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Every time I read about another advance in AI technology, I feel like another figment of science fiction moves closer to reality. Lately, Ive been noticing eerie parallels to Neal Stephensons 1995 novel The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Ladys Illustrated Primer. The Diamond Age depicted a post-cyberpunk sectarian future, in which society is fragmented into tribes, called phyles. In this future world, sophisticated nanotechnology is ubiquitous, and a new type of AI is introduced. Though inspired by MIT nanotech pioneer Eric Drexler and Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman, the advanced nanotechnology depicted in the novel still remains out of reach. However, the AI thats portrayed, particularly a teaching device called the Young Ladys Illustrated Primer, isnt only right in front of us; it also raises serious issues about the role of AI in labor, learning and human behavior. In Stephensons novel, the Primer looks like a hardcover book, but each of its pages is really a screen display that can show animations and text, and it responds to its user in real time via AI. The book also has an audio component, which voices the characters and narrates stories being told by the device. It was originally created for the young daughter of an aristocrat, but it accidentally falls into the hands of a girl named Nell whos living on the streets of a futuristic Shanghai. The Primer provides Nell personalized emotional, social and intellectual support during her journey to adulthood, serving alternatively as an AI companion, a storyteller, a teacher and a surrogate parent. The AI is able to weave fairy tales that help a younger Nell cope with past traumas, such as her abusive home and life on the streets. It educates her on everything from math to cryptography to martial arts. In a techno-futuristic homage to George Bernard Shaws 1913 play Pygmalion, the Primer goes so far as to teach Nell the proper social etiquette to be able to blend into neo-Victorian society, one of the prominent tribes in Stephensons balkanized world. No need for ractors Three recent developments in AIin video games, wearable technology and educationreveal that building something like the Primer should no longer be considered the purview of science fiction. In May 2025, the hit video game Fortnite introduced an AI version of Darth Vader, who speaks with the voice of the late James Earl Jones. While it was popular among fans of the game, the Screen Actors Guild lodged a labor complaint with Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite. Even though Epic had received permission from the late actors estate, the Screen Actors Guild pointed out that actors could have been hired to voice the character, and the companyin refusing to alert the union and negotiate termsviolated existing labor agreements. In The Diamond Age, while the Primer uses AI to generate the fairy tales that train Nell, for the voices of these archetypal characters, Stephenson concocted a low-tech solution: The characters are played by a network of what he termed ractorsreal actors working in a studio who are contracted to perform and interact in real time with users. The Darth Vader Fortnite character shows that a Primer built today wouldnt need to use actors at all. It could rely almost entirely on AI voice generation and have real-time conversations, showing that todays technology already exceeds Stephensons normally far-sighted vision. Recording and guiding in real time Synthesizing James Earl Jones voice in Fortnite wasnt the only recent AI development heralding the arrival of Primer-like technology. I recently witnessed a demonstration of wearable AI that records all of the wearers conversations. Their words are then sent to a server so they can be analyzed by AI, providing both summaries and suggestions to the user about future behavior. Several startups are making these always on AI wearables. In an April 29, 2025, essay titled I Recorded Everything I Said for Three Months. AI Has Replaced My Memory, Wall Street Journal technology columnist Joanna Stern describes the experience of using this technology. She concedes that the assistants created useful summaries of her conversations and meetings, along with helpful to-do lists. However, they also recalled every dumb, private and cringeworthy thing that came out of my mouth. These devices also create privacy issues. The people whom the user interacts with dont always know they are being recorded, even as their words are also sent to a server for the AI to process them. To Stern, the technologys potential for mass surveillance becomes readily apparent, presenting a slightly terrifying glimpse of the future. Relying on AI engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Googles Gemini, the wearables work only with words, not images. Behavioral suggestions occur only after the fact. However, a key function of the Primercoaching users in real time in the middle of any situation or social interactionis the next logical step as the technology advances. Education or social engineering? In The Diamond Age, the Primer doesnt simply weave interactive fairy tales for Nell. It also assumes the responsibility of educating her on everything from her ABCs when younger to the intricacies of cryptography and politics as she gets older. Its no secret that AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are now being widely used by both teachers and students. Several recent studies have shown that AI may be more effective than humans at teaching computer science One survey found that 85% of students said ChatGPT was more effective than a human tutor. And at least one college, Morehouse College in Atlanta, is introducing an AI teaching assistant for professors. There are certainly advantages to AI tutors: Tutoring and college tuition can be exorbitantly expensive, and the technology can offer better access to education to people of all income levels. Pulling together these latest AI advancesinteractive avatars, behavioral guides, tutorsits easy to envision how an AI device like the Young Ladys Illustrated Primer could be created in the near future. A young person might have a personalized AI character that accompanies them at all times. It can teach them about the world and offer up suggestions for how to act in certain situations. The AI could be tailored to a childs personality, concocting stories that include AI versions of their favorite TV and movie characters. But The Diamond Age offers a warning, too. Toward the end of the novel, a version of the Primer is handed out to hundreds of thousands of young Chinese girls who, like Nell, didnt have access to education or mentors. This leads to the education of the masses. But it also opens the door to large-scale social engineering, creating an army of Primer-raised martial arts experts, whom the AI then directs to act on behalf of Princess Nell, Nells fairy tale name. Its easy to see how this sort of large-scale social engineering could be used to target certain ideologies, crush dissent or build loyalty to a particular regime. The AIs behavior could also be subject to the whims of the companies or individuals that created it. A ubiquitous, always-on, friendly AI could become the ultimate monitoring and reporting device. Think of a kinder, gentler face for Big Brother that people have trusted since childhood. While large-scale deployment of a Primer-like AI could certainly make young people smarter and more efficient, it could also hamper one of the most important parts of education: teaching people to think for themselves. Rizwan Virk is a faculty associate and PhD candidate in human and social dimensions of science and technology at Arizona State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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E-Commerce
At first glance, the idea of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the restaurant experience seems counterintuitive. After all, sitting down for a meal is one of the most fundamentally human experiences there isfrom the warm greeting at the host stand, to the conversations at the table, and the feeling of eating food that someone else prepared for you with care. But when applied thoughtfully, AI doesnt detract from thatit enables more of it. And for restaurants, thats an operational game-changer. Despite macroeconomic conditions, people are still going out to eatin fact, OpenTable data shows that dining is up 7% year over yearat the time of writing. But restaurants are feeling the squeeze navigating continued staffing shortages, shrinking margins, and the looming impact of tariffs. The National Restaurant Associations 2025 State of the Industry report revealed over a third (39%) of restaurants were not profitable in 2024. Meanwhile, 95% of operators said labor costs were a significant challenge last year, and 77% said recruiting and retaining employees remains a significant challenge. And that is where AI can help close the gaps. Take something as simple as answering the phone: 59% of customers hang up after being placed on hold for a minute or less and its estimated that over 60% of calls to restaurants go unanswered during peak hours thats money off a bottom line thats already running on a razor-thin margin of ~3-4%. AI phone agents like Slang.ai and PolyAI can help restaurants take reservations and answer pertinent dining questions, 24/7. This means less time spent manning the phone, and more revenue from increased bookings. Technology has even come so far that these voice agents can be trained on a restaurants brand and tone-of-voice so that warmth and hospitality arent lost to efficiency. Automating phone calls is a good example of how restaurants can start small with AI. With any business, a test-and-learn approach helps you figure out which tools are right for the job and helps get team members on board. Restaurant owners can start by implementing a single toolsay, one that only manages inventory or only optimizes staff scheduling. Or maybe you dont have resources for a full marketing team but could use large learning models like ChatGPT as a starting point to create marketing campaigns, social media content, and even help produce branded swag. You can see the themes that are appearing here: reducing operational friction and costs and streamlining processes. Because the less time restaurant managers spend in the office or hosts spend on the phone, the more time they can devote to the core part of the job: delivering great hospitality. Diners are the beneficiary of this upleveled dining experiencethey will feel,but not see, AI behind the curtains. The use of AI will undoubtedly accelerate across the hospitality sector in the near and long-term future and its promising and exciting to see a strong interest in adoption: 72% of restaurant operators plan to adopt AI soon, and nearly 94% acknowledge its necessity to remain competitive in the evolving landscape of food service. The future of hospitality isnt a trade-off between high-touch service and high-tech tools; its a blend of both. Its my belief that by embracing these new tools to build stronger restaurants, we can, in turn, build a stronger industry. Debby Soo is CEO of OpenTable.
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E-Commerce
In the midst of economic volatility driven by inflation, tariffs, and global geopolitical tensions, how do businesses keep up without a crystal ball? As the CEO of Sollis Health, my deep background in scaling mission-driven brands has taught me that thriving businesses dont predict the futurethey embrace uncertainty. Future-proofing is investing in your business, your offerings, and your relationships rather than trying to anticipate specific challenges. At Sollis Health, a 24/7 concierge medical membership, our guiding star is future-proofing by pioneering new ways to elevate and transform healthcare for our members, providers, and community. Build for adaptability, not predictability With its rigid structure, extensive financial projections, and reliance on outdated market analyses, the traditional business plan was designed for a world that no longer exists. Rather than boxing themselves in with an inflexible growth strategy, the businesses that prioritize data-driven decision making, lean operational structures, and empowered teams create more opportunities for innovation, even in todays unpredictable business climate. Ive seen this with Sollis Health, where weve found that working to meet the needs of a growing, mobile membership base has given us the freedom to be more responsive to our members needs. For example, after we saw that many of our New York-based members were regularly visiting our new Palm Beach location, we quickly opened a Boca Raton location because we maintain a robust list of target markets and available real estate. This foresight not only provided more convenience for our local members but strengthened our regional offerings with more comprehensive staffing and services. Invest in long-term relationships, not just short-term wins When market volatility rises, trust among your customers, your employees, and your business partners becomes even more valuable. Whether youre expanding member services, prioritizing employee culture, or exploring exciting new campaigns with your partners, investing in your peoplewhomever they might beis a future-proofing tactic that builds loyalty across the board. When I led global strategy and operations at Starwood Preferred Guest, the award-winning hotel loyalty program (now part of Marriott Bonvoy), we invested in ambassador service for our most frequent gueststhose staying 100+ nights per year. Each member enjoyed access to a dedicated ambassador to help navigate reservations and service requests, anticipate their needs, and even surprise and delight on special stays, like stocking a members room with plush dolls for her kids when she redeemed points to treat her family to a Disney World vacation. And if a longtime loyal member didnt spend the requisite number of nights with us in a given year due to extenuating circumstances, the ambassador was empowered to make a proactive exception to maintain ambassador service for another year. With this investment, Starwood made its most important members feel recognized and valued, thereby creating more opportunities for loyalty in the long term. Make customer experience your competitive edge In premium sectors especially, customer expectations are rising even as conditions become more uncertain. The pressure to differentiate has never been higher, but its more than possible to rise to these challenges with a focus on personalization, service continuity, and care that goes beyond the transactional. At Peloton, we leveraged the power of community to enhance the customer experience. We cultivated online spaces for members to connect outside of class, from scheduling workouts to drive shared accountability, to celebrating fitness milestones together. We even hosted in-person events to bring members together IRL, from hosting group rides and runs at our production studios to instructor meet-and-greets at each new showroom. I still remember a massive line of members decked out in Peloton gear snaking through Washingtons Bellevue Square in 2017 to meet instructor Cody Rigsby. We even hosted an annual Peloton Homecoming, a sold-out event in New York City that brought together 3,000 of our most passionate members, cementing their loyalty to the brand. When it comes to member experiences, it’s little thingsand they all add up. Whatever your industry, customer experience will continue to be the core of your differentiation. The businesses that serve customers deeply and in obsessive detail will not only outlast economic uncertainty, but ultimately thrive. Leadership with purpose and clarity The antidote to uncertainty is not certaintyits clarity of mission and agility of execution. As business leaders, we must foster cultures that welcome change while remaining steadfast in our commitment to value. You cant future-proof your industry, but if you prioritize adaptability, long-term relationships, and customer experience, you can future-proof your business. Brad Olson is CEO of Sollis Health.
Category:
E-Commerce
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