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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. The way we work is changing. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the workplace, automating tasks, creating new efficiencies, and helping us accomplish more across virtually all industries. In this environment, new hiring strategies based on evaluating a candidate’s full skillsetincluding their ability to problem-solve, think creatively, and adapt rather than solely relying on their college degreeare becoming essential for companies and organizations that want to find and retain the best talent. For the 62% of American workers who do not have university degrees, skills-based hiring strategies can offer the opportunity to build thriving careers in industries that traditionally had their doors closed. AI has the potential to democratize these opportunities, helping to dismantle barriers to employment to close the opportunity gap. The benefits of skills as a new currency of work Focusing on skills-based hiring benefits individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and society as a whole. Ive worked closely with many workforce development nonprofits, and its clear that when we have a narrow focus on college degrees, many skilled workers get left behind. Recent Workday research indicates that 51% of business leaders have significant concerns about a looming talent shortage. This research also shows that 81% of leaders believe skills-based strategies will give them a competitive advantage and will drive economic growth by improving productivity, innovation, and organizational agility. In fact, hiring for skills has been found to be five times more predictive of positive job performance than hiring for education, and two and a half times more predictive than hiring for past work experience. The role of AI in democratizing skills-based hiring AI will play a crucial role in helping organizations make this transition to a skills-driven workforce. There are many AI-powered platforms available that can support skills-based hiring and internal talent mobility by identifying strengths and assessing candidates based on their demonstrated abilities, ensuring a more equitable evaluation process. AI-powered skills assessments can level the playing field by focusing on demonstrated abilities rather than pedigree, and prioritizing skills over subjective evaluations within hiring teams. By removing unconscious bias in resume screening and candidate selection, AI can help ensure equal access to opportunities. AI can also analyze vast datasets and reveal hidden patterns of bias, identify skills gaps, and more. Once hiring managers and recruiters begin to widen their applicant criteria by using skills-based hiring methods, their businesses will benefit. For example, research shows that those who are hired on the basis of skills have, on average, a 9% longer tenure than traditional hires, saving companies money spent on turnover and backfilling. According to LinkedIn data, employers who hire based on skills are 60% more likely to find successful talent than those who do not. This is an area where AI can really be used for social good while simultaneously benefitting the hiring organization, as it can make a huge difference in how organizations find and retain talent in an efficient and effective way. The role of nonprofits Workforce development programs are at the forefront of the skills-first movement. These nonprofits play a vital role in equipping job seekers with the skills needed to thrive in todays tech-enabled economy and connecting them with employment opportunities. Theyre also leveraging AIs power to scale their efforts and reach more people in need. Opportunity@Work strives to increase awareness and opportunities for STARs, workers who are skilled through alternative routes, such as community colleges, short-term training programs, certifications, self-directed online learning, and previous work experience in different fields. They use an AI integration that improves skills matching for job seekers and managers alike, making results more relevant and less biased. Another nonprofit making AI strides is the Society for Human Resource Management, which is launching a Skills-First Center of Excellence, utilizing an AI-based skills advisor. AI can be a powerful tool for personalizing learning experiences, identifying skills gaps, and swiftly connecting workers to the right job opportunities. AI can help cultivate human potential While technical skills like digital fluency are important, new Workday research also shows that the uniquely human skills of relationship building, empathy, conflict resolution, and ethical decision making are all critical for success, especially in an AI-driven economy. AI is now empowering us to recognize and cultivate human potential in ways never before imagined. By championing skills-based hiring, we’re not just filling job openings; we’re unlocking pathways to fulfilling careers and building a more prosperous future for all. Let’s harness the power of AI to help foster innovation and build a world where every person and business has the chance to thrive. Carrie Varoquiers is the chief philanthropy officer at Workday.
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E-Commerce
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, climate change is projected to cause the extinction of over a third of the species of plants and animals in the world in 25 years. But scientists at genetics laboratory Colossal Biosciences are claiming they may have a solutionone they say has resulted in the birth of the first dire wolves in over 10,000 years. Colossals website proclaims the lab to be the worlds only company working on de-extinction, which it defines as the process of generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species by resurrecting its lost lineage of core genes; engineering natural resistances; and enhancing adaptability that will allow it to thrive in todays environment of climate change, dwindling resources, disease and human interference. Breakthroughs have seemed promising so far. In March, it introduced the world to the first ever woolly mice, a stepping stone to the larger goal of eventually bringing back the woolly mammoth. Now, Colossal has announced that it’s brought back the dire wolf. Male dire wolf pups Romulus and Remus were born six months ago, followed by female pup Khaleesi three months later. A statement from Colossal CEO Ben Lamm explained that scientists at Colossal began the process of reconstructing the species by analyzing the DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull. Comparing the dire wolf DNA to the DNA of its cousin, the grey wolf, the scientists pinpointed 20 differences in 14 genes that caused what they determined to be the most distinguishing features. And by manipulating DNA in the nuclei of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from grey wolves using CRISPR technology, they could cause the pups to express traits such as a white coat or a larger and stronger body, or change the sound of their howl. The scientists then extracted the edited nuclei and inserted them into denucleated grey wolf egg cells. Those egg cells were then placed in the wombs of a couple of dogs, eventually leading to the births of Romulus, Remus, and later, Khaleesi. At six months old, Romulus and Remus are already four feet long and 80 lbs and have the potential to reach six feet long and 150 lbs. That is around 50 lbs heavier than the average male grey wolf. All three pups are a bright, snowy white. Romulus and Remus at age one month. [Photo: Colossal] But while the pups certainly look the part, many are skeptical about whether the dire wolf has actually been resurrected. A research paper on the lineage of dire wolves published in the leading science journal Nature states that dire wolves were a highly divergent lineage that split from living canids around 5.7 million years ago. In other words, the last common ancestor between grey wolves and dire wolves lived around 5.7 million years ago. To put that in context, humans were thought to have evolved only around 315,000 years ago. In fact, the researchers found that grey wolves were more genetically similar to African wild dogs than they were to dire wolves. The paper mentions that one hypothesis for why the two species seem to have similar features is not based on actual genetic similarity, but convergent evolution, a process where species that are not closely related to each other evolve similar traits to respond to similar ecological pressures. This is the same reason why sharks, a type of fish, and dolphins, which are mammals, evolved to have similar body shapes. Beth Shapiro, chief scientific officer at Colossal, said in an interview with NewScientist that grey wolves and dire wolves share 99.5% of their DNA. However, in the context of the grey wolf genome having over 2.4 billion base pairs, that 0.5% difference actually suggests a difference of over 12 million base pairs. Can Colossal really argue, then, that it brought back the dire wolf species with only 20 modifications? In fact, Shapiro argued, how we define species is quite arbitrary. Species concepts are human classification systems, and everybody can disagree and everyone can be right . . . We are using the morphological species concept and saying, ‘if they look like this animal, then they are the animal.'”
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E-Commerce
The National Weather Service (NWS) has paused language translation services of its products for non-English speakers living in the U.S., including emergency alerts.“Due to a contract lapse, NWS paused the automated language translation services for our products until further notice,” Michael Musher, public affairs specialist and a meteorologist for The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service told Fast Company in an emailed statement. According to a 2022 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English. Of them, around 42 million speak Spanish. As the Trump administration continues to seek major cuts to federal agencies, such as NOAA, the National Weather Service has been stretched thin, meaning translation services had to take a back seat. After recent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, the Associated Press reported that National Weather Service offices have a 20% vacancy rate. The administration hasn’t commented on translation services or whether they plan to ensure they make a comeback amid its cuts to the NWS. Where should non-English speakers get weather alerts? Norma Mendoza-Denton, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, per AP News, alerts are the difference “between life and death” during severe weather. And what’s even more frightening is that there aren’t a ton of other places non-English speakers can get translated weather updates, even when severe weather strikes. While there are many apps that provide weather alerts, few offer built-in translation services. One that does is AccuWeather. In 2021, AccuWeather partnered with Rubric, a translations company, for global weather updates in over 100 languages and dialects. Online, Accuweather has a 24/7 livestream, and provides “notifications of government issued watches, warnings, advisories, statements and other alerts that are issued by the relevant countrys government weather or civil protection services,” the site reads, noting that users can customize the types of alerts they receive.A representative for AccuWeather told Fast Company, “A localized description of the type of severe warning is displayed in the language the user has selected on their device. For example, a Spanish-language-app user will receive a warning description for flash-flooding in their area in the language they selected on their device.” The representative added, “We have no indication at this time that the changes at NOAA will impact AccuWeathers services. We remain committed to providing the highest levels of service to the public, the media, and our clients.” The AccuWeather app is available for iPhone and Android in the App Store and on Google Play.In 2022, the Weather Channel launched a free 24/7 Spanish-language weather streaming service, the Weather Channel en Espaol. But last year, Allen Media Group pulled the plug on the channel. AMG spokesperson told Media Moves at the time, As part of Allen Media Groups extensive cost-cutting measures, the Weather Channel en Espaol will cease operations on December 31, 2024. While there is currently not a national weather channel offering non-English weather reports in the U.S., residents should also look to their local news outlets, as some may offer news apps with translated weather updates and alerts.
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