Layoffs. Corporate restructuring. Leadership changes. New market strategy. Chances are that youll go through at least one significant company upheaval in your career (if not more than one). Employees are expected to adapt quickly, often with little support.�
While you may not be able to prevent internal changes, you can be preparedand protect yourself.�
Get clarification on your job responsibilities
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One of the biggest impacts on your day-to-day might be changes in your job responsibilities. As soon as possible, youll want to discuss any changes with your boss. Ask directly, Do I have any new responsibilities? and How will my performance be evaluated now?
Get the information in writing, if you can, even if its just a follow-up email you send after a discussion with your boss that says: Based on our conversation, I understand that my role now includes X, Y, and Z.
You dont want responsibility changes to be overlooked or misunderstood, and you dont want the changes to negatively impact promotions or future raises simply because no one fully understands your role. Provide regular updates to your boss about how youre handling your new responsibilities, and share any wins.
Additionally, make sure your boss is aware of any concerns you may have. For example, you may not have been given proper training to make you successful with your new responsibilities. If something is unclear, raising concerns early shows you want to ensure youre meeting expectations.
Know your boundaries
Do more with less has become the default expectation. You might quickly find yourself overwhelmed if youre working with a smaller team, a smaller budget, or a major strategy pivot.�
Its much harder to set boundaries if you accept additional work initially and then try to walk it back later. When faced with upheaval and asked to do more, you can say, Yes, I can take this on. Which of my other responsibilities should I de-prioritize?
You can also mentally set a boundary around the number of hours youre willing to work. If youre asked to go above that, its time to push back. You could say, Im at capacity this week. Can this wait until next week?
Remember that loyalty is often not reciprocal
Significant changes need clear direction. A companys leadership team should communicate why the changes were necessary and how the company expects to benefit. If that doesnt happen, its a red flag. The changes might result in more problemsor cant save the company from a downward spiral.�
Keep your guard up. Look for signs that the company might be in deeper trouble, such as undergoing frequent leadership turnover, having an unclear strategy, or experiencing a lack of communication.�
Change is hard and takes time to have an impact. But if it feels like things arent going well, keep your r�sum� updated and your LinkedIn profile polished. Make sure you have an exit plan, even if youre not ready to leave immediately.
The company will always protect its interests first. You should do the same.
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When we talk about decarbonizing industries, footwear doesnt often steal the spotlight. Yet behind every pair of sneakers or boots is a complex web of supply chains, raw materials, energy consumption, and logistics. While our shoes leave physical footprints, they also leave behind a much larger, often invisible carbon and waste footprint.
The footwear industry is estimated to be responsible for hundreds of millions of metric tons of COe emissions each yearthats more than the emissions of some entire countries. And its a sector undergoing massive transformation, fueled by a perfect storm of shifting regulation, growing consumer demand for transparency, and the urgent need to build climate resilience into business models.
Whats exciting is that were finally starting to see momentum from both sides of the decarbonization equation: radical innovation and operational rigor.
The innovation track: Rethink how shoes are made
Innovation in footwear manufacturing has typically been focused on performance and aesthetics alone, but thats evolving. Today, some of the most forward-thinking brands are applying that same creative energy to impact, tackling not just how to build better shoes for us but also how to build them better for the planet.
A powerful example of this is On. The brands new LightSpray technology uses a world-first process that eliminates the traditional cut-and-sew approach to constructing shoe uppers. It reduces waste, energy, and materials, and, crucially, carbon. Using prospective life cycle assessment (LCA)a highly scientific process that calculates the future environmental impact of a product or technology (based on projected data and scenarios)it was found that LightSpray has the potential to reduce production emissions by about 75% compared to traditional techniques.
So, what can we learn? This breakthrough matters not just for the brand itself, but for the entire industry. Globally, around 23.9 billion pairs of shoes are produced each year, and the majority of them still rely on traditional methods that contribute both to emissions and waste throughout the supply chain. Beyond footwear, whats most notable isnt just the numberits the willingness to build sustainability into innovation at the R&D phase, not as a post-launch add-on. Thats a shift in mindset that every industry can learn from.
The infrastructure track: Build out data and processes that make change possible
While innovation grabs headlines, what often moves the needle at scale is what happens behind the scenes. Infrastructure supports measurement, monitoring, and decision making. In footwear, where the indirect Scope 3 emissions coming from a companys entire supply chain typically account for up to 90% of total footprint, the need for accurate, granular data is critical.
Thats where brands like Axel Arigato are leading: not by launching one breakthrough product, but by laying the groundwork to reduce emissions across their entire value chain. Axel Arigato recently calculated its full corporate carbon footprint in addition to LCAs for over 270 of its products. This gives the brand visibility to identify impact hotspots and tools to make science-backed reductionsproduct by product, shipment by shipment, and decision by decision. The work enabled the brand to dive deep into understanding the impact of its products and business to a level of detail they have never gone into before. We have always strived to produce products that are less impactful on the environment, and we can now confidently measure this and communicate about it to our consumers, says Albin Johansson, CEO of Axel Arigato.
This kind of backbone work isnt all that flashy, but it is essential. Having a baseline understanding of the status quo enables all kinds of companies to move from ambition to action, and to do so in a way thats resilient to legal requirements like reporting, investor pressure, and consumers shifting their expectations. It can even help provide the confidence to communicate impact publicly, in a world where green claims are heavily scrutinized
Taking a step beyond footwear
The race to decarbonize isnt exclusive to footwear or the wider fashion industry. But it does cast a revealing lens thanks to its material-intensive, design-driven, and deeply globalized nature. With footwear revenue projected to surpass $472 billion by 2028 and sustainable footwear alone expected to nearly double to $18.25 billion by 2034, the stakesand opportunitieshave never been higher.
Crucially, the industry is showing us what it looks like when innovation and infrastructure finally work together. Because, with net zero targets and legal requirements looming, one without the other isnt enough anymore.
A revolutionary new process cant scale responsibly without solid measurement and validation. Just like a robust data system doesnt drive progress unless its tied to product and design decisions. The future depends on both, and the businesses that are most future-proof are the ones willing to run down this dual track. So, whether youre in footwear or finance, the lesson here is clear: Lower impact is not about sticking to one strategy for reduction. Its a system-wide transformation that calls for imagination, precision, and bold partnership.
Now, progress increasingly means fewer promises and more proof. And the sooner this double-edged strategy is scaled across industries, the better for our planet.
Namrata Sandhu is founder and CEO of Vaayu.
Todays U.S. farmers and agricultural businesses are navigating a complex landscape, with unique near-term and long-term challenges that include intensified global competition, record trade deficits, rising costs, and more frequent and extreme weather events.
These challenges have created economic instability across the entire agriculture sector with U.S. row crop farmer net income remaining persistently low for the third straight year. Estimates from the University of Illinois show that corn and soybean farmers could face a net loss of between $50 and $70 per acre this growing season. On top of this, global acreage has leveled off at 2.3 billion acres and the average yield for corn and soybeans has also slowed.
This uncertainty affects not only those who grow our food but also reverberates throughout the entire food system, threatening the stability we all depend on. Its clear that our sector must get off unpredictable commodity rollercoaster and create a more predictable future for farm families, agricultural businesses, consumers, and communities.
Drawing on Land OLakes, Inc.s 104 years of experience as a cooperative, we have learned that collaboration is crucial for bringing stability and predictability to the food and agriculture sectors. The ag community represents only around 1% of the population but, by working together, we can capture efficiencies and reinvest in innovation, expand market opportunities, and support the communities and local businesses that are essential to our nations food supply.
Become a student of the game
At Land OLakes we have a saying that Our success starts with our member-owners success. What this means is that our decisions and investments must be made with our cooperative owners in mind. This mantra has never been more important than today when external factors are pressuring our bottom lines and muddying the decision-making process.
In agriculture, were seeing pressure on the supply side as a result of global trade dynamics, a reduction in demand due to dips in commodity prices, and a rising cost to serve. All of which results in a tightening of margins up and down the food value chain.
To be clear, these challenges are hardly unique to our sector, and I see the remedy as equally universal. Business leaders must double down on being students of the game, keeping a pulse on market dynamics and geo-political developments to stay on offense. And its not enough to simply insulate your own business, we must think more collaboratively to identify solutions that serve partners up and down our value chains.
Inject predictability into our food system
To address the pressures facing American farmers, we must move beyond traditional methods and invest in modern technologies and data-driven solutions that provide detailed plans down to the acre and animal, help minimize risk to inject predictability into farm operations. By creating standardized, reliable, and secure datasets, the industry can provide insights that help farmers respond to environmental and market challenges, manage supply chains, and track production volumes with unprecedented precision.
As I look across this sector, Im especially inspired by how Keystone Cooperative is working to drive predictability. This Indianapolis-based cooperative is using precise, field-level data to help growers respond to seasonal challenges and maximize their ROI by applying the right crop protection products at the right time and in a precise location.
For Land OLakes, data is the cornerstone of our innovation strategy. Through the WinField United Innovation Center, a leading agricultural applied research facility, we collect and analyze roughly six million data points annually to help farmers increase production, improve efficiency and optimize resource use. Those insights are then being delivered in a manner that reduces the risk farmers face each day. This includes low-interest financing, prescription programs with a performance warranty, and an AI assistant that provides real-time solutions to problems farmers encounter throughout the growing season.
The power of the cooperative mindset
In an era where traditional business models often prioritize short-term profits over long-term resilience, the cooperative model offers a compelling alternative. We like to say our capital is patient, meaning we can take a longer-term point of viewconsidering future generations as much as quarterly performance.
With a reach that touches 50% of the U.S. harvested acres, over 100 million animals daily, and 13 billion pounds of milk per year, the Land OLakes cooperative system also demonstrates the strength of collaboration and shared purpose. By working together with established business leaders that have earned local trust and demonstrated the ability to drive change, we can strengthen the economic prosperity of our shared businesses and communities.
The cooperative structure also fosters unique partnerships between stakeholders within and outside the agriculture sector. Theres a deeper level of commitment to shared success that shows up in business initiatives and community building alike. For instance, Land OLakes is collaborating with CentraCare to help establish the University of Minnesota CentraCare Regional Campus where medical students receive education, training, and career development opportunities in rural communities where local medical services are desperately needed.
Going forward
As we look ahead, I want to challenge other organizations to adopt this collaborative approach. Think externally and selflessly. Think long term. Think evolution. Even if youre operating outside of the cooperative framework, this mindset can help solve the challenges we all face, enhance economic performance and uplift the communities we serve.
Brett Bruggeman is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Land OLakes, Inc.
The last six months have been a strange, exhilarating time for crypto. First, there was the so-called Trump effecta surge in crypto prices and on-chain activity triggered by the then president-elects vocal support of crypto. Then came the viral Hawk Tuah meme, which somehow alchemized into a crypto memecoin that rocketed in value, pulled headlines, and emptied wallets in equal measure.
For many first-time crypto users, these moments were their gateway into the blockchain. Wallets were downloaded. Tokens were swapped. Twitter (now X) feeds were flooded with strange new lingo: HODL, degen, DYOR. It was a wild ride. For most newcomers, the experience probably felt like trying to join a conversation in a foreign language while riding a rollercoaster.
As the leader of a nonprofit dedicated to educating everyday Americans about crypto, I welcome this influx of interest. Crypto, at its best, can democratize financial access, create transparency, and offer new tools for digital empowerment. But hype cycles also bring risk: not just of financial loss, but of alienation and misunderstanding. Its time we decouple the signal from the noise.
Crypto isnt just for brosand it never was
Lets start by busting one of cryptos most persistent stereotypes: that its just for young, wealthy finance bros chasing dreams of Lamborghini sports cars (aka Lambos) and going to the moon. Sure, that subculture existsjust like it does in day trading and sports betting. But cryptos roots are far more diverse.
Earlier this year, we conducted one of the largest-ever studies of crypto holders in America. We found that almost one third (31%) are women, and more are over the age of 55 (15%) than under 25 (11%). Nearly as many crypto users work in construction (12%) as do in technology (14%)far more than those working in finance (7%)and many do not belong to higher income brackets, with roughly a quarter (26%) of crypto-owning households earning less than $75,000/year.
The stereotype is outdated and, frankly, dangerous. It discourages thoughtful newcomers from participating and lets bad actors hide behind a smokescreen of memes and cartoonish masculinity. The future of crypto will be shaped by everyday Americans, not caricatures.
Decode the lingo, stay for the mission
Dont let the lingo intimidate you. You dont need to speak crypto fluently to participatejust like you dont need to know what “https” means to send an email. But to new users feeling overwhelmed by the language of crypto, heres a quick translation guide to get started:
HODL: Originally a typo for hold, it means holding on to your crypto for dear life and resisting the urge to sell in volatile markets. Its become a philosophy for long-term belief in a projects value.�
Degen: Short for degenerate, it describes high-risk traders chasing fast gains in often unvetted projects. Its part joke, part warning.�
Memecoin: A token built around a joke or cultural moment like Dogecoin or the recent Hawk Tuah coin. Some are created in jest, others are tapping into legitimate community-driven goals. Think of these as digital collectibles, like Pokemon cards.�
Tips for crypto newbies
Start small, stay curious: The best way to learn is by doing. Treat your first crypto transaction like your first gym sessionyoure here to learn the ropes, not break a record. �
Use reputable platforms: Avoid buying coins just because theyre trending on TikTok. Stick to exchanges and wallets with strong reputations, transparent policies, and educational resources.�
Do your own research: Known as DYOR in the crypto world, do your own research and lean on trusted sources. Unfortunately like any industry, there is risk of scams or fraud with crypto. Rule of thumb: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.��
Beyond the buzz
Cryptos potential isnt defined by celebrity endorsements or trending memes. It lies in what happens beyond the hype: freedom to exchange value directly, without back-office delays or middlemen taking control. Transparent governance and extra layers of privacy. True ownership and accessibility of your digital identity and assets.
Regardless of what piqued your interest in crypto or when, welcome. Youre right on time. The memes may fade, but cryptos promise is here to stay.
Stu Alderoty is president of the National Cryptocurrency Association.
In any language, silence sounds just about the same. It carries a thunderous kick, though, when it comes from Duolingo, the worlds most popular language-learning app, and its famously irreverent social media presence.
Facing heavy backlash online after unveiling its new AI-first policy, Duolingo went dark over the weekend on the social media channels where it cultivated an enormous following with quirky posts. The company even took down all of its posts on TikTok and Instagram, where it has 6.7 million and 4.1 million followers, respectively, after both accounts were flooded with negative feedback. After days of silence, on Tuesday the company posted a bizarre video message on TikTok and Instagram whose meaning is hard to decipher.
Duolingo had been riding high before CEO Luis von Ahn announced on LinkedIn that the company is phasing out human contractors, looking for AI use in hiring and in performance reviews, and that headcount will only be given if a team cannot automate more of their work. The company ended 2024 with $748 million in revenue, up 41% year over year, and it had more than 116 million monthly active users and 9.5 million paying subscribers as of March. The previous month, the company had executed its most successful social media campaign ever, with the death (by Cybertruck) of the brands mascot, Duo the owl, and his eventual resurrection two weeks later. Duolingo has had such a tremendous yearwith its stock near an all-time high, closing at $526 per share on Tuesdaythat it recently raised its sales forecast for 2025. But that was before the backlash.
Duolingo previously faced criticism for quietly laying off 10% of its contractor base and introducing some AI features in late 2023, but it barely went beyond a semi-viral post on Reddit. Now that Duolingo is cutting out all its human contractors whose work can technically be done by AI, and relying on more AI-generated language lessons, the response is far more pronounced. Although earlier TikTok videos are not currently visible, a Fast Company article from May 12 captured a flavor of the reaction:
The top comments on virtually every recent post have nothing to do with the video or the companyand everything to do with the companys embrace of AI. For example, a Duolingo TikTok video jumping on board the Mama, may I have a cookie trend saw replies like Mama, may I have real people running the company (with 69,000 likes) and How about NO ai, keep your employees. Another video that tied into the How to Train Your Dragon character Hiccup brought comments like Was firing all your employees and replacing them with AI also a hiccup?
This weekend Duolingo expunged all its videos and photos on TikTok and Instagram, and ceased putting out new content on all other channels.
Lets just say were experimenting with silence, a spokesperson for Duolingo told Fast Company over email. Sometimes, the best way to make noise is to disappear first.
If that last line sounds like a cryptic Don Draperism, it recalls one of the more famous pieces of advice from Mad Men: If you dont like what is being said, change the conversation. Over the past several days, the silence made it seem like Duolingo was gearing up for another of its signature viral stunts. Sure enough, on Tuesday, one arrived.
@duolingo DUOLINGO WAS NEVER FUNNY. WE WERE. original sound – Duolingo
Duolingos first video drop in days has the degraded, stuttering feel of a Max Headroom video made by the hackers at Anonymous. In it, a supposed member of the companys social team appears in a three-eyed Duo mask and black hoodie to complain about the corporate overlords ruining the empire the heroic social media crew built. Everything came crashing down after one single post about AI, our interlocutor says, a winking nod to the cause of the backlash.
The problem, however, wasnt one single post about AI, but the companys policies around AI. If the problem were just a cute post that went sideways, it could be solved with another cute post. But this is something Duolingo cant cute-post its way out of.
Its the double-edged sword of a company becoming famous for its fun, massively popular social media presence: When social media turns on you, its a lot more noticeable. Creating a kooky, personality-driven brand identity online has zero downside until the moment a company must respond to an actual backlash in the exact same digital town square where it conducted all that brand-building business. Now Duolingo has thrust itself into what looks like a cant-win double-bind, whereby posting through it might seem callous and tone-deaf, but addressing the controversy seriously would be a jarring disruption that plays like it was filmed at gunpoint.
Wendys, which kind of pioneered the unhinged corporate brand account in the early 2010s, faced a similar dilemma last year. When the company appeared to float the idea of implementing surge pricing on its burgers, fans revolted on social media. Some responded to typically cheeky Wendys posts by mocking the brands attempt to harness internet humor at a time when the internet was mad at that brand. In that case, Wendys quickly denied plans to implement surge pricing, and disgruntled fans moved on nearly as quickly. Duolingo, on the other hand, has not yet meaningfully addressed the policies that inspired the backlash against it.
Now the Duolingo social media team is trying to have it both ways, taking an ironic, postmodern approach to address a serious issue, instead of breezing past it. Without the company confronting the controversy elsewhere, though, the subtext of every cute social post is that the customers unhappy with Duolingos AI direction are not worth taking seriously.
We cant just move on and pretend everythings fine, the mask-wearing Duolingo employee says at one point in the new video. Hes flicking at the idea of taking accountability for the AI fallout, but in the video, its meant to be a rejoinder from the Duolingo social team to the faceless entities above whove made them look bad. Its difficult to parse the exact message here. The video is somehow simultaneously defensive, satirical, avoidant, and flippant. Though it may be the opening salvo in a broader message, for now it seems like a half-baked rush response to a very real issuethe Duolingo brand version of just moving on and pretending everythings fine.
Judging by the eyeroll-y comments on the brands TikTok post, though, users can sense as much. It doesnt take a language-learning app to know how to read between the lines.
At the Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA), we enable high level women to mentor each other to enable each leader to achieve personal and professional happiness through sisterhood. As the nonprofit organizations founder, chair, and CEO, I am honored to interview and share insights from some of the thought leaders who are part of our peer-to-peer mentoring.
Our insights today come from Susan Holliday, board director and adviser, who speaks about her global career in the insurance industry, spotting new risks and turning them into opportunities.
Q: Your career has addressed various issues related to the insurance industry. What are some recent challenges?
Susan Holliday: I entered the insurance industry by chance, as so many people do. It is a fascinating sector because you learn about global challenges from climate change to driverless cars, pandemics, geopolitical risks, and new technologies, to name just a few. New risks bring new opportunities in insuring the risks for people, companies, and governments.
Q: Can you give me some examples?
Holliday: Yes, a new risk that became insurable during my career, specifically after the 9/11 tragedy, was terrorism. More recently, cyberinsurance doubled in premiums between 2017 and 2020 and then again 2020 to 2022. The two new opportunities Im most excited about are AI along with crypto and blockchain. There are many new risks for people and companies around these issues, and at the same time, the insurance sector can make use of these new technologies in different ways to be more efficient and to help their clients manage risk.
This is also an opportunity to develop new insurance products to cover the risks. I see the market going the same way as cyber. In order to get insurance, companies will have to show they are meeting certain risk management standards, and the insurance is also going to focus on monitoring and prevention, not just paying claims after there is a problem.
Q: You mention crypto and blockchain. Thats not talked about nearly as much as AI. Why now?
Holliday: Im doing a lot of work in this space now, because it is becoming more mainstream and soon all sorts of companies will be getting involved with it in some way. This is driven by several factors: real use cases getting implemented, a more friendly stance towards crypto from the current U.S. administration, and some new legislation being proposed or passed in various parts of the world, like Europe, Singapore, and Australia. This means a wider range of companies that have never thought about crypto, and are probably terrified by Bitcoin, are going to want to explore and fully understand the upside and downside risks.
There are important opportunities for the insurance sector too. In some cases, using blockchain or crypto can actually reduce risks. There are new risks such as losing the keys to a wallet which means you cant access your cryptocurrency, or someone who has the keys can steal it. New insurance products are going to be created, along with risk management standards to be able to actually buy the insurance, so it will improve security overall.
Q: What kind of use cases are you expecting?
Holliday: We have seen some companies invest in Bitcoin as part of their treasury management. Individual investors have more opportunities to invest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies now because there are a number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) available, which means the investor can get exposure without having to deal with a wallet, keeping control of the keys and custody.
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies based on a fiat currency such as the dollar or the euro. Stablecoins are increasingly being used for international payments, and legislation on stablecoins has been passed in the EU, UK, and some Asian countries and there are currently bills in the U.S. House and Senate. This is likely to increase the use of stablecoins.
Blockchains are decentralized digital ledgers which use cryptography to process transactions in blocks. Blockchains are the underlying technology that allow crypto currencies to function. An early use case for blockchain was traceability and authentication of high value assets, such as diamonds. It can also be used to ensure data integrity or authenticate transactions such as a land registry and several governments in different parts of the world have launched initiatives in this area.
Recent changes in the U.S. administrations approach to the regulation of crypto tokens mean that companies are likely to consider issuing or selling tokens, which is already common in gaming companies. We have seen luxury goods and fashion companies use tokens to drive customer loyalty and engagement, although there is still uncertainty over investor acceptance and future regulatory developments.
A relatively early use case for blockchain was for smart, self-executing index-based (parametric) insurance contracts. As GenAI picks up steam and we see the prospect of agentic AI, we are likely to see this technology being deployed more frequently as we see AI agents transacting with each other.
Q: That is a lot of change especially for those uneducated in the topic. What is your advice?
Holliday: The message is, even if you have no intention of ever investing in Bitcoin, business leaders need to keep an eye on that is going on in the crypto and blockchain space because its going to impact many sectors and industries.
Larraine Segil is founder, chair, and CEO of The Exceptional Women Alliance.
China produces 75% of the worlds batteries. South Korea and Japan control much of the remaining supply chain. With tariffs looming over the industry, the U.S. is in a unique position, having both urgency and opportunity to strengthen domestic battery production for myriad uses.
The reality is that American battery manufacturers lag their Asian counterparts. Companies here are attempting to catch up by rushing to follow Asias manufacturing formula, but that strategy wont hold up in the long term. The only way to surpass these larger Asian competitors is to move on from outdated manufacturing methods and materials and focus on what defines American leadership: innovation.
Playing catch-up wont cut it
Its clear China and other Asian countries today have the advantage when it comes to battery manufacturing. Their factories are larger, their supply chains are better developed, and their experience and know-how mean batteries can be produced cheaper and quicker. It takes far less time to start up a battery factory there than in the U.S.
The U.S. is in the midst of building up factories. Compared to Asia, however, the country still struggles with slower factory construction, longer time to start up, and more expensive batteries with lower yields, often producing lower-performing products. The U.S. wont be able to reach the same production levels and will continue to fall behind if we just keep playing catch-up.
The innovation game
Sticking to old-school battery manufacturing methods wont win the battery race. Instead, the U.S. can reclaim a leadership position only by playing an entirely different game and proving the solutions of existing product chokepoints: cost, safety, and performance.
Battery architectures have remained fundamentally unchanged over the past 30 years. While the industry has made remarkable progress in energy density and cycle life, the same decades-old battery design principles still dictate what a battery is and can do.
Process improvements and add-ons alone cant address these design limitationsthink updating an app without ever upgrading the operating system. By redefining how a battery is made from the beginning, the U.S. can leapfrog competition and create a new foundation others can build on.
3 innovation factors
Easier said than done, of course. To see real improvements, we must focus on three innovation factors: cost, performance, and safety. Todays solutions often compromise one to improve another, but we cant afford to make that sacrifice. If we can advance all three in parallel, theres no question we can pull ahead in the battery race.
Closing this gap isnt just critical for U.S. competitiveness. By leading in battery innovation, the U.S. can set the pace for the global industry, creating technologies and frameworks that will drive progress for partners around the world.
1. Reduce costs�
While battery costs have dropped dramatically over the past few years, the price of productionand adoptionstill holds back widespread electrification. But swapping in cheaper materials or production shortcuts can impact safety and performance. Instead, innovation must be the driver of cost reduction through simplifications. For U.S. battery makers, this could look like novel manufacturing methods, better material utilization in cell design, or waste reduction through improved closed-loop recycling processes.
2. Boost performance�
Todays consumers and commercial workloads demand more energy and power than ever. Drivers want longer EV range and faster charging, without the drop in performance during cold weather. Meanwhile, manufacturers face mounting pressure to find sustainable solutions that reduce dependency on certain materials and improve recyclability to combat volatile supply chains.
Tech innovation can meet these demands. For example, emerging electrolyte chemistries can enable faster charge cycles and lower temperature operations (up to -30� Celsius) without degrading battery life, and next-gen cell designs can pack more energy into smaller, lighter formats.
3. Prioritize safety�
Today, the battery industry is treating safety as a top priorityand for good reason. As EV adoption grows, so does the risk of battery fires and thermal runaway. Recalls are costly, and public trust is fragile. In energy storage systems, fire concerns from local residents are delaying siting and deployment. Battery fire incidents onboard airplanes and fatal e-bike fires are yet more headaches for an already beleaguered industry.
We need battery innovations that dont just contain fires but prevent them from happening in the first place. Current solutions, like cell-to-cell thermal barriers or battery management systems that monitor a batterys health, often fail to address the root cause. Instead, our innovation focus should be on smarter battery technologies at the electrode level that block dangerous dendrite growth, prevent short circuits, and enable safe shutdowns of individual cells.
Stop imitating, start disrupting
The future of batteries wont be built in yesterdays factories. If the U.S. wants to pioneer a reimagined industry, we cant settle for chasing Asias playbook. We need to simplify where possible, innovate where it counts, and rethink the battery from the ground up. Thats how we turn a game of catch-up into a strategy of disruption.
While this challenge might feel steep, the good news is were not starting from zero. Tech leaders across the U.S. are already developing breakthroughs in chemistry, materials, and manufacturing that are redefining batteries. Indeed, we have worked on providing solutions for the last 14 years, and we are ready. With the right support and speed, these advancements can shift the industry and propel the global energy future forward.
The race for battery dominance isnt over, its just changing shape.
Naoki Ota is president and CEO of 24M.
Adobe will be giving its priciest subscription tier an AI-first rebrandand adding an even higher price tag.
Adobes Creative Cloud All Apps subscription, which includes access to more than 20 Adobe apps, will soon be known as Creative Cloud Pro, the company announced last week. The renamed subscription plan will give users expanded access to Adobes AI-powered tools and apps, but for a price: For subscribers on an annual plan, the cost will increase from $59.99 to $69.99 monthly, or from $659.88 to $779.99 annually.
Beginning on June 17, any members of Creative Cloud All Apps will be automatically opted into Creative Cloud Pro. According to Adobes announcement of the plan, Creative Cloud Pro pricing will be effective at your next renewal on or after June 17.�Currently, these changes are only rolling out in North America.
This follows better-than-expected first quarter 2025 financial results for the software company, which reported a record revenue of $5.71 billion, equal to 10% year-over-year growth. Still, Adobe’s shares dropped after the report, as several experts and investors noted concerns that the company might be falling behind competitors with its AI efforts.
Creative Cloud Pro appears to be the next step for Adobe to monetize its newly robust suite of AI tools by making them a mandatory investment for the companys most dedicated users, even as it rolls out made without generative AI image labels. Heres what to know about the new plan.
Whats new on Creative Cloud Pro?
To start, Creative Cloud Pro comes with all of the features that were included under the Creative Cloud All Apps umbrella. The plan includes a portfolio of more than 30,000 fonts, unlimited Creative Cloud libraries, millions of stock photos and videos, and 100 gigabytes of cloud storage.
In addition to these perks, the upgraded plan will include several new AI features. First, users will gain unlimited access to standard generative tools like Photoshops Generative Fill, which can essentially deepfake anything within a composition, and Lightrooms Generative Remove, which eliminates unwanted details in a photo. Creative Cloud Pro users will also have 4,000 monthly credits to use for Adobes class of premium generative features, like Premiere Pros Generative Extend, which uses AI to add frames to the beginning or end of any video.
The rebranded subscription also includes the most recent Firefly app, which Adobe bills as its one-stop shop for exploration and ideation with creative AI. The app comes with Adobes new text-to-image generator Image Model 4, as well as its Firefly Video Model, which first entered public beta testing last month. Another feature called Firefly Boards allows teams to do some Pinterest-style mood board brainstorming.�
For any Creative Cloud Pro users who have a different AI model of choice, they can also choose to import Google Imagen 3 and Veo 2, OpenAI image generation, or Flux 1.1 Pro into Firefly. More details on Creative Cloud Pro features are available here.
How much will it cost for different kinds of users?
Prices are set to rise across the board for all kinds of Creative Cloud All Apps users.
For rolling subscribers (those not on an annual plan), prices will rise from $89.99 to $104.99. For teams, prices will jump from $89.99 to $99.99 per month. And for student and teacher plans, renewal prices are set to increase from $34.99 to $39.99 monthly.
What if I dont want to join this new plan?
If youre a current Creative Cloud All Apps user but dont want to be automatically shuffled into Creative Cloud Pro, Adobe has created another subscription tier called Creative Cloud Standard. This tier is the same price as the former Creative Cloud All Apps ($54.99 per month for annual users), but it comes with a bit less value.�
Whereas All Apps included 1,000 monthly credits for the aforementioned standard generative features, Creative Cloud Standard only includes 25 credits. It also limits access to premium features on mobile and web apps, and, of course, does not include premium generative features or Firefly.
While Adobes web page states that Creative Cloud Standard is only available to existing customers, an Adobe spokesperson clarified that new users can actually join this tier by contacting customer support. Its a trade-off that essentially means youll be paying the same amount for a subscription with fewer bonuses, but it might be the option that makes the most sense for users who have no interest in Adobes AI features.
On Reddit, plenty of users have already expressed displeasure with the new plan. It’s easy to see why. Adobe is automatically upgrading subscriptions to the more expensive Creative Cloud Pro tier, a UX pattern that makes it less likely for users to opt out than if they had to make an active choice and tick a subscribe box, for instance.
Both this and the Creative Cloud Standard journey for new users could be seen as dark patterns, which are UX pathways that manipulate users into taking actions that they may not have intended but are in the business interests of the company. The U.S. sued Adobe over its hard-to-cancel subscriptions last year.
The goal of the automatic upgrade, in combination with the decreased appeal of the Creative Cloud Standard tier due to its reduced features, seems to be to draw more daily active users into the company’s existing AI products. That would be in close keeping with its recent focus on monetizing generative AI tools following its last earnings report, which was plagued with fears that Adobe isn’t staying ahead in the AI race.
An Adobe spokesperson declined to comment on the reasoning behind the subscription tier rebrand and whether users will be personally notified before the change takes place.
Google is rapidly expanding its AI search capabilities, as reflected in the announcements it made Tuesday at its Google I/O developer conference. The search giant announced the general availability of AI Mode, its chatbot-format AI search product; some changes to its AI Overviews search results; and its plans to add new visual and agentic search features this summer.
Googles biggest announcement in the realm of search was the general availability of its AI Mode, a chatbot-style search interface that allows users to enter a back-and-forth with the underlying large language model to zero in on a complete and satisfying answer. AI Mode is really our most powerful version of AI search, Robby Stein, Google’s VP of Product for Search, tells Fast Company. The tool had been available as an experimental product from Google Labs. Now its a real product, available to all users and accessible within various Google apps, and as a tab within the Google mobile app.
AI Mode is powered by Gemini 2.5, Googles most formidable model, which was developed by DeepMind. The model can remember a lot of data during a user interaction, and can reason its way to a responsive answer. Because of this, AI Mode can be used for more complex, multipart queries. We’re seeing this being used for the more sophisticated set of questions people have, Stein says. You have math questions, you have how-to questions, you want to compare two productslike many things that haven’t been done before, that are probably unique to you.
The user gets back a conversational AI answer synthesized from a variety of sources. The main magic of the system is this new advanced modeling capability for AI Mode, something called a query fan-out where the model has learned to use Google, Stein says. It generates potentially dozens of queries off of your single question. The LLM might make data calls to the web, indexes of web data, maps and location data, product information, as well as API connections to more dynamic data such as sports scores, weather, or stock prices.
New shopping tools
Google also introduced some new shopping features in AI Mode that leverage the multimodal and reasoning capabilities of the Gemini 2.5 models. Google indexes millions of products, along with prices and other information. The agentic capability of the Gemini model lets AI Mode keep an eye out for a product the user wants, with the right set of desired features and below a price threshold that the user sets. The AI can then alert the user with the information, as well as a button that says buy for me. If the user clicks it the agent will complete the purchase.
Google is also releasing a virtual clothing try-on function in AI Mode. The feature addresses perhaps the biggest problem with buying and selling apparel online. Its a problem that we’ve been trying to solve over the last few years, says Lilian Rincon, VP of Consumer Shopping Products. Which is this dilemma of [where] users see a product but they don’t know what that product will look like on them. Virtual Try-on lets a user upload a photo of themself, then the AI shows the user what theyd look like in any of the billions of clothing products Google indexes. The feature is powered by a new custom image generation model for fashion that understands the nuances of the human body and how various fabrics fold and bend over the body type of the user, Rincon says. Google has released Virtual Try-on as an experimental feature in Google Labs.
New features coming to AI Mode this summer
Google says it intends to roll out further enhancements to AI Mode over the summer.
For starters, it’s adding the functionality of its previously announced Project Mariner (an AI agent prototype that works with the Chrome browser) to AI Mode. So the LLM will be able to control the users web browser to access information from websites, fill out and submit forms, and use websites to plan and book tasks. Google is going to start by enabling the AI to do things like book event tickets, make restaurant reservations, and set appointments for local services. The user can give the AI agent special instructions or conditions, such as buy tickets only if less than $100, and only if the weather (if its an outdoor event) forecast looks good. The AI will not only find the best ticket prices to a show, but will also submit the data needed to buy the ticket for the user. (The user gets final sign-off, of course.)
Google will be adding a new deep search function in which the model might access, and reason about, hundreds of online, indexed, or AI data sources. The model might spend several minutes thinking through the completeness of its answer, and perhaps make additional data queries. The end result is a comprehensive research report on a given topic.
At last years I/O, Google revealed its Project Astra, a prototype of a universal AI assistant that can see, hear, and reason, and converse with the user, out loud, in real time. The assistant taps into search in several ways. A user could show the assistant an object in front of the phone camera and ask for more information about it, which the agent would get from the web. Or the assistant might be shown a recipe, and help the user shop for the ingredients.
Google also plans to launch enhanced personalization features to AI search as a way of delivering more relevant search results. The best version of search is one that knows you well, Stein says. For example, AI Mode and AI Overviews soon might consult a users search history to use past preferences to inform the content of current queries. Thats not all. Google also intends to consult user data from other Google services, including Gmail, to inform searches, subject to user opt-in.
Finally, the company will add data visualizations to search results, which it believes will help users draw meaning from data returned in search results. It will start by modeling sports and financial data this summer, Stein says.
AI Overviews now reaches almost all Google users
AI Overviews is Googles original AI search experience. For some types of search queries, users see an AI-generated narrative summary of information synthesized from various web documents and Googles information graphs. Stein says Google is now making AI Overviews available to 95 more countries and territories, bringing the total to around 200, and in 40 languages. Google claims that AI Overviews, its generative AI search experience, now has 1.5 billion users.�
Where search is concerned, Google is a victim of the inventors dilemma. It built a massive business placing ads around its search results, so it has a good reason to keep optimizing and improving that experience, rather than pivoting toward new AI-based search, which nobody has reliably monetized with ads yet. Indeed Googles core experience still consists of relatively short queries and results consisting of ranked websites and an assortment of Google-owned content. But development of AI search products and functions seems to be accelerating. Google is protecting its cash cow (traditiona search with ads) while keeping pace with the chatbot search experiences offered by newcomers like OpenAIs ChatGPT.
But its more than that. Googles VP and Head of Search Liz Reid suggests that we may be looking at the future of Google Searchfull stop. I think one of the things that’s very exciting with AI Mode is not just that it is our cutting-edge AI search, but it becomes a glimpse of what we think can be more broadly available, Reid tells Fast Company. And so our current belief is that we’re going to take the things that work really well in AI Mode and bring them right to the core of search and AI Overviews.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and health officials in several states are investigating a multistate Salmonella infection outbreak linked to whole cucumbers grown in Florida and shipped around the country.
As a result of the ongoing investigation, health officials have recalled whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29, 2025, and May 19, 2025.
As of Monday, 26 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella. Cases have been reported in 15 states. Nine people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported.
Several people reported feeling ill after being on cruises that departed from Florida.
Which products were impacted?
The outbreak is linked to whole, nonorganic varieties. Cucumbers may have been sold individually or in smaller packages and may be within shelf life for the rest of this week.�
Cucumbers were distributed to stores, restaurants, and other facilities. The FDA is working to determine where potentially contaminated products were distributed.
Businesses that purchased whole cucumbers grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29 and May 19 should not sell or serve them and should notify their customers of the potential health concern, health officials said.
Illnesses were reported in the following states:
Alabama
California
Colorado
Florida
Illinois
Kansas
Kentucky
Michigan
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Additional information regarding the outbreak can be found here.
What if I bought whole cucumbers recently?
If you have whole cucumbers at home and don’t know where theyre from, throw them out. You should also wash and sanitize surfaces and items that they may have come in contact with.
If you experience severe symptoms of Salmonella, such as diarrhea and a fever higher than 102�F, or diarrhea that doesn’t improve after three days, contact a healthcare provider. Most people recover within a few days.
Why does this sound familiar?
This is not the first time that produce grown by Bedner Growers, Inc. has been linked to a Salmonella outbreak.
A 2024 investigation found that cucumbers from Bedner Growers, Inc. and Thomas Produce Company, of Boca Raton, Florida, were likely sources of a Salmonella outbreak that resulted in 551 illnesses across 34 states and the District of Columbia.
As part of a follow-up investigation, the FDA said it collected an environmental sample from Bedner Growers, Inc. in April 2025. The sample was positive for Salmonella and matched recent clinical samples of sick individuals impacted by the current outbreak.
Fast Company has reached out to Bedner Growers for comment. We will update this post if we receive a response.
