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Anthropic insists that its getting along with the Trump administration just fine.In a new blog post published on October 21, the companys CEO, Dario Amodei, pushed back on what he called a recent uptick in inaccurate claims about Anthropic’s policy stances. His comments come after David Sacks, a prominent tech venture capitalist currently serving as the Trump administrations AI czar, accused Anthropic of having an agenda to backdoor Woke AI through state-level regulation and working with Democratic mega-donors. That narrative has since gained traction within online right-wing spaces. The comments also follow the White Houses release of an executive order specifically focused on combating woke AI earlier this year, though officials have yet to say how it will be enforced. Now Anthropic is defending its work on AI safety, which Amodei argued should prioritize policy over politics. He also doubled down on the company’s position on regulating AI on the state level, in absence of a national standard. Citing JD Vances comments on AI directly, Amodei pointed to several areas of agreement with the Trump administration, including to maximize applications that help people, like breakthroughs in medicine and disease prevention, while minimizing the harmful ones. The CEO also questioned the notion that Claude, the companys flagship chatbot, is more susceptible to political bias than other similar large language models. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have increasingly leveled accusations that the countrys leading AI companies are building biased AI models, echoing the accusations made against social media companies in recent years. In short, Anthropic wants to toe the line between sticking to its commitment to study AI safetysafeguarding against general artificial intelligence endangering the human species and society in all sorts of destabilizing waysand appeasing the professed concerns of the Trump administration. Thats all happening while the company attempts to scoop up more government work. Anthropic is committed to constructive engagement on matters of public policy. When we agree, we say so, wrote Amodei. When we dont, we propose an alternative for consideration. We do this because we are a public benefit corporation with a mission to ensure that AI benefits everyone, and because we want to maintain Americas lead in AI. Again, we believe we share those goals with the Trump administration, both sides of Congress, and the public. We are going to keep being honest and straightforward, and will stand up for the policies we believe are right. The stakes of this technology are too great for us to do otherwise. Federal contracts Amodei underscored that Anthropic already has myriad partnerships with the federal government, including a contract with the Pentagon and work with the Energy Departments national laboratory system. Along with competitors like OpenAI, Google, and xAI, Anthropic is also working with the General Services Administration to offer its enterprise Claude service to federal agencies at a discounted price. Anthropics work within the GSA seems to be unaffected by whatever might be happening within the Office of Science and Technology Policy, where Sacks serves as an adviser, a government official familiar with the matter told Fast Company. Last month, Democrats launched an ethics inquiry into the investor, who has received waivers that allow him to participate in the administration while maintaining some of his investments. Anthropic has gotten good feedback from the GSA about government use of the tool, a company spokesperson says. The AI developer also points to its ongoing partnership with Palantir on meeting Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements, a wonky but critical cloud security review program used to offer technology across federal agencies. Palantir is a controversial technology contractor thats seen its business with both the defense and civilian sides of government grow in recent years. As part of that work, Palantir has already been cleared to provide its cloud technology to federal agencies. While Anthropic has been picking up government contracts, it appears to be falling behind OpenAI on independent FedRAMP authorization. This could be a game changer for OpenAI: Should OpenAI earn that accreditation, it wont need to work through another companylike Microsoftto offer its technology directly to the government. At that point, OpenAI would be a more freestanding government contractor, maintaining far more independence from other major cloud companies. The same government official told Fast Company that Anthropic has yet to share a plan for gaining accreditation for its systems through that program, or securing a sponsorship for review in another way. A spokesperson for the GSA declined to comment.
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E-Commerce
For many, picking up a controller at the end of a long day to neutralize some zombies or take on a side quest with a fairy is a way to unwind and escape from the demands of work. But it might also have some unexpected benefits that follow you from the character select screen and into the office. A new report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) finds that the motivations behind gaming go far beyond fun. While 66% of the more than 24,000 players in 21 countries surveyed say they play primarily for enjoyment, the majority credit gaming with developing real-world skills, like problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and critical thinking. All useful transferable skills to play up in a job interview. (Maybe dont reveal you honed them playing Fortnite, though.) More than half the respondents say playing video games helps relieve stress (58%). Forty-five percent say playing video keeps their minds sharp, and nearly half (43%) of players say video games have positively influenced their education or career path. The player perspective is supported by scientific research, with many studies concluding that video games improve cognitive skills and decision-making, Stanley Pierre-Louis, president and CEO, Entertainment Software Association, told Fast Company. A number of industries have already embraced interactive technologies for training employees, from medical treatments and surgery to astronautics and emergency response, says Pierre-Louis. I anticipate more will recognize gameplay as a way to engage with and develop their workforce in the near future.” Brain health experts are a bit divided as to whether some games, like Wordle, actually improve cognitive function. And while the ESA report is of course an industry one, theres other data out there that may support its findings. A 2022 study found that kids who play video games showed better impulse control and working memory than those who didnt. Another from 2021 found that playing video games does improve not only cognitive functions, but also mood and emotional well-being in elderly people. Another, from 2020 from University of Liechtenstein, found a strong correlation between video game skills and managerial ability. In fact, being adept at video games can significantly boost ones career, the researchers wrote. A literature review published in Procedia Computer Science, cited in the ESA report, also found that gaming can enhance perception, attentional control, and decision-making. Nurses and doctors, for example, who trained with simulation games showed improvements in both risk assessment and response time. These benefits arent limited to just life-or-death scenarios. Retailers have also turned to game-based tools to prepare employees for peak shopping events, the report notes. Sports teams use simulation tech to help athletes train. Across industries, gaming has become a quick fix to boost preparedness and improve team outcomes. Of course, spending hours gaming in the evening is not always the answer to your work woes. Sometimes its just a way to unwind after a long day. (There’s research that suggests mental health benefits of having hobbies, by the way.) But research has also previously found that gaming can actually hinder the amount of work young men do by 15 to 30 hours over the course of one year. And excessive gaming can be detrimental to mental health, or even spiral into addiction for some people. As companies struggle to maintain engaged employees, burnout is on the up. Who knows? Maybe a chill pastime in front of a glowing screen is just the thing to take the edge off. (Or, in some ways, may also give the edge you need to perform better at work.)
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E-Commerce
Fast-food companies, beware: Gas stations and convenience stores are coming for your customers. Fireside Market, a Wisconsin convenience store chain, announced a new store concept in Slinger, Wisconsin, designed to sell more burgers and less gas. It has a drive-through, curbside pickup area, and gourmet menu itemsand it’s a model of the convenience store of the future. Fireside Market’s burger and sandwich menu is several steps up from the outdated idea of day-old taquitos spinning on a rotating food warmer at the local convenience store. Instead, its menu has items like a burger topped with bacon, pastrami, and balsamic-onion jam, and a grilled-salmon sandwich. View this post on Instagram A post shared by fireside MARKET (@fireside.market) Falling demand for gas, tobacco, and lottery tickets has upended the business model convenience stores once relied on. In a world with fewer smokers and more Teslas, it’s no longer enough for convenience stores to be an afterthought for drivers stopping to fuel up on gas or soda. They need kitchens. The percentage of in-store sales that comes from food servicea category that includes prepared foods, commissary, and beveragesis on the rise. It grew from 23% of in-store sales in 2021 to nearly 29% today, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores trade group. That trend is especially noticeable at breakfast time: Sales from morning-meal traffic at food-forward convenience stores grew 9% in the third quarter this year, compared to just 1% at fast-food chains, according to data from market research firm Circana. Fireside Market’s 9,700-square-foot Slinger location, its first with EV chargers, is designed for this new reality. 7-Eleven closed more than 400 stores in North America last year, but it’s looking to grow its fresh prepared-food offerings as part of its comeback. Meanwhile, food-forward chains are in expansion mode. Buc-ee’s in Luling, Texas, circa 2024 [Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images] Buc-ee’s opened its largest location ever in Luling, Texas, last year, while convenience store chain Sheetz opened its 800th location in Raleigh, North Carolina, in August. Caseys General Stores, known for its pizzas, has broadened its menu to include burgers and sandwiches, while Fast Stop, a Louisiana-based convenience store chain, is taking the trend a step further, spinning off its made-to-order menu of Cajun-inspired foods into its own restaurant with nary a gas pump in sight, according to trade publication C-Store Dive. In a world that runs on less gas, gas stations have to adapt to survive. Many are finding food is the answer.
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E-Commerce
The White House, one of the most historically significant and secure buildings in the United States, is being torn apart. Demolition crews were on the White House grounds this week to begin demolition of the front facade of the East Wing in order to make way for the construction of a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom that President Trump announced in July. “I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump wrote on social media the day the work began. When the ballroom was first announced this summer, Trump said the project “won’t interfere with the current building.” During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went even further, saying “nothing will be torn down.” Those statements turned out to be false. Photos and videos taken at the site on October 20 show the walls of the building being chewed to bits by heavy construction equipment outfitted with a jaw-shaped demolition tool that looks like the head of a tyrannosaurus rex. “This is one of the most important buildings in the nation. This is one of the symbols of who we are as a people,” says Bryan Green, a former commissioner on the National Capital Planning Commission, a government agency that oversees and advises on planning in the Washington, D.C. area. “It’s hard to look and see a wrecking ball hitting it.” An exemption leaves little protection for the People’s House Despite the White House’s historic and symbolic significance, there was little to protect it from the demolition work now underway. The White House, along with the Supreme Court building, the Capitol building, and several other properties, is exempted from historic preservation rules that would otherwise stand in the way of such a building being torn down. Under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, a strict review process is required for federal projects that may affect historic buildings, leading to both public scrutiny and legal obligations surrounding any proposed changes to existing historic resources. When it comes to the White House, various other entities have some level of oversight, including the National Park Service, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capitol Planning Commission, but none can fully override a project like the demolition and ballroom addition due to the building’s Section 106 exemption. During his time on the National Capital Planning Commission, Green says he participated in the Section 106 review process and found it beneficial to the outcome of the projects in question. “Projects generally improve as a part of that process,” he says. “You’re having lots of eyes on them, having lots of different people with different interests look at these things and comment on them. They get better.” The White House ballroom project and its related East Wing demolition had very little, if any, public involvement. Though Trump initially said that several concepts were being considered for the project, the administration did not release any designs or name any architects ahead of July 31, when Trump announced that the White House had chosen Washington, D.C.-based McCrery Architects as the lead architect of the project. Trump has said the project, with an estimated cost of $200 million, would be funded by donors, himself included, “with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!” The White House did not respond to a request for comment. McCrery Architects referred Fast Company’s questions to the White House. “A reminder of how far that exemption can be taken” The White House’s exemption from the Section 106 review process is “unfortunate,” says Priya Jain, an associate professor of architecture at Texas A&M University. “This project and what is happening serves as a reminder of how far that exemption can be taken,” Jain says. The exemption for the White House, along with the Supreme Court and the Capitol, is not explicitly explained by the policy, but Jain says it likely has to do with evolving security and operational needs that officials don’t want bogged down with an official review or approval process. “Security and safety concerns are paramount,” she says. Jain is also chair of the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Society of Architectural Historians, which recently issued a statement expressing concern over the lack of oversight on this project, calling for “a rigorous and deliberate design and review process.” The organization notes that the White House has undergone numerous exterior and interior modifications since construction began in 1792, including a major reconstruction after the British set fire to the building during the War of 1812, the construction and expansion of the West Wing in the first decade of the 1900s, and the construction of the two-story East Wing building in 1942. This was the last major addition to the White House. The White House has evolved, but so has the preservation field In a recent post on LinkedIn, White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin ran through the changes the White House has seen over the centuries, and the criticism they caused. For example, the now-iconic colonnades added to the building by Thomas Jefferson in 1801 were seen at the time as extravagant and reflecting “aristocratic tendencies,” according to McLaurin. The East Wing, as it was until a few days ago, was built in the midst of World War Two, sparking criticism about the misappropriation of funding during an international crisis. Even the Rose Garden, which has since been paved over by Trump, was criticized for its elitism. “Media and Congressional criticisms have often focused on costs, historical integrity, and timing, yet many of these alterations have become integral to the identity of the White House,” McLaurin writes. “It is difficult for us to imagine The White House today without these evolutions and additions.” Notably, all these changes happened before the creation of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, which is why the Society of Architectural Historians is so concerned about the Section 106 exemption being exploited for such a large demolition and construction project. “The preservation field has come a long way,” says Jain. She notes that though the section had exempted the buildings at the time of writing, their status as prominent public buildings sets a precedent for other preservation projects and “they should follow some of these best practices that have been established.” The Trump administration has emphasized the importance of having the ballroom completed “long before” the end of Trump’s term, which may have played a role in the fast pace of design selection and starting construction. “Designing in public takes time. It takes time to work towards a consensus,” Green says. “I would assume that the goal was just go fast, no revisions. I don’t know that for sure, but it sure looks like that.”
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E-Commerce
Either youve lived it, or youve heard about it from friends: the endless job search, featuring hundreds of applications sent. Maybe one or two companies reply . . . that end up being bots. It can feel like your résumé has been sucked into a black hole. And in a way, it has. Its perhaps been consumed by a ghost joba job listing that looks legitimate, with a full description for a role, maybe even a starting date and a LinkedIn link. Theres a twist, though. The job isnt real. Its either an essentially fake listing for a job that doesnt really exist, or the role isnt really open. And they make up roughly 40% of job listings, according to a 2024 Resume Builder survey. There may be no hiring manager on the back end, or it’s not really a position that exists, says Brandi Britton, an executive director at recruiting company Robert Half. Theyre becoming more common, and companies do this for a variety of reasons. But in a job market as miserable as this one, they can feel like a cruel trick on job applicantswhich is exactly how the recruiters Fast Company interviewed for this story describe them. A lot of companies see this as a harmless strategy, says Michael Baynes, cofounder and CEO of financial consulting firm Clarify Capital. His company led a 2025 survey that asked 1,000 U.S. employers why they werent actively trying to fill current open job positions. Answers included: their company is always open to new people (37%), to have an active pool of applications in case of turnover (22%), and in case irresistible candidates apply (16%). But frustrated job seekers feel misled. Why would companies bother to post jobs theyre not hiring for? And how can you spot them? Fast Company talked to several hiring professionalswho point-blank call the increasingly common practice toxic. Read on where we’ll cover: How to spot ghost jobs a mile away Which types of jobs tend to be magnets for ghost jobs Why recruiters think it’s a failing strategy for both applicants and employers, but why it persists Whos posting ghost jobs and why? Recruiters who spoke with Fast Company for this story say posting ghost jobs might even damage companies reputations with job seekers who come to find them unreliable. But thats not stopping companies of all stripes from posting notices for ghost jobs. Tech, education, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail are posting the most, in that order, per Clarify Capitals survey. But recruiters who spoke with Fast Company say its about equally prevalent across industries. Ghost jobs are usually for roles that are more entry level, more junior, that have multiple head count, or for companies that know they’re going to be hiring tens of hundreds that year, especially with bigger companies, says Lamar Nava, vice president of customer services at Betts Recruiting. Shes seen a lot of employers post them, particularly when hiring took a big dip in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns. They were either posting for roles they assumed would open back up in the future, or trying to look more like they were thriving while they were struggling. But pipelining for roles that arent openaka building a talent pool to potentially tap for future roles when its not time to actually hireis a request Navas employer clients have been making for the past decade. Its one of the most typical reasons recruiters see companies posting ghost jobs. Sometimes, Navas clients will fill a role and then ask her to continue sending through candidates for that pipeline, just in case they find someone really good. I have always been very against that. Not only is it a huge waste of time, Nava says, but it’s a horrible candidate experience. Bill Sofio, an Express Employment Professionals and Specialized Recruiting Group franchise owner, says companies create pipelines for specific roles via ghost jobs because those companies have already filled roles with overqualified candidates who they fear will leave once the job market improves. The biggest problem with this pipelining technique, says Robert Halfs Britton, is that most companies never end up going back to that pool of candidates. Either their priorities change, or they simply dont have the bandwidth. Then theres company reputation. Posting lots of job openings can indicate a companys success, either for the sake of potential candidates, or for investors. But Nava thinks it can have the opposite effect: When a role is open for so long, it can make people suspect of the company and ultimately hurt its brand. Thats despite companies posting ghost jobs to signal growth. They want to show the market exists [for that role], and there is a need, says Gillian Robles, vice president of accounts and growth at Maven Recruiting, even though they dont necessarily have the budget or head count to hire. Ghost job postings may also serve to test out the overall candidate pool. A couple of years ago, in the tech space, Nava says, people would post to test out potential salaries for specific areas . . . just see what their talent pool would look like. Now, she adds, theres so much technology that can do that for companieslike websites that offer salary benchmarking toolsthat ascertaining possible ranges through job postings ranks among the least efficient ways to get that information. Still, some hiring managers, particularly newer ones at smaller companies with fewer resources, may post jobs to simply scope out the candidate scene. They post a ghost job to potentially see: What is out there? How do I look for this? What should I price this at? Robles says. They want to see whats out there before engaging with candidates. Sometimes, companies list ghost jobs as a signal for current employeesparticularly underperforming ones. They throw the job posting out there while the underperforming employee is on a performance improvement plan, Sofio says. While he interprets that as companies hedging their bets, others see it as an explicit threat to employeesas in, you’d better shape up because youre replaceable. Lastly, certain companies or scenarios necessitate posting jobs that a companys already hired for. For example, says Britton, some government entities are required to post to make sure they consider all applicants and to show theyre recruiting from a diverse pool, even if theyre not. In situations where companies want to hire someone specific from abroad, who would join with an H-1B visa, theyre obligated to post that role to the job market in the U.S. to prove that its specialized enough to necessitate hiring from abroad. How do you spot a ghost job? Fortunately for job seekers, there are a few tells that a post for an open position isnt real. Look out for long-running job postings with no updates, or postings that appear and disappear all the time, Sofio says. That may seem obvious, but Robles cautions that a job thats bee up for six months could mean two things. It could be an evergreen posting, or its a stale job, she says. If its evergreen, it doesnt mean its not a ghost. It could represent wishful thinkingthe company wants to always be hiring for that position, so they leave up the posting even when hiring has come to a standstill. Vague job descriptions, says Britton, can also mean a posting is fake, as can ones with start dates from a few months before the time youre seeing it. (An August start date listed on a post thats up in October constitutes a red flag.) Some signs point to real jobs. On LinkedIn, for example, you can see if a job has been promoted, meaning a company spent extra money to get that post in front of more candidates. You wouldn’t necessarily do that if this is a ghost job, Robles says. She adds that clear next steps in a job posting is a positive sign. Is there a specific hiring manager tied to the job posting? she says. If theres no contact information, to me, thats a red sign. Lingering specters That said, some ghost jobs even lead candidates to interviews. Even if there are no plans to hire, they could sometimes just take advantage of the growing candidate pools they create. In that case, candidates should ask their employer contacts why the position is open, how long theyve been looking to fill it, and what theyre not seeing, but would like to see, in the candidates who have applied. Questions that drill down on these specifics, says Robles, can help reveal to candidates whether companies have a real need or if theyre being wishy-washy. Overwhelmingly, recruiters who spoke with Fast Company felt that posting ghost jobs was bad corporate practice. You’re not only frustrating a whole bunch of people, says Sofio, but those people talk to the people you’re trying to attract. Nava calls it cruel to job seekers, who are in a vulnerable position. Despite job seekers voicing frustrations over nonresponsive job postings, some signs point to the practice letting up. New Jersey, Kentucky, and California have all introduced legislation that would require companies to remove inactive job postings or disclose if a posting is for a future opening. Plus, Clarify Capital saw the rate of employers who kept job postings active for more than 30 days go from 68% in 2022 to just about 33% in 2025. Robles advises optimism. With companies using more tech like AI to search through candidates résumés, they might have an easier time returning to those pipelines their ghost job postings filled that they previously didnt have the bandwidth to meaningfully explore. In other words, ending up in a ghost job-fueled talent pipeline may not be as hopeless as it once was. Technology tools can pull your application again to the surface when needed, she says of the increasing use of AI in hiring. Perhaps, then, unlike a ghost job that was never really realyour very real application comes back from the dead. If you encounter a ghost job,” notes Robles, “maybe it comes back around.”
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E-Commerce
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