Category: 3. Business

The intriguing story of the “Red Pixel in the Snow” is a spectacular real-world example of how AI can solve mysteries.

In September 2024, Nicola Ivaldo-an orthopedic surgeon and skilled mountaineer-suddenly vanished while climbing Monsivo, the highest peak in the Cottian Alps, Italy.

The 66-year-old was the subject of an intense search by rescue teams, who spent weeks using helicopters and ground crews to find them.

The winter storms forced them to call off the search in October, and the case remained a mystery for nearly a year.

However, in July 2025 the search was officially resumed as Italy’s National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS)returned to the mountain. Cell phone signal data was used to signal data to narrow the search to 183 hectares on the dangerous North Face.

The investigation involved two drones that were sent into the Perotti Canal, an area deemed too dangerous for human rescuers to enter. In a matter of hours, the drones captured 2,600 high-resolution images.

Analyzing these images would have been difficult and could have taken humans months. Instead, according to the BBC, the AI flagged is a tiny, anomalous cluster of bright red pixels against the grey rock and white snow. The rescuers suspected it might be Ivaldo’s red climbing helmet.

The mission was marked by the pilots as a human achievement enabled by technology as the body was located in a spot where humans could not safely look. The technology enables them to scour deadly areas without putting the lives of people at risk on steep and unstable rock.

In this connection, a mountain rescuer himself is collaborating with geomatic team at Politecnico Torino University, “Our idea is to develop a more complex software, able to analyse all the data sets from the search activities and to manage the teams on the field and the drones inside the same system.”

He further said, “The future challenge will be to incorporate these complex analyses directly on the board of the drones and during the SAR flight.”

The recent success has led to a push for AI-drone integration globally and the use of thermal AI to detect the body.

Additionally, other research teams are working with rescue organizations to use AI in different ways to improve search operations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sluggish hiring last month closed out a year of weak employment gains that have frustrated job seekers even as layoffs and unemployment have also been low.

Employers added just 50,000 jobs in December, nearly unchanged from a downwardly revised figure of 56,000 in November, the Labor Department said Friday. The unemployment rate slipped to 4.4%, its first decline since June, from 4.5% in November, a figure also revised lower.

READ MORE: U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low

The data suggests that businesses are reluctant to add workers even as economic growth has picked up. Many firms hired aggressively after the pandemic and no longer need to fill more jobs. Others have held back due to widespread uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s shifting tariff policies, elevated inflation, and the spread of artificial intelligence, which could alter or even replace some jobs.

Nearly all the jobs added in December were in the health care and restaurant and hotel industries. Manufacturing, construction and retail companies all shed jobs.

The jobs data are being closely watched on Wall Street and in Washington because they are the first clean readings on the labor market in three months. The government didn’t issue a report in October because of the six-week government shutdown, and November’s data was distorted by the closure, which lasted until Nov. 12.

READ MORE: If you have a money resolution for 2026, start here, experts say

Still, December’s report caps a year of sluggish hiring, particularly after “liberation day” in April when President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, though many were later delayed or softened. The economy generated an average of 111,000 jobs a month in the first three months of 2025. But that pace dropped to just 11,000 in the three months ended in August, before rebounding slightly to 22,000 in November.

Subdued hiring underscores a key conundrum surrounding the economy as it enters 2026: Growth has picked up to healthy levels, yet hiring has weakened noticeably and the unemployment rate has increased in the last four jobs reports.

Last year, the economy gained just 584,000 jobs, sharply lower than that more than 2 million added in 2024. It’s the smallest annual gain since the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the job market in 2020.

WATCH: Why it’s getting harder to find a new car under $25,000

Most economists expect hiring will accelerate this year as growth remains solid, and President Donald Trump’s tax cut legislation is expected to produce large tax refunds this spring. Yet they acknowledge there are other possibilities: Weak job gains could drag down future growth. Or the economy could keep expanding at a healthy clip, while automation and the spread of artificial intelligence reduces the need for more jobs.

Even the weak 2025 figures are likely to be revised lower in February, when the government completes an annual benchmarking of the jobs figures to an actual count of jobs derived from companies’ unemployment insurance filings. A preliminary estimate of that revision showed it could reduce total jobs as of March 2025 by 911,000.

And last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that the government could still be overstating job gains by about 60,000 a month because of shortcomings in how it accounts for new companies as well as those that have gone out of business. The Labor Department is expected to update those methods in its report next month.

With hiring so weak, the Federal Reserve cut its key short-term interest rate three times late last year, in an effort to boost borrowing, spending, and hiring. Yet Powell signaled that the central bank may keep its rate unchanged in the coming months as it evaluates how the economy evolves.

Even with such sluggish job gains, the economy has continued to expand, with growth reaching a 4.3% annual rate in last year’s July-September quarter, the best in two years. Strong consumer spending helped drive the gain. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta forecasts that growth could slow to a still-solid 2.7% in the final three months of last year.

At the same time, inflation remains elevated, eroding the value of Americans’ paychecks. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November compared with a year ago, little changed from the beginning of the year and above the Fed’s 2% target.

Telefónica has been recognised for the twelfth consecutive year as a global leader for its action against climate change by being included in the “A List” compiled by CDP, a non-profit organisation whose report is the only independent environmental disclosure report in the world and server as benchmark for analysts and investors in this field.

CDP positively recognises Telefónica’s commitment to decarbonisation by aligning its business model with the most ambitious scientific climate recommendations. The multinational aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, committing to a 90% reduction and neutralising the remaining emissions.

To achieve this, by the end of 2024, Telefónica has reduced all its emissions, including those from the value chain, by 52% and its operational emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 85% globally.

CDP has assessed 22,100 companies worldwide, of which only 877 have made it onto the “A List”, representing just 4%. The 2025 ranking helps in the decision-making of nearly 700 investors managing more than $127 trillion in assets.

“This recognition reflects Telefónica’s solid efforts to strengthen our climate change resilience and contribute to the decarbonisation of the economy by supporting our customers and suppliers. Our goals are not only compatible with network expansion and service quality, but also help us to be more competitive and generate new business opportunities. Endeavours in the climate transition must be ambitious, because the green transformation is not a final destination, but a continuous path of innovation and collaboration”, explains Maya Ormazabal, Chief Sustainability Officer at Telefónica.

Climate Action Plan

Telefónica aligns its business model with the most ambitious scientific climate recommendations. In it, the company quantifies GHG emissions, shows targets validated by Science Based Targets (SBTi) and defines specific actions to achieve them, both for the company’s activities and for customers and suppliers, anticipating the various regulatory requirements.

In its climate transition model, whose roadmap is described in the Climate Action Plan, Telefónica develops its decarbonisation levers through the transformation of networks by implementing state-of-the-art ones; energy efficiency with an 8% reduction in consumption despite the increase in data traffic on its networks; 100% use of renewable energy in its main markets; collaboration initiatives with its main suppliers, contributing to the decarbonisation of its customers through Eco Smart solutions, verified by an independent third party; as well as low-carbon purchases; and the neutralisation of emissions.

Silverstone’s transformation from iconic motorsport circuit to a year-round experiential destination continues to gather pace, supported by strategic promotions within its commercial leadership. Newly promoted Head of Business Development Hayley Smith and Head of Venue Sales for MICE & Track Nicola Black share how the venue is evolving, the trends reshaping corporate events, and what makes Silverstone such a standout proposition for brands seeking unforgettable experiences.

 

Transformation of Silverstone

Over the past five years, Silverstone has significantly diversified its audience and offering. Smith explains that the venue has moved far beyond its traditional motorsport demographic, fuelled by major investment in The Wing Conference and Exhibition Centre, the addition of more than 300 bedrooms with the Hilton Garden Inn, and a long-term extension of the Formula 1 contract. “With F1’s broader appeal and the growth of our facilities, we’re now attracting new sectors such as retail, beauty and fintech,” she says. The return of in-house hospitality operations and the arrival of high-end trackside accommodation, Escapade Silverstone, have further opened the door to international incentives and premium corporate markets. “As demand for new experiences grows, building a focused Business Development team is essential. I’m excited to lead that growth.”

Black believes Silverstone now occupies a category of its own within the UK events landscape. “No other venue offers this combination of heritage, access and world-class facilities. From flexible indoor and outdoor spaces to multiple on-site hotels, a 5km circuit, a world-class karting track (opening in 2026), drive experiences and the Silverstone Museum – the ways in which clients can use our spaces are endless.”

 

A New Era of Corporate Client

The surge of cultural interest in Formula 1 has also helped redefine Silverstone’s corporate proposition. “When I started six years ago, we were mainly selling traditional conference space,” Smith explains. “But with Netflix’s Drive to Survive and Apple’s F1 movie, clients now want immersive, behind-the-scenes experiences that tap into the world of high performance.” Black adds that the appetite for incentives and memorable team rewards is stronger than ever. “Whether it’s exclusive access to the British Grand Prix or a corporate retreat at Escapade, organisations are seeking more than meeting rooms – they want experiences that inspire, reward and connect people.”

That desire for creativity is also shaping broader industry trends. F1’s collaborations with global brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Kit Kat and LVMH are drawing new audiences who want to use the circuit in innovative ways. “Some of our most exciting enquiries come from clients who push us beyond our comfort zone,” Smith says. “A fashion show on track? Watch this space, I’m working on it.”

 

Fuelled by Excellence 

Behind the scenes, the team’s client service philosophy remains centred on collaboration. “Our approach is simple: be bold, be creative and be exceptional,” says Black. “Every enquiry is treated as bespoke, and our close partnership with delivery and catering teams ensures we execute every event seamlessly.”

 

What the Future Holds

Looking ahead, both leaders see Silverstone continuing its evolution as a 365-day destination. Smith’s focus is on expanding into new sectors, while Black is championing an internal digital transformation designed to match clients with the right opportunities, whether sponsorship, incentives, event space or hospitality, more intelligently and efficiently. “That will be game-changing,” she says.

Asked to sum up Silverstone’s corporate experience in three words, the pair answer in unison: “Immersive, memorable and personable.”

 

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For more information on hosting your next corporate event or incentive programme at Silverstone, contact the sales team.

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The Management Board, made up of representatives from industry and regulators, of the Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) convened for its 35th annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, on 10-12 December 2025 to discuss key issues in radiological protection (RP), including the deployment of artificial intelligence and operational challenges. 

ISOE is a global platform for RP professionals from nuclear power licensees and regulatory authorities. Its Management Board is composed of leading experts representing 78 nuclear licensees and 27 regulatory authorities from 31 countries participating in this joint undertaking. 

The board meets annually to establish rules and to approve policy and governance documents. It also provides direction consistent with the objectives and provisions of the ISOE Terms and Conditions to ensure. sound Management of the Programme. Staff of the four ISOE Technical Centres (Asia, Europe, North America and other non-NEA member countries served by the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA,) as well as the Joint NEA/IAEA Secretariat support the meetings.

The meeting, hosted by the IAEA, featured topical sessions addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on various aspects of radiological protection practices, as well as operational challenges in radiological protection at nuclear power plants. Participants presented country reports, including dose data and key events from 2024–2025, covering Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The group identified steps to further expand ISOE membership by encouraging greater participation from utilities, licensees and regulatory authorities. Initiatives were also discussed to promote broader engagement of younger health physicists in ISOE activities and the occupational exposure database.  

Following the Management Board meeting, a half-day ISOE Bureau meeting, consisting of high level management, was held, focusing primarily on feedback from decisions made during the previous meeting in May 2025 and actions to implement the agreed ISOE Programme of Work for 2026.

The next meetings will be hosted by the NEA in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, in December 2026.

Capability marks a step forward in BNY’s ambition to tokenize bank deposits for real-time, on-chain settlement between industry participants

Key takeaways

• BNY (NYSE: BK), a global financial services company, has taken the first step in its strategy to tokenize deposits by enabling the on‑chain mirrored representation of client deposit balances on its Digital Assets platform.

• This launch helps to advance BNY’s ambitions to support programmable, on‑chain cash for institutional market infrastructure.

• Early participants include a wide range of prominent financial institutions and digital natives.

How it will work

• Beginning with collateral and margin workflow use cases, this launch extends BNY’s cash capabilities by creating on-chain digital book entries that represent participating clients’ existing demand deposit claims against the bank.

• This capability operates on BNY’s private, permissioned blockchain and is governed by the company’s established risk, compliance, and control frameworks. Client balances continue to be recorded on BNY’s traditional systems to maintain regulatory and reporting integrity.

Why it matters

• As global financial markets shift towards an always-on operating model, institutions are seeking faster and more efficient ways to move assets — with greater settlement certainty, transparency, lower friction and capability to unlock liquidity.

• Tokenized deposits can help to reduce settlement friction, improve liquidity efficiency across collateral and margin workflows, and enable programmable payments and settlements.

• In the future, BNY aims to support rules‑based, near real-time cash movements to reduce settlement friction and enhance liquidity and operational efficiency for its institutional clients.

• BNY continues to connect traditional banking infrastructure with emerging digital rails – stablecoins, tokenized money market funds and tokenized deposits — anchored in institutional trust, scale, and governance. With a focus on how these digital assets interoperate, tokenized deposits will serve as the connective tissue of BNY’s digital infrastructure.

• Carolyn Weinberg, Chief Product and Innovation Officer, BNY: “As institutional markets move toward always on operating models, BNY is committed to innovating and helping define how cash moves across the modern financial system. Tokenized deposits provide us with the opportunity to extend our trusted bank deposits onto digital rails — enabling clients to operate with greater speed across collateral, margin, and payments, within a framework built for scale, resilience, and regulatory alignment.”

Hear from clients and prominent digital asset ecosystem participants that are shaping the future of finance with BNY:

• Nathan McCauley, CEO and Co-Founder, Anchorage Digital: “We’ve long believed that the future of finance is programmable. Tokenized deposits accelerate that vision through institutional adoption — money that moves at the speed firms need, under a framework they trust. BNY taking this step to enable tokenized deposits is a milestone moment for digital cash adoption, and Anchorage Digital is energized to help build toward a world where these capabilities are industry standard.”

• Theo Golden, Tokenization Lead and Investment Manager, Baillie Gifford: “We believe the tokenization of all assets over the coming years will fundamentally transform how financial markets operate and deliver better outcomes for clients. The technology has now passed a clear credibility threshold, and with institutions such as BNY and Baillie Gifford actively involved in the ecosystem, this vision is becoming a reality. The tokenization of cash is a critical enabler of broader asset tokenization, unlocking interoperability and efficiency across financial markets. We are particularly encouraged to see BNY leading the way as a regulated institution bringing a tokenized money solution into the core of the financial system.”
• Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy and Operations, Circle: “We welcome BNY’s support of an always-on financial system, tokenized money and payment stablecoins like USDC. Showing interoperability between these systems not only builds durable bridges between the real economy and the broader internet financial system but also demonstrates that speed and new use cases do not come at the expense of safety and soundness expectations of the world’s leading financial institutions. Our long-standing relationship with BNY has been anchored by this shared vision.”

• Citadel Securities: “Tokenization is a critical part of the next wave of innovation in financial markets, and we are pleased to work with BNY as it aims to enable tokenized deposits that can safely and securely improve the speed and efficiency of capital movement throughout the financial system.”

• Yuval Rooz, Co-Founder and CEO, Digital Asset: “We welcome the opportunity to work with BNY as they advance a practical, institution-ready approach to tokenized deposits. Bringing deposit balances on-chain can make asset mobilization more efficient and unlock liquidity across key workflows. This direction aligns closely with our strategy for the Canton Network — supporting privacy-enabled on-chain infrastructure and solutions that help regulated institutions coordinate and transact in real time, while maintaining the controls, governance, and trust that underpin global financial markets.”

• Brian Boots, Global Head of Treasury, DRW Holdings: “The introduction of BNY tokenized deposits provides another important building block for facilitating institutional adoption of on-chain capital markets activity.”

• Steve Kurz, Global Co-Head of Digital Assets, Galaxy: “This launch reflects a clear view of where market infrastructure is going. Tokenized deposits aim to bring real programmability and 24/7 settlement efficiency into the core of the banking system. We’re pleased to be working with BNY on this capability as it comes to market and see it as a pragmatic step toward always-on markets that institutions can engage with today.”

• Elizabeth King, Global Head of Clearing and Chief Regulatory Officer, ICE: “ICE is excited to work with BNY as we take steps towards supporting tokenized deposits across ICE’s clearinghouses. This collaboration reflects a shared goal to enable more continuous and efficient movement of cash as we prepare our clearing infrastructure to support 24/7 trading and the potential integration of tokenized collateral. We remain committed to maintaining close communication with our clearing members and other market participants throughout this transformation.”

• Kathleen Wrynn, Global Head of Digital Assets, Invesco: “We are excited about BNY’s latest digital asset capability. Our relationship with BNY reflects Invesco’s commitment to responsible innovation and to delivering forward-looking capabilities for our clients.”
• Paul Cusenza, Chairman and CEO, Nodal Clear: “Nodal Clear is delighted to support BNY as they extend their digital cash capabilities. As the first clearing house in the world to clear margined futures 24/7, Nodal Clear is proud to be working with BNY on innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our trading and clearing community.”

• Charles Cascarilla, CEO and Co-Founder, Paxos: “We’re committed to the institutional adoption of digital assets to ensure they power new financial infrastructure. Paxos is dedicated to driving innovation and expanding the utility of on-chain finance with BNY.”

• Noel Kimmel, President, Ripple Prime: “As more traditional financial institutions move into digital-native services in 2026, BNY is staying ahead of the curve, bringing digital assets directly into the banking system. We’re proud to expand our longstanding strategic collaboration, now as an early adopter of BNY’s tokenized deposit services through its Digital Assets Platform for cashflow management and liquidity optimization.”

• Carlos Domingo, Founder and CEO, Securitize: “BNY continues to demonstrate institutional leadership in how tokenization becomes real market infrastructure. From enabling tokenized funds together to this expansion into tokenized deposits, they’ve consistently moved from experimentation to execution. While many are still debating whether and how to engage, BNY is already building interoperable, regulated systems that bring cash, assets, and settlement together on-chain — unlocking tangible efficiency and liquidity for institutional markets.”

• Brian Mulcahy, Chief Executive Officer, StoneX Digital: “StoneX continues to innovate in support of customer demand for digital services. We look forward to working with BNY to support this exciting new functionality.”

• Anton Katz, Co-founder and CEO, Talos: “Talos provides a comprehensive platform for the world’s largest financial institutions to manage the entire digital asset investment lifecycle. For institutions trading digital assets, 24/7 settlement is critical to improving liquidity management and operational efficiency. That’s why we’re excited to join BNY as we look to enable real-time, always-on cash movement.”

• Will Peck, Head of Digital Assets, WisdomTree: “We see tokenized deposits as a building block for moving more financial activity on-chain, enabling trading, settlement, and money movement to occur instantly and on a 24/7 basis. Representing bank money on-chain opens opportunities for more programmable financial services. We are looking forward to exploring use cases with BNY.”

• Edward Woodford, CEO and Founder, zerohash: “Tokenized deposits are a critical step in making on-chain finance practical at institutional scale. BNY is building the bridges of trusted bank money with programmable digital rails. We are excited about the potential of enabling institutions to interact with on-chain cash securely and at scale, via zerohash’s regulated infrastructure. This kind of interoperability is exactly what the next phase of market infrastructure requires.”

BNY 

BNY is a global financial services company that helps make money work for the world – managing it, moving it and keeping it safe. For more than 240 years BNY has partnered alongside clients, putting its expertise and platforms to work to help them achieve their ambitions. Today BNY helps over 90% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly all the top 100 banks globally access the money they need. BNY supports governments in funding local projects and works with over 90% of the top 100 pension plans to safeguard investments for millions of individuals, and so much more. As of September 30, 2025, BNY oversees $57.8 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $2.1 trillion in assets under management.

BNY is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Headquartered in New York City, BNY has been named among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies and Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators. Additional information is available on www.bny.com. Follow on LinkedIn or visit the BNY Newsroom for the latest company news.