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When I entered the workforce, we sent documents by fax. Everyone had a landline. If you needed to do research, you went to the librarywith actual books. Today, many of my younger colleagues would be unfamiliar with these relics of office life. Gen Z, the newest generation in the workforce, grew up with smartphones in their hands. Theyre accustomed to instant information, digital communication, and a world shaped by remote work, flexibility, and purpose-driven careers. Meaningful diversity isnt just an aspiration for them; its an expectation. But Gen Z is also anxious. Studies show theyre more pessimistic about their futures than any other generation. The rise of AI only heightens that anxiety, especially as automated tools increasingly take over entry-level tasks like research, scheduling, and document review. The onus is on leaders to bridge the gap between the strengths Gen Z brings and the foundational skills they need to build. Here are a few strategies for harnessing Gen Zs digital expertise while supporting their long-term career growth. Let them lead digital initiatives At my company, we promote an automation-first mindset. Employees are encouraged to carve out time to discover new tools and integrate them into their workflows. While optimizing systems might seem like a management responsibility, theres no reason to exclude young employees from this process. In fact, theyre ideal candidates to evaluate and experiment with emerging tech tools. For starters, theyre digital natives. Some studies suggest Gen Z employees are up to 43% more productive when using collaborative digital tools compared to more traditional communication forms like email. Even more compelling: giving entry-level employees access to AI tools yields a higher return on investment. Research from the MIT Sloan School of Management found that new and lower-skilled workers see the biggest productivity gains from working with AI. This approach doesnt just build future-ready skillsit lifts performance across the organization. Invite them to shape your brand story Gen Z employees are natural content creators. For better or worse, many of them move through the world already thinking in grids, captions, and potential for virality. Professionally, they tend to see themselves less as loyal to a single company and more as evolving personal brands. That instinctive sense of branding can be a major asset for companies, especially when it comes to creating engaging content. This is the generation that reimagined the résumé as a short-form video. And in many cases, that makes perfect sense. Wouldnt a viral TikTok showcase your skills as a social media manager better than a bulleted list of job experiences? Companies should be tapping into this native fluency and involving Gen Z employees in content creation, not as an afterthought, but as first-line collaborators. At my company, newer employees are deeply involved in the brainstorming process for social media initiatives. Even if senior team members shape the execution, some of our most successful campaigns have started with their ideas. Make mentorship a two-way street While AI and automation are eliminating much of the busywork from entry-level roles, they can’t replace the value of human mentorship, especially when it comes to developing soft skills. In an increasingly remote, digital-first work environment, those informal mentor relationships are at risk of fading. Its up to leaders to ensure they dont. These relationships dont have to be one-way. Peer mentorship can be a two-way dialogue that benefits both parties. More experienced employees can offer guidance on communication, conflict resolution, and navigating workplace dynamicsskills that arent easily taught online. For example, how do you approach a colleague about a recurring conflict without harming your work relationship? Anyone whos worked in a team long enough knows: things run more smoothly when personal tensions are low. At the same time, Gen Z workers can bring their older colleagues up to speed on emerging tools, platforms, and digital shortcuts. These symbiotic teaching relationships are especially important in the age of AI: executives estimate that up to 40% of their workforce will need to be reskilled over the next three yearsand not just Gen Z. In the end, fostering a culture of shared learning across roles and generations benefits the growth and future-readiness of individuals and teams alike.
Category:
E-Commerce
Computing revolutions are surprisingly rare. Despite the extraordinary technological progress that separates the first general-purpose digital computer1945s ENIACfrom the smartphone in your pocket, both machines actually work the same fundamental way: by boiling down every task into a simple mathematical system of ones and zeros. For decades, so did every other computing device on the planet. Then there are quantum computersthe first ground-up reimagining of how computing works since it was invented. Quantum is not about processing ones and zeros faster. Instead, it runs on qubitsmore on those laterand embraces advanced physics to take computation places its never been before. The results could one day have a profound impact on medicine, energy, finance, and beyondmaybe, perhaps not soon, and only if the sectors greatest expectations play out. The fields origins trace to a 1981 conference near Boston cohosted by MIT and IBM called Physics of Computation. There, legendary physicist Richard Feynman proposed building a computer based on the principles of quantum mechanics, pioneered in the early 20th century by Max Planck, Albert Einstein, and Niels Bohr, among others. By the centurys endfollowing seminal research at MIT, IBM, and elsewhere, including Caltech and Bell Labstech giants and startups alike joined the effort. It remains one of the industrys longest slogs, and much of the work lies ahead. Some of quantums biggest news has arrived in recent months and involves advances on multiple fronts. In December, after more than a decade of development, Google unveiled Willow, a Post-it-size quantum processor that its lead developer, Hartmut Neven, described as a major step. In February, Microsoft debuted the Majorana 1 chipa transformative leap, according to the company (though some quantum experts have questioned its claims). A week later, Amazon introduced a prototype of its own quantum processor, called Ocelot, deeming the experimental chip a breakthrough. And in March, after one of D-Waves machines performed a simulation of magnetic materials that would have been impossible on a supercomputer, CEO Alan Baratz declared his company had attained the sectors holy grail. No wonder the tech industrywhose interest in quantum computing has waxed and waned over its decades-long gestationis newly tantalized. Bluster aside, none of these developments has led to a commercial quantum computer that performs the kinds of world-changing feats the fields biggest advocates anticipate. More twists lie ahead before the field reaches maturityif it ever doeslet alone widespread adoption. A 2024 McKinsey study of the sector reflects this uncertainty, projecting that the quantum computing market could grow from between $8 billion and $15 billion this year to between $28 billion and $72 billion by 2035. Whatever comes next isnt likely to be boring. So heres a brief overview on computings next big thing, which many have heard of but few of us fully understand. 1. Lets start with why. What exactly can quantum computers do that todays supercomputers cant? Were talking about a computer that could, theoretically, unleash near-boundless opportunity in fields that benefit from complex simulations and what-if explorations. The goal of quantum computer designers isnt just to beat supercomputers, but to enable tasks that arent even possible today. For example, Google says its new Willow quantum chip took five minutes to complete a computational benchmark that the U.S. Department of Energys Frontier supercomputer would have needed 10 septillion years to finish. Thats a one followed by 25 zeros. By that math, even a supercomputer that was a trillion times faster than Frontiercurrently the worlds second-fastest supercomputerwould require 10 trillion years to complete the benchmark. Now, a lab-run benchmark is not the same as a world-changing feat. But Googles test results hint at what quantum might be capable of accomplishing. Like other recent milestones, its tangible proof that the technologys unprecedented potential is more than theoretical. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] 2. Dare I ask how quantum computers work? Do I even need to know? As with a personal computer, you probably dont, unless youre planning to build one. Simply using onewhich you probably wont do anytime soonalso wont require familiarity with the gnarly details. The scientific underpinnings are fascinating, though. Very quickly: Theyre based on aspects of quantum physics that can sound weird to us mere mortals. Entanglement, for example, describes the quantum connection between two or more particles or systems even if theyre light-years apart. And superposition states that a quantum system can exist in a state of multiple possibilities, all at the same time. In quantum computers, the quantum bitor qubittakes advantage of these properties. While a conventional bit is binary, containing either a one or a zero, a qubit can have a state of one, zero, or anywhere in between. Entangled qubits work in concert, allowing algorithms to manipulate multiple qubits so they affect each other and initiate a vast, cascading series of calculations. These mind-bending capabilities are the basis of quantum computings power. But taming quantum physics is one of the most daunting tasks scientists have ever taken on. To maintain their quantum state, many qubits must be cooled to just a skosh above absolute zero. This requirement leads to the unique look of the machines, which resemble steampunk chandeliers. A stack of suspended discsoften made of gold-plated copperbring the temperature progressively down, with snakes of cables shuttling data in and out of the qubits. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] 3. Im already lost. Youre not alone! One metaphor to explain quantum involves magical pennies. Imagine youre tasked with laying out every possible heads-tails combination for the outcome of a 100-coin toss. With ordinary pennies, youd need more than a nonillion coinsthats a one followed by 30 zeros. Now imagine 100 magical pennies that can represent all the different combinations at the same time, covering every possible outcome. Much more efficient. Back in the real world, many tasks are as complex as a 100-coin toss, and theyd quickly max out the ones and zeros of non-quantum machines, also known as classical computers. By going beyond the binary, qubits hold the promise of turning these tasks into magical-penny projects. Otherwise impossible computing work would become feasible. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] 4. That helpsbut give me some examples. Quantum computing holds particular promise in biology and materials science. Eventually, a sufficiently advanced quantum machine may be able to model molecular structures with unprecedented precision, potentially transforming everything from novel drug discovery in pharmaceuticals to the development of new kinds of batteries that would lead to cheaper EVs with greater range. Financial analysis is another prime application: Someday, a quantum computer might be better at data-intensive undertakingsportfolio optimization, securities lending, risk management, identifying arbitrage opportunitiesthan any classical computer. Todays commercially available quantum computers cant pull off such extraordinary accomplishments. Still, some companies are already dabbling with the technology. For instance, Maryland quantum startup IonQ established a partnership with Airbus in 2022 to experiment with optimizing the process of loading cargo in a range of shapes, sizes, and weights onto aircraft with varying capacitiesthe kind of massive math problem that quantum is designed to solve. 5. Impressive! So why arent quantum computers everywhere already? Didnt you say the idea dates to 1981? Reliability remains an issue. Even once youve cooled a quantum machine to near absolute zerono small undertakingeven the slightest temperature fluctuation or electromagnetic interference can cause qubits to perform erratically. To mitigate, quantum designers deploy error-correction tech that pools these physical qubits into fewer, more robust logical qubits. Increasing the number of physical qubits that can be combined into logical ones is key to the industrys ambitions. The more reliable logical qubits there are in its processor, the stronger a quantum computers ability to tackle sophisticated projects. The new Majorana 1 chip, for one, holds the potential to scale up to a million qubits in the palm of your hand, says Krysta Svore, technical fellow for advanced quantum development at Microsoft. With just eight physical qubits, the prototypebased on a property called topological superconductivityis a start. You need around 100 [logical qubits] for problems in science to outperform the classical results, Svore says. At around 1,000 reliable logical qubits, youll see industrial value in chemistry. Microsoft hopes to reach that milestone in years, not decades. 6. Who else is taking part in the race to make quantum real? More companies than you might guess. A few are household names, such as IBM, which helped launch the whole field at that 1981 conference and deployed its first commercial quantum machine, the IBM Q System One, in 2019. Among its contributions to the field is Qiskit, an open-source software platform for writing algorithms that can be run on quantum computersnot just IBM ones, but others as well. The overwhelming majority of players, however, are small and focused on quantum. McKinseys 2024 report counted 261 such startups that had received a total of $6.7 billion in investment104 in the U.S. and Canada, and 24 in the U.K., another hub. But McKinsey says its list is not exhaustive and that its particularly difficult to determine how much activity is going on in China, where it identified just 10 quantum computing startups. Some of these companies are developing their own quantum computers from the ground up, often based on novel approaches. In January, for example, Toronto-based Xanadu announced Aurora, a 12-qubit machine built around photonic, or light-based, qubits rather than superconducting ones, allowing it to run at room temperature. Others are carving off specific aspects of the technology and looking for opportunities to collaborate with hardware makers. They include U.K.-based Phasecraft, which is focused on optimizing quantum algorithms and is partnering with Google and IBM, among others. Any quantum startup would be happy to become the Google, Amazon, or Microsoft of this new computing formthough Google, Amazon, and Microsoft share the same aim and can pour their colossal resources into achieving it. Upstarts and behemoths alike are still in the early stages of a long journey to full commercialization of the technology. Figuring out which ones might dominate a few years from now is as much of a crapshoot as identifying who the internet economys ultimate winners would have been in the mid-90s. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] 7. Once quantum computers are humming, will classical computing go away? Highly unlikely. From word processing to generative AI, classical computers excel at general-purpose work outside quantum computings domain. Few companies will buy their own quantum computers, which will remain complex and costly. Instead, businesses will access them as cloud services from providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, combining quantum machines with on-demand classical computers to accomplish work that neither could achieve on its own. Quantums ability to explore many data scenarios in parallel may make it an efficient way to train the AI algorithms that run on classical machines. We envision a future of computing thats heterogeneous, says Jay Gambetta, VP of quantum at IBM. 8. Sounds like a tool that could do a lot of goodbut also harm. What are the anticipated risks? The one that concerns people the most is a doozy. Most internet data is secured via encryption techniques that date to the 1970sand which remain impervious to decoding by classical computers. At some point, however, a quantum machine will likely be able to do so, and quickly. Its up to the industry to start girding itself now so that businesses and individuals are protected when this eventuality comes. Quantum-resistant, or quantum-secure, encryptionsturdy cryptographic schemes that withstand quantum-assisted crackingis possible today: Apple has already engineered its iMessage app to be quantum-resistant. Samsung has done the same with its newest backup and syncing software. But implementing such tech globally, across all industries, will prove a huge logistical challenge. You have to start that transition now, says IBMs Gambetta. So far, the U.S. Commerce Departments National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has played a critical role in bolstering cryptographic standards for the quantum era. How well that effort will survive the Trump administrations sweeping shrinkage of federal resourceswhich has already resulted in layoffs at NISTis unclear. Im a little less optimistic about our ability to do anything that requires any coordination, says Eli Levenson-Falk, an associate professor and head of a quantum lab at the University of Southern California. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] 9. Is there a chance that quantum computing will never amount to much? Most experts are at least guardedly hopeful that it will live up to their expectations. But yes, the doubters exist. Some argue that scaling up the technology to a point where its practical could prove impossible. Others say that even if it does work, it will fall short of delivering the expected epoch-shifting advantages over classical computers. Even before you get to outright pessimism, cold, hard reality could dash the most extravagant expectations for quantum as a business. In January, at the CES tech conference in Las Vegas, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he thought very useful quantum machines were likely 20 years away. Huang is no hater: Nvidia is actively researching the technology, focused on how supercomputers using the companys GPU chips might augment quantum computers, and vice versa. Nevertheless, his cautious prognostication prompted Wall Street to punish the stocks of publicly held quantum companies D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti Computing. If enough American investors grow antsy about when theyll start seeing returns on quantum, the techs future in the U.S. could rapidly dim. 10. Twenty years! That sounds like forever. Even the optimists cant be all that specific about when quantum computers will be solving significant problems for commercial users. Levenson-Falk believes it could happen in the next one to 10 years, and says the uncertainty has less to do with the hardware being ready than with identifying its most promising applications. Consider the historical arc of another field that launched at a school-sponsored gathering, this time at a Dartmouth workshop in the summer of 1956: artificial intelligence. More than 50 years elapsed before the foundational breakthroughs that paved the way for generative AI; ChatGPT didnt come along until another decade after that. And were only just beginning to discover meaningful everyday applications for the technology. That quantum computing is proving to be a similarly epic undertaking shouldnt shock anyoneeven if the end of the beginning is not yet in sight. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] The Strange Beauty of a Quantum Machine Some, like this IBM Q System One, look like chandeliers. Theyre colder than outer space. [Illustration: Kathleen Fu] 1. Pulse tube coolersAs signals move toward the computers core, things get chillier. Here begins the first stage of cooling, via the thermodynamic heat transfer of helium gas, to 4 Kelvin. 2. Thermal shieldsThese layered plates act as heat blockers, isolating each successive, increasingly cold layer from external heat. 3. Coaxial cablesThese lines carry microwave pulses down to read the quantum chips amplified output then back out. Their gold plating helps reduce energy loss. 4. Mixing chamberThe mingling of two helium isotopesgases in the atmosphere but liquids hereprovides the final blast of cooling power, bringing the temperature of the chip to 15 millikelvin. 5. Quantum amplifiersThese components amplify the chips weak quantum signals of its qubits states while minimizing noise. 6. Quantum processorAbout the size of a stamp, this chip houses the qubits where computing magic occurs.
Category:
E-Commerce
If youve ever considered buying a used EV, now is the time. According to a new study from the electric vehicle (EV) data analysis firm Recurrent, the used EV industry is seeing increased inventory, stable prices, and demand to rival sales of used gas cars. Recurrent’s report looks at the American used EV market from January to May 2025. The data shows that, since February, used EV inventory has been up 50% year-over-year. The report comes in the wake of another major update for the EV market: On July 3, Congress approved new spending legislation which will end tax credits on buying new or used EVs beginning on September 30. In light of this change, experts have predicted that EV sales are likely to see a spike pre-September, followed by a decline in the months after. Heres what to know about the current used EV market: Used EV sales are closing in on used gas cars Recurrents data showed that, at the end of May, on average, used EVs were rolling out of car lots more quickly than their gas counterparts. According to Recurrents analysts, some of that demand can be attributed to the impending tax credit deadlinebut there are a few other likely motivators. First, the available selection has broadened within the past few years: There are currently 70 plug-in hybrid EV and battery-powered EV models on the market. Many optionseven when usedare also newer than comparable gas cars, with 72% of used EV listings dating within the past five years. To top it off, EVs are now giving gas cars significant competition in terms of affordability. Someone on a budget can stretch their dollar farther in the used EV market as compared with a used gas car, Recurrents report notes. 34% of inventory is priced under $25,000, and 55% is under $30,000. For comparison, in the gas car market, nearly half of all used cars were $20,000 or less in 2019. Today, only 11% are. Despite Elon Musks drag on the brand, used Teslas remain popular One of Recurrents more surprising findings is that, despite Teslas endless list of brand struggles this year (see its plummeting stock prices, lagging deliveries, and constant political woes), used Teslas have not seen the crash in resale value that many experts predicted. (The sole exception to this trend is Teslas Cybertruck model.) While used Tesla prices did see a modest 2% dip in April, Recurrents report demonstrates that theyve broadly kept pace with the overall used EV market. More importantly, it adds, inventory didnt sit idle”: April saw a 27% increase in sales volume month-over-month and, by May, used Tesla market share rose to nearly 50%, and days supply fell to just 28 daysthe lowest in the industry. The interesting thing about our Tesla findings is that they remain very popular options for used car shoppers, says Andrew Garberson, Recurrents head of growth and research. For people who want a high-range, low-mile, affordable used EV, its often a Tesla based on their market share the last 10 years. One car dealer even told us that someone looking for an affordable used EV doesnt care what Elon says or does. They just need a low-cost, reliable vehicle. With the tax credit deadline looming, now is the time to buy Since 2008, purchasing a new EV has come with the incentive of a $7,500 federal tax credita policy that was expanded in 2022 under the Biden administration to include a potential federal credit of up to $4,000 on used EVs. With the September 30 tax credit deadline now looming on the horizon, buyers are likely to try to get in on the deal before it’s gone. While Garberson says it’s a little too early for Recurrent to see a spike in used EV sales resulting from the new spending bill, the team has seen a considerable increase in interest from clients. As of July 9, weekly website traffic to Recurrents used EV resources had doubled week-over-week. The main takeaway is that now is the time for people considering an affordable used EV, Garberson says. The tax credits are helping to anchor prices to the $25,000 threshold so newer models with modern range and technology can be affordable for a lot of people. Eligible buyers can also apply the $4,000 rebate to the purchase price, even using it as a down payment. Its a deal that cant be beat. Can the used EV market sustain this level? So far, most experts have predicted that the end of the tax credit will be detrimental for the American EV market. Dan Levy, Barclays auto analyst, explained in an interview with Reuters, We believe the bill reiterates the slowdown ahead for EV penetration in the U.S., with both the carrot (i.e. tax credits/incentives) and the stick (i.e. emissions regulations) softened. Garberson says that, while lease terms indicate that an influx of used EVs is set to hit the market in 2026, its difficult to predict what that might look like without the credit. The question on everyones mind is what happens between September 30th and the end of the year, Garberson says. I think well see that dealerships will keep inventory low while the market rebalances, which would keep sticker prices relatively stable. Itll be interesting to see how states act to backfill federal incentives. A number of states either currently offer or have proposed rebates to help their residents. But all of those factors make the crystal ball difficult to read.
Category:
E-Commerce
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