America’s birthday is, of course, a cause for celebration. So is a 3-day holiday weekend that you can spend grilling and hanging out with friends and family. And if you’re a runner, triathlete, or other kind of dedicated fitness fanatic, there’s one more reason to light up some fireworks this weekend — Amazon’s just dropped the price of the awesome Garmin Forerunner 255 GPS running smartwatch to an all-time low of just $200 (43% off).
Any Garmin deal is going to get the attention of athletes and fitness buffs simply because Garmin has long been the gold standard of running watches for training, measuring your health data, and keeping you on course with its advanced GPS. But when one of Garmin’s most popular models suddenly nosedives to its lowest price ever thanks to an Amazon 43% off sale, it’s going to trigger a mad rush that might cause supplies to dip and dip fast.
See at Amazon
The Wearable Coach
The Garmin Forerunner 255 is like having a running coach on your wrist. As you begin to train for your next race, the Forerunner 255 will have tips and personalized workout suggestions ready for you every day, based on your recent workout and also the health and sleep metrics it measures all day and night. The Forerunner 255 will give you a week’s worth of suggested workouts, and then be able to adapt and modify them on the go based on your performance and recovery.
The Forerunner 255 comes with free adaptive training plans from Garmin Coach for 5K, 10K, and half-marathons, and with the Garmin Connect smartphone app, you can also create and modify your own custom workouts. Punch in the course information for your upcoming race and the Forerunner 255 will customize your workouts and even give you a predicted completion time based on that specific course, the weather, and your training.
Stay On Course
The Forerunner 255 uses Garmin’s SatIQ tech to keep its GPS optimized at all times, and when the satellite coverage is compromised by tall buildings or dense woods, the SatIQ can resort to Multiband GNSS to ensure your location is detected with great accuracy. Even with the GPS mode activated, the upgraded battery of the Forerunner 255 will last up to 30 hours, and when it’s just being used as a smartwatch, that duration grows to an incredible 14 days before needing a recharge.
In 3 short years since replacing the Forerunner 245, this Garmin running watch has become a huge favorite, especially among runners and other athletes. That’s why this Amazon deal shaving the price down by 43% to an all-time low of just $200 is such a big deal, and a deal you really will not want to miss.
If you’ve put in the effort to secure your data on your computer, iPhone and other devices, you can already sleep better than most people. But there’s still a vector that could be out of your control: cloud data. To ensure you’re running the highest level of encryption between you and Apple’s iCloud servers, turn on Advanced Data Protection. However, the technology is also under scrutiny in the UK, which led Apple to temporarily turn off the feature for UK customers.
If you’re outside the UK and concerned about who can see your data, here’s how to turn ADP on and how it differs from the default iCloud encryption.
Why is ADP turned off for UK customers?
In February, Apple took the unusual step of turning off ADP for customers in the UK. The British government has reportedly demanded that Apple provide a method for law enforcement to access encrypted data as part of criminal investigations. But that creates a serious security problem, because this type of backdoor access can also be exploited by criminals or untrustworthy governments.
Since then, Apple has appealed the Home Office’s demand, and in April, a judge ruled that discussions between Apple and the UK government can’t be held in secret.
ADP can no longer be enabled for people in the UK; those currently using ADP will need to turn off the feature at a future date.
Watch this: I Made Things Weird Trying TSA’s New Shoe Scanner Machine
How does Advanced Data Protection work?
The key difference between ADP and how Apple encrypts data by default is how accessible your information is when stored on Apple’s servers.
In what Apple calls standard data protection, information sent between points, such as files stored on iCloud Drive and iCloud backups of your devices, is encrypted and transmitted securely. If someone intercepts that data between the two points, they’ll see only gibberish.
That data remains encrypted when stored on Apple’s servers so you can access it from other devices, for instance. However, Apple can still access the encryption keys to unscramble and read the data — and provide it to law enforcement following a legal request.
By contrast, when you enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, the data is end-to-end encrypted, meaning only your trusted devices possess the encryption keys to read it. The information remains encrypted on the servers, and not even Apple can access its contents. (Not all iCloud data can be end-to-end encrypted. Apple breaks out which types of information, such as iCloud Mail messages, remains covered by standard data protection even when ADP is turned on.)
The UK’s Investigatory Powers Act — the Snooper’s Charter — makes that inaccessibility illegal, which is why Apple is turning the feature off for UK customers.
Some services are end-to-end encrypted, regardless of the sensitivity of the data, such as passwords, information stored in the Health app, and payment information.
Make sure your account is set up for Advanced Data Protection
To set up ADP on your account, first make sure you’ve met all the prerequisites for the feature:
Your Apple Account must use two-factor authentication.
You must set up a recovery method in case you lose access to your account. That method can be a 28-character Recovery Key or a person you’ve designated as a Trusted Contact.
Every device connected with your Apple Account must be able to run at least iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, MacOS 13.1, WatchOS 9.2, TVOS 16.2, or a HomePod running version 16.0. For Windows computers, make sure iCloud for Windows is at version 14.1 or later. You’ll be warned during the ADP setup process if any of your devices don’t qualify. If any of those are too old or you can no longer access them, tap Remove Devices in Settings and delete them from your list.
During the ADP setup process, you may need to first remove any incompatible devices in your iCloud settings.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Steps to set up Advanced Data Protection
To turn on ADP on an iPhone, iPad or Mac do the following:
1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud. On a Mac, open System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
2. Scroll down to Advanced Data Protection, which likely says Off, and tap that.
Set up ADP in your iCloud settings.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
3. If there are any of the aforementioned impediments to setting up ADP, such as needing to update other devices on your account, you’ll review them on the next screen.
4. In the following screen, tap Review Recovery Options. You need to have a Recovery Key, Recovery Contact or both to ensure that you can get your data if you lose access to your iCloud account.
5. Enter your device’s passcode to finish.
After you review your recovery methods, such as a Recovery Key or Recovery Contact, ADP is enabled.
Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET
Activating ADP on one device means it’s on for all your devices using the same Apple Account, so you only need to set it up once.
For more on securing your data and devices, see how to securely share a Wi-Fi password with Apple and Android devices and everything you need to know about Apple’s new Passwords app.
CES 2025 Home Security Roundup: Upgrades for Locks, Doorbells and More
• Customers can now trade in eligible Samsung smartphones for Samsung Credits, valid for five years
• Credits are redeemable across Samsung.com on a wide range of products – from mobiles and TVs to fridges and wearables
Samsung ElectronicsCo.Ltd has announced the launch of Trade In For Samsung Credits, a new initiative that rewards customers with Samsung Credits when they trade in an eligible mobile device[1]. The credits can be used on future purchases at Samsung.com, from the latest Galaxy devices to tablets, smart TVs, monitors, wearables, smart home appliances and more[2].
Samsung Credits can be redeemed on your next purchase, whether upgrading to a new device or investing in a new piece of home tech, or saved in your Samsung Account to use anytime within five years. The programme offers competitive trade-in values, even for damaged devices[1], with the convenience of free, pre-paid returns.
Giving customers a new way to unlock value from old devices, the programme is currently available for Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series and Z series devices and is set to expand to a wider range of products later this year.
Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience VP of Product and Marketing, Samsung UK & Ireland, says: “Trade In for Samsung Credits is all about giving our customers more ways to get the most value. By trading in old devices, customers can save on a wide range of Samsung technology from smartphones and tablets to TVs and smart appliances. It’s a simple, rewarding way to shop smarter and experience all the best that Samsung has to offer.”
To find out more or trade-in your device, visit: https://www.samsung.com/uk/trade-in/.
[1]To be eligible for trade in, your device must meet the following criteria: • Powers on and holds a charge without unexpected shutdowns. • No liquid damage or defects. • Reset to factory settings with all personal information and software locks removed. (Samsung account, Google account etc) Samsung Credits cannot be used to pay for subscriptions or third-party products through Samsung Marketplace
[2]Excludes Samsung Marketplace products, Subscription Products and Samsung Finance purchases.
Renault-owned Alpine appointed former sporting director Steve Nielsen on Friday to handle the day-to-day running of the Formula 1 team following the departure of principal Oliver Oakes.
The Enstone-based team, effectively run by executive adviser and former principal Flavio Briatore who will continue to have overall charge, said Nielsen would start work as managing director on September 1.
Nielsen has most recently been working for Liberty Media-owned Formula 1, after a brief period as sporting director at the governing FIA.
He was also sporting director when Renault won championships in 2005 and 2006 under Briatore.
Alpine, last in the constructors’ championship but switching to Mercedes engines next year, also appointed Kris Midgley as head of aerodynamic development.
Midgley previously worked at Ferrari as principal aerodynamicist and is also returning to the Enstone factory after a stint from 2007-13.
Oakes, the team’s fifth boss in four turbulent seasons, resigned in May for personal reasons after being appointed in July last year.
Runway AI is making waves again, this time with Game Worlds, a bold new platform that lets users build immersive games with nothing but text. The company, already valued at $3 billion, is bringing its Hollywood-grade AI tools to the gaming world, and full game creation capabilities are expected by late 2025.
From Film Sets to Game Dev: Runway AI Expands Its Empire
After helping create hits like House of David, Runway AI is now targeting gamers and developers. Game Worlds marks its first major step into interactive storytelling and real-time game generation.
Build Epic Game Worlds Using Only Your Words
Users can type simple prompts like “Build a haunted city with robot guards” and watch the world come to life. Think AI Dungeon but with high-end visuals and actual game logic. The early version focuses on narrative and illustration, but full interactivity is on the horizon.
Runway AI Empowers Indie Creators and Solo Devs
No coding, no budget? No problem. Game Worlds slashes traditional development costs and complexity, making game creation possible for indie teams and bedroom coders alike. Levels, characters, and quests can all be generated through natural language.
Speed Meets Scale: AI Cuts Dev Time by 40%
Runway AI claims its tools can reduce game development time dramatically. The company is already collaborating with studios to refine its AI models, which are trained on style, mechanics, and world-building frameworks.
Is This Innovation or Just AI Hype?
Critics argue that while the tech is exciting, AI-generated content may lack emotional depth and polish. Some also point to current challenges with exporting assets into engines like Unity or Unreal.
Coming Soon: Full Game Creation With a Single Prompt
By late 2025, Game Worlds will evolve to support real-time gameplay, movement, and decision-making, all powered by AI. If it works as promised, it could democratize game design for everyone.
Anna Mazzola was awarded the KAA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year for The Book of Secrets (Orion) at the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards.
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Home » TRAVEL NEWS UPDATES » China Family Travel Boom Drives Summer Travel Growth with Immersive and Educational Experiences, Learn More Here
Friday, July 4, 2025
With its annual summer holiday season approaching, the tourism industry is in for the most phenomenal year with the growing demand for family vacations. With the report of 2025 summer holiday trends released by LY.com in June, it became clear that vacations with the family have emerged as the flagship of China tourism industry for international and local trips alike. Predicted is the continued rise of family travelers for the airlines and tourism sector as growing families put more priority on trips of experience over the traditional vacation type, with one of the central interests being Beijing .
Family Travel Dominates the Summer Travel Rush
The report from LY.com highlights that family travel is poised to lead the charge this summer, accounting for a significant portion of both domestic and international travelers. According to estimates, approximately 34.7% of passengers on domestic flights during the summer travel season will be traveling with minors, while 23% of passengers on international routes will also be families. Both of these figures represent an increase over the same period in 2024, demonstrating the growing demand for family-centric travel experiences.
The summer travel season, which spans from July to August, is expected to see 6 million first-time air travelers—a number that emphasizes the expanding middle class in China and a growing appetite for travel among families. This surge in family tourism reflects broader cultural shifts, as more parents are choosing to invest in experiences rather than material goods for their children.
Record Growth for Travel Agencies Catering to Families
The boom in family travel is evident in the performance of leading travel agencies in China. For example, Utour, a Beijing-based travel agency, reported a 70% year-on-year increase in its summer bookings as of mid-June. Family travel is forecasted to account for over 60% of Utour’s summer clientele, reinforcing the sector’s dominance in the current tourism market.
Utour’s success is reflected in the growing demand for educational trips and family-focused tour packages. Among its new offerings is a 12-day family tour to the United Kingdom, which includes visits to top British universities, guided tours of the British Museum, and Harry Potter-themed experiences. This type of package aligns perfectly with the increasing interest in immersive travel that combines culture, education, and entertainment.
A Shift in Parenting: Investing in Experience Over Material Goods
The rise of family travel is partly driven by a generational shift in parenting. Parents born in the 1980s and 1990s, now the primary decision-makers in family vacations, increasingly value meaningful experiences over material purchases.
The focus is shifting from traditional sightseeing to experiences that are enriching for both parents and children. These types of vacations are centered around building memories and creating opportunities for children to engage with culture, history, and the world around them. As a result, family travel has become a form of investment that contributes to children’s development, fostering skills such as creativity, curiosity, and global awareness.
Rise of Immersive Learning and Cultural Experiences
A key trend in family travel is the growing demand for immersive learning experiences. Parents are increasingly seeking activities that provide children with hands-on learning opportunities, which also serve as educational experiences. This demand has led to a rise in packages that feature traditional craft workshops, folk customs, and intangible cultural heritage activities.
In Guangdong Province, travel agency GZL International Travel Service has tapped into this trend by offering family travel packages that focus on cultural heritage. These packages include activities such as dough figurine making and paper cutting, which allow families to learn about traditional Chinese arts and crafts. By mid-June, family travelers had accounted for 82% of the agency’s customers, reflecting the growing interest in cultural learning.
As immersive cultural experiences continue to rise in popularity, they are reshaping the way families think about vacations. Traveling with purpose has become a major consideration, with families preferring trips that offer rich, educational content alongside traditional sightseeing.
Social Media Influence and Trending Intellectual Properties
The rise of family travel has also been influenced by the power of social media and online platforms, where photo-worthy experiences have become an essential part of vacation planning. Parents increasingly value destinations and activities that offer shareable moments for social media, making “Instagrammable” spots a key consideration for many travelers.
In this age of social media, trending intellectual properties (IPs) such as Pop Mart and LEGO have had a considerable influence on family travel choices. The Pop Land experience, based on the popular Labubu character, has seen a dramatic increase in ticket bookings, with families eager to visit destinations that offer branded, shareable experiences.
The launch of the LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort on July 5, 2025, the largest LEGOLAND park in the world, is expected to be one of the top family destinations this summer. The park’s immersive experience, along with its unique offerings of LEGO-themed attractions, is attracting a wave of family tourists eager to experience its interactive exhibits.
The Future of Family Travel in China
Looking ahead, the family travel boom is expected to remain a dominant force in China’s tourism market. The trend reflects broader shifts in societal values, as families increasingly prioritize experiences that contribute to children’s learning and development. The combination of cultural learning, immersive experiences, and social media-driven destinations is set to drive demand for family-friendly tourism products.
Travel agencies are likely to continue expanding their offerings to meet this demand, introducing more tailored packages that focus on family-friendly activities, educational tours, and culturally enriching experiences. As parents seek to provide their children with more than just a typical holiday, the tourism industry will have to adapt by providing more personalized, purposeful travel options.
With rising demand for family vacations and educational tourism, the tourism industry of China is likely to turn in steady performance in the years ahead. The market for family trips is likely to remain the core driver of the country’s tourism industry and induce demand for destinations where new-generation travelers can get desirable, enriching experiences.
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Tags: Beijing, china tourism, cultural heritage, educational tours, family tourism boom, family vacations, guangdong, immersive experiences, LEGOLAND Shanghai., Shanghai, Social Media Trends, summer tourism
An international team of researchers may have just cracked the code for what makes someone “cool.”
And no matter where you live, the personality traits that make someone “cool” appear to be consistent across countries, according to the study, published this week in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
The researchers found that, compared with people considered to be “good” or “favorable,” those considered “cool” are perceived to be more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous.
“The most surprising thing was seeing that the same attributes emerge in every country,” said Todd Pezzuti, an associate professor of marketing at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile who was a co-lead researcher on the study.
“Regardless of whether it’s China or Korea or Chile or the US, people like people who are pushing boundaries and sparking change,” he said. “So I would say that coolness really represents something more fundamental than the actual label of coolness.”
‘Cool’ isn’t the same as ‘good’
The researchers – from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, the University of Arizona and the University of Georgia – conducted experiments from 2018 to 2022 with nearly 6,000 people across a dozen countries: Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States.
The participants were asked to think of a person in their lives whom they perceive to be “cool,” “uncool,” “good” or “not good.” They were then asked to rate that person’s personality using two scales: the Big Five Personality scale, a widely used scientific model that helps describe personality traits, and the Portrait Values Questionnaire, intended to measure an individual’s basic values.
The study participants consistently associated being calm, conscientious, universalistic, agreeable, warm, secure, traditional and conforming with being a good person, more than with being a cool person. Being capable was considered to be both “cool” and “good” but not distinctly either. But the formula for being “cool” was having the six character traits – more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous – no matter the person’s age, gender or education level.
Pezzuti doesn’t think these “cool” traits are something that can be taught.
“We’re born with those attributes,” he said. “Five of those attributes are personality traits, and personality traits tend to be fairly stable.”
The research showed that cool people and good people aren’t the same, but there may be some overlapping traits, said co-lead researcher Caleb Warren, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Arizona.
“To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people,” Warren said in a news release. “However, cool people often have other traits that aren’t necessarily considered ‘good’ in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.”
A limitation of the research was that only people who understood what “cool” means were included in the study. Pezzuti said it would be interesting – but difficult – to determine whether the findings would be similar among more traditional cultures or remote groups of people who may be less familiar with the term.
“We don’t know what we would find in supertraditional cultures like hunting-and-gathering tribes or sustenance farming groups,” Pezzuti said.
“One thing we would propose is that in those cultures, ‘cool’ people don’t have as important of a role because innovation, or cultural innovation, isn’t as important in those cultures,” he said. “So I would say that cool people are probably present in those cultures, but their role isn’t as big, and they’re probably not as admired as they are in other cultures.”
‘Cool’ can be controversial
When asked to think of a public figure or celebrity who embodies “coolness” based on his research, Pezzuti immediately said Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“He’s a controversial figure, but someone who comes to my mind is Elon Musk,” Pezzuti said, adding that he checks all the boxes of the six attributes identified in the study.
One of the lead researchers says Elon Musk checks all six boxes for people the study identifies as “cool.” – Oliver Contreras/AFP/Getty Images
Musk is “undeniably powerful” and autonomous, he said, and appears to be extroverted due to his presence on social media platforms and in the media.
“I hear that he’s timid, maybe more timid than he seems, but from an outsider, he seems very extroverted. He’s entertaining. He’s on podcasts and always in front of cameras,” Pezzuti explained.
Some of Musk’s behavior also appears to be hedonistic, he said. “He smoked marijuana on the most popular podcast in the world, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience.’”
And Pezzuti added that Musk’s ideas about colonizing Mars show him to be open and adventurous.
The new paper is one of the few empirical studies that examines what exactly makes people “cool,” said Jonah Berger, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
“While people have long wondered (and theorized) about what makes people cool, there hasn’t been a lot of actual empirical research on the topic, so it’s great to see work exploring this space,” Berger, who was not involved in the new paper, wrote in an email.
“While coolness might seem like something you are born with, there are certainly steps people can take to try and move in that direction,” he said. “Given how many people want to be cool, and how much money is spent with that goal in mind, it certainly seems worth studying.”
Future research in this space could evaluate coolness in tandem with goodness and badness rather than in isolation from it, said Jon Freeman, an associate professor of psychology at Columbia University.
“In real life, coolness can be a positive quality but can also have a negative connotation in certain social contexts. It may be valuable for future work to examine the differences between good coolness and bad coolness, and this study’s approach offers a great foundation,” Freeman, who also was not involved in the new study, wrote in an email.
“From a scientific standpoint, cool would seem far more a product of inference and social construction than genetics, although low-level temperament informed by genetics could feed into ongoing personality construction,” he said.
“‘Cool’ is deeply ingrained in our social vocabulary because it serves as a shorthand for complex inferences. It encapsulates signals of status, affiliation, and identity in ways that are instantaneous yet deeply stereotyped. From a scientific perspective, studying coolness is important precisely because it reveals how rapid, schematic trait inferences influence behavior and social dynamics, especially in the age of social media and influencer culture.”
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Nearly every day, another business luminary makes a gloomy prediction about job security in the AI era. Well-known venture capitalist Vinod Khosla recently said artificial intelligence could wipe out 80% of all jobs by 2030 while Amazon CEO Andy Jassy warned about likely job cuts at the retail giant due to automation.
And yet, amid all the pessimism, one tiny group of humans has become extraordinarily valuable: Those creating AI. Many tech companies are scrambling to hire top-notch AI leaders and researchers, using multi-million dollar paychecks to entice them.
The latest example of how essential some humans are in the AI era came in the last few weeks, when Facebook-parent Meta went on a spending spree to beef up its all-important AI operations. The company is betting that the infusion of new talent will jumpstart its efforts, which are said to be lagging the competition and putting tens of billions of dollars in future profits at risk.
The push started with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hiring Alexandr Wang, CEO of AI labeling startup Scale AI, to be his first chief AI officer, and making a $14.3 billion investment in Wang’s company. Zuckerberg also recruited former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman to partner with Wang in leading Meta’s new superintelligence lab.
Just days later, Meta went on another hiring blitz by poaching a number of AI researchers from ChatGPT maker OpenAI, along with employees from Google and Anthropic, maker of the Claude AI assistant.
“As the pace of AI progress accelerates, developing superintelligence is coming into sight,” Zuckerberg wrote in a memo on Monday to formally announce Wang and Friedman’s new roles and the opening of the superintelligence lab. “I believe this will be the beginning of a new era for humanity, and I am fully committed to doing what it takes for Meta to lead the way.”
The AI talent war between Meta and OpenAI is just an extreme example of what’s happening across the tech industry. Companies large and small are fighting to recruit big-name AI leaders and their foot soldiers, readily acknowledging that developing superintelligence, or AI that’s vastly smarter than humans, hinges on the work of actual humans.
In their sales pitches, companies often claim AI can perform magic. But for now at least, the technology can’t entirely perform its magic on itself.
AI research scientists who are focused on foundational AI and making sci-fi advancements to it are considered to be at the top of this new pecking order. They oversee the training of vast general-purpose models, fine tune them, and make them more adaptable for developers to incorporate into their products.
Some companies are willing to pay big money—including millions of dollars in salaries, stock options, and bonuses—for what they consider to be the top talent in that cohort.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed that Meta had dangled $100 million compensation packages in front of some of his employees, and then boasted that no one of significance had accepted such an offer.
However, within days, the exodus began. Ultimately, OpenAI’s chief research officer, Mark Chen, erupted about it in an internal memo, Wired reported. “I feel a visceral feeling right now, as if someone has broken into our home and stolen something,” he wrote. To keep other workers from leaving, he vowed to be “more proactive than ever before” by “recalibrating comp,” or compensation, and “scoping out creative ways to recognize and reward top talent.”
David Horn, head of AI at financial services company Brex, agreed that humans are essential for developing and perfecting AI at his company and others. A few individuals, he said, can have a huge impact on a company’s ultimate success.
“You still need people who can tell AI what problems to solve when we’re working with AI tools,” Horn said. “What we found is that the value humans bring to a task is not necessarily putting in the effort but being able to very clearly explain what needs to be done—and also, more importantly, why.”
Unlike many of the major tech companies, Brex isn’t developing foundational AI. Rather, it’s building on top of the super-sized models that those bigger companies produce, specifically to tailor it for the financial sector. Several layers of workers are needed to do the job, Horn said. They include those who work directly with the AI, others who manage their work and the product pipeline, and still more who set the policies, or broader strategy, for how to work with AI on particular tasks.
Of course, not everyone in tech is in as big demand as AI researchers are.
Because of AI, hiring is slowing in certain specialties.
Software engineers, for example, are increasingly enlisting AI to help them write code. In response, some companies have slowed hiring or, like Amazon, discussed cutting jobs to save on costs.
Customer service, data entry, and low level finance jobs are particularly vulnerable to advances in AI.
Last week, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff gave a sense of where humans stand in the AI era, saying that AI does up to half of the work within his company. He didn’t provide any details about what he meant. And as chief salesman for Salesforce’s AI products, it’s clearly in his interest to talk up AI’s success.
But a glance at Salesforce’s website shows something that Benioff didn’t mention: Salesforce has dozens of job openings with AI or related terms in the title or description.
