it remains a silly ingredient in my social-media diet for the foreeeable future.
Youve been reading Plugged In, Fast Companys weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to youor if you’re reading it on FastCompany.comyou can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard.
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